Blow drying your hair can improve its definition and sometimes make it easier to braid. It can also give it some curl definition when you take down the braids.
But we also know too much heat can be damaging to your hair, which leaves us with the conundrum of whether or not we should blow dry our hair before braiding.
The simple answer is not, but it is more complicated than that. You should not blow dry your hair before braiding it because this could loosen the braids and cause them to slip out, but what if your hair is thick 4c that could benefit from some heat styling?
And what if you are braiding lines to fit a wig, and if you fail to blow dry your hair, the lines will come out too thick, and the wig won’t fit properly? Read on while we answer these questions and more.
No. You don’t need to blow dry your hair before braiding it as long as it is dry and properly detangled. Too much blow-drying can damage your hair due to heat and breakage. However, this decision will heavily depend on personal preference and expected outcome.
While you have the option to blow dry your hair before braiding, you don’t have to. The decision will depend on the style you want to braid, the strength of your hair, and your personal preference.
Reasons why you shouldn’t blow dry your hair before braiding it.
As long as your hair is dry, combed out, and detangled, there is simply no need to blow dry it.
Some hairs are fragile and prone to breaking; too much manipulation will increase the risk of breaking. Also, too much heat from blow-drying at high temperatures can damage your hair. This damage will be more pronounced if your hair is already fragile.
Another thing to understand is that 4c hair is at its weakest when wet, yet the hair is best blow-dried when wet. The moisture on your hair, when combined with high temperatures from the blow-dry, will increase the risk of damaging your hair.
You can work around this by blow-drying under cool settings on your drier. And while this may not give you the desired results, it may be a worthwhile compromise.
Here are some reasons why you should blow dry your hair before braiding.
If you choose to blow dry your hair, do it using a cool setting to avoid too much heat. Make sure to be gentle with your hair.
Blow drying your hair will help to dry and detangle it even more. This means that you can avoid pain from knotted hair when braiding. It will make it easier for the hairdresser to make defined lines and boxes for your hairstyles.
Do not braid your hair while wet. Excess water will add weight to your braids. Also, you may end up with a damp head, which can create room for bacterial and fungal infections. Additionally, if you braid damp hair, you will likely notice cramps of hair along with your braids or lines, which will not create the finished off look that you want. Blow-drying your hair helps you to avoid such potential side effects of keeping your hair damp.
Sometimes, if your hair is too thick, detangling with fingers or even a wide-toothed comb doesn’t do much. You will need to address this with heat to reduce tangling. This is where blow-drying comes in.
If your hair is too thick and you don’t blow dry it, your hairstyle may not come out the way you want it. The same problem can happen if your hair is prone to frizz; blow-drying it can tame the flyaways.
Your braids or lines are unlikely to have that neat fine finish look we all admire. Your ends are likely to protrude everywhere, which means that your hair will look old before its time. The same goes for lines; if you have thick ends protruding on every inch, they will not look attractive.
Blow drying your hair allows for smooth incorporation of braids so that your hair and braids smoothly complement each other.
Conclusion
Whether or not to blow-dry your hair before braiding is a personal preference. However, the decision can be influenced by the quality of your hair and the outcome you are looking for.