Blow drying without heat--damaging?

[Prism]

I posted recently that I don't like the way my hair looks air dried. Today I tried using the blow dryer on the cold setting, and I was surprised that it really helped smooth it out and give it body without any heat. I think this could be doable, and I'm satisfied with the results. But do you think there's any damage in using a blow dryer on cold?

Anybody else been using on cold for a long time and notice any damage from it?

thanks!

[spidermom]

I've been doing this for a couple of years (not every time). I still get split ends, though, so maybe it causes damage; I'm not sure. I think my split ends come mainly from detangling. Sometimes I hear a sound that makes me think an end just came apart.

I'm going to keep blow-drying on warm to the scalp and cool to the length any time I think it's too cold to go outside with wet hair or when I want more smooth than it's inclined to be when air dried. I think it could possibly be of benefit because when I blow-dry it nice and smooth, I don't get as much tangling.

[CrisDee]

I've been blow drying on the cold setting as well, I just have to do something to style this awful growing out pixie. At the length it is right now, it's more important that I look decent enough that I don't get frustrated and cut it all off again :(

[cottage46]

I do the same thing: heat on my bangs and scalp, and cool on the length. I used to heat dry all of it, rolling the length ends under with a cheap round brush AND using a brush curling iron to roll the ends under some more. *shudder* I had about 3" trimmed off about a month ago, so that damage should be behind me.

I thought I'd never get used to using the low setting on the length, but wearing more updos has changed how dry it needs to get.

[Prism]

Thanks for the replies. Yes, it really makes my hair feel nice and soft. I'm thinking maybe even the cool setting helps the cuticle to lie more flat than just air drying. I don't think I used any warm at all, so this might work!

@CrisDee - I feel your pain. I'm growing out a pixie (well, it was bald from chemo). It's at a stage that makes me want to do bad, impulsive things, so maybe the cool hair dryer will help prevent a hair massacre.

[Renbirde]

Nope! Well... except for any tangles that might occur. :)

[papillion]

I've been using my hairdryer on warm (it doesn't have a cold setting) for years. It doesn't seem to do any damage that I've noticed.

[jera]

I've been using my hairdryer on warm (it doesn't have a cold setting) for years. It doesn't seem to do any damage that I've noticed.

I don't use a blowdryer at all any more. Mine never had a cool setting. It just had low and high. Low was hot and High was intensely hot. :o So I quit the blowfryer and my hair prefers this. If you're lucky enough to have a cool setting, and your hair likes it, I say go for it. Your hair looks very shiny and healthy, but do be practical about it because you want your hair to continue to look shiny and healthy. :rolleyes:

[LaurelSpring]

I prefer to air dry, but in the winter I can get too chilled if I let it air dry, so I use the blowdryer. I just use it enough to take off the chill. I use warm to scalp (holding it as far away as possible) and then finish it up with cool. I havent noticed any damage from this. I only do it when necessary though so its not an everyday or every wash thing.

[Dreams_in_Pink]

actually, at this chin-shoulders length, all can be done to make you love your hair. You can always get rid of the damage you do today with microtrims after you reach APL or BSL.

[JenniferNoel]

The only thing about cool blow drying that could possibly endanger your hair is mechanical damage from blow drying too roughly, with your hands or comb or brush or whatever you use, and if nothing, the detangling involved after blowing your hair around.
Other than that, I don't see how it could be damaging. I do it once in a blue moon, and haven't noticed any negative effects from it.

[papillion]

I've been using my hairdryer on warm (it doesn't have a cold setting) for years. It doesn't seem to do any damage that I've noticed.


I don't use a blowdryer at all any more. Mine never had a cool setting. It just had low and high. Low was hot and High was intensely hot. :o So I quit the blowfryer and my hair prefers this. If you're lucky enough to have a cool setting, and your hair likes it, I say go for it. Your hair looks very shiny and healthy, but do be practical about it because you want your hair to continue to look shiny and healthy. :rolleyes:

Although I don't see any damage, I suspect that my hair will be happier once I can stop using the hairdryer.

Unfortunately, I don't really have a choice at present. The only conditioner I can use contains -cones, and my hair goes greasy as soon as its dry when I don't use a hairdryer. When I was -cone free, I could leave it to airdry with no problems. :?

I'm looking forward to the day that I can go back to being -cone free and not have to use the hairdryer all the time. Until then, I'm just trying to minimise damage by using the hairdryer as little as possible.

