What it is: The physical damage we personally inflict on our hair every day.
How it happens: When hair is wet – its most fragile state – every pass of your fingers, comb, or brush can cause breakage and damage to the hydrogen bonds that comprise each strand. In the dry-hair phase, strands become brittle, so that tugging, teasing, pulling, ponytailing, and extension-wearing only adds to the broken bonds.
​The clues: The ends of your hair are uneven and sparse.

What it is: Brittleness, dehydration, breakage, and fading caused by UV sun exposure, pollution, and even pool/ocean water.
How it happens: In the same way that unprotected skin is susceptible to damage from the harsh rays of the sun or pollution particles, vulnerable hair is equally at risk and loses its protective proteins.
The clues: Environmental damage is felt before it’s actually visible to the eye. Strands will feel brittle, dull, and prone to dehydration and breakage. As you run fingers through hair, you’ll notice roughness and snagging.

What it is: Damage to the structure of the hair caused by aggressive salon services, like high-lift blonding, frequent color changes, straightening, and waves.
How it happens: Chemicals deplete and strip hair of its natural protection without replenishing those critical properties that deliver softness and shine.
The clues: You’ve been to the salon for a chemical service, and now your hair feels fragile and susceptible to breakage when wet; and it’s parched, frizzy, and rough when dry.

What it is: In a nutshell, thermal means heat…and along with it, damage caused by high-temperature/too-frequent exposure to blow-dryers, curling and flat-irons, and wands.
How it happens: In the same way you burn your finger if you keep it too close to the candle flame, hair is highly susceptible to the havoc of heat.
The clues: Hair feels crispy…it bends like paper rather than cloth; breaking rather than flowing. And split ends begin to form, traveling right up the hair shaft (and leading you to a serious haircut).

​You might think that blow drying your hair is adding another unnecessary grooming step to your already overwhelming routine, but think again. The truth is that blow drying your hair, although it might add a couple minutes to your routine, can solve so many of your styling woes and make you realize just how much potential your hair actually has. Here’s what a good blow dry does for your hair and your confidence.

1. It forces you to streamline your grooming routine
When you first start using a blow dryer, it can feel a little daunting, but once you get the hang of it and love the results, you will want to budget a little extra time in the morning to do it. Adding another step to an already rushed morning routine might be difficult in the beginning, but it will be worth the extra hassle. It’ll also force you to perfect a morning grooming routine. Pretty soon you’ll have your timing down pat and will be able to fit it all in before you walk out the door in the morning. Plus, you also have the added option of blow drying your hair in the evening and not interrupting your morning routine.
 
2. It lays the groundwork for styling
Grooming guru Eric Neher tells Birchbox that not only is blow drying your hair a great way to de-frizz, but it lays the groundwork for using pomade and hair paste, as these products will only adhere to and shape your hair if it’s completely dry. A quick towel dry is not going to cut it. Think about it this way: If you’re a man who’s into styling his hair with product, using a blow dryer can help you cut down time in your grooming routine. Blow drying your hair can take less than a minute, whereas air drying it can take significantly longer.
 
3. It gives you the hair you’ve always wanted
Gentleman, there’s a reason why the women’s hair care industry does so well, why blow outs can cost upward of $50, and why dry bar’s are popping up all over the place: Most women don’t like their natural hair and are willing to put in the extra time (and money) to do something about it.

GQ writer Stephen J. Praetorius explored his skepticism about adding a blow dryer to his hair grooming routine after so many years of air drying his locks. Praetorius believed that there was no way a blow dryer could give him perfectly coiffed locks or fight the genetic card he was dealt, and that it would be too overwhelming and more trouble than it’s worth. He found out that he was oh-so-wrong. He found that after about a three-minute learning curve his hair started to look the way he’d always hoped it would — full, but not frizzy, and neat looking but not overly meticulous. Additionally, he found that his pomades held better.

Conclusion: Even the nicest hair needs a little bit of help. All of those red carpet styles you see on men? No one just looks that good naturally. Welcome to the laboring world of beauty.

4. It straightens your hair
Do you have curly hair but have always wanted straight hair? Well, a lot of those sleek, straight looks you covet require a blow dryer. To straighten your hair, Neher suggests that you start off by working a conditioning prep through damp hair right after the shower to ensure smooth results. Next, part your hair where you want it, grabbing a small round brush, and begin blow drying. Be sure to make long strokes while following the brush closely with the blow dryer, going until it’s fully dry from root to tip. Once it’s dry, use a pomade and just a little hair spray as well. Style with your hands.

