Drying Hair in the Winter

[DweamGoiL]

I wanted to thank all those ladies that suggested cool drying hair with a blow dryer and diffuser. I tried it today and it was wonderful!

It took about 10-15 minutes to get my hair 70% dry. My waves did droop a little more than usual even after some scrunching, but it wasn't too bad. Once I finished cool air drying it, it was a bit pouffy, but that resolved itself about 10 minutes later. I let the hair air dry the rest of the way, and it took way less time than it usually does. I must admit I was a bit hesitant to try this since I am a bit paranoid of using the blow dryer on my hair, but the cool setting was just great. Luckily, my blow dryer has a cool and a warm setting and you can set those to either high or low. I will definitely be drying my hair this way as the weather gets colder.

[Nadine <3]

I just suffer with it wet for 2 hours. I blow dry my bangs so they lay straight, but honestly I'm to lazy to do more. I make sure my room in nice and toasty warm as well as the bathroom before I do, then I hang out while my hair dries. Since it's such a pain in my butt though helps me stretch my washes because I put it off until I can't any more lol

[Madora]

Glad you had such good results, DweamGoil!

I just stand about 4 feet away from my little portable electric heater and do my usual "fanning". Takes about 10 minutes longer than outdoors.

[lapushka]

My hair's diffused as well. It's divided up into 4 sections for that. The top of my head, the back of my head, and the two sides. Each section gets a minute of warm air/diffuser time and that's enough to get it to be dry enough (only the very tippy tips are still wet). Works for me, and in 4 minutes my scalp is dry and most of my hair is too. Yeah, the nerd in me times it as well. :o

[Carolyn]

It depends on how cold it is and if I'm going to be outside for more than a minute or two which is very rare for me. I have several ways to deal with drying. I sometimes use my blow dryer and dry to damp dry and bun it. Sometimes I'll wash it immediately after getting up and air dry. I'll finish off with the blow dryer if I want to wear it down or I'll bun it. If I'm going somewhere rather early I will wash as soon as I get up and leave it down. It will be maybe half dry by the time I'm ready to leave the house. I blast the heater in my car and that will usually finish drying my hair in 20 minutes or so. I bun or braid when I arrive at my destination. It takes a little more planning that in summer but it's not difficult.

[lapushka]

Oh BTW, my hair gets diffused after it's been in a turbie for 15-20 min. and after it's been airdried for 1h to 1h30 min. Had to mention that as well! No blowdrying it sopping wet or damp, it has to be a bit dry already.

[brickworld13]

I had to use the dryer on Saturday and my hair is still fluffy and misbehaving. I think I will just stick to letting it dry in the house if I have the time for it. I do not enjoy having a lions mane of fluff.

[Phexlyn]

I avoid blowdrying but will do it in cold weather when I have to get outside quickly. If it's not necessary, I'll just wait until its dry... the ends are dry faster than the rest, so I try only to blowdry the hair near the scalp and then bun it.

[Georgii]

Good idea! Thanks for posting :)

[meteor]

That's great, DweamGoiL! :thumbsup: So good to know you found a hair-friendly method that works so well! :)

And for those who don't have a cool setting on blowdryer/no diffuser or prefer pure air-drying, I highly recommend drying next to a fan or using Madora's fanning technique, presented by LauraLongLocks in the video below: it speeds up drying significantly. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbgB6WhMl4Y

[LauraLongLocks]

Oh! I was just going to comment, but I see that my comments have already been made. Awesome. Actually, Madora's true technique involves smaller sections of hair being fanned and standing a few feet in front of a portable heater. I combined a version of her fanning technique with my blowdryer and it gets dry quickly. I really appreciate it getting dry quick in the winter. Not just for comfort! I worry about fungal growth, hygral fatigue, and in my area it can get so cold the water in wet hair can turn to ice when you go outside and will damage hair at best. At worst, the hair can actually break off. It happened to me when my hair was shorter. In my video, I used cool only on my blowdryer, but if I am in a hurry, I will use warm and it gets dry even faster. Warm is okay to use, as long as it isn't hot enough to burn skin, it won't fry hair.

[lapushka]

Warm is okay to use, as long as it isn't hot enough to burn skin, it won't fry hair.

Yes, that's what I always say if someone dares utter the word "blowFRyer". *shudders* If the airstream is okay enough to hold your hand in for a long time without it burning, then it's okay to use on hair. And I mean... I have TBL hair with no splits and no white dots and my hair gets diffused every week, has been for years. The damage should have long been visible... if there were any.

