My hair is much darker when not using a blow dryer

[Curlsgirl]

Is it because it's curly? Last time I had highlights I thought it was very uneven because the top half was a lot lighter than the bottom half or so. I blew it dry straight a couple of days ago and now I realize it's not uneven at all but in fact very even. I usually dry my hair a bit at the roots and top with a blow dryer so that is why it was different before. I am a 3a and so the top is always straighter too. I wish I could get it to look lighter and not odd all the time without using the dryer. Dryer on curls equals frizz for me. :mad:

At least I know my colorist is not the one causing the problem!

[Medvssa]

Curly hair is more volumetric and so the recesses make shadows which make it look darker.

[HairColoredHair]

Could also be more moisturized... More moisturized hair = darker hair, at least for me.

[canary4624]

Same here. The blowdryer dries my hair out and this makes it look lighter.

[Raven69]

Thanks for posting this!!! I used to have a light/dark brown color to my hair but sometimes it would look like it was black. Well now it looks ten times darker than it ever did growing up. Granted in all my pictures it looks like I have black hair...but when I looked at my hair in the mirror or sunlight it would look like a brown. Well after several years of highlighting my hair and then the one time when I dyed my whole head of hair strawberry blonde (it's grown out mostly) I have noticed how black my hair is compared to my ends...when my hair is dry you can tell what part is natural and what is dyed. It's not a light/dark brown color anymore!?!?

Edit: I let my hair dry naturally, I don't use a hair dryer - though the hair stylists do...I haven't been to one of those since 2005.

[Curlsgirl]

I think it is the curliness. But not sure. It doesn't feel dry at all when I blow dry. In fact it's all very healthy in spite of the highlighting. I guess I could just it all dry naturally but it takes so long to dry that way. I like getting some of it dry in the winter so I don't freeze to death for so long!

[Curlsgirl]

I should have also added that if I diffuse curly it is also lighter, maybe not as light as when straight and blown dry but still lighter. I don't like to do that because it tends to be a bit frizzier.

[Raven69]

Ah, well I find it easier to put my hair up wet. It stays in a bun all day because that's how we are supposed to wear our hair if it is not above the collar line. So when I get off work I let it down, half of it is dry and the other half is still damp when I take it out of the bun. It's super dry here, year round so I don't have to worry about catching a cold or anything. It dries pretty fast sometimes. I never really pay attention to how long it air dries. The part that is hard to dry is the neck area and that takes forever to dry.

[Katze]

Could also be more moisturized... More moisturized hair = darker hair, at least for me.

me too. BlowDAMPing it (I usually only dry the scalp and my ears so I don't get earaches) makes my hair poofier and dryer, as well as lighter in color. Letting it dry naturally, particularly after WO washing or SMT, makes it look a lot darker.

My natural hair color varies dramatically depending on if it's been washed or not, and what it's been washed with (sulfates = lighter)...

[rhubarbarin]

My hair also looks MUCH lighter if it's straight. Doesn't matter if I blowdry it or just comb it out.

I think it's just because all the blond highlights are laid out flat and spread more evenly across the canopy, instead of being curled and waved around eachother.. plus when my hair is clumped, the there's more darker root hair showing.

[Curlsgirl]

My hair also looks MUCH lighter if it's straight. Doesn't matter if I blowdry it or just comb it out.

I think it's just because all the blond highlights are laid out flat and spread more evenly across the canopy, instead of being curled and waved around eachother.. plus when my hair is clumped, the there's more darker root hair showing.

Yep. Okay I'm satisfied that this is more what it is than anything for me too. Carry on!

[Gingevere]

Yeah, my hair seems to be a richer red when I let it dry naturally.

[GlassEyes]

Could it be the color? The dye I mean, reacting to heat? Like a brief anti-oxidizing thing?