Cool air on hair dryer not really that cool

[CastaDiva]

I have dried my hair using a blow dryer with the cool shot button held in for about a year now. I have tried an returned several hair dryers in that period because I'm not satisfied with the cool air they claim to have. Dryers from Philips, BaByliss, Revlon, Braun and a couple of other manufacturers. I have not found a dryer that has a cool setting, I have to manually press and hold the cool shot button. The thing is, I have not felt any real difference between the lowest heat setting and the air from the cool shot button. How cool is the air supposed to be? I was expecting cool air, not freezing cold, but definitely cooler than lukewarm. I'm really surprised that none of the dryers I have tried provide really cool air even though they claim so on the box.

So to those of you who use/have a hair dryer with cold setting, is the air cooler with the cool shot button or is it pretty much the same as the lowest warm/heat setting?

[Sarahlabyrinth]

My hair dryer has a hot and a warm setting, no cool setting. I just use it (when I use it, that is, usually in winter) on the warm setting, which is warmer than lukewarm and hold it around 6" away from my hair and see no harm from it.

As for cold settings, I know not what they are like....

[furnival]

If you're using the cool setting because you're concerned that hotter settings will cause heat damage to your hair, it's worth remembering that heat damage is caused by the expansion of moisture within the hair shaft when exposed to temperatures high enough to turn some of the moisture to steam. It's extremely unlikely that lukewarm air will cause heat damage.

[CastaDiva]

Thanks for your replies, Sarahlabyrinth and furnival. Yes, I'm concerned about heat damage and I have read on the hair dryer boxes and on the manufacturers web sites that cool air sets the hair, makes is extra shiny and frizz free and locks in moisture. Possibly a hype? I purchased a new hair dryer last week and the lowest heat setting is lukewarm, I can hold the nozzle onto my skin, it is not hot or even warm, just pleasantly lukewarm. I have short arms and that combined with the weight of the hair dryer with nozzle makes it difficult to hold the dryer far away from my head. I would guess I hold it about 10 cm/ 4 inches from my hair, constantly moving it around. I'm possibly to hung up on the cool shot button/cool air :) I will try the BaByliss dryer a couple of more times before I decide if I'm going to keep it or return it.

[Nini]

Is it possible at all to get actual cool air from a hairdryer? Unless you've got some kind of cooling unit attached to it I don't see how that could happen, from a technical standpoint that is.

[CastaDiva]

Good question, Nini.

[Cania]

My Remington has a proper cold setting rather than a cool shot button. There are five temp settings in total, ranging from freezing cold to burning hot, then three settings for the fan speed.

It is this one, but it was a third of the price when I bought it!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Remington-D5020-Ionic-Ultra-Dryer/dp/B002C1AYAQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1427712376&sr=8-2&keywords=remington+ionic+hairdryer

[lapushka]

I've been using cool/warm (lukewarm) since chin, and I'm TBL+ now. My hair is diffused, so it gets pretty close to the scalp. I would complain if it were too hot! Rest assured. I have no damage at all. No splits. No white dots. Don't freak out too much over hair dryers, please. If they are used wisely, they are an asset not a pain!

ThE rule of thumb is, if you can hold your hand in the airstream comfortably for an extended amount of time, the air is just perfect for the hair. If it burns, it's too hot!

[Nique1202]

I definitely think that "setting" the hair with cold air is a load of hype. Some people perceive a difference in their hair when they use, say, a cold water rinse to finish off their hair washing but the proteins in the hair don't react to cold temperatures that strongly and even if there's some reaction, as soon as the hair goes up to room temperature the cuticle will go back to its preferred state anyway. Still, the lowest heat setting and the "cool shot" aren't usually much different from room temperature so they're the safest settings to dry hair either way.

[CastaDiva]

Duplicate post

[CastaDiva]

My Remington has a proper cold setting rather than a cool shot button. There are five temp settings in total, ranging from freezing cold to burning hot, then three settings for the fan speed.

It is this one, but it was a third of the price when I bought it!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Remington-D5020-Ionic-Ultra-Dryer/dp/B002C1AYAQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1427712376&sr=8-2&keywords=remington+ionic+hairdryer

That one looks great, Cania! Just the kind of dryer I am looking for. I have just asked at my local warehouse with the widest selection of electrical appliances, but they didn't have that particular Remington model. They had three other Remington models but all of them had a cool shot button, not setting. In fact, I couldn't find one hair dryer with a cool setting, all of them had a cool shot button. Strange.


