Sitting under dryer when getting highlights - yay or nay?

[pele]

Hi everyone,

I have been going to the same hairdresser for a long time. She highlights my hair blonde on top and then does a semi-permanent color underneath of brown/red color. She always puts me under the dryer with the foils on. Whenever I ask her to do platinum blonde on top, I find that my hair is very brittle, breaks, is damaged. I thought that was due to the amount of bleach in the blonde - so the blonder I go, the more damaged it gets.

However, the last time I got my hair colored I went to someone different and the hairdresser did not put me under the dryer with the foils on. When I asked her why she looked horrified and said that with my fragile hair she would never ever put me under the dryer, and in fact rarely puts anyone under the dryer anymore.

Now, she didn't do platinum blonde, but it was still blonde, and I DID notice my hair was so much better after she colored it. It didn't break and barely any hair fell out within the next few days.

So my question is = Is it super damaging to sit under the dryer while getting my hair colored? Is it necessary?

Thanks!
Pele

[xoxophelia]

I really can't say what your hair can handle, but if you turn up the heat you WILL intensify the chemical reaction taking place on your head.

Your hair looks like an F in your avatar and is already processed multiple times so it is probably pretty fragile. The second hair dresser was probably right. The difference between fine hair and coarse hair is pretty much the number of layers the outer cuticle has. These look like shingles. When you process your hair, you are are applying a basic medium (in your case bleach), which opens up the cuticle. Sometimes the shingles will lay flat again but if you do this too much, they stay open. The result is that you hair will no longer retain the right moisture balance and it is going to snap very easily.

If the other lady is making your hair fall out (O.O), then either change the color you are trying to get or stop seeing her.

[pele]

I love the color and cut my first hairdresser does for me though - so I was thinking of just asking her to not put me under the dryer.

[xoxophelia]

When she puts you under the dryer, that is probably part of what is getting you the color you like. It speeds up the chemical reaction; makes it more intense. And, the color you have there looks pretty close to platinum. If you stayed as light as you are, you would probably just leave the chemicals in for longer to get the same color (but with a similar amount of damage).

Perhaps somebody else here could tell you if there is a more gentle method to get such light hair.. I'm a chem major but not a hair dresser :)

[Ally<3]

Is she only putting the bleach/color on the roots or is she bringing it all the way through the colored ends? Because the latter is a big no no and will beak off your hair.

The dryer would be to speed up the bleaching process and to "lift" more of your natural pigment out. However, it says on professional bleach products to NOT use heat with it.

The one and only reason my hair is in such bad condition is bleach overlap. So just be weary. :)

[Addy]

Some bleaches require heat to process and others don't. If you are questioning her in regards to the dryer, you need to find out whether the bleach is heat activated or not.

And as far as breakage is concerned, the poster above nailed it. You need to find out if she is over lapping the color on already bleached hair. It is a BIG no-no and could be why your hair is breaking off.

[pele]

Is she only putting the bleach/color on the roots or is she bringing it all the way through the colored ends? Because the latter is a big no no and will beak off your hair.

The dryer would be to speed up the bleaching process and to "lift" more of your natural pigment out. However, it says on professional bleach products to NOT use heat with it.

The one and only reason my hair is in such bad condition is bleach overlap. So just be weary. :)

She is just putting it on the roots. I feel bad questioning her, but I would rather question her and see what she says than sit there under the dryer and have it break off forever.

I guess if it's strictly a time issue - as in - it will be a 2-hour instead of 3-hour appointment, then I would rather it be a 3-hour appointment and not sit under a dryer, you know?

[jojo]

I have just highlights and not the under colour but although i have foils I have never been told to sit under a hairdryer.