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View Full Version : Air drying during fall/winter



Lakiticni
October 1st, 2013, 10:04 AM
Fall is here, and with it cold weather, rains and a lot of chilly wind blowing. I am curious about air drying hair when it is cold outside.

My parents are convinced I am going to get sick, or get some kind of brain damage/whatever else if I don't blowfry my hair after washing it.
I always make sure to close windows in my room before a shower so it would heat as much as it can, and then stay there until it dries, but I am recently being pushed into blowfrying. I'm still resisting to blowfry, but I don't want to get sick, and that is why I am asking you people if you know anything about this.

melusine963
October 1st, 2013, 10:18 AM
I always happily air dried my hair, even in winter. That said, I never lived anywhere where it gets really, really cold. I don't think there's any risk to your health if you stay in a nice warm room until your hair is dry. I don't imagine there would be any damage to your hair if you occasionally use a blow drier on a low setting, making sure to keep it a safe distance from your hair and point it in the direction of the cuticles.

Anje
October 1st, 2013, 10:24 AM
Man, you gotta feel bad for all those brain-damaged people from before blowdryers were invented, huh?

I airdry year-round and live in a fairly northern climate. (Used to live in Wisconsin, quite cold in the winter there, airdrying never bothered me then either.)

Lakiticni
October 1st, 2013, 10:29 AM
Man, you gotta feel bad for all those brain-damaged people from before blowdryers were invented, huh?
Hahah, nice one :)


I airdry year-round and live in a fairly northern climate. (Used to live in Wisconsin, quite cold in the winter there, airdrying never bothered me then either.)


I always happily air dried my hair, even in winter. That said, I never lived anywhere where it gets really, really cold. I don't think there's any risk to your health if you stay in a nice warm room until your hair is dry. I don't imagine there would be any damage to your hair if you occasionally use a blow drier on a low setting, making sure to keep it a safe distance from your hair and point it in the direction of the cuticles.

That is just what I wanted to hear! Thanks!

GeoJ
October 1st, 2013, 10:33 AM
When I lived in places with cold winters (and when I go back to Minnesota to visit family during the winter), I had no issues air drying my hair. As a teen I regularly walked to school on winter mornings with wet hair and no hat. It did not cause illness, but water expands when it freezes so it's better to avoid letting your hair "freeze". Now I simply keep wet hair protected under a hat if I need to go out before it dries.

YamaMaya
October 1st, 2013, 10:53 AM
Fall is here, and with it cold weather, rains and a lot of chilly wind blowing. I am curious about air drying hair when it is cold outside.

My parents are convinced I am going to get sick, or get some kind of brain damage/whatever else if I don't blowfry my hair after washing it.
I always make sure to close windows in my room before a shower so it would heat as much as it can, and then stay there until it dries, but I am recently being pushed into blowfrying. I'm still resisting to blowfry, but I don't want to get sick, and that is why I am asking you people if you know anything about this.

I've air dryed my hair for YEARS (couldn't be bothered to blowdry even before I joined LHC) and I've not suffered the dreaded lurgi from it. I just towel wrap until it's about 50% dry then let it down to air dry the rest of the way. The biggest problem I've had is tight back and neck muscles from it in the cold. Also, I've had my hair freeze on particularly cold (below freezing) days, which I wouldn't recommend you let happen to your hair as it may damage the cuticles.

Squiggy
October 1st, 2013, 11:03 AM
Just chiming in to say that air drying or going out in the cold with wet hair will not make you sick. You have to actually contract a virus or bacteria to get a cold - wet hair won't do it to you. (I study infectious diseases, so you can tell your parents an expert told you it is okay)

Leeloo
October 1st, 2013, 11:16 AM
Fall is here, and with it cold weather, rains and a lot of chilly wind blowing. I am curious about air drying hair when it is cold outside.

My parents are convinced I am going to get sick, or get some kind of brain damage/whatever else if I don't blowfry my hair after washing it.
I always make sure to close windows in my room before a shower so it would heat as much as it can, and then stay there until it dries, but I am recently being pushed into blowfrying. I'm still resisting to blowfry, but I don't want to get sick, and that is why I am asking you people if you know anything about this.