I've been using cool/warm (lukewarm) since chin, and I'm TBL+ now. My hair is diffused, so it gets pretty close to the scalp. I would complain if it were too hot! Rest assured. I have no damage at all. No splits. No white dots. Don't freak out too much over hair dryers, please. If they are used wisely, they are an asset not a pain!

ThE rule of thumb is, if you can hold your hand in the airstream comfortably for an extended amount of time, the air is just perfect for the hair. If it burns, it's too hot!

I don't see any damage either. It is just the fact that it says "real cool air" on the box and on the manufacturers website when there is in fact no noticable difference between the so-called cool shot and the lowest temperature setting. It just irritates me!


I definitely think that "setting" the hair with cold air is a load of hype. Some people perceive a difference in their hair when they use, say, a cold water rinse to finish off their hair washing but the proteins in the hair don't react to cold temperatures that strongly and even if there's some reaction, as soon as the hair goes up to room temperature the cuticle will go back to its preferred state anyway. Still, the lowest heat setting and the "cool shot" aren't usually much different from room temperature so they're the safest settings to dry hair either way.

Yes, I think you are right, Nique. But maybe a hair dryer, like the one Cania has, with a cool setting has somewhat cooler air than a dryer with a cool shot button? I would just like to try to see if I could feel a blast of really cool air. My experience so far is that at least the cool shot button is a hype, and I don't want to pay extra for something that doesn't really do what it claims! But as long as the air that comes out of the hair dryer feels comfortable to the skin it is fine for my hair as well.

ETA: MY REPLIES WERE POSTED TWICE.

[Cania]

I wonder if cool shots don't work because they're hard to hold down for long enough? On my cold setting it takes a minute to cool down if I've had it on warm while the heating element gives off the residual heat.. hmm... I can't see any other reason for it to not work if it just turns off the heating element? On cold my dryer is basically a handheld fan, which is bound to produce cool air at the speed it spins.

[CastaDiva]

Hmmm, one minute to cool down? I don't think I have pressed the cool shot button for that long. It's press, hold, release, press, hold realease. I will try to keep it pressed for a minute+ to see if that makes any difference. Thanks for the tip.

[Larki]

My blow dryer's cool button is cold enough to give me goosebumps when I use it - it's actually unpleasant. :p And it's a button that I have to continuously hold down, so it's uncomfortable to boot.

[CastaDiva]

Goosebumps cool, that would be great! I tend to get really hot during blow drying so it would have been nice to have something I could use to cool me down :) I actually get cramps in my thumb muscle (the part in the palm of the hand that when you include the thumb looks like a chicken thigh with the leg :o ) from holding the button for too long, so a cool setting would have been nice.

[furnival]

Is the button on the handle? Can you wrap some sticky tape around the whole thing to hold the button in?

[endlessly]

The one I have, which I purchased eons ago at a salon, is an Infiniti by Conair and has a cool, warm, and hot setting as well as a low and high setting, then an additional 'cool' button. The cool air setting is definitely cooler than the warm, almost downright cold to me, and same goes for the cool button. The button does require that I press and hold it, so I have a tendency of just using the cool setting since it's just a slide-down switch on my hair dryer. Typically, I use the warm on the lowest speed to dry my roots after air-drying for a while, then I'll use a bit of the cool on my length because my hair really seems to like that lately.

Otherwise, like you, I've gone through many, many hair dryers in the past that just don't work. When I was younger and drying my hair daily, I had a tendency of burning them out within a few months and with that particular drying, the cool setting was still lukewarm. So, keep searching for the perfect one for you and if you aren't happy with it, return it like you've already been doing. That's the great thing about a lot of businesses now, they want you to be happy with a product, otherwise they'll happily accept a return. Best of luck!

[Arctic]

My hairdryer has a cool button, and it's mostly room temperature air that it blows. I thinks it's quite common. I have been on a lookout for a new dryer for ages, but haven't yet found one I like: very often it's the lack of or shape of the diffuser that makes me lose interest, my current one has the best diffuser. Anyway, I'd like it the cool setting would be a prorer setting and not a button you have to push.

[lapushka]

Mine is a Braun model. An old one. As long as you watch out for this you'll be all right when buying a dryer: separate heat & separate speed settings (with 2 to 3 settings each) and a cool shot button. And for me a diffuser attachment is key, but that might not be the case for everyone. I have my Braun one, a Babyliss one as back-up and one I got from Aldi (that actually had a diffuser) as a back-up to that. I think I've got enough blow dryers. ;)

[CastaDiva]

Is the button on the handle? Can you wrap some sticky tape around the whole thing to hold the button in?

