There's a good reason why blow dryers are one of the most popular styling tools around. They help you dry and smooth your tresses in one step and can even straighten or curl your hair!
But sometimes, you want to skip the heat. Whether you're looking to cut down on damage or just want to try something new, we've got you covered!
This article will look at alternative ways to dry your hair, teaching you how to dry hair without a blow dryer using our detailed DIY step-by-step tutorial.
How to Dry Hair Without a Blow Dryer: Step by Step
Although blow-drying your hair is convenient, it can lead to all sorts of damage. And even if you don't mind using heat, who wouldn't want to have a few more techniques in their repertoire?
Now that we've gotten your attention, here are some of the best alternatives to blow-drying your hair.
Free 50-page guide
Your hair is already growing. The problem is keeping it.
About a third of an inch a month on textured hair, not the half inch you’ve read. If your length looks stuck, that’s your hair breaking off as fast as it grows in. Here are the seven causes of breakage and the weekly routine that stops them.
Free. One email a week after that. Unsubscribe anytime.
Air-Dry Your Hair
The easiest way to dry your hair without a blow dryer is to let it air dry. The amount of time it takes for your hair to dry varies depending on your hair's length, thickness, how much product is on it, whether it's styled, how it's styled, etc.
But on average, it'll take between two to five hours on average. Air drying helps you avoid all the damage associated with blowdryers while saving you time and energy.
Dry Your Hair With a Microfiber Towel
Did you know that switching out your regular towel can cut your drying time in half? Microfiber towels are made from tiny fibers that have a much greater surface area than the ones found in regular towels.
They can dry your hair in a fraction of the time and help you avoid all those unpleasant towel-drying side effects like frizz, tangles, and breakage.
So, if you're looking for a way to speed up your drying routine, try dabbing at your roots with a microfiber towel. That will suck up the excess water before it can flow downwards and soak the rest of your hair.
Once your roots are mostly dry, part your hair and gently blot each section until it's no longer dripping wet. After that, the only thing left to do is wait. Your hair should finish drying in record time.
Comb Through Your Hair With a Wide-Tooth Comb
Running a comb through your hair not only gets rid of tangles but it's also a great way to dry your hair! Wondering why that's the case?
When you comb through your hair, the comb's teeth will separate your hair into thin, horizontal sections. That will encourage airflow and ensure your scalp is exposed to the air.
And as a result, your hair will dry much more quickly!
Start by combing through your hair as soon as you step out of the shower. Then, run your wide-tooth comb through your hair every ten minutes or so to ensure the air circulates around all of your strands.
What Is the Healthiest Way to Dry Your Hair?
Although air drying is typically considered the least damaging way to completely dry your hair, this isn't necessarily the case. Human hair can absorb as much as 30% of its weight in water.
When your hair absorbs water, the delicate spongey core swells. Then, as the water evaporates, the core shrinks back to its original size.
The process of stretching and shrinking causes trauma to your hair.
And the longer your hair stays wet, the worse that damage is. Surprisingly, the healthiest way to dry your hair is to use a combination of blow drying and air drying.
After blotting your hair with a microfiber towel, let it air dry until it's about 70% dry.
Then, use a blow dryer on a cool heat setting to finish drying your locks. That will reduce the amount of time your hair spends wet and speed up the drying process.
Does Drying Your Hair With Cold Air Damage It?
It's a common misconception that blow-drying your hair with cold air means your locks will remain damage-free. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. Blow drying of any kind exposes your strands to damage, even if you don't use heat.
The good news is that cold air is significantly safer and less harmful than heat. So if you switch to blowdrying your hair with cold air, you can avoid the majority of the damage.
Not only is drying your hair with cool air less damaging, but it can also create better-looking results. Cold air helps seal your hair cuticles, which will leave your strands smoother, shinier, and easier to manage.
Which Hair Dryer Is Least Damaging?
The main reason people ditch their blow dryers is to cut down on heat damage. And it makes total sense. Heat damage is irreversible and leaves your hair dry, brittle, and full of split ends.
But it's important to note that not all blow dryers are created equally. So, in this section, we'll take a look at some of the least damaging types of blow dryers.
Ceramic Blow Dryers
There's a reason why ceramic hot tools are considered the gold standard. Ceramic heats up quickly and evenly, making you less likely to deal with damaging hot spots.
They're also much more gentle than standard metal blow dryers because they dry your hair from the inside out with infrared heat. Switching to a ceramic dryer will reduce damage and ensure that your hair dries evenly every time.
Ionic Blow Dryers
Ionic hair dryers are one of the least damaging types of blow dryers due to the unique way in which they work. Rather than hot air, ionic dryers rely on ions to dry your strands.
The negative ions generated by an ionic blow dryer break apart the positively charged water molecules in your hair.
They scatter the water molecules before they have the chance to sink into your strands. That helps speed up your drying time and cuts down on things like frizz and tangles.
Tourmaline Blow Dryers
Tourmaline blow dryers are another excellent option. They generate negative ions, which help smooth your hair and seal in moisture. As a result, tourmaline dryers leave your strands smooth, shiny, and frizz-free.
Another benefit of switching to a tourmaline blow dryer is that they can dry your hair up to 40% more quickly than standard blow dryers. And the less time your hair spends exposed to heat, the less heat damage your hair will incur.
Reverse Hair Dryers
One of the newest types of hair dryers to hit the market is reverse hair dryers. While other blowdryers blast your hair with high-pressure air, reverse hair dryers use vacuum suction.
The sucking motion creates tension, which helps the dryer smooth, straighten, and dry your hair in one step.
And since the machine does all the work, you won't have to use any damaging brushes. Reverse dryers create less tension than traditional dryers and can dry your locks in a fraction of the time.
Related Articles
- How to Dry Hair With a Towel
- Why Does My Hair Take So Long to Dry
- How Long to Sit Under Hooded Dryer
Ditching your blow dryer might be just what your hair needs. And although blow dryers are excellent at drying and styling your locks, they aren't your only option.
In fact, there are several alternative ways to dry your hair or speed up the process.
And while all of these methods are great on their own, you can try combining them for even faster-drying locks. That said, we hope this article has provided you with all the information you were after, and we wish you the best on your hair care journey!