Try using a fan. It works the same way as a blow drier but without the damage and both of your hands are free.

Leeloo
October 1st, 2013, 11:18 AM
Just chiming in to say that air drying or going out in the cold with wet hair will not make you sick. You have to actually contract a virus or bacteria to get a cold - wet hair won't do it to you. (I study infectious diseases, so you can tell your parents an expert told you it is okay)

:applause Awesome! This is my favourite post today!

dulce
October 1st, 2013, 11:18 AM
I agree with Leeloo,a floor fan or even a smaller fan,it works great and very fast!

Panth
October 1st, 2013, 11:49 AM
I always just leave it in a turban made from a regular towel for a while (basically depends on whether I need to go anywhere or go to bed soon). I then comb it out and either air dry it loose or plait it. I sleep with wet/damp hair without problems (and I like a cool room).

When I'm somewhere that has a fire (stove or open fire) I love to dry my hair in front of the fire. I figure if it I'm far away enough that it isn't hurting my skin then it won't hurt my hair either. Of course, when doing that with open fires you have to be very careful about sparks.

Stray_mind
October 1st, 2013, 11:51 AM
I think blow-frying will get you sick even quicker, because your head will be warm and if you'll go out in cold weather immediately, you can get cold. I threw away my all blowdryers and now i have no other choice but to air dry. Wich is good.

spidermom
October 1st, 2013, 12:03 PM
Blow-drying on warm won't hurt your hair as long as you aren't stretching it with a brush. I use a shower comb to control my hair while blow-drying; no problem.

I've also been in front of a fan blowing on my hair while it dries, but that can feel cold.

I've also have a bonnet dryer that I can plop my hair into and dry on warm.

There are options.

deja
October 1st, 2013, 12:04 PM
Get as much water as you can out using an old T-shirt. Then put heat protector on your hair and use your blow dryer on the lowest temperature. In the winter, I usually use a hooded dryer with my hair in rollers.

spidermom
October 1st, 2013, 12:05 PM
I think blow-frying will get you sick even quicker, because your head will be warm and if you'll go out in cold weather immediately, you can get cold. I threw away my all blowdryers and now i have no other choice but to air dry. Wich is good.

Nope - fact remains that you have to be infected by a virus or bacteria to get sick. Warm heads in cold weather won't do it.

Crabbyco
October 1st, 2013, 12:16 PM
I'm looking forward to winter in Minnesota when the air is dry so my hair dries faster. Get a diffuser for your hair dryer, makes the air flow gentle, I like to diffuse my hair till it's about 50% dry. While a frozen head is no fun, I've never seen any damage to my hair and you have to be infected with something to get sick.

Squiggy
October 1st, 2013, 02:44 PM
:applause Awesome! This is my favourite post today!

Glad I could entertain!

Misschilly
October 2nd, 2013, 12:30 PM
Haha! =) I live in Sweden and let my hair air dry during winter, no problem..I don't go out with wet hair in the winter, but if I have to I pull all my hair in a tam!

summerseason
October 2nd, 2013, 12:49 PM
I live in a climate that gets very cold in winter and I usually let my hair air dry.We have forced air heating in our house and on days that I'm in a hurry I will lay down on the ground and dry my hair over one of the air vents. Kinda goofy but it works!
:D

Hiriel
October 2nd, 2013, 12:57 PM
Haha! =) I live in Sweden and let my hair air dry during winter, no problem..I don't go out with wet hair in the winter, but if I have to I pull all my hair in a tam!

Ssssh, don't tell them! This is part of our super-secret Viking superpowers, didn't you know?

OP, you'll be fine! Possibly cold, if you go out with damp hair, but not sick. Being cold doesn't cause the common cold, and if feeling a bit cold gave you brain damage, Scandinavia would be in trouble.
I haven't blow dried my hair since I was in primary school, and to the best of my knowledge, I have not sustained any brain damage ;)

biogirl87
October 2nd, 2013, 04:05 PM
Just chiming in to say that air drying or going out in the cold with wet hair will not make you sick. You have to actually contract a virus or bacteria to get a cold - wet hair won't do it to you. (I study infectious diseases, so you can tell your parents an expert told you it is okay)Seconding this. You wouldn't normally get sick from having your hair air dry after washing nor would you normally get sick if you just got really cold outside. You would get sick after being out in the cold for a while (or getting your feet wet in snow/rain in cold winters) only if you'v been exposed to viruses that cause colds, in which case you needed to have to actually contract the viruses first (all this coming from someone who majored in Biology in college and took both Microbiology and Infectious Microbiology classes in college).