Yes, the button is on the handle. I'm not sure if sticky tape would be enough to keep it down because the button has to be pressed pretty far down, kind of into the dryer, if that makes sense. But I will give it a try. Thanks for the tip.


The one I have, which I purchased eons ago at a salon, is an Infiniti by Conair and has a cool, warm, and hot setting as well as a low and high setting, then an additional 'cool' button. The cool air setting is definitely cooler than the warm, almost downright cold to me, and same goes for the cool button. The button does require that I press and hold it, so I have a tendency of just using the cool setting since it's just a slide-down switch on my hair dryer. Typically, I use the warm on the lowest speed to dry my roots after air-drying for a while, then I'll use a bit of the cool on my length because my hair really seems to like that lately.

Otherwise, like you, I've gone through many, many hair dryers in the past that just don't work. When I was younger and drying my hair daily, I had a tendency of burning them out within a few months and with that particular drying, the cool setting was still lukewarm. So, keep searching for the perfect one for you and if you aren't happy with it, return it like you've already been doing. That's the great thing about a lot of businesses now, they want you to be happy with a product, otherwise they'll happily accept a return. Best of luck!

Thanks :) If it turns out the dryer doesn't produce really cool air I will probably take it back and keep searching or waiting for one that has a slide-down switch like the one you have. I only purchase at one place because they are the only ones who offer a 30 day money back guarantee even if you have used the item. Most places will only accept returns if you haven't opened the box.


My hairdryer has a cool button, and it's mostly room temperature air that it blows. I thinks it's quite common. I have been on a lookout for a new dryer for ages, but haven't yet found one I like: very often it's the lack of or shape of the diffuser that makes me lose interest, my current one has the best diffuser. Anyway, I'd like it the cool setting would be a prorer setting and not a button you have to push.

Yes, a cold air setting would be much better that a push down button. I can't believe that such a hair dryer is so difficult to find.

[Arctic]

I agree, seperate speed and heat settings, and at least 3 of both. Proper cool button or setting, nice concentration nozzle and diffuser head, enough power, light weighted and small enough to take with me (my current one is rather big)... these are on my list of things I want from my new drier. Very often everything else seems fine but the diffuser is either lacking or is super small with long fingers (I want big bowl which would fit my head shape and has small fingers). And now this thread brought up this issue with cool button/setting not working as it should: one more thing to look out for. Would be good idea to read lot of reviews before buying, I think.

ETA: Yes I too have been perplexed about how difficult it is to find a new drier that would fit into my requirements, I don't think I'm asking too much.

ETA2: The funny thing is, that my current one is really cheap, "no known brand", and it's been super good drier! Other than it being slightly big and the diffuser attachment broke so, that it doesn't stay attached. It's also over 10 years old, and I read the heat element might not work properly on old driers. Also I'd like to have a bit more powerful dryer to speed up the drying time.

[Anje]

This is the dryer I've got, (http://amzn.com/B00065AFFE) though I got mine at Walmart as one of the cheaper ones they had. It has low and high fan settings, though those are the same temperature. It also has a proper cool setting, which is accessed by a sliding switch, so you don't have to hold down a dumb button. :D "Cool" might be slightly above room temperature, but is certainly not hot enough to present any danger of harming hair.

[CastaDiva]

Mine is a Braun model. An old one. As long as you watch out for this you'll be all right when buying a dryer: separate heat & separate speed settings (with 2 to 3 settings each) and a cool shot button. And for me a diffuser attachment is key, but that might not be the case for everyone. I have my Braun one, a Babyliss one as back-up and one I got from Aldi (that actually had a diffuser) as a back-up to that. I think I've got enough blow dryers. ;)

The BaByliss one that I purchased last week has 3 heat settings and 3 speed settings and a cool shot button. It has a thin concentrater nozzle and a diffuser and the ionic function. I also have an older Remington which is a great hair dryer, except for the cool shot button which doesn't produce cool air. But since the Babyliss doesn't seem to produce cool air either, it is a fair chance it will be returned.

[CastaDiva]

I agree, seperate speed and heat settings, and at least 3 of both. Proper cool button or setting, nice concentration nozzle and diffuser head, enough power, light weighted and small enough to take with me (my current one is rather big)... these are on my list of things I want from my new drier. Very often everything else seems fine but the diffuser is either lacking or is super small with long fingers (I want big bowl which would fit my head shape and has small fingers). And now this thread brought up this issue with cool button/setting not working as it should: one more thing to look out for. Would be good idea to read lot of reviews before buying, I think.

