Blown Away



Oh no, blow me down!

The world of beauty has more myths than Greek Mythology. Of all the myths I hear in hair care, none has me roflmao (rolling on the floor laughing my anus off) like “heat damages hair.”

The first two things that come to mind about this myth is one, the beauty editors and writers who promote the school of thought that heat is bad for hair and the second are the beauty professionals who further perpetuate the myth. Not that a cosmetology license is needed to know all there is to know about hair; however  proper training and education increases the likelihood of knowing how to use heat, when to use heat, what to use heat with and who to use heat on. For certain, one could argue fire burns food. However, if one knows how to use the fire they can cook different types of food at varying degrees and never burn it. Feel me?

So with that tid bit, I can start by debunking that age old myth that heat is bad for hair because it burns it. That myth is not true. It is the misuse of heat that burns hair. It is unclean hair that burns. It is also hair that is coated with too much product that burns. Of course if the heat is too high for a certain hair fabric (texture); that too will burn hair.

To successfully blow dry hair, it must be clean and not weighed down with heavy oils or silicones. Clean hair is also flake or fibrin free. No scales should be on your clothes or in your eyebrows. Is blow drying more damaging to hair than sitting under the hooded dryer? Well according to Shake-n-Bake® you can fry chicken in an oven (lol)! In other words, if too much oil is on hair; you will l. In essence you will burn the oil first and your hair right along with. Therefore, do not use heavy oils, petro based oils, mineral oils and the likes. Instead use oils such as Olive Oil, Jojoba and Grapeseed to name a few. These are food based oils. They can be found in the grocery store with the recommended temperature setting written on the front of the bottle.

Now that we have clean hair, let’s be sure to have the right tools. It is the texture, density and length of hair that determines the best apparatus to smooth hair with. Everything is not for everybody. Hair is unique as the person whose head on which it lies. Therefore, do not cookie-cut how you blow dry your hair. The following is a guide to help you select the proper tools:

                  Hair Textures                                     Suggested Blowdrying Tool

Straight Hair (no wave, kink or curl)	Blowdryer, fingers or vent brush
Afro	Blowdryer with comb attachment in small sections
Afro-Wave	Blowdryer and Denman Brush in small sections
Afro-Curl	Blowdryer and Denman Brush in small sections
Kinky	Blowdryer with comb attachment in small sections
Wavy	Blowdryer, Denman Brush or comb attachment
Curly	Blowdryer, Denman Brush or comb attachment
Fine mousy hair (with or without texture)	No blow drying recommended

It is not uncommon for texture and density to be easily confused or used interchangeably. There is a distinct difference between hair texture and hair density. Hair texture is the actual feel of the hair while hair density reflects the number of hairs on the head. Therefore immensely thick dense heads of hair; the comb attachment is best. For medium dense heads of hair; the Denman Brush is best and for fine, sparse hair; Denman or no blow drying at all is recommended.

In addition to the right tool, the right amount of heat is needed. For medium to dense heads of hair with texture, the blow-dryer must be at least 1700-1800 watts.The cooler the temperature on the blow-dryer; the frizzier the hair. For fine to thinning hair 1600 to 1700 watts is needed to ensure that hair will not be burned or damaged. Think, steaming vegetables.

Now we have the tools; we have to know how to use them. First make sure hair is still somewhat wet; this helps give hair some slip when blow-drying. Second, protect your hair by using Olive Oil or a thermal protectant to buff the hair and scalp from intense heat. Be sure the blow-dryer is close to the hair for optimal results. The further the heat is away from the hair; the frizzier the hair will be. Remember, oil spreads when heat gets too it; so DO NOT use more than a dime size amount. You can always add more. To prevent hair from being oily, heavy and shellacked; start off using dime size amounts.

To recap; we know heat is NOT bad for hair provided we do not actually burn our hair. Textures play an important role on what tool to use with the blow-dryer to get hair smooth. And, do not use too much oil or heat protectant.

Next it is best to begin blow-drying your hair from the back of your head starting from the bottom by your neck to the top of your head, then work your way to the sides, to the top of your head to the front. Hair clips are best to hold the hair out of the way as to not snag and tangle hair. Be sure each section is totally dry. Do not allow hair to air dry in any capacity; for frizz is the result. The more you brush or stroke the section of hair; the bigger and puffier your hair will be. So, pull and smooth the section of hair with the blow-dryer slowly until completely dry.

In the event you have Afro, Afro textured curly, wavy or kink, understand that blow-drying is to smooth hair; NOT straighten hair. If your hair is straight (no texture); blow-drying will straighten it out.

Feel free to print this and go step by step. Practice makes perfect. Have fun, after all it is your hair. So get blown away with these techniques and go for what you know!