I think blow-frying will get you sick even quicker, because your head will be warm and if you'll go out in cold weather immediately, you can get cold. I threw away my all blowdryers and now i have no other choice but to air dry. Wich is good.Stray_mind, I don't think this is true. If it was, then every person who lives in the Northern Hemisphere and in a climate with cold/freezing winters would be getting sick every time they left their house to go to school, work, etc. As far as I know, this clearly isn't the case.

HintOfMint
October 2nd, 2013, 04:46 PM
Regardless of whether or not you contract a virus, I always feel ill if I went out in the cold with wet hair. It's just really uncomfortable for me, beyond simply being cold and shivery. However, if you towel-dry it just enough to have it be damp and then put it up under a hat, you should be fine.

Sharysa
October 2nd, 2013, 04:55 PM
My mom insists that if I go to bed with wet hair or if it's too cold when I shower, I'm going to catch a cold. A lot of older people have that old-fashioned view that wet hair makes you sick.

I just turn the heater up and let my hair air-dry as usual, but blow-drying on a low or cool setting and using a fan are both good options as well.

Kitten1030
October 2nd, 2013, 07:30 PM
I have always air dried during winter. the only downside is it makes me cold so I try to stretch my washes as long as possible. The extra layer of dirt I'm my hair keeps me warmer :wink:I tend to always be cold (I think I'm a human reptile hybrid) so a scarf around my neck while it dries helps with the chillies.

Kitten1030
October 2nd, 2013, 07:33 PM
In my hair, sorry. I am more than hair.

Nerine
October 2nd, 2013, 10:34 PM
Yeah I think a fan would work just fine. I always air dry my hair no matter what but if it's freezing outside, you could always put on a beanie or a hat. :)

0xalis
October 2nd, 2013, 10:57 PM
I've done really nothing but air drying my entire life and I've survived! I hardly ever get sick, either. :p
I hate how cold it is, though :( I like to sit in a warm room until my hair is less wet.

spirals
October 2nd, 2013, 11:18 PM
Tell your parents I live in Wisconsin and have been going out with a wet head in the dead of winter for about 10 years. I've done it when the high for the day was a single digit. I can't remember the last time I caught a virus. I literally cannot remember, as it was so long ago. The only harm I've experienced from this is massive frizz, caused by my hair forming literal icicles (great fun, actually--coworkers were amused) and then thawing at work. Also, if you could get a cold from being cold, I'd be sick all winter because I don't turn on my heat, generally. (It hovers around 60 with the heat off, so why waste the energy to have the register on?)

Cherry*Tree
October 2nd, 2013, 11:20 PM
I always air dry my hair, even in the winter. I haven't gotten sick yet.

Stray_mind
October 2nd, 2013, 11:37 PM
In my whole "history"of airdrying, i haven't gotten sick once because of that. It's allways other reasons (usually i catch a flu somewhere).

sandigrl117
October 3rd, 2013, 12:12 AM
Cold weather and being wet isn't what makes you sick. :shrug: Cold weather and being wet can lower your defenses against viruses that make you sick, but you have to be around other sick people (or areas that have been contaminated) to begin with. Just keep air drying, you'll be fine.

morrigan*
October 3rd, 2013, 12:22 AM
I don't know if anybody else noticed this, but i usually air dry my hair during winter, because air is so dry it causes my hair to dry quicker.