ETA: Yes I too have been perplexed about how difficult it is to find a new drier that would fit into my requirements, I don't think I'm asking too much.

ETA2: The funny thing is, that my current one is really cheap, "no known brand", and it's been super good drier! Other than it being slightly big and the diffuser attachment broke so, that it doesn't stay attached. It's also over 10 years old, and I read the heat element might not work properly on old driers. Also I'd like to have a bit more powerful dryer to speed up the drying time.

I don't think it is to much to ask that a dryer has the "right" functions. Also agree that a cheap dryer can be just as good as an expensive one.


This is the dryer I've got, (http://amzn.com/B00065AFFE) though I got mine at Walmart as one of the cheaper ones they had. It has low and high fan settings, though those are the same temperature. It also has a proper cool setting, which is accessed by a sliding switch, so you don't have to hold down a dumb button. :D "Cool" might be slightly above room temperature, but is certainly not hot enough to present any danger of harming hair.

I want a dryer with a cool setting sliding switch. It's really annoying to have to keep holding the button down, and on top of that it doesn't even produce cool air! Slightly above room temperature would be fine. I only ask that the cool setting produces somewhat cooler air than the lowest heat/warm setting. I don't think that is asking to much!

[meteor]

CastaDiva, have you considered looking into a portable fan (with heater option)? :) This way you can set any temperature you want and put it at a good distance from hair, and it's easy on the arms, too. ;)


ThE rule of thumb is, if you can hold your hand in the airstream comfortably for an extended amount of time, the air is just perfect for the hair.

Sorry for OT: I see this mentioned frequently on the LHC, and I've always wondered where it came from... :hmm: Does anybody have any links to any studies on this that they could share please? :flower:
I guess what I don't understand is this: what do nerve endings under the surface of the skin have to do with determining what is or isn't damaging to hair keratin fiber? :hmm:
What's the cutoff for non-damaging temperature for blow-drying at relatively close range?

[Arctic]

^ Well one thing about the not burning skin is this: scalp likely would benefit from cooler air. Many new members here see a lot of new growth after stopping blowdrying. I have always assumed it has to do with the temperatures on the scalp, but probably there are other factors, like not so gentle brushing too.

I think the hotness test Lapushka mentioned seems like a good memory jogger, something a jane doe can remember and aim at. A rule of thumb, like Lapushka said.

[meteor]

^ Of course, you don't want to burn the scalp, but even if you don't burn it, it doesn't mean that you aren't damaging your hair.
Obviously, the higher the heat, the closer the distance and the less the blow-dryer is moved around (to diffuse the heat stream), the more the cuticle damage. But the science geek in me wants to know the exact cut-off temperatures, or at least the range that would still fall in the "no-damage" zone. :)


So after a quick search online, here are a couple studies that mention degrees of heat damaging to hair:
In this study (Hair Shaft Damage from Heat and Drying Time of Hair Dryer by Lee et. al. Published in Ann Dermatol. 2011 Nov; 23(4): 455–462 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3229938/#B9) cuticle damage was shown on all blow-dried tresses, including drying with a hair dryer for 60 seconds at a distance of 15 cm at 47℃. See here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3229938/figure/F2/ But of course, "the hair surfaces showed an overall tendency to become more damaged as the temperature increased, with the most severe surface damage produced after drying with the highest temperature (95℃)."

And here is more from an older study on blow drying (Gamez-Garcia M. The cracking of human hair cuticles by cyclical thermal stresses. J Cosmet Sci. 1998;49:141)
“In this figure it can be seen that temperatures lower than 50℃ do not increase the average number of cracks already present in unexposed hair, while temperatures higher than 95℃ lead rather to hair surface and bulk distortion. It is quite plausible, thus, that temperatures lower than 65℃ do not produce the critical rate of water evaporation needed for the top part of the cuticles to contract and become rigid, while temperatures higher than 85℃ might soften the cuticle proteins, releasing, thereby, the mechanical stresses by viscous flow.” - from p. 148 Journal of Cosmetic Science, http://journal.scconline.org/pdf/cc1998/cc049n03/p00141-p00153.pdf

[CastaDiva]

meteor, I have an oscillating stand fan, like this one http://www.amazon.com/Lasko-2521-Oscillating-Stand-Fan/dp/B0014IDZOU that I use to cool me down during summer. It doesn't have an heater option, though, but I could probably put it near the fireplace. It blows quite profusely so it would probably blow my hair all over the place. But I could perhaps try it on the lowest setting and sit at a good distance?

