Ever blown dry your hair and found that it ends up looking like a mess?
Or maybe you’ve tried to straighten your hair and ended up with frizzy, flyaway locks?
If so, you know having a bad hair day can be really annoying. But there are ways to avoid those frustrating moments!
We’ll cover handling frizz, how to blow dry hair without frizz, and dos and don’ts you should keep in mind.
What Causes Frizz + How to Deal With It
You’ve probably seen the images floating around the internet of people with perfect hair. You may not know that there are many reasons why your hair could look frizzy?
Genetics
Some people are simply born with frizzy hair, and there is not much they can do to change it.
Excess humidity
A humid environment can make your hair frizzy. This is because excess humidity causes your hair shafts to swell and stretch, which leads to frizziness.
Using a frizz protectant will keep your hair looking fresh in humid weather.
Overwashing hair
When you wash your hair too often, it strips away the natural oils that keep your hair healthy and moisturized. The result is dry, frizzy hair.
Oily hair may require more frequent washing, but still no more than three times a week. And if you have dry or color-treated hair, you may need to wash it less often or even use a dry shampoo between washes.
Damage from styling tools
If you use hot styling tools like curling irons or straighteners regularly, your hair is likely damaged and more prone to frizzing.
Keep the heat styling minimal, and ensure you use a heat protectant spray or serum before using heat. Also, moisturizing hair masks will keep your hair hydrated.
Towel-drying hair
The friction made by brushes with nylon bristles and roughly towel-drying your hair can cause the cuticle to be ruffled, creating frizz.
Instead, switch to a microfiber towel. Allow your hair to air dry, or wrap wet hair with a cotton tee.
Chemical treatments
Excessive bleaching, lightening, and coloring hair with strong formulas and high ammonia break down natural oils and damage the hair surface, making it rougher and stripping away its shine and silkiness, ultimately creating frizz.
Haircare products
Using the wrong shampoo or conditioner for your hair type, certain hair care products, such as gels and mousse, can contribute to frizzy hair.
Stay away from sulfates and foamy products, as they’re bad for you, and switch to organic ones.
Hormonal changes
Pregnancy, menopause, and other factors may cause hormonal changes. These conditions can affect the hair growth cycle, texture, density, and the scalp’s ability to maintain healthy sebum production.
Having ruled out the cause of your frizz and worked on tips to treat it, you can move on to blow drying your hair.
How to Blow Dry Hair Without Frizz – Step by Step
Step 1
Brush your hair with a wide-toothed comb, preferably a wooden one, with light strokes. As your hair is most frizzy when wet, combing it out is an important step to prevent frizz.
Step 2
Section off your hair into three to four sections.
Step 3
Adjust the blow dryer to a medium or cold setting. You can also attach a diffuser to help control the blow dryer’s heat.
Step 4
Start blow drying each section of your hair.
Step 5
Use a styling product if you want to add more texture or hold.
Step 6
Use a paddle brush to help distribute the product throughout your hair.
Step 7
Continue to blow dry your hair for a few minutes.
Step 8
Optionally, set hair with a hair mist or a hairspray.
How to Blow Dry Hair Without Frizz: Dos and Don’ts
Do use a heat protectant before using a hairdryer
Heat protectants are an essential part of using a hairdryer. They help protect your hair from the high temperatures, keeping it healthy and responsive to styling.
Many heat protectants also contain conditioning ingredients that help to keep your hair looking shiny and soft. Without a heat protectant, your hair can become dry, brittle, and difficult to style.
So before you reach for your hairdryer, make sure you’ve applied a heat protectant to help keep your hair looking its best.
Don’t use a hairdryer on high heat settings for long periods of time
When it comes to hair care, one of the most important things you can do is to avoid using high heat settings.
While it may be tempting to blast your hair with hot air to get it dry quickly, this can damage your hair and make it more susceptible to breakage.
The heat from the hairdryer can cause the proteins in your hair to break down, leaving you with fragile hair that is more prone to split ends.
Additionally, if you use a high heat setting daily, you may notice that your hair starts to look dull and lifeless.
For healthy, shiny hair, stick to lower heat settings and give your hair a break from the blow dryer every so often. Your hair will thank you for it!
Do use a cool air setting to finish drying your hair
When you’re finished, give your hair a quick blast of cold air to set the style. It helps seal in moisture and prevent frizz.
The heat from blow-drying can cause damage to your hair, so using a cool air setting helps minimize that damage. In addition, cool air can help to give your hair a shiny, healthy appearance.
So, next time you blow-dry your hair, be sure to switch to the cool air setting for the last few minutes.
Don’t use a hairdryer every day
Although hair dryers are a convenient way to quickly dry your hair, they can actually cause damage if used daily.
