Question of the Day - 23 July 2017

Actually, from what we can tell, hand air dryers might actually leave your skin more moist than paper towels.

A survey by scientists at Queensland University in Brisbane, Australia, reviewed 12 independent comparisons between paper towels, cloth towels, and hot air dryers, looking at
the speed and degree of drying, along with the spread of bacteria.

When it came to drying efficiency, the results indicated that “residual water was more efficiently removed from the hands by cloth or paper towels.” The researchers found that a mere 10 seconds of drying with a single-serve towel reduced residual water on the hands to just 4%; another 3% took only five more seconds.

Air dryers, on the other hand, were much slower; they required a full 45 seconds to reduce the residual water to 4%. And as the average patron devoted only 22.5 seconds to the hand-drying process, we can infer that their hands were less than half-dry. 

Another wrinkle on the dryness situation has to do with hand sanitizers. The primary ingredient of most sanitizers in public bathrooms is alcohol, which acts as an antimicrobial; it also evaporates quickly, so that hands aren't left with slimy residue. However, this rapid evaporation does contribute to a drying effect that can be particularly bothersome, especially in the winter. 

It’s well-known that blow dryers dry out the scalp pretty quickly. First, the artificial heat from the hair dryer, especially those on high settings and held close to the head, removes moisture; the process can also cause pores to be blocked. But many people use hair blow dryers every working day (at least) and the appliance remains on for much longer than a hand dryer in a public setting. We might be wrong, but we don’t believe there’s not much comparison between the two.

As for other suggestions to avoid drying out your skin in the low humidity of the southern Nevada desert, our best advice is to drink plenty of water and eat hydrating foods (fruits and vegetables); minimize your exposure to moisture zappers like alcohol and harsh soaps; exfoliate to slough off dead skin cells; don’t shower in super-hot water; and spritz your bare skin with mineral water.

We’re sure there are others and we welcome suggestions from QoDers in the comment boxes.