[Arctic]

The problem with fans is the impossibility to travel with them. Also here, where it's cold for the most part of the year, fan would be very uncomfortable (unless it's blows heated air).


Those temps seem to support the rule of thumb, that if it doesn't burn your skin, it's relatively safe to use on hair.

[meteor]

meteor, I have an oscillating stand fan, like this one http://www.amazon.com/Lasko-2521-Oscillating-Stand-Fan/dp/B0014IDZOU that I use to cool me down during summer. It doesn't have an heater option, though, but I could probably put it near the fireplace. It blows quite profusely so it would probably blow my hair all over the place. But I could perhaps try it on the lowest setting and sit at a good distance?

Looks great! :thumbsup: I think it would help you speed up the blow-drying process. You could use it at a distance in summertime alone or in addition to a heater and/or blow-dryer when it's cold. Best hair-drying is ideally both fast and heat-free, so it's a bit of a trade-off in cold winter months, of course.

[CastaDiva]

Thanks, meteor :) I'm going to try this method. I will get my wooden stove nice and warm and place the fan a few meters away and sit/stand at an appropriate distance. I can watch TV while my hair dries :) I will give it a try on Sunday, my *laziest* day of the week.

[meteor]

^ I really hope it will work well for you! :D If you feel like it's taking too long, you can blast your blow-dryer on cool (or warm) here and there to speed it up. Cool air, just like cool water, normally gives sleeker, less frizzy results than hot.

[lapushka]

The BaByliss one that I purchased last week has 3 heat settings and 3 speed settings and a cool shot button. It has a thin concentrater nozzle and a diffuser and the ionic function. I also have an older Remington which is a great hair dryer, except for the cool shot button which doesn't produce cool air. But since the Babyliss doesn't seem to produce cool air either, it is a fair chance it will be returned.

That's initially why I stopped using my Babyliss one. Babyliss is notorious for heat. It's like their stuff *over*heats! I replaced it with the Braun one, which is a lot milder with its heat settings, esp. the lowest heat setting. The lowest heat setting on my Babyliss one, well I can't hold my hand in it. And I had that one in use a long long time before the lightbulb went off!

[CastaDiva]

^ I really hope it will work well for you! :D If you feel like it's taking too long, you can blast your blow-dryer on cool (or warm) here and there to speed it up. Cool air, just like cool water, normally gives sleeker, less frizzy results than hot.

Yes, I will use the blow dryer in between. With my hair type the sleek, frizz free result is what I'm after, and that's why I want a blow dryer with genuine cool air :)


That's initially why I stopped using my Babyliss one. Babyliss is notorious for heat. It's like their stuff *over*heats! I replaced it with the Braun one, which is a lot milder with its heat settings, esp. the lowest heat setting. The lowest heat setting on my Babyliss one, well I can't hold my hand in it. And I had that one in use a long long time before the lightbulb went off!

I'll probably return the Babyliss and look for a dryer from another brand. If I can't find one now I will continue to use my old Remington until the right one comes along.

[meteor]

Oh one more thing I completely forgot to mention, CastaDiva :oops: : when you are using a fan or just air-drying, there is this fanning technique (by Madora) that's very helpful at speeding up air-drying process. Here is a video by LauraLongLocks presenting this technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbgB6WhMl4Y

And another great method for speeding up air-drying by sectioning hair, shown here by LauraLongLocks (from 18:40): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKpcpmeNJ48
HTH! :flower:

[CastaDiva]

Oh one more thing I completely forgot to mention, CastaDiva :oops: : when you are using a fan or just air-drying, there is this fanning technique (by Madora) that's very helpful at speeding up air-drying process. Here is a video by LauraLongLocks presenting this technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbgB6WhMl4Y

And another great method for speeding up air-drying by sectioning hair, shown here by LauraLongLocks (from 18:40): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKpcpmeNJ48
HTH! :flower:

Thanks for the links, meteor :flowers:

So blow drying the way LauraLongLocks does is the fanning technique, right? And when you fan dry your hair you sit or stand at a distance from the fan?