[Torrin Paige]

I have always held the belief that so long as you don't blowdry every single day and take good care of your hair in the interim, it won't cause much damage. This coming from a gal whose hair dryer has the settings "hot" and "fire". I blow mine dry on the fire setting (only takes 12 minutes that way). Of course, as I only blowfry it every other wash or so, and as I only wash it about four times a month (it's winter, I stretch to 7 days since it's so dry) it works out that I don't really blow it dry that often. I'm sure that my hair would like it best if I blowdried it not at all, but they'll have to pry my hairdryer out of my cold, dead hands. Sometimes I just like my hair straight, dagnubbit.

[CrisDee]

...they'll have to pry my hairdryer out of my cold, dead hands. Sometimes I just like my hair straight, dagnubbit.

SNORT!! :laugh: One of the many reasons I love your YouTube pages, you're awesome!

[spidermom]

I blow-dried my hair on warm and cool today. It's sssoooooo nice. Usually the curly bits are so grabby and snarly, but now they're all smoothed out.

[spidermom]

The only thing about cool blow drying that could possibly endanger your hair is mechanical damage from blow drying too roughly, with your hands or comb or brush or whatever you use, and if nothing, the detangling involved after blowing your hair around.
Other than that, I don't see how it could be damaging. I do it once in a blue moon, and haven't noticed any negative effects from it.
I don't get any tangles because I use a seamless shower comb to hold the strand out while I run the air across it. I gradually detangle as I dry my hair, and I don't have to fight with tangles again until the next time I wash.

[Prism]

What's amazing is I found that using 100% on cold, it still imparts some lift and body that I missed when air drying. Gently using a round brush also coaxes the ends under without using any heat at all. I never would have thought that a blow dryer on cold could make things look any better than air drying, so it's been a big surprise. This has been a good compromise because I was really having a hard time with the no-blowdryer look.

[Felix_D]

I've been blow drying on the cold setting as well, I just have to do something to style this awful growing out pixie. At the length it is right now, it's more important that I look decent enough that I don't get frustrated and cut it all off again :(
I'm in this place too. I use the hot setting, but with the diffuser on and I keep it moving around, never hold it in one spot. I really need to get it to a length where I can put it up every day before I can stop blowdrying it. I have stopped with the straightener and peroxide, though, so hopefully that helps the worst of it!

[Sammich]

Well, I've always thought of blow drying even on cold is sort of damaging, because it acts pretty similar to wind... eh? ;) Hehe, a bunch 'o tangles.

[Honestwitness]

I have APL, slightly wavy, very fine hair and I live in Kansas City. I work 40 hours at a job where I have to look professional. It's too cold in winter to air-dry in this climate.

We usually have plenty of moisture in the air, so going outside in 20 degree weather with wet or damp hair is just asking for pneumonia.

I recently visited my son in Denver and took my usual morning shower and washed my hair, as I do about every other day. I decided to let it air dry, since I didn't have to go anywhere that I would need to look professional. I had to go outside to get something out of my car and thought, "This is going to really be a shock." It was about 20 degrees, but the humidity was much lower than in KC.

I was AMAZED that my damp hair actually felt warm and protective to my neck and shoulders. Now, mind you, I wasn't outside for more than a few minutes, but I definitely noticed the difference between KC air and Denver air with my damp hair.

So now, when I read all the posts of those who air-dry your long hair, I will probably surmise your climate is different than mine.

I use my hair dryer almost every time I wash (CWC, CO, or SC), which as I said is usually every other day. I use a diffuser and alternate between low heat and no heat.

After washing and towel-drying, I scrunch in Organix Coconut Milk Mousse (coney). Then, with the dryer still off, I lean to one side so my hair is hanging out from my head, gently arrange a section over the dryer that I'm holding under the hair, slowly lift the dryer closer and closer to my scalp, until the nozzle ends are just touching my scalp.

The dryer is still turned off and the hair is scrunched (plopped) between the dryer and my scalp.

Now, I turn on the dryer on low heat and count to 12. Then I push the button that turns off the heat, but keeps the cool air blowing, and count to 12 again. Then I turn off the dryer completely and gently move it away from my hair. I repeat this process, until I have done all parts of my hair.

I leave a little bit of dampness in the hair and let it air dry the rest of the way, so it won't turn into a static jungle.

