Blow dryers have become an indispensable styling tool to women (and men) everywhere. We here at Travel Beauty would certainly never underestimate the positive effects of a beautiful blowout! Unfortunately, constant blow drying can damage hair, making it look less beautiful over time. What to do, what to do?!

We asked legendary Trichologist and Travel Beauty Expert Philip Kingsley for his sage advice on blow dryer best practices so we can style as safely as possible. You’ll be surprised to hear his stance on blow dry styling – read on!

If you like what you read, please visit Philip’s expert page on Travel Beauty to read more invaluable hair and scalp advice from Mr. Kingsley. You can also check out Travel Beauty’s full collection of Philip Kingsley products, including shampoos, conditioners, scalp treatments and styling products.

Blow Dryer Q & A

Q: Should blow dryers be eliminated?

A: Definitely not! The blow dryer is an excellent tool to help style the hair in the way that is most pleasing. Hair is deeply psychological and a hairstyle you are happy with is a great morale booster.

The poor blow dryer has been unfairly blamed for many hair problems: hair loss, dry hair, breaking hair, dull hair…just to name a few.  However, with correct use, the blow dryer does no damage at all.  It should be held a minimum of 9 inches away from the hair, and as the hair dries, the heat should be reduced until the hair is just dried – not longer.  Damage occurs when the dryer is kept on after the hair has dried.  This will result in the moisture content of the hair cells being depleted – and can lead to breakage and dullness. You can also help protect your hair with a heat protective conditioning spray, like Daily Damage Defence. (If the dryer damage is already done, weekly deep conditioning treatments with Elasticizer will go a long way in restoring hair health.)

Furthermore, it’s important to remember that the styling brush you use can do a great deal of damage. I have seen many cases where excessive pulling of the hair and scratching of the scalp has resulted in mass hair breakage and traction hair loss, as well as a sore (and sometimes damaged) scalp. In terms of the hair, it is technically dead tissue once grown, and therefore does not regenerate itself once damaged like the cells of your skin do. Hair needs to be treated with consideration! Careful use of both brush and blow dryer will give you happy hair days!

Most women with curly hair seem to feel societal pressure to straighten it. It’s as if a message has been communicated- if only subtly- that straight hair is preferable. Is curly hair not good enough? I have observed this phenomenon in all types of woman: Caucasian, Afro-Caribbean, Asian, Hispanic- the list goes on.

Strong Anti-curly Cues

This message is so strong that demand has created not only straightening balms, industrial strength blow dryers and flat irons, but also more permanent solutions, like hair straightening processes – some taking 6-7 hours.

I’m OK, You’re OK

As a curly cue myself, it took me a long time to accept my curly situation. I realized I needed to commit to who I was and let my hair be. Who I was was good enough- great, even. All I needed to do was find the right products.

It’s All About the Products

Finding the right products for curls can be akin to a science experiment. You have to be patient and willing to try different combinations of products to see how they work together with your hair. I have tried so many different products in so many different categories! To some extent, I tweak my regimen depending on the weather or season and occasionally due to new product finds.

Here’s my current regimen:

Shampoo Daily

I either use Caretrico’s Type H Shampoo or Philip Kingsley’s Re-moisturising Shampoo. This shampoo can be found in PK’s Smooth & Shiny Jet Set. I recommend trying both for a period of 4 weeks each to see if one is better for your hair. If you like them both, rotate seasonally. You may find that one works better for you in colder weather, etc. Also, depending on where you live, one may react better with your water supply. Here in New York City we have hard water, which is tough on dry, curly hair. In the Caribbean, or other parts of the world where the water is soft, you may find that your hair dries nicer, softer and/or shinier.

Use a Leave-in Conditioner or Leave Your Conditioner In

This particular step is one that many hair care professionals will not advise. But if this is wrong, I don’t want to be right. It works! My favorite, absolutely can’t live without hair product is Caretrico’s Moist Bounce Treatment. Ishi introduced this product to me. It is meant to be used as a conditioner or 10-20 minute hair treatment. Since there is not enough moisture for my hair (my hair is coarse, curly and bleached), I actually leave it in, and once applied, run my Du-Boa’s Scalp Massager through my hair to distribute the product.

Use a Scalp Toner

Right out of the shower, use Philip Kingsley’s Scalp Toner. Healthy shiny hair, starts with a clean scalp.

“Priming” Products

Start with a quick spritz of Vine’s Care Water. This boosts the efficacy of all the styling products that you use subsequently. It also defrizzes and adds volume to fine hair! If its good enough for NASA, its good enough for me!

• Winter Hair Primer: This winter I have been using Philip Kingsley’s Preen Cream. It adds a little extra moisture to my hair, pre-styling product application.
• Spring & Summer Hair Primers: In the summer I substitute this product for Caretrico’s Enrich Milk, and use Arimino’s Bamboo Moisture Veil in the summer.
• After Coloring or Going to the Beach: If you have just colored your hair, or you plan on going to the beach, use Arimino’s Aqua Moisture for this step. (Yes, I am completely OCD about this entire process.)

Styling Products

I use M.O.P. Defining Cream followed by Ouidad Climate Control Heat and Humidity Drops.

Note

All these steps should be done separately and you must flip your head over and scrunch to make sure you coat every hair with product.

For a step-by-step how-to guide, please see the below video.