I'm also going to try the sectioning technique and see how that works out :)

[meteor]

^ Now that you mention it, I'm not so sure about the names. :hmm:

I would think air-drying next to a fan still qualifies as "air-drying".
Madora's "fanning technique" is just lifting strips of hair and letting them drop to aerate the mane - also qualifies as "air-drying".
Sectioning hair as it's air-drying is a form of "air-drying", too.

"Blow-drying" is always done with a blow-dryer, blow-drying on cool setting being probably the best for preserving overall hair "health"/condition. But yeah, "blow-drying on cool", especially with a diffuser, would be very similar to using a small fan close to your hair. :hmm:

Anyway, those are all very good, non-damaging techniques, it's just important to find whatever is most practical for lifestyle, mobility, time constraints, etc... :)

[Lyv]

My cold shot button isn't really cold it just feels like a fan instead of heat. I have mine duct taped down so I don't have to hold it down myself lol. It works really well though, I tried just sitting in front of a fan but it takes FOREVER for mine to dry that way. I just have a cheap remington from walmart I think.

[meteor]

My cold shot button isn't really cold it just feels like a fan instead of heat. I have mine duct taped down so I don't have to hold it down myself lol.

Wow! That's a genius idea, actually! :thumbsup:

[CastaDiva]

It turned out that my local warehouse where I buy electrical appliances in fact had a hair dryer with a cool air setting, not just a cold shot button. I hadn't seen it because it was the most expensive one they had :) I tried it yesterday, and the air is really cool, bordering on cold. I'm not sure how to explain this, but when I began to dry my hair on cold, the hair near the scalp felt kind of sticky, as if I had'n rinsed out the shampoo properly although this has never happened to me before. I rinsed my hair thorouhly again, towel dried it for a while and began blow drying. The same thing happened, my hair felt *sticky*, hard, crispy and stiff. This went away a little while after I had turned off the blow dryer, and my hair was soft, but the ends felt and looked crispy and dry and it didn't help smoothing them down with a serum. (I chelated and clarified on Sunday so yesterday was my first wash since then. I had not oiled.) I had to apply a little evoo to smooth the ends down. I was thinking later, could it be that the cool/cold air from the dryer was so cold that it made my wet/damp hair slightly freeze? That's what it felt like. And I didn't like it at all! I'm going to try it again tomorrow and if the same sticky feeling happens again, I'm returning the blow dryer. I would much rather use the lukewarm cold shot button on my old dryer than get freezing (if that is what happened), sticky, dry horrible feeling hair from the new dryer. I'm a *hot and warm* person, and even for me, the cold air from the hair dryer felt really cold, not just cool, so I can't complain that it didn't deliver what it claimed to do :)

[lapushka]

It turned out that my local warehouse where I buy electrical appliances in fact had a hair dryer with a cool air setting, not just a cold shot button. I hadn't seen it because it was the most expensive one they had :) I tried it yesterday, and the air is really cool, bordering on cold. I'm not sure how to explain this, but when I began to dry my hair on cold, the hair near the scalp felt kind of sticky, as if I had'n rinsed out the shampoo properly although this has never happened to me before. I rinsed my hair thorouhly again, towel dried it for a while and began blow drying. The same thing happened, my hair felt *sticky*, hard, crispy and stiff. This went away a little while after I had turned off the blow dryer, and my hair was soft, but the ends felt and looked crispy and dry and it didn't help smoothing them down with a serum. (I chelated and clarified on Sunday so yesterday was my first wash since then. I had not oiled.) I had to apply a little evoo to smooth the ends down. I was thinking later, could it be that the cool/cold air from the dryer was so cold that it made my wet/damp hair slightly freeze? That's what it felt like. And I didn't like it at all! I'm going to try it again tomorrow and if the same sticky feeling happens again, I'm returning the blow dryer. I would much rather use the lukewarm cold shot button on my old dryer than get freezing (if that is what happened), sticky, dry horrible feeling hair from the new dryer. I'm a *hot and warm* person, and even for me, the cold air from the hair dryer felt really cold, not just cool, so I can't complain that it didn't deliver what it claimed to do :)

Try using it on the lowest heat setting. See what that does. Do the hand in airstream test first, though. Might be that the lowest heat setting is perfect. I wouldn't personally want to blow dry on cold. Kinda defeats the purpose. My hair is diffused on the lowest heat setting (just lukewarm) and once in a while the cool shot is applied. My hair's only diffused for 4 min. so it's all all right!

[Arctic]

What's the name and brand of this wonder "Elisa" hairdryer?

