Should You Blow Dry Hair Everyday?

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of a fresh blowout. Clean roots, all that volume and minimal frizz, with every strand going in all the right directions.

It’s no wonder so many of us wish we could blow dry our hair everyday. Even if you could find the time, the question is, should you blow dry hair everyday?

Of course you could give yourself a blowout everyday. No one is stopping you. Unfortunately, repeated exposure to heat makes hair damaged and frizzier over time.

It can be helpful to learn to love your natural hair texture. Of course, there will always be times where you want a carefully blown out style to change up your look.

If you’re going to blow dry, especially on a regular basis, here are some tips to help minimize the damage to your precious tresses.

Get the Right Equipment

If the blow dryer you’re currently using is really old, or looks a lot like one you might find in the bathroom of a cheap hotel, it’s time to upgrade.

Look for a blow dryer with ionic technology, which breaks up water molecules to help the hair dry faster, with a smooth finish. It is also helpful to have features such as heat and speed settings, and a cool shot button, so you can control the amount of heat your hair is exposed to. This one is very popular.

Having the correct brush is a must for a style that will last between blow dry sessions. Round brushes are the preferred brushes for blow outs because they add a lot of bouncy volume, while smoothing the hair.

You will want to choose your brush depending on your hair type. Finer hair with less texture does well with ceramic brushes.

For thick, coarse, and heavily textured hair types, a boar bristle brush will give you the tension on hair strands that you need to smooth them out.

Air Dry for as Long as Possible

Most heat damage happens when the hair is wet. Strands are weaker in their wet state. When heat is applied, any water in the hair shaft bubbles beneath the cuticle, causing breakage, roughness, and split ends.

To minimize the damage, let your hair air dry for as long as possible. The finer your hair, the drier it can be before blow drying, because thicker hair tends to need a little more moisture to get things nice and smooth.

Avoid twisting your hair up in a towel, if possible, and never rub hair dry with your towel. This only roughs up the cuticle and leads to breakage. Instead, blot the hair dry.

If you must twist hair up to soak up excess water, try out a microfiber hair turban. You can even use an old cotton t-shirt as a hair wrap. Just don’t leave your twisted up for any more than ten minutes.

Protect With Product

Never put heat to your hair without applying a product designed to protect hair from heat damage, first. A general rule for selecting the right heat protectant for your hair type is, the thicker your hair, the thicker or heavier the product.

Coarse hair can handle thick smoothing creams, milks, and oils, while fine hair does better with light, mist or aerosol heat protectant products.

Apply the product to partially air dried hair right before blow drying for the best results.

Get Attached to Your Blow Dryer’s Attachments

Those strange parts that connect to the end of your blow dryer are your best friends. Without them, hot air blows all over your strands in a random fashion, which only leaves your hair frizzy.

Concentrator nozzles direct hot air onto your hair in a manner that smooths down the cuticles. It also increases the distance between the blow dryer and your hair, reducing the intensity of the heat on fragile strands.

If you are blow drying for a naturally wavy or curly look, the diffuser attachment blows air in a pattern that promotes a frizz-free version of your natural texture.

Back Off

The less heat you can use on your hair, the better.

Dry hair on the lowest setting that you can, and make sure you are holding the blow dryer six to eight inches away from the hair.

Never hold the blow dryer directly on a section of hair, even if you have seen this done in salons before.

It will only lead to roughness in the long run, especially if you do blow dry hair everyday.

Start Rough and Finish Smooth

After you wash your hair, you don’t want to go right in and start styling it with your round brush. You want hair to be up to eighty percent dry, first.

If you don’t have the time to air dry your hair for that long, you can rough blow dry your hair before smoothing and styling with a brush.

Even though it’s called “rough” blow drying, you should still try to be gentle with your hair during the process. Use your fingers to lift sections of hair, and direct the blow dryer at your roots for volume.

You can also try flipping your head upside down during your rough dry for extra body.

Blow Dry Front to Back and Top to Bottom

When it’s time to go in with your brush, start in the front and dry the pieces around your face completely.

Work backwards, drying the hair on your crown and top layers first, followed by the layers underneath and hair at the nape.

People tend to dry their bottom layers first, but by the time you get to the top layers, the hair is often too dried out to be smoothed and shaped effectively.

Concentrate your first and greatest efforts with your brush on the sections of hair that you and others will notice the most.

Extend Your Style

It’s good to avoid having to blow dry hair everyday. It’s even better if you can extend your style to last at least a few days.

Dry shampoo is a popular way to absorb excess oil at the scalp, keeping your day one style looking fresh and voluptuous on day two, and even day three! Other options include wearing your hair in a ponytail, bun, or braids, or popping on a hat or a headscarf.

Going as long as you can between blowouts will protect your hair, not to mention save you tons of time.

Extending the life of your blowout can save you money as well, because you will be using less product and need trims less often, thanks to less damage from heat styling.