Does blow-drying my hair make flaking worse?

Blow-drying with high heat can certainly make a dry scalp even more dry and itchy. Because wet hair is very fragile, frequent blow-drying can dry and damage the hair shaft. This makes air drying the safest option. Fortunately, styling with a blow-dryer doesn't require hair to be completely wet. Therefore, towel-dry hair and let it air dry until just damp before picking up the blow-dryer. If you're in a hurry and can't wait for air drying, use a diffuser nozzle for the gentlest drying and avoid applying heat to the scalp area.

Here's a neat blow-dryer trick for those with dandruff: Set the dryer to "cool" and run through dry, freshly shampooed hair to help remove any loose flakes from hair strands and scalp.