[Madora]

Oh! I was just going to comment, but I see that my comments have already been made. Awesome. Actually, Madora's true technique involves smaller sections of hair being fanned and standing a few feet in front of a portable heater. I combined a version of her fanning technique with my blowdryer and it gets dry quickly. I really appreciate it getting dry quick in the winter. Not just for comfort! I worry about fungal growth, hygral fatigue, and in my area it can get so cold the water in wet hair can turn to ice when you go outside and will damage hair at best. At worst, the hair can actually break off. It happened to me when my hair was shorter. In my video, I used cool only on my blowdryer, but if I am in a hurry, I will use warm and it gets dry even faster. Warm is okay to use, as long as it isn't hot enough to burn skin, it won't fry hair.

Good grief, LauraLongLocks! I'd hate to live in that kind of climate! My Reynaud's is cringing at the very thought of how cold it must be for you when you go outdoors in temps like THAT! Wow! And now I'm gonna get a drink of hot water!

[LauraLongLocks]

Yes, that's what I always say if someone dares utter the word "blowFRyer". *shudders* If the airstream is okay enough to hold your hand in for a long time without it burning, then it's okay to use on hair. And I mean... I have TBL hair with no splits and no white dots and my hair gets diffused every week, has been for years. The damage should have long been visible... if there were any. Well, I still use the term blowfryer, even when I'm using it on myself on warm or cool, sort of tongue-in-cheek.


Good grief, LauraLongLocks! I'd hate to live in that kind of climate! My Reynaud's is cringing at the very thought of how cold it must be for you when you go outdoors in temps like THAT! Wow! And now I'm gonna get a drink of hot water! I'm only a few degrees latitude north of you, Madora. Idaho. I can always tell when the weather has gotten below 4 degrees F because my nose no longer runs, it freezes upon stepping outdoors. I must go out in all weather conditions to milk my cows and care for my livestock. In winter, I wear a hat, but a cold wet head under a hat wouldn't do me much good. If I leave my hair down in hopes it will dry, it will freeze-dry and has broken off in the past (long before I was purposefully growing it long).

[LadyLongLocks]

I wanted to thank all those ladies that suggested cool drying hair with a blow dryer and diffuser. I tried it today and it was wonderful!

It took about 10-15 minutes to get my hair 70% dry. My waves did droop a little more than usual even after some scrunching, but it wasn't too bad. Once I finished cool air drying it, it was a bit pouffy, but that resolved itself about 10 minutes later. I let the hair air dry the rest of the way, and it took way less time than it usually does. I must admit I was a bit hesitant to try this since I am a bit paranoid of using the blow dryer on my hair, but the cool setting was just great. Luckily, my blow dryer has a cool and a warm setting and you can set those to either high or low. I will definitely be drying my hair this way as the weather gets colder.

This is how I have dried my hair for years and years. I just ditched the hot setting 10 years ago. Air drying is hard at times and I hate my hair being wet. Air drying is nice in the summer, but I need more privacy now that my hair is soooo long.
I really dont understand the fear of blow drying on this forum. If you do it right its a great tool. Just use cool and warm.

[lapushka]

This is how I have dried my hair for years and years. I just ditched the hot setting 10 years ago. Air drying is hard at times and I hate my hair being wet. Air drying is nice in the summer, but I need more privacy now that my hair is soooo long.
I really dont understand the fear of blow drying on this forum. If you do it right its a great tool. Just use cool and warm.

I agree with this fully! If you do it the way it's supposed to be done, then no worries. Every tool can be misused, that doesn't explain the fact that people condemn that tool right off the bat. I wish some people would stop doing that!

[LauraLongLocks]

Yay for the blowfryer, I mean blowdryer! ;)

[lapushka]

Yay for the blowfryer, I mean blowdryer! ;)

You made me LOL! :lol: :thumbsup:

[LauraLongLocks]

You made me LOL! :lol: :thumbsup:

That's me, the court jester, ha ha!

[LadyLongLocks]

I agree with this fully! If you do it the way it's supposed to be done, then no worries. Every tool can be misused, that doesn't explain the fact that people condemn that tool right off the bat. I wish some people would stop doing that!