I agree with Lapushka, do the drying on mildest heat, the cold function - whether a button or glide setting - is meant for finishing touches only. It's a bit different with these not-so-effective driers, where the cool air is probably more close to the mildest heat of your new one, these work fine for actual drying.

Interesting phenomena though. Sounds impossible your hair would freeze, but what do I know :D

[CastaDiva]

That's a good idea, lapushka, and I probably know it already, but thanks for reminding me. The lowest heat setting actually feels lukewarm, more like the cool air from the cold shot button on my old dryer and on the other ones I have tested and returned.

I'm like this with other things in my life as well, like buying a car, a real nightmare!! I get an idea in my head, and I just want it to work even though it is clear early on that it doesn't and I need to stop obsessing. It would have saved me a lot of time, worrying, and trial and error if I could say, "You know what, this clearly isn't working as expected or as you want it to, so try something else, or give it up and move on". I will have to try to stop this obsession with cold air and hair dryers. I have used my Remington for at least a year now with no ill effect so why I all of a sudden get this idea that I NEED really cold air or another way of drying my hair "the right way", is a mystery.

[CastaDiva]

Arctic, it's this wonder http://www.braun.com/global/hair-care/satin-hair-dryers/satin-hair-7-sensodryer/satin-hair-7-sensodryer-hd-780.html

The cold air is really cold, I am actually surprised, but as you say I guess it is unlikely that it would actually freeze my hair. Don't know why, but it would be kind of awesome if it did. That would give the term blow *drying* a whole new meaningl ;)

[meteor]

My hair is diffused on the lowest heat setting (just lukewarm) and once in a while the cool shot is applied. My hair's only diffused for 4 min. so it's all all right!

Wow, you only diffuse blow-dry for 4 minutes, and that's enough? :bigeyes: That's pretty impressive, actually! :D

CastaDiva, if the cool setting makes hair feel bad, I'd just skip it - air-drying with limited use of blow-dryer on warm should be perfectly safe. ;)

[Arctic]

Arctic, it's this wonder http://www.braun.com/global/hair-care/satin-hair-dryers/satin-hair-7-sensodryer/satin-hair-7-sensodryer-hd-780.html

The cold air is really cold, I am actually surprised, but as you say I guess it is unlikely that it would actually freeze my hair. Don't know why, but it would be kind of awesome if it did. That would give the term blow *drying* a whole new meaningl ;)

Ha ha, freeze-dried hair, anyone? :D Like freeze-dried strawberries or instant coffee granules :D Thanks for the link, it looks like a dryer I might be interested in, too. How is the diffuser like? Does is fit comfortably to the shape of your head (like a bowl), and is it big enough to gather lot of your length in it? Is it light weight?

[CastaDiva]

Freeze-dried hair, oh my :) I wonder what that would look like.

I have the Braun HD780 which doesn't have the ionic technology or the diffuser. It's big brother, the HD785 http://www.braun.com/global/hair-care/satin-hair-dryers/satin-hair-7-sensodryer/satin-hair-7-sensodryer-hd-785.html has the ionic and the diffuser. Apart from that the 780 and 785 are similar. I got the HD780 from Elkjøp, Gigantti in Finland, but I'm going to take it back for a refund because I found the HD785 a good amount cheaper at Ellos, and I ordered that one yesterday. Ellos also has a money back guarantee if I should change my mind, AGAIN :rolleyes:

ETA: I find it pretty lightweight, or at least not so heavy that I thought, "oh this is heavy".

ETA 2: I agree with the second paragraph in your post #42, which is the same as lapushka also pointed out.

[CastaDiva]

CastaDiva, if the cool setting makes hair feel bad, I'd just skip it - air-drying with limited use of blow-dryer on warm should be perfectly safe. ;)

I'll go back to warm blow drying or a combination of air drying and blow drying on the lowest warm setting if the cold air *freezes* my hair again on Sunday. I will just just give my hair a blast of the cold air when it is dry to give it a finishing touch, or skip it if it still makes my hair dry and stiff :)

[TrapperCreekD]

I have a Revlon dryer, an RV544, I think. It only has two settings: warm/hot and low/high with a cool shot button - I wish it had a cool setting but for $18 I can't really complain. The cool shot isn't super cold but there's definite difference between the two temperatures. I mostly use it on warm/low - the temp is pretty warm but I can hold my wrist in the stream without any discomfort (I think the wrist is more accurate because hands are tougher) - then finish off with holding down the cool shot.

For reference, ~2 hours of airdrying + 10 minutes of diffusing = my hair is still a bit damp.

