Hair feeling smoother, softer and less tangley when I blow dry...

[Salmonberry]

So, I've been pretty strict about not using the blow drier since I started growing out my hair. But, it's finally starting to get cold around there and I don't have adequate heating inside. I just have an electric space heater that costs a lot in electricity to run. :( I'm feeling miserable with wet hair inside the house, so I've started blow drying on warm some mornings. I've noticed when I do, my hair gets silky and smooth and it less likely to tangle and break. When it's air dried it feels rougher and more wirey, almost coarse, down the length. What's the deal? I don't plan on making a habit out of the blowdrying, but it seems odd that it appears to be improving the condition of my hair. The only apparent downside of the blowdrying is that is loosens my wave a bit. Hmm...

[Unofficial_Rose]

Mine's like that! I didn't blowdry for a few years, on and off, and I swear it needed trimming more often. I started blowdrying again and I haven't had to trim it since August. And it looks so much better smooth and straight. Straighteners, on the other hand, would destroy my hair if I used them again.

[LadyLongLocks]

Mine seems better too when I gently blow dry on warm and cool. If I couldnt use a blowdryer I probably would want short hair.
My conditioner claims to be heat activated too...but I don't really believe that. "Thermasilk"

[&rea]

Heat styling helps to conceal damage and frizz, but also creates it :shrug: heat styled hair really does look gorgeous though :crush:. Also, have you tried the turbie twist? It won't completely dry the hair, but it soaks up the bulk of the water. I use one every time I wash.

[ExpectoPatronum]

I diffuse my hair a few times a week because I don't always like leaving mine wet when it's cold. My hair is definitely less frizzy.

And yeah...blow drying 'hides' frizz...but products and routines don't seem to make a huge difference in my frizz either. As long as I use a blow dryer gently, you shouldn't have a huge problem with damage. I use mine on low and the cool setting, never high and hot.

[anitacs9101]

I've noticed the same thing, no idea why haha.

I'm with you on the wet hair. I actually cut my drying time by a ton by headbanging after it's been in the turbie towel for about 20 mins. It separates all the big chunks of wet hair into tiny ones and makes drying soooo much quicker. It sort of gives the effect of detangling it wet :)

[turtlelover]

I really have nothing to add to this topic, but I have to say to anitacs9101 that your hair color in the pic at the bottom of your post is GORGEOUS! :-)

[ErinLeigh]

My hair feel less tangly, smoother and straighter after blow drying also. When I air dry, my ends seem more frayed and my hair feels dry/tangly sometimes. When I use my mini travel size blowdryer on warm with alternating cool shots my hair is much happier. I am also starting to think blowdrying on warm isn't that bad for my hair. Hot irons BAD, but a light warm blow dry doesn't seem to do any more damage for me than anything else such as twisting, securing,touching etc. Sometime I swear it may even help my hair to dry it sometimes. Maybe it helps get my oils and conditioners into the shaft a little better. :confused:

I dry my face framing part each time I wash and do the length half of those times. So bangs 4/5 times a week and length 3?

Hey sorry to highjack but I am not getting the turbie towel thing. I bought some and I don't feel it is getting out anymore water than my towel did. Are you guys using the cotton or the microfiber ones? Mine is microfiber. I can make a thread if this is annoying here.

Thanks for posting this thread salmonberry. It got me thinking and i am enjoying reading the responses. Everyone's hair is so unique.

[Salmonberry]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I feel less bad about it now. It never feels hot when I use it and I try to alternate between warm and cool. And thanks LadyLongLocks! If you can blow dry and still have such long beautiful hair, that makes me a lot less worried.

[biogirl87]

My hair feel less tangly, smoother and straighter after blow drying also. When I air dry, my ends seem more frayed and my hair feels dry/tangly sometimes. When I use my mini travel size blowdryer on warm with alternating cool shots my hair is much happier. I am also starting to think blowdrying on warm isn't that bad for my hair. Hot irons BAD, but a light warm blow dry doesn't seem to do any more damage for me than anything else such as twisting, securing,touching etc. Sometime I swear it may even help my hair to dry it sometimes. Maybe it helps get my oils and conditioners into the shaft a little better. :confused:

I dry my face framing part each time I wash and do the length half of those times. So bangs 4/5 times a week and length 3?

