For years we’ve been living with the misunderstanding that blow drying causes more damage to hair than leaving it to dry naturally. However, a study has uncovered that in fact air drying your tresses may be causing more problems than a quick blow dry.
The research, which was carried out by six Korean doctors, found that hair shafts suffer less when moisture is wicked away faster. In other words, leaving water dangling from your tresses means more stress in the long run as it can make your colour fade faster and cause the hair’s cuticles to crack and break. This might go so far as explaining why those that leave their hair to dry at room temperature find themselves with more split ends and booking more trims at the hairdressers.
When hair isn't totally left to dry on its own accord, the study found that towel drying caused ‘major damage’ from friction to the hair surface. It's also worth noting that the research found that prolonged periods in which the hair is damp can make it weaker in the long-run. All in all the research concluded that wash-and-go wasn’t the best method to manage hair.
It’s not to say that blasting your hair with heat is without its drawbacks. The higher the heat and the closer the source is to the hair the more damage is done not just to your locks but your scalp too. But, if you use a ‘ hair dryer at a distance of 15 cm with continuous motion [it] causes less damage than drying hair naturally.