Beauty myth of air drying: How much does it benefit your hair?

No heat stress from long, hot blow-drying: Simply letting your hair air dry after a refreshing shower sounds like a gentle and easy way to get beautiful, healthy hair. But as tempting as it may sound to dry your hair naturally, the question arises: is it really as healthy as you think? Or can you do something wrong when air-drying your hair?

Is air-dried hair healthier?

The argument for air-drying sounds convincing at first: By avoiding the hair dryer and other hot styling devices, you protect your hair from damage such as breakage, split ends and dryness. In fact, heat is one of the biggest enemies of healthy hair. Blow-drying, straightening or curling too often causes the moisture in the hair to evaporate and the structure of the hair fiber to be damaged. The result: dull, brittle hair that urgently needs more moisture.

But you can also make some mistakes when air-drying. Hair structure, care habits and even the ambient temperature play a decisive role here.

Why air drying is not always ideal

The idea that air drying is inherently healthier for hair is only partially true. Particularly thick or very long hair can suffer from staying wet for too long. If the hair is wet for a long time after washing, the hair structure swells. This swollen structure makes the hair more susceptible to external influences. For example, hair is more sensitive when wet and can break more easily when combed.

The room climate also plays a role in air drying: in cool or humid environments, the drying process takes longer. Prolonged exposure to moisture can not only put strain on the hair structure, but in the worst case can also lead to fungal infections of the scalp or dandruff.

How to air dry hair properly

But don’t worry, air drying is generally a good idea for your hair. It all depends on the right method and a few simple tricks:

Remove excess water

Before you let your hair air dry, you should make sure that it is no longer dripping wet. After washing, you should gently squeeze your hair with a towel – ideally without rubbing. A microfiber towel is particularly gentle here and helps to gently remove excess water from the hair. This avoids your hair staying wet for an unnecessarily long time.

Use leave-in products

The key to healthy air drying is also proper care. A moisturizing leave-in product or a heat protectant that works without a blow dryer helps seal the hair structure and prevent moisture loss. Such products often contain ingredients such as aloe vera, jojoba oil or glycerin, which nourish the hair and protect it from external influences while it dries.

Get your hair in shape

To prevent your hair from sticking out wildly in all directions or getting tangled when wet, it can be helpful to gently shape it while it is air-drying. This can be done by gently combing through the hair with your fingers.

Alternatives to complete air drying

For those who still don’t want to give up blow-drying completely, there is a middle ground. By letting the hair dry slightly first and then blow-drying it at a low temperature, you reduce the heat exposure while at the same time speeding up the drying process. It is important to use heat protection and to hold the blow-dryer at a sufficient distance from the hair.

Who is air drying suitable for?

Whether air drying is the best choice depends largely on the type of hair. Fine hair tends to dry quickly and is therefore often less problematic when air dried. For thicker or curly hair, however, it can be beneficial to speed up the drying process in order to protect the hair from the stress of humidity described above. Here, combination methods – as described above – are often a good solution.

Ultimately, every hair is different and the right method depends on the individual hair needs. Air drying can be a wonderful way to give your hair a break from daily heat exposure, as long as you follow the right care routine.