Hair Care Products

Seasonal changes require us to make different choices for our hair to balance out environmental effects. It is important to keep in mind that one product usually doesn’t work for all seasons. With shampoos & conditioners, you might need an alternative to compensate for the effects of the environment. A mild shampoo that worked wonders in the summer might need to be replaced with something more moisturizing come fall. A conditioner that has a heavier bond may be too much in the summer, but the perfect choice for fall/winter. Caretrico Moist Bounce Shampoo and Moist Bounce Treatment are perfect winter hair care choices. Summer air is moist, and causes many hair types to get frizzy. In the fall, however, the air is dry. Some hair is at it’s best in the fall, while others need to condition more due to drier air, heating systems in our homes and constant blow drying.

Hair Color

As the golden luster that your skin garnered over the summer fades, you will notice a similar phenomenon transforming the hue of your hair. Fear not, this is completely normal. This is nature’s gentle nudge to encourage us to add more depth to our hair color. Richer hues go better with our winter wardrobe palette. This change can be made all at once, or you could add lowlights to gradually return your hair to its richest tones. When these tones mix with your hair’s natural highlights from the sun, your hair color will gain extra depth and dimension.

During the holiday party season, over-indulgence, over-scheduling and over-styling can all take their toll on your hair and scalp. Here are my top tips to keep your locks looking luscious through the New Year.

Stress

Stress can increase hair shedding in certain individuals. Simply put, it’s due to the conversion of adrenaline to testosterone. While keeping stress levels in check is tricky at any time of the year, it’s especially hard during the holidays! If you don’t have time to go to a yoga class, or are staying with family, there are a few things you can do to create your own “om” zone. Invest in noise cancellation headphones, lock the door and download a meditation video or cd! Even 10 minutes of meditation can really work wonders when it all becomes a bit too much…

Diet

Your hair is composed primarily of a special protein called keratin, so getting adequate amounts through your diet is vital to hair growth. Luckily for you, holidays are the perfect time to take advantage of hair-helping, freshly prepared proteins such as turkey and red meats. The amino acids found in these nutritional powerhouses will help fuel your follicles! Iron and ferritin (your body’s supply of stored iron) deficiencies are very common causes of hair loss, so tuck into a steak, some stew or bit of bison to improve and sustain your iron blood levels.

Alcohol

Itchy scalp? Blame it on the alcohol. While this is not the case for everyone, white wine and champagne can trigger dandruff flare-ups in people who are prone to them. Stick to red wine, and try to drink in moderation! For those of you who already have an itchy scalp, invest in a good flaky/itchy scalp shampoo, conditioner and scalp toner to soothe and clear up any irritation. The Philip Kingsley Take Comfort/Flaky Itchy Jet Set has all 3 in one neat little bag specifically made for travel!

Styling

During the party season, it’s very tempting to reach for hair straighteners and curling irons on a daily basis. While heated styling tools are certainly a convenient way to perfect your style for an evening out, they can wreak havoc on the condition of your hair. Those high temperatures can dry out and snap your strands – they’re even capable of boiling the water within your hair’s cortex (core), causing rupture to the follicle! Scary stuff. Try limiting your use of straighteners and/or curling irons to twice a week, and always prep hair with a heat protective product. In the interim, use a weekly pre-shampoo conditioning treatment, such as Philip Kingsley Elasticizer, to help restore bounce, moisture, manageability and elasticity to your hair.

Shampooing

Frequent shampooing creates the optimum scalp environment for healthy hair growth. That said, it’s really tough to find the time to shampoo your hair often enough during the winter: there really isn’t the option to let it dry naturally when it’s so cold outside! Try to wash your hair every other day, and in-between washes use a dry shampoo with hair and scalp benefits.

There is very little difference between caring for your hair at the beach and when skiing. In each instance, your hair is subjected to similar environmental hazards. For example, windy conditions, the sun, sweat, salt or chlorinated pool/sauna water, even hats—be they large rimmed sun hats or snug & wooly ski attire.

The primary consideration is protection from all of these elements, of which I will describe below:

Salt & Chlorinated Water

Salt water has an osmotic effect on the hair, meaning that it leaches water out of your hair. Chlorinated water can be just as damaging. To protect your hair from associated distress, use Philip Kingsley Swimcap. I originally formulated it for the U.S. synchronized swim team in 1984 and it contains UV protectors, moisturizers and is highly water resistant.

The Sun

Have you noticed that the skin on your face burns just as easily on the beach as when skiing? The same applies to your hair & scalp. The sun on both the slopes and the beach can be exceedingly damaging, causing hair to become brittle and dry and any exposed scalp prone to burn. To help prevent this, use my Swimcap Cream (as described earlier), or wear a hat. To re-hydrate and replenish your hair & scalp, apply an intensive treatment twice a week. I recommend using my Exfoliating Scalp Mask and multi-award winning pre-shampoo conditioner, Elasticizer. They both ensure trouble-free scalps and resilient, manageable, shiny hair.

Wind

Apply weatherproof products that counteract dehydration. For example, Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence. As an added bonus, this will enable you to have protected and flyaway-free hair when going to social events!

Sweat

The sun, physical exertion and hats can all cause a sweaty scalp. This can result in itching, a buildup of bacteria and greasy looking hair. Apply Philip Kingsley Scalp Toner to your scalp to inhibit the spread of bacteria, clear irritation and soak up excess oils. Furthermore, always shampoo your hair at the end of the day to thoroughly cleanse your scalp and hair. Choose the correct shampoo according to your hair type and follow with the correct conditioner, also according to your hair type.  If necessary – and it won’t harm – shampoo your hair in the morning, too.