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View Full Version : newbie ... question about hairdrying



tmmycat
April 30th, 2008, 07:42 PM
Hi everyone

I have a question about blowdrying your hair ... just how damaging is what I'm doing? I currently blot my wet hair with a t-shirt or paper towel, then I blowdry while combing my hair. I have the blowdryer on medium heat and hold it about 6-10 inches away from my hair. I always point the air flow down my hair (not up towards the roots.) I blowdry until it is somewhat damp (maybe 5-10 minutes) and then I let it air dry the rest of the way. I don't use heat protector because styling products irritate my skin. so how damaging is what I'm doing?

I read that blowdrying is bad for your hair but I am having trouble understanding that because my hair looks and feels softer and healthier when I do this. if I let it air dry then it dries frizzy. if blowdrying is bad then why does my hair seem softer and shinier when I do it?

just curious....

I am just starting out with shoulder-length hair ... goal is BSL. my hair is thick and wavy and healthy right now.

Nat242
April 30th, 2008, 07:54 PM
Heat styling will probably damage your hair - the degree of damage depends on how frequently you do it, how long you hope to grow, and how resilient your hair is. For BSL hair, heat styling every now and again is probably okay, but doing it daily will reduce your chances of making it to BSL with healthy hair, unless your hair is especially tough.

Your hair seems shiny when you blow dry probably because the hair dries flatter and smoother, which makes a more reflective surface.

I would suggest that you turn your blow-dryer to the cool setting, if you must use it, and investigate other ways of smoothing frizz - there are lots of great suggestions on LHC. Wearing your hair up more will also reduce the "need" to blow dry.

Good luck!

Edited to add: at shoulder-length, your hair may not be long enough to show signs of damage...weekly heat styling wasn't affecting my hair negatively at that length, but as I got to APL and BSL, the damage became very apparent, and my hair refused to gain any more length until I stopped.

-- Natalie

amaiaisabella
April 30th, 2008, 08:07 PM
Maybe you should wait until your hair is a little more dry before you start blowdrying, that way it'll have less time exposed to heat?

tmmycat
April 30th, 2008, 08:08 PM
hmm, that makes sense if my hair just isn't long enough to show the damage yet. actually I just started blow-drying a couple of months ago so it has had very minimal exposure to blowdrying (which might be why it is still so healthy???). I think I will put the blowdryer in the closet just to be on the safe side...

mommy2one05
April 30th, 2008, 10:44 PM
Heat styling will probably damage your hair - the degree of damage depends on how frequently you do it, how long you hope to grow, and how resilient your hair is. For BSL hair, heat styling every now and again is probably okay, but doing it daily will reduce your chances of making it to BSL with healthy hair, unless your hair is especially tough.

Your hair seems shiny when you blow dry probably because the hair dries flatter and smoother, which makes a more reflective surface.

I would suggest that you turn your blow-dryer to the cool setting, if you must use it, and investigate other ways of smoothing frizz - there are lots of great suggestions on LHC. Wearing your hair up more will also reduce the "need" to blow dry.

Good luck!

Edited to add: at shoulder-length, your hair may not be long enough to show signs of damage...weekly heat styling wasn't affecting my hair negatively at that length, but as I got to APL and BSL, the damage became very apparent, and my hair refused to gain any more length until I stopped.

-- Natalie


So does blow drying on a cool setting also cause damage? I asked on another thread but never got an answer and I didnt wanna start a new thread.

florenonite
May 1st, 2008, 02:19 AM
So does blow drying on a cool setting also cause damage? I asked on another thread but never got an answer and I didnt wanna start a new thread.

It doesn't cause heat damage; however, it could cause friction damage, similar to walking around in the wind with your hair down.

Nat242
May 1st, 2008, 02:33 AM
It doesn't cause heat damage; however, it could cause friction damage, similar to walking around in the wind with your hair down.

Exactly - also, if you brush/comb as you blow dry, you may get additional damage from that. Finger-combing as you dry would be better than using a brush or comb.

-- Natalie

mommy2one05
May 1st, 2008, 08:43 AM
It doesn't cause heat damage; however, it could cause friction damage, similar to walking around in the wind with your hair down.

sorry but how does friction damage differ from heat damage? I used to flat iron my hair frequently but put it away along with hot sticks to avoid the heat damage. I do not currently own a blowdryer but when I went to the salon last week for a deep conditioning the girl used a blowdryer on cool so I was curious now.

florenonite
May 1st, 2008, 09:32 AM
It doesn't cause heat damage; however, it could cause friction damage, similar to walking around in the wind with your hair down.

sorry but how does friction damage differ from heat damage? I used to flat iron my hair frequently but put it away along with hot sticks to avoid the heat damage. I do not currently own a blowdryer but when I went to the salon last week for a deep conditioning the girl used a blowdryer on cool so I was curious now.

Friction damage is more that the cuticles rub together and tangle and knot, whilst heat damage is when the heat dries out the hair.

longhair4jesus
May 1st, 2008, 10:26 AM
Ur hair look great though. So I wouldn't bother with it. When u log in to yahoo we can talk about it.

LisaJaney
May 1st, 2008, 12:51 PM
Who's supposed to log into Yahoo, Longhair?

Madam Librarian
May 1st, 2008, 02:27 PM
I use a blowdryer with diffuser nearly every time I wash my hair. I use the lowest speed and heat settings I can. My hair does not get hot and does not whip around in the wind. I could point the blowdryer right at my face and not hurt my skin, it is just gentle, warm air.

I think most blowdryer damage comes from using a round brush on wet hair to tug it straight, then blasting that stretched out hair with heat. I honestly don't believe that warm air will damage hair. :shrug:

It is possible to use a blowdryer with minimal damage.

forgetmenotak
May 1st, 2008, 02:45 PM
Hi I used to blow dry my hair religiously, when it was at apl and I wasn't seeing any damage until half way between apl and bsl. Now that I'm (finally!) at bsl I see and feel lots of damage. And it took about 2 years for me to realize that blow drying it just wasn't good for it. My hair is now thanking me.
You might want to experiment with rollers or just putting your hair up. Or if you must use a blow dryer; wait til your hair is completely dry then use the dryer to style it. Trust me you can do that too.