We speak to Alex Neo, founder of hair salon, The Lawn, to debunk some of the biggest hair myths and find out some of the best ways to achieve a healthier scalp
Living on a tropical island like Singapore undoubtedly means that most of us will have had our fair share of beauty woes no thanks to the humidity here. From skin irritation such as acne or eczema flare-ups to battling frizzy hair, it does take quite a bit of effort to look and feel our best at times.
Thanks to the heat, nothing feels better than a long, cold shower at the end of the day. But here comes the internal battle that some of us may face: Should you just go to bed right after washing your hair and skip blow-drying it? Can you give your mane a quick towel-dry instead? Or should we just let it "air-dry"?
There are several misconceptions about using blow-dryers. Some think it's damaging for the hair because of the heat, while others think it is unnecessary and letting our hair dry naturally is a better option. There are also those who take great pride in using their blow-dryers with every hair wash.
To answer our burning questions once and for all, we reached out to hairstylist Alex Neo, who is also the founder of The Lawn hair salon in Tiong Bahru. Below, he shares some of his best advice and tips to achieve healthier, shinier hair.
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What is the biggest misconception about blow-drying the hair?
Alex Neo (AN): People often have the misconception that blow-drying your hair damages it. Over-drying does, but with the correct drying methods, products and tools, blow-drying your hair will do more good than harm. Heat styling tools don’t damage your hair either; they only damage your hair when used incorrectly.
Should we air dry our hair? What are the downsides of air drying?
AN: We should not air dry our hair. For curly/wavy hair, it should at least be 80 per cent dry, and for normal hair, I would recommend drying it fully. Most of the pre-styling hair products would require drying too. When our scalp is wet, especially in Singapore’s weather, it may lead to scalp-related problems. The pH level in water is also higher than our hair when it’s wet, thus it is more prone to breakage and damage.