Hair that's wet and filled with moisture is more fragile than hair that's dry, which can result in snapping when brushed. As such, it's recommended to brush hair in a dry state (guide-to-detangling-curls). This may mean allowing your hair to air-dry post-shower before beginning to comb through hair strands.
Frizz-central
This is especially true for women who have curly hair since they feel like brushing wet hair doesn't hold up the integrity of the curl, and can cause it to frizz up more easily.
While wet brushes are more gentle on the hair compared to your standard brush, it's still not a good idea to put any sort of pressure on your strands in this state. The solution is to rough-dry your hair first, i.e. blow-dry or wait until hair is about 80 to 90 percent dry before brushing with a wet brush.
Our experts encourage those with straight hair to wait until hair is dry to do any further brushing. For those of you with curly hair, the best time to brush or detangle is before you shampoo and pre-poo treatments can make this detangling process easier.
"Wet hair is at its weakest point becoming subject to breaking when the hair strands elasticity is low," explains Robin Groover, a hairstylist, and owner of Too Groovy Salon. "Combs and brushes with close teeth and bristles are subject to pull, snag, and split the strands during detangling methods," she says.
Don't Brush Wet Hair with a Regular Brush
“Even worse you can actually pull hair from the roots that way. The best time to brush your hair is when it is almost or completely dry.
On top of breakage, air-drying can also increase frizz, build-up, and mildew, especially for afro-textured and curly hair. "Hair that stays wet or damp for a long period can attract bacteria and fungus, especially if you have very dense hair," explains Jennie Roberts, a celebrity hairstylist and texture hair educator.
5) Airdrying hair after a shower
Needless to say, rubbing a cloth towel harshly on wet hair will cause it to break more easily. To avoid any missteps, opt for a microfiber towel and gently squeeze out the water from your strands and then let it air dry naturally.
Just like sleeping with wet hair can be damaging, brushing through wet hair can cause unnecessary friction and breakage to your strands. We recommend letting hair air dry before brushing and trying to use a wide-toothed comb during or after the shower.
Your hair might look dry and frizzy
If your hair is prone to frizziness, brushing it will evenly distribute the natural oils on your scalp, hydrating your strands and kipping frizz at bay, per ETE Saigon – Hair Happiness.
Brush and detangle hair
To help minimise knots and reduce damage, it's important to detangle your hair before you rest your head down for the night. Giving your hair a good brush will help to distribute its natural oils, for healthy, shiny, moisturised hair.
Wet hair is far weaker than dry hair, being more susceptible to breakage and damage from just about anything – heat and pulling on the hair strands are more likely to damage wet hair than dry. Hair is made up largely of a number of proteins called keratins.
When your cuticles are open, moisture gets into the hair strands, expanding the hair as it dries, leading to frizz. Conditioner helps to close or seal these cuticles and lock in moisture, reducing frizziness and flyaways, which is especially important when air-drying your hair.
It turns out letting your hair air dry after you've washed it is causing more damage than you think. According to Dr Tim Moore (the Australian Vice President of Smart Devices) leaving your hair wet for extended periods of time is putting excessive pressure on your strands resulting in split ends.
In conclusion, wetting your hair every day is not necessarily bad for it, but it can have some negative effects on your hair and scalp. If you choose to wash your hair every day, be sure to use a gentle shampoo and rinse thoroughly.
1. Low Bun. Probably one of the easiest and most flattering hairstyles that anyone could wear, the low bun is classic and perfect for wet hair. You can sleek your hair into place without damaging it and look so chic that no one could tell your hair is wet in the first place.
Air drying is the minimalist's match made in heaven—it can save you major time and effort with the right tricks. It's also a great way to avoid or recover from heat damage. The key to healthy air drying? Don't let your hair stay wet for too long.
"Natural drying takes time," he added. "The longer hair stays wet, the more the cortex swells and cracks, permanently damaging hair." According to trichologist Jane Mayhead at The Private Clinic, there isn't much evidence to suggest air-drying is better than blow-drying or vice versa.
The kind of breakage that comes with sleeping with wet hair only develops after doing so chronically, Dr. Cheng says. So, if you can, try not to only sleep with wet hair and try not to do it every single night. But doing it once in a while isn't likely to cause problems.
Twist your hair into a top knot and wrap it into a bun while going to bed. Use a silk scarf and tie it into a headband to make sure your hair doesn't touch the pillowcase. In the morning take your hair down and flip it upside down and side to side. Resist the urge to brush as it causes more friction and frizz.