Hair maintenance is one of the most important things that women deal with on a daily basis. If you’re lucky, you can just hop in the shower, squeeze out excess hair moisture and be done with it. However, most of the women population can’t approach hair drying that way without hazing a lot of frizz.
So what do you need to know on how to dry natural hair? The key to maintaining gorgeous hair is to approach hair drying the right way. Here are some methods that you can try on your hair.
Source: http://www.remyglamnation.com/2013/08/caring-for-natural-unprocessed-hair.html
1. Ditch the Bath Towel for a T-shirt or Microfiber Towel
Most of us were taught that hair should be dried with a towel. In fact, instructions on many hair care products always say towel dry. However, your towel may not be the best choice for drying hair.
Dragging the towels back and forth on your hair can cause too much friction and lead to hair damage by snagging at the coils. Aside from that, polyester and cotton towels absorb too much moisture from the hair, leaving it dry. Both can leave you with unhealthy coils.
It would be best to stop using your bath towels for your hair. Instead use a t-shirt or a microfiber towel. T-shirts are thin enough to absorb water from hair but it’s gentle and thin enough that it does not damage hair. Meanwhile, microfiber towels can absorb enough moisture but it has a surface that is not harsh to hair.
2. Set Hair Prior to Air-drying
When you have short hair, just toweling off would be enough but when you have long and kinky hair, that’s another story. Many choose to blow dry but this may not be ideal during those dry months when hair suffers from the lack of moisture. Those months are ideal for air-drying hair.
Unfortunately, air-drying alone might be one of the worst options for people who have this kind of hair. In fact, if you leave your hair be and just air it out, it has the tendency to shrink which makes styling really difficult unless you wash your hair again.
However, there is a workaround for those who want to go for air-drying. Before you dry your hair, stretch it out with a braid, a twist, or a Bantu knot. You can also use hair bands or curlers on your hair.
These styling techniques will prevent too many tangles in your hair. If you have natural hair, you are pretty much aware how difficult it is to untangle hair. Air-drying alone can result to a lot of tangles a few days after you do it. More tangles also mean greater chances of hair damage.
3. Squeeze Moisture Out by Sectioning Hair
Whether you are a fan or air-drying or of blow drying, adding another step to your shower routine to include squeezing or shaking hair out would be helpful.
Hair is just like a sponge, there seems to be a hidden stash of water inside even if you already squeezed it.
A lot of people think that putting a towel on their head or rubbing hair with towels would make it dry faster. This is all false and doing this can even damage hair.
The best way to make hair dry faster is to squeeze out moisture by sectioning hair. This is more effective that squeezing hair as one body. Aside from that, it takes enough wetness from hair so it is not dripping. At the same time, moisture is retained and it is not totally dry. After doing this, your hair would probably be halfway dry.
4. Apply Leave-in Products to Damp Hair Not Wet Hair
When you are in a hurry, it seems to be more practical to apply hair products right after a bath. Unless you want the hair to dry longer than normal, then you have to stop doing this. Leave in products trap moisture in your hair and if you apply it to wet hair, drying takes longer.
The best practice would be to squeezes moisture out of your hair first before applying any hair product. A product’s effectiveness will not be impaired if you apply it on damp rather than wet hair.
Aside from that, you would also be spared from walking with wet hair longer than you should. But do keep in mind that wet hair is more susceptible to damage.
5. Use a Diffuser If You Have to Blow Dry
There are times when you just have to blow dry your hair even when you are fully aware how damaging this practice can be. When your only option is to use a blower, it would be easier on your hair if you attach a diffuser. Instead of direct heat, the diffusers will scatter the heat in a larger surface so the impact can be reduced.
Aside from that, a regular blower can disrupt your curls. Instead of looking defined, they will look unruly. Another tip is to use only low to medium when using a blower. This will minimize the damage to your hair due to heat.
Irrespective of your hair type, it is important to learn how to dry natural hair properly. Improper hair drying practices can cause hair damage which is the last thing you want. Depending on your hair type, your hair may require more work than others.
Always remember that your hair has a huge impact on your overall appearance. Taking care of hair is also a must to ensure that your locks are healthy and not prone to breakage.
Leave a Reply