5. It increases your confidence
Liking the way you look results in confidence. Confidence results in getting things done. Ergo, blow drying your hair can do more for you than make you look good. If you feel good, it’ll reflect in your everyday activities — from your job to working out.

The afro is more than just a hairstyle, it was an incredibly powerful symbol of the civil rights movement. During and after the period of slavery in the United States, most Blacks styled their hair in an attempt to mimic their oppressors. European settlers considered kinky or “nappy” hair unattractive and undesirable.

The hair of Africans was often referred to as cottony and woolly. Europeans deemed their straight and fine hair texture as the ideal. Black hair was the antithesis of the Euro-American standard of beauty thus possessing nappy hair was negative and shameful.

The Civil Rights Movement sparked a change in the way Blacks viewed their hair and themselves. The movement was a catalyst for Blacks to embrace who they were were naturally including their hair texture. In the African American community, there was a renewed appreciation for the Black aesthetic resulting in the popular phrase “Black is Beautiful”.

The afro became a powerful political symbol that reflected the pride one had in their African ancestry. No longer were Blacks attempting to assimilate. Prominent Civil Rights activist, Angela Davis, one of my inspirations, rocked a picked out ‘fro which led many women to follow in her footsteps. A Black person wearing a ‘fro was dubbed as militant and threatening. This notion was promoted by law officials, politicians and the media. Maybe you weren’t able to read inbetween the lines but basically, Black people loving themselves was frigthening to mainstream America.

​It is important for us to remember our history and the power symbols possess. For me, rocking my hair in it’s afro texture meant I was choosing to love and accept my Black self and I would no longer use abrasive methods in an attempt to alter who I was naturally.

I hope it’s more than just a ‘style for you as well. With the deaths of Eric Garner, Travyon Martin and Kendrick Johnson—I believe a new movement for Blacks in America will begin soon. It seems like the natural hair movement will make a perfect pairing once again.

Sound the myth busting klaxon; leaving your hair to dry naturally isn't better than using heat to dry it. It's actually less damaging to use a hairdryer, we learnt from Dr Tim Moore, Ghd's chief technology officer who has a PhD in Microelectronics from Cambridge University.

"Natural drying takes a long time and water causes the cuticle to swell and crack, damaging the hair," he confirms. Interesting.

In Ghd's research and development lab, where they spent £140,000 last year on hair swatches to test on for experimentation, Dr Moore explained that irreversible damage occurs when you style wet hair.

So, what does this mean for your morning routine? To dry your hair without causing damage, follow these easy rules:

1. Towel dry your hair first
Essentially you want to get your hair from wet to dry quickly, but without using high temperatures. Dr Moore says, "First you should towel dry your hair," by gently blotting, squeezing or scrunching the moisture out. Don't ruffle the hair with your towel, this in turn ruffles the cuticles which causes damage and visible frizz.

2. Don't brush your wet hair
Brushing breaks wet hair. Fact. As dry hair is stronger than wet hair it can withstand brushing, so aim to use your brush once the hair feels touch-dry. Can't cope with the knots? Hair legend and Ghd's global brand ambassador Adam Reed says: "If you need to brush wet hair use a lubricant to provide slip." He favours an oil or a leave-in conditioner. If you start off without using a hairbrush and then find your hair becoming knotted, try his other tip. "Hit the hairdryer's cold shot and it will help to detangle hair, and use a Wet Brush."

3. Set your dryer to a low heat setting
Until the water is evaporated off, Dr Moore says you should use a low or medium heat. "Stop and move on to another section when you feel the hair heating up." Just because hotter equals quicker when drying your hair, it doesn't make it better. "Take it slow," he adds.

4. When the hair is dry you can style it with heat
Styling wet hair causes damage, so you always want to style the hair when it's dry – but keep a check on the temperature. "Styling hair above 210 degrees causes permanent damage," Dr Moore asserts. All Ghd tools are set to 185 degrees, "the best temperature to give enough energy to heat up hair quickly but avoid damage" – whatever your hair type. Burning your hair not only causes it to weaken, but the colour can fade or change, too. "Dyes are very sensitive to temperature," Reed adds.