Arien
October 3rd, 2013, 01:15 AM
I don't mind walking around inside where it's warm with wet hair in the winter but I won't go outside with wet hair. Getting cold and damp can lower your defences against getting ill, so every little helps with keeping warm. That is why we wrap up warm and wear coats. That being said, if you do really need to go outside with wet hair I don't see why one can't just put their hair up under a hat when going outside. It will keep your head and hair warm :D.

lapushka
October 3rd, 2013, 01:19 AM
Don't forget, the heating is on in fall/winter season, so I don't think that's any different from spring/summer temperatures. :rolleyes: Second of all, there's nothing -absolutely- wrong with blowdrying your hair, provided you do it *right* (not on hot).

jacqueline101
October 3rd, 2013, 03:44 AM
I air dry my hair unless it's real cold then I blow dry. If you do blow dry use cool setting and a heat protectant. As far as catching a cold you've to be exposed to the cold virus.

lillithnight
October 3rd, 2013, 06:06 AM
I haven't gotten sick from having my hair wet in freezing temps yet, and I love in a enviorment that's fairly cold during the winter. The north easter usa gets pretty cold we had a decent snow storm the year before last in october near halloween! The most disturbing issue would be frozen hair in my opinion. That is annoying beyond belief.

I think I'm going to steal the fan trick to help air dry and see if it works for me.

cranberrymoonz
October 3rd, 2013, 06:46 AM
I aidry my hair year-round, even when it's freezing outside. In winters, I tend to shower at night, though. I just don't go outside and let it airdry cosying up under a blanket reading or making homework. I braid my damp hair before going to bed and in the morning my hair is dry and has pretty braidwaves. I find that I don't need to wash my hair that often in winter anyway.

Misschilly
October 3rd, 2013, 07:08 AM
Ssssh, don't tell them! This is part of our super-secret Viking superpowers, didn't you know?

OP, you'll be fine! Possibly cold, if you go out with damp hair, but not sick. Being cold doesn't cause the common cold, and if feeling a bit cold gave you brain damage, Scandinavia would be in trouble.
I haven't blow dried my hair since I was in primary school, and to the best of my knowledge, I have not sustained any brain damage ;)

No nobody told me about our power!;) I like the ice bears on the street thou!=)

intrigued
October 3rd, 2013, 07:56 AM
Cold weather and being wet isn't what makes you sick. :shrug: Cold weather and being wet can lower your defenses against viruses that make you sick, but you have to be around other sick people (or areas that have been contaminated) to begin with. Just keep air drying, you'll be fine.

Was waiting for someone to bring this up. It's a strawman to say that the cold temperatures don't make you sick. What they're saying is that the lower temperatures stress your body, leaving it more open to getting sick to one of the many things you're exposed to on a daily basis, or that you may already be carrying but fighting off. What I've heard and makes sense to me is that it's actually the change in temperature and humidity that stresses the system more than the actual number (e.g. the coldness of winter isn't as stressing as the transition from fall to winter). Anyway, I wouldn't worry too much about it. The brain damage thing is pretty close to crazy, and as long as you air dry at home in decent temperatures it really shouldn't cause any problems. Not to mention that as long as your system is fairly healthy it can be good to stress it a little bit here and there (e.g. cold thermogenesis).

MonaMayfair
October 3rd, 2013, 08:28 AM
It may not make you sick, but it doesn't feel good to have damp hair hanging down your back in cold temperatures. In cold weather I part dry mine with the blowdryer on the warm setting, then air dry for a while, then usually use the blowdryer again before braiding. Never seen any difference in my hair between this, and airdrying all the way.
Whatever the cause, if I go to sleep with damp hair I ALWAYS wake up with a sore throat.

1nuitblanche
October 3rd, 2013, 09:30 AM
I was just going to say that I pretty much always go to sleep with wet hair, since I generally shower right before bed. When I was a teenager, I showered in the morning, and I went outside after with wet hair. It froze (which isn't recommended), and then air-dried over the day. Either way, I'm pretty sure that this hasn't affected my brain or caused me to get sick more often. Maybe you could even convince your parents that washing your hair before bed is smart because you'll be extra toasty under the covers all night?

velorutionista
October 3rd, 2013, 10:22 AM
I live in the frozen north (ha!) and have usually air-dried my hair...in colder months, I tend to shower in the early evening so it's barely damp by the time I go to bed, then braid or bun for waves next day (bonus!), but I do go out with wet hair if it's not too cold (I dislike freezing my hair, so if its below freezing, I'll wear a beanie or something similar and stuff all my hair in it to keep it from freezing).