The heat from the hairdryer can strip away the natural oils that help protect your hair, leaving it feeling dry and brittle. Moreover, the constant exposure to heat can damage the hair follicles, leading to split ends and frizz.
As a general rule, try to limit your use of hairdryers and allow your hair to air-dry whenever possible. By doing so, you will help prolong the life of your hair.
Do brush your hair before using a hairdryer
When it comes to blow-drying your hair, it’s important to start with a clean slate. That means brushing your hair before you even think about plugging in your hairdryer.
Brushing your hair will help remove any tangles or knots, which can cause breakage when using a hair dryer. In addition, it will help to evenly distribute the heat from your hairdryer, resulting in healthier, shinier hair.
Don’t hold the hairdryer too close to your scalp
When using a hairdryer, you should avoid holding it too close to your scalp. The intense heat can cause your hair’s cuticle, or outer layer, to lift.
This can lead to split ends and make your hair more susceptible to breakage. In addition, holding the hairdryer too close to your scalp can also cause irritation and even burns.
Do use a diffuser to dry your hair
You know how frustrating it can be if you’ve ever tried to blow dry your hair without a diffuser. Your hair can end up looking frizzy, dry, and damaged.
A diffuser is a round, dome-shaped attachment that fits onto the end of your blow dryer.
It helps distribute the heat more evenly, so your hair dries faster and with less damage. The diffuser also helps to reduce frizz and add volume and shine to your hair.
More Tips for Blow Drying Hair
- Start with the dampest sections and work your way up to the driest. This will help to avoid frizz.
- Blow-dry sections, rather than the whole head at once.
- Keep the blow dryer moving around your head, and don’t stay in one spot for too long.
- When blow-drying your bangs, keep them away from your face. That way, they won’t get too curly or frizzy.
- If you have curly or wavy hair, use a diffuser to help reduce frizz and add more volume.
- Don’t forget to style your hair after you’ve blown it dry! A little bit of product can go a long way in helping you achieve the look you want.
Frequently Asked Questions about Blow drying Hair
Does blow drying your hair damage it?
Although blow drying your hair may speed up the process, it actually can damage your hair.
Constantly using a hairdryer on dry hair can cause brittle hair and split ends. This can also cause dull hair.
Even worse, blow-drying your hair daily may actually cause it to dry faster. However, if you use a dryer occasionally and use a cold air setting, you can avoid the damage.
Is it okay to blow dry wet hair?
When you want to blow dry hair without frizz, doing it on wet hair can leave it extremely brittle and prone to breakage.
Ideally, you can start blow-drying when your hair is about 75% dry. Ensure you wring out all the moisture out of the hair. Otherwise, it can frizz up.
Can you blow-dry dry hair?
When you use a hairdryer on dry hair, the heat can cause the hair shaft to become brittle and prone to breakage.
However, if you use a heat protectant or spray some water on hair while using the lowest setting, it can help to prevent some of the damage.
What to put in hair before blow-drying?
Before blow-drying your hair, you can apply a few products to help make the process easier.
One is a styling product, like mousse or gel. Another is a heat protectant spray, which will help keep your hair from getting too dry or damaged from the blow dryer’s heat.
You can also use a detangler to make it easier to brush through your hair after it’s dry.
What to put in hair after blow-drying?
A must-have product for after blow-drying is a styling cream or serum to tame any flyaways, and it will also help keep your hair looking sleek and polished. A good serum can also add some extra shine to your hair.
Also, it’s a good idea to use hairspray once you’re done styling your hair. This will help to lock in your look and keep everything in place.
You can also try a post-drying hair wax or matte pomade to tame flyaways and reduce hair frizz.
How long does it take to blow dry hair?
For most people, it takes around 10 minutes. However, it can vary depending on the person’s hair type and how much product is used. If you have thick, curly hair, it will likely take longer than if you have thin, straight hair.
How often should you blow dry your hair?
Some people find that blow drying every day dries out their hair and makes it brittle, while others find that blow drying every other day leaves their hair feeling greasy.
The best way to figure out how often to blow dry your hair is to experiment a little and see what works for you.
The takeaway
Blow drying your hair is a great way to tame frizzy hair, and by using the right techniques, you can achieve frizz-free locks in no time.
By using a cool air setting, brushing your hair before blow-drying, and using a diffuser, you can minimize the damage caused by hair dryers and keep your hair healthy and shiny.
Follow these simple tips, and you can blow dry hair without frizz. So give it a shot and see how great your hair can look!
And most importantly, don’t forget to give your hair a break from time to time!
Do you have any other tips for using a hairdryer? Let us know in the comments below!