Does Blow Drying Your Hair Cause Frizz?
Do you find that after blow drying your hair it just looks super frizzy? Because same. Sometimes it feels like getting that salon smooth finish at home just isn’t going to happen, no matter how many tutorials we watch. But after a little dig around the internet we think it could all be down to making some rookie mistakes. In fact there’s 5 blow drying mistakes that stand between you looking like Beetlejuice rather than Beyonce that we all need to know.
Before we get into it we need to know why frizz happens in the first place. Hair gets frizzy when the cuticle is raised as moisture passes through your strands and causes them to swell. This normally occurs in dry or damaged hair and can be a sign that you’re using way too much heat.
1. You Start Sculpting Too Soon
Your hair should be at least 60% dry before you start using the hair dryer as the longer you expose it to the heat, the more likely you’ll cause damage. Your hair is way more fragile when it’s wet so picking up your round brush will only cause damage and frizz in the long term. For the smoothest finish start rough drying your hair on the medium heat and medium power setting once your hair is 60% dry. Then when you hit 80% dry you can go in with your round brush and carve out the waves. To hold everything in place give your hair a blast with the cold setting at the end too as it helps to seal the cuticle and prevent frizz.
2. Your Hair Isn’t Fully Dry
If your hair is getting frizzy after a blow dry it might be because you haven’t fully dried it. This sounds a bit weird but if you touch your hair and it still feels cold then it could still be damp even if it feels dry. This leftover moisture will make your strands swell and eventually cause frizz. This is why it’s so important to work in small sections as you’ll be less likely to miss anything and your hair will be completely dry.
3. The Hair Dryer Is Too Close
High heat will cause your cuticles to swell which is the biggest cause of frizz so you need to make sure you’re not frying your hair. You never EVER want to touch your hair with the hair dryer and even for super sleek looks the closest you should get is one inch away. Getting too close could burn your hair and cause major damage. You don’t want to hold it in the same place for too long either so make sure to keep it moving and use a heat spray to protect your locks.
4. You’re Blow Drying In The Wrong Direction
That little skinny nozzle that came with your hair dryer is a godsend for frizzy haired gals. This will help you to direct the heat down your hair shaft and smooth the hair cuticles so that you get a super glossy finish. Blowing up the hair shaft will have the opposite effect and rough up your hair which could be why it’s getting frizzy after you blow dry.
5. You Might Need To Upgrade Your Hair Dryer
It may not be your technique that’s causing the frizz but the hairdryer itself. Older models can have way higher heat settings and don’t offer a lot of protection for your hair either. If you know your hair is prone to frizz then it’s worth investing in something that’s as healthy for your hair as possible.
Ionic hair dryers emit negative ions that help to break up water molecules way quicker as well as sealing the cuticle and smoothing it down. So if your hair is prone to frizz then this is what you need to look out for. The ions also help to reduce static making your hair feel way smoother and softer once you’re done. You also want to look out for one with ceramic or porcelain coating inside as it helps the dryer to evenly distribute heat making it less damaging. Ceramic heats up faster than traditional metal hair dryers too so along with the new ionic technology you’ll dry your hair in half the time and it’ll be damage and frizz free.