After it's completely dry, I gently comb, from the ends to the scalp, with a wide-tooth plastic comb. I rarely have any major tangles. I can't find any splits or white spots and I don't have pneumonia. *smile*

[Prism]

I don't have an issue with tangles because my hair is still short from regrowing from chemo, plus, like someone else said, I'm using the aid of a comb or brush as I blow dry, so it really doesn't get tangled in the first place. Once my hair is long again, the length will probably weigh it down enough that I won't need to dry on cool anyway (except maybe the roots for some volume).

Those of you drying with warm or hot with a diffuser, have you tried cold (no heat) by itself? You might find it's enough. It isn't as fast as heat, but unless you're in a rush to get somewhere, it's still much faster than air drying. It'd be pretty awesome if you tried no heat blow drying and found that it gave you the results you wanted.

[spidermom]

Well, I've always thought of blow drying even on cold is sort of damaging, because it acts pretty similar to wind... eh? ;) Hehe, a bunch 'o tangles.

My dryer doesn't have a wind tunnel setting. I hold my hair out on my shower comb and move the blow-dryer up and down the strand. It doesn't go anywhere. No whipping around. No tangles.

[Prism]

My dryer doesn't have a wind tunnel setting. I hold my hair out on my shower comb and move the blow-dryer up and down the strand. It doesn't go anywhere. No whipping around. No tangles.

LOL yeah, mine neither. I'm thinkin either some of these peeps either have super-powerful blowdryers or they haven't used one in so long they've forgotten how they are.

[egreenleaf]

i dry my hair on cool setting all the time. it does not damage your hair. i'm not sure what people are talking about when they say it'll tangle and damage your hair. it doesn't tangle or damage mine. it's just cool air.

[funnyface]

I've tried it but never liked the way it made my hair feel afterwards. If I do blow dry my hair I would wait until it was practically dry and then dry it on medium to finish it off then blast it with cold air to give it shine.

xxx

[Carolyn]

I think it's the heat that causes most of the damage. I blow dry on cool now and then with no ill effects. I'm like the others who said they like their hair nice and straight once in a while. Since I've stopped using ball tipped brushes I see less damage and I hear very few hairs snapping off.

[lapushka]

My ion dryer doesn't get as hot as older blow dryers I've had in the past did. That's why I got it. I don't think I could do without a blow dryer, certainly not in winter time. My hair takes longer than a full night to dry. In summer that's not bad, but I mean, come on! Under any other circumstance, who can stand to have a wet head for hours and hours? I certainly can't.

Even on its hottest setting, my ion dryer's still not that hot, that when you hold the dryer to a particular spot on your head your scalp will feel like it's on fire. I have had tons of hairdressers in the past want to get the blow drying over with so fast that they point the damn thing in one direction on its hottest setting causing burning sensations on the scalp.

I don't think it's particularly damaging if you watch what you're doing. If the setting is tolerable on your hand or scalp, I think it's OK for your hair. I don't use the highest setting either.

[tralalalara]

The only reason I stopped using the hairdryer is because once it got past BSL, my hair would get sucked into the back of it and get stuck. Probably only because I would dry it upside down though..

Now I swear by air and sun drying.
=]

[LadyLongLocks]

I think it is a great idea. :)
I dont think it will damage your hair as long as you aim the dryer down, dont let it blow all over, and dont over brush during the drying.
I use a dryer but mostly use warm. I finish it off with cold. The blow dryer makes my hair much smoother and easier to comb until my next wash.

[835]

I would really like to get a hairdryer that have cool setting, because my hair take forever to air dry. But the cool air is just way too cooling when you have wet hair! I can't get used to that

[Chiara]

my hair would get sucked into the back of it and get stuck
oh I'd forgotten about that! The smell of burnt hair in the morning...

I use the cool setting all the time, and I have fine and snarly hair. I don't find it causes any problems with damage. What definitely DID cause problems with damage was when I was using the warm setting and blasting my ends to get them turning under (that was when it was shorter).

[trinc]

I'm in the same boat - I just bought a blowdried with cool setting and I'm amazed with the results! blowdrying with cool air gives hair the body and also smoothes it down, my hair seems super smooth afterwards! I'm really happy :)

[julliams]

I would think that as long as you keep it moisturised, anything that you can safely and comfortably hold against your skin would be not damaging for your hair. You are not going to spend any longer than about 15 - 20 minutes right? i would say that if it is only for that long and on a cool setting it would be not different to standing outside on a windy day except that you won't be left with all the tangles.