Hey sorry to highjack but I am not getting the turbie towel thing. I bought some and I don't feel it is getting out anymore water than my towel did. Are you guys using the cotton or the microfiber ones? Mine is microfiber. I can make a thread if this is annoying here.

Thanks for posting this thread salmonberry. It got me thinking and i am enjoying reading the responses. Everyone's hair is so unique.Erin, I use the turbie twist that I bought at Walmart a few months ago. It is in a white packaging and has the words "As seen on TV" somewhere on the front of the package. I find that it absorbs a lot more water than my old towel did if I put my hair into it right before getting out of the shower.

[katiebeans]

I was never big on blow dryers, but back when I used to wash my hair in the showers at the gym everyday I would hop in the sauna for 5-10 minutes because that dried it real quick without me having to do nothing more than sit there. and I always walked away looking like I just had a blow-out, lol :)

[spidermom]

The guideline I've read is that if you can direct the blow-dryer at your neck from a few inches away and it doesn't burn, it's safe to use on hair. I only use warm and cool, never hot, and I agree - my hair is so much smoother and less grabby with blow-drying than it is with air-drying.

[Ambystoma]

Huh, I'm a total weirdo then since my hair hates blowdrying, it never turns out nice like when I airdry it at all. The only way I've ever been able to get a good result with one is to use the very hottest setting the whole time, and to keep going over each section until after it feels "dry" until it feels warm and dry (shudder: yeah, no thanks) I had followed tutorials exactly and always directed the nozzle downwards so as not to ruffle the cuticle etc but seriously, my results are usually a big 'ol fluffy haystack with hardly any shine, especially on the lower settings. I don't even know why I've kept the stupid thing :laugh:

[lapushka]

My hair gets blown dry every week. It's between waist and hip. I have *yet* to see damage from it. As long as your hand doesn't burn when you hold it in the airstream, it's not going to damage your hair! You might as well blow dry!

[bunnylake]

I have been blow during nearly every day :(
If I don't, the ends of my hair flip outward and I look weird!
I typically wash my hair daily because I have greasy roots, but even if I don't, sleeping on it turns it into a mess and I need to redo it in the morning. I hope it grows out and stops this flippy nonsense soon.

[Naiadryade]

Hmm. Interesting. This thread reminds me of this other thread from a couple months ago (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=115901) suggesting that air-drying could be more damaging than blow-drying on cool. Basically the idea I remember getting from the thread is that it's possible that when your wet hair takes longer to dry, more of the moisture ends up leaving your hair shaft, whereas if it dries faster more moisture ends up locked in the hair. Of course, this is a YMMV thing.

I haven't blow-dried my hair in years, but all this has me wanting to try it again. With low temps, of course.

[0xalis]

I would try blow drying because I only wash once a week, but we're incredibly poor and I don't want to hike up the electric bill trying to blow dry on cool for an hour :/
Also, I'd probably have to have my mom help me, and she'd be tempted to hike up the temperature. I also am weary of anyone touching my hair, especially when wet!!

[lapushka]

Try air drying for an hour to an hour and a half, then your blow dry session usually lasts less long! We only have to blow dry for 5 minutes (diffuse) after air drying for that long!

[catasa]

I had a similar question about a year ago (regarding blow-drying on cool/warm, not hot), and among the responses were some studies/science that had shown that blow-drying can actually be better for hair than air-drying. As Naiadryade said above it may allow more moisture to stay inside the hair shaft, and a shorter wet period may be better for the hair cuticle.

See link to a post in that thread for some science:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=109230&p=2349192&viewfull=1#post2349192

And a link to a study from another post in the same thread: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3229938/

My hair definitely does better with blow drying on cool/warm than with air drying, even though I only blow dry for about ten minutes (i e until about 1/4 or maybe 1/3 part dry, depending on hair mood). I have done this about 4-5 times a week for about a year, and I can´t see any damage from it yet anyway. I haven´t tried hot blow drying though, I imagine that would cause damage.

[Applegirl84]

Try paper towel! I do use an Aquius towel, but the paper towel sucks even more water out.

I think fast drying makes the difference in hair smoothness, whether blow drier or otherwise. I don't blow dry anymore, because stopping has decreased split ends and I swear my hair is growing in thicker, but I totally understand the appeal.