High fives Lapushka:hifive:

[LadyLongLocks]

Yay for the blowfryer, I mean blowdryer! ;)

Maybe the ancient hairdryers from the 50s could be called this. All they had was on/off and HOT, right?
Nowadays there is usually 3 settings-cold/warm/hot and 2 blow speeds. If you can hold the warm setting on high right up to your skin it should be ok. There is also the option of distance of holding the dryer. Common sense plays a big factor. Even on warm I hold it at least 12" away. I switch between warm and cold with a cold shot button.
In the winter The hairdryer is a must for me.http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i172/JJJLonghair/smiles%20and%20funny%20stuff/smileyblowdrytiny.gif

[NaClH2O]

Well, I still use the term blowfryer, even when I'm using it on myself on warm or cool, sort of tongue-in-cheek.

I'm only a few degrees latitude north of you, Madora. Idaho. I can always tell when the weather has gotten below 4 degrees F because my nose no longer runs, it freezes upon stepping outdoors. I must go out in all weather conditions to milk my cows and care for my livestock. In winter, I wear a hat, but a cold wet head under a hat wouldn't do me much good. If I leave my hair down in hopes it will dry, it will freeze-dry and has broken off in the past (long before I was purposefully growing it long).

As a person living very near Laura, I agree with this! :p My nostrils have essentially frozen together before. It gets cold here in western Idaho and even colder in eastern Idaho (where I grew up). It's enjoyable, for the most part (I like snow!), but having wet hair would be down right miserable. This is why I shower at night! No chance of having wet hair in the mornings. Brrrr....!

I always use the blowdryer on my bangs, though. I recently cut them shorter and I have an annoying cowlick that misbehaves...

[fairystar32]

I use my hairdryer on cool all the time, my hair is flyaway and awful if I let it air dry usually, so always have too blow dry but only till its still slightly damp.

[lapushka]

High fives Lapushka:hifive:

Woohoo! High fives right back, LadyLongLocks! :hifive:

[LadyLongLocks]

I would feel trapped by wet hair if I could not get it dry fast. Plus wearing my hair damp in a bun would be too heavy. I squeeze my hair with t-shirts to get out all the water possible before I use the blow dryer.

[lapushka]

Mine is typically put in a turbie towel first (for 15 to 20 min.), then it gets some airdrying time (1h, 1h30min.) and only then the diffuser comes in. By that time it only needs a minute per section (top of the head, back of the head, two sides), and voilà, done.

[Monsoonu]

i normally wash my hair around 8pm in the evening and then let it air dry, most nights it it still damp when I go to bed.

[LauraLongLocks]

As a person living very near Laura, I agree with this! :p My nostrils have essentially frozen together before. It gets cold here in western Idaho and even colder in eastern Idaho (where I grew up). It's enjoyable, for the most part (I like snow!), but having wet hair would be down right miserable. This is why I shower at night! No chance of having wet hair in the mornings. Brrrr....!

I always use the blowdryer on my bangs, though. I recently cut them shorter and I have an annoying cowlick that misbehaves... Eastern Idaho... Brrrrr!!!


I would feel trapped by wet hair if I could not get it dry fast. Plus wearing my hair damp in a bun would be too heavy. I squeeze my hair with t-shirts to get out all the water possible before I use the blow dryer. The weight of it is noticeable when I put it in a bun, even with hip length average thickness hair like mine. I can only imagine how much heavier it would be at your length! Ouch! It might actually be painful, really.


i normally wash my hair around 8pm in the evening and then let it air dry, most nights it it still damp when I go to bed. I know a lot of people wash at night and sleep on it, but when I have tried this I wake up to damp hair. I have to contain my hair in some manner at night or I end up with it wrapped around me, my baby, and my husband. Consequently, my braids do not get dry through the night. They stay wet and it makes me chilly all night in addition to the worries of fungal growth and hygral fatigue. I just prefer to blowfry-dry it. ;)

[swearnsue]

I've been thinking when people were talking about blowfryers they were talking about curling irons. I used to know when my hair was curled when it started smoking!!!

Good video! I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that uses this and that on my hair after washing it.

[LauraLongLocks]

I've been thinking when people were talking about blowfryers they were talking about curling irons. I used to know when my hair was curled when it started smoking!!!

Good video! I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that uses this and that on my hair after washing it. ;) Thanks!

[Aurum]

Winters here in Pennsylvania can be pretty brutal. We've got a lake effect that loves to screw things up for us, too. The cold only becomes a hair problem for me when it gets close to 0°F. The cold is the reason I always wash at night, when I know I won't be going out afterwards. If I wash at 8pm, it will generally be dry by 10:30-11:00ish.

Last winter was unusually bad. I remember one day it was apparently colder in Chicago than on Mars. On a side note, I was able to do that trick where you throw a pan of boiling water in the air and it turns to snow before it hits the ground. Pretty cool, but a frozen nose wasn't so great. Alas, winter.