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When it’s time to dry your red hair, do you opt for a blow-dry or do you air dry? Some people might think one is better than the other, but really it depends on your hair type, hair texture, length, and hair goals.
If you’re lucky enough to be working from home right now, it’s likely you’ve moved into air-drying and ditching the regular blow-dry. After all, experts have warned us for years about the effects of prolonged heat damage from blow-drying, including split ends, breakage and parched strands.
Let’s first talk about a few of the hair concerns we face when drying our hair either way:
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1. Blow drying can cause heat damage
The biggest concern for most people when it comes to blow-drying is the amount of heat damage their hair will sustain. While it is true over-exposure to heat can cause damage, there are ways to reduce damage during the drying process like turning down the heat, drying your hair partially and using a heat protectant.
2. Air drying may cause an oily scalp and damage too
You might find when you air dry your hair, you end up with an oily scalp. This is because your hair is over-saturated with water for hours on end while drying and your roots produce more oils during this period.
READ: 4 Ways to Manage and Treat Greasy Red Hair
3. Both types can cause frizz
When battling frizz in your red hair, you might find heat makes matters worse. Depending on your hair type, air drying might help to reduce frizz. Using a diffuser is another way you can help to reduce frizz while speeding up the dry time.
Surprisingly, hair research is showing hair can absorb up to 30% of its own weight in water. Since natural drying takes time, the longer hair stays wet, the more the cortex swells and cracks, permanently damaging hair.
READ: These 4 Habits Could Be Causing Frizzy Hair
So what is best? Air-drying or blow-drying? The answer is: both
The way you dry your hair will probably depend on how much time you have, but if you’ve got the luxury of time, doing a combo of air drying and blow drying is best. Blow-dry your roots with a diffuser, especially if you have curly hair, and let the rest air dry. Or if you want to speed things up a bit, dry your hair about 80% and then let it air dry. Just remember to always use heat protection, avoid rubbing your hair with a towel, and keep your hair dryer on low heat.
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Rock it like a Redhead!
