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Letting your hair air dry is as good as we think? We are, once again, facing one of those doubts of beauty that seem more complicated than getting the formula of Coca-Cola, as if it is good to wash your hair daily or shower every day, and that return from time to time. More than ever when the good weather approaches, that which lends itself to leaving the hair to the wind, that is, for a natural drying without having to resort to heat sources or die frozen in the attempt.

No wonder we've heard a thousand times from experts of all kinds, from hairdressers to dermatologists, about the advantages of outdoor hair drying. For now, in times of heat of justice, the taste and cool that gives a wet mane until it dries, but the thing is not in that feeling of well-being.

LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT

The benefits of letting your hair dry outdoors

We talk about saving time when combing our hair, less electricity consumption if we use dryers, which is not the electricity bill to waste, and, above all, if we talk strictly about hair, letting it rest from heat sources would guarantee that it is healthier and brighter, since, according to experts, Irons and dryers, with their extreme temperatures and without the correct use of thermal protectors, could spoil the hair fiber.

A theory supported by Dr. María Vicente, who is in favor of letting the hair air dry after having removed excess moisture with a towel, "a much healthier practice for the hair," she confirms.

And yet... As in many tricky topics, there are voices that say that letting the hair dry at its own pace might not be so good.

LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT

Negative effects of air drying hair

Why drying your hair outdoors might not be the best of ideas has a lot to do with the theory that wet hair is more fragile. From the Insparya clinics they say that, in reality, "letting it air dry is worse, since the hair loses all its strength and resistance, making it more prone to fracture or suffer from split ends".

A wet hair is more likely to suffer damage to the cuticle, the outer part of the hair, which can see how its structure is altered, weakening it, making the hair look, in the long run, less shiny ...

This idea connects with a revealing study published in the Annals of Dermatology that aimed to demonstrate the changes that occur in the capillary structure whether it is not dried or done with a dryer. The analysis confirmed, as is almost vox populi, that the heat of the tool damages the surface of the hair that protects the internal structure, the cortex, so that it is not affected.

But the research went a step further, and that is that hair dried at its free will maintains moisture for a long period of time that can cause the hair fiber to swell and weaken, and affect the cell membrane of the hair, which gives strength and elasticity to the hair. The conclusion, that prolonged exposure to moisture is equal to a more brittle mane.

With the same data in front, in any case, to dry the hair outdoors, it is best to do it in summer or with favorable weather, since due to the higher temperature, the mane will dry earlier, then it will be in wet mode, the most dangerous, for less time.

But, then... How do we have to dry our hair well?

LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT

And the ideal drying for hair is...

Like the old 'the winner is', today 'the Oscar goes to...', the drying of hair that borders on perfection would be, according to the research, the one that "uses hair dryer at a distance of 15 cm with continuous movement" and at a temperature not very high, we add.

Before reaching this step we must also pay attention to which towel we use right out of the shower, to remove the first excess moisture, and how we use it. Because the study we refer to also concluded that neither dyes, nor dryer, nor outdoor drying, is friction one of the main factors of damage to the surface of the hair, especially in wet hair.

For this reason, Alberto Sanguino, from Llongueras, insists that the ideal is to use a microfiber towel, remove the excess water until the hair stops dripping and place it as a turban for a few minutes. Do not leave the hair like this too long, it would lose its natural shape. "And you never have to rub it or twist it with the towel," warns Sanguino, because wet hair breaks more easily.

The hairdresser María Baras, from Cheska, with whom we have spoken many times about how to get a hair as a hairdresser without using clear tools, has always insisted, very much in line with what has been said so far, that it never hurts "a blow of dryer air, at medium temperature, which does not damage the hair and polishes a lot".

It is enough with a touch in the middle of the drying process, tying with your fingers, simply, to redirect a rebellious strand, a whirlpool, polish a little ... All with a lot of delicacy, the one that wet hair needs. And always, always, with thermal protector through, which provides hydration as well as protection.

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