[lapushka]

Arctic, it's this wonder http://www.braun.com/global/hair-care/satin-hair-dryers/satin-hair-7-sensodryer/satin-hair-7-sensodryer-hd-780.html

The cold air is really cold, I am actually surprised, but as you say I guess it is unlikely that it would actually freeze my hair. Don't know why, but it would be kind of awesome if it did. That would give the term blow *drying* a whole new meaningl ;)

Looks like it's a pretty good dryer, though!!! Or maybe you need to do lukewarm until it's relatively dry, esp. the roots, then do cold esp. for the ends.

I do 15-20 min. in a turbie towel, then 1h to 1h30min. of air drying time. By then it's about 20-30% dry and it needs only 4 min. of dryer time.

[CastaDiva]

Looks like it's a pretty good dryer, though!!! Or maybe you need to do lukewarm until it's relatively dry, esp. the roots, then do cold esp. for the ends.

I do 15-20 min. in a turbie towel, then 1h to 1h30min. of air drying time. By then it's about 20-30% dry and it needs only 4 min. of dryer time.

Slightly OT. I don't know if this is common, but my ends are dry by the time I take my hair out of the towel, and I usually have to re-wet them to match the dampness of the rest of my hair and because products are usually supposed to be applied to damp hair, or the products I use anyway and the ends are usually dry again within a minute or so after re-wetting and application of leave in and serum. My hair dries from the ends up. The closer to the scalp, the longer it takes for my hair to dry. The ends and a few inces up dry crazy fast so I don't need to blow dry the ends. Normal? Sign of damage?

Yes, I think this is a quality hair dryer :)

[lapushka]

Slightly OT. I don't know if this is common, but my ends are dry by the time I take my hair out of the towel, and I usually have to re-wet them to match the dampness of the rest of my hair and because products are usually supposed to be applied to damp hair, or the products I use anyway and the ends are usually dry again within a minute or so after re-wetting and application of leave in and serum. My hair dries from the ends up. The closer to the scalp, the longer it takes for my hair to dry. The ends and a few inces up dry crazy fast so I don't need to blow dry the ends. Normal? Sign of damage?

Yes, I think this is a quality hair dryer :)

My Braun dryer is this one:
http://eleven.se/en/braun-creation-satin-ions-hair-dryer-1900w-diffusor-5565.html

It's odd that your ends dry first. Mine are still wet when it comes out of the towel (my hair is TBL+). If I wait 20 min. it's cool, if it's 15, then it's still warmish from the water, and it's a better way to apply my styling products on hair that hasn't cooled off quite yet. It's all damp, but not soaking. That's the most I can say. My ends never dry, not even after blow drying (roots are dry, ends not so much). They are the last thing to dry.

[CastaDiva]

Hmm, it's just how my ends are then, I guess :)

That blow dryer looks like a de luxe version. Like the bright color and the color contrast.

[Arctic]

My hair is still so short, that when air drying, it seems to dry evenly high and low. When I blowdry, I start from the roots, and do my ends the last, and they are often still very wet by the time I get to them.

It does sound logical, that on long hair, the ends would dry first, because they probably are a bit thinner and they get more air circulating around them, and they more easily de-clump, where are the scalp hair stays clumped together longer, is thicker and the air can't circulate as much (because there is this silly object, the head, on the way :D ).

On the other hand it would ALSO be logical that the roots would dry first, because of gravity.

:D

[CastaDiva]

^Thanks for explaining why it is my ends dry first although the most logical would be if they didn't :) I have hair that goes its own way :)

[lapushka]

Hmm, it's just how my ends are then, I guess :)

That blow dryer looks like a de luxe version. Like the bright color and the color contrast.

I think it cost me between €20-30 at the time. It's old. Years old. Like at least 5.

[itdontmatter48]

My Remington has a cool, medium and hot setting. The cool really does blow cool. It also has 3 settings for how hard the air blows. I do not need to hold a button, it's purple and black. ��

[CastaDiva]

My Remington has a cool, medium and hot setting. The cool really does blow cool. It also has 3 settings for how hard the air blows. I do not need to hold a button, it's purple and black. ��

I tried a Remington once but I can't remember why I took it back for a refund. Probably because it didn't have the "right" functions. I have ordered a Braun hair dryer which has a cool setting and not just a button. If I don't like it I will return it and continue to use my Revlon dryer :)

ETA: The hair dryer I have is a Remington, not a Revlon, but it is a simple one with a cold shot button and two heat settings and two air speeds.