How Often Do You Blow Dry?

[JulietCapulet]

Hi, I am guilty of frequently blow drying my hair to achieve straightness. How often do you blow dry?

[LisaMonster]

Neverrrrrrrrr

I plan my washes carefully so that I never need to blow dry.

[luxepiggy]

I always blow dry on low to get to the non-dropping stage. Then I air-dry until it's just barely damp, when I use the cold shot to make it extra shiny (^(oo)^)v

[slythwolf]

Never. If I have to damp bun, I damp bun, but I know what heat and wind do to my hair.

[jenwexler]

I never blow dry. Even when it was long, I only blow dried like every few months if I was desperate. It feels nicer when it dries naturally from my experience. I shower at night usually...my hair dries enough for me to not have an issue with a wet head when I sleep.

[christine1989]

I never do because not only does it give me horrid split ends but it makes it poofier as well.

[Angeletti]

Usually never but today I did because I had to go to work and my hair was still damp, but I just used it on the cool setting so I doubt I did any damage. So I guess the answer to your question is maybe 2 times a year.

[Roseate]

Hmm, it averages out to maybe... 4 times a year or so? Every few months I'll get curious to see it straight.

Before LHC I did it once a week, but now that I've started damp bunning it most of the time after a wash, I'm just too lazy to spend an hour with the dryer. My wave pattern has benefited a lot from giving up heat.

[pepperminttea]

Never. I haven't owned one for about seven years? Something like that.

I plan my washes so I'll have time to air-dry, and damp bun if I have to.

[laughinglynxie]

I'll admit I'm also a guilty party, so don't feel bad. It takes some time to figure out how *not* to do it. I blow dry on cool. Showers at night just don't work for me at this length (touching shoulders) because I get super weird flat and bumpy spots. I know, once it gets longer, I'll be able to air dry in various buns/braids. I hate the awkward phase.

[JulietCapulet]

Can your hair heal if you have blow dried it at the salon too much?

[EleanorRigby]

i dont blowdry my hair since 4 or 5 years, i never do it usually

[luxepiggy]

I never blow dry. Even when it was long, I only blow dried like every few months if I was desperate. It feels nicer when it dries naturally from my experience. I shower at night usually...my hair dries enough for me to not have an issue with a wet head when I sleep.

This is so interesting to read, because one of the reasons I blow dry a little is that my hair feels nicer if I do. When I don't blow dry, it seems a bit stringy (>(oo)<)

[JulietCapulet]

This is so interesting to read, because one of the reasons I blow dry a little is that my hair feels nicer if I do. When I don't blow dry, it seems a bit stringy (>(oo)<)

My hair also feels nicer if I blow dry.

[narydaco]

This is so interesting to read, because one of the reasons I blow dry a little is that my hair feels nicer if I do. When I don't blow dry, it seems a bit stringy (>(oo)<)


My hair also feels nicer if I blow dry.

I'm just the opposite too! My hair is much nicer (softer, easier to style) if I let it air dry. I wash at night and it's always dry before I go to bed (it dries quick). In my pre-LHC days I used to blow dry all the time and then wonder why I could never manage it.

[Nenwing]

I do blow dry on low for a minute or so in the morning, just so its not wet when I go to work or go out.

I don't think my hair really minds it.

[jenwexler]

It might just be m hair type. It feels much softer is I let it air dry....but I make sure it's really moisturized while it dries naturally.

[kittensoupnrice]

Can your hair heal if you have blow dried it at the salon too much?

To answer your first question, never!
It makes my hair way too tangly and unmanageable the next day, but then again, since I blowdry so infrequently my technique might be suspect. :p

To answer your second question, hair is dead, and cannot heal. If the salon damages your hair with heat, or with abusive brushing during blow drying, then your hair will not "heal".

[ddiana1979]

Maybe once a year, for a special occasion.

[Dars]

Never, it's been many years since I last have.

[Dreams_in_Pink]

Everytime i wash, but with cold setting. That way can 1) dry my hair faster and 2) Not burn my hair in the process :D

ETA: But i don't straighten it that way, for the sole reason it would take +400 degrees of heat to straighten my wires :D

[Dragon]

I haven't blow dryed in over 5 years. Ever since I was little, I can't stand it being used on me.

[alwayssmiling]

Since I last went to the hairdressers which is around 2 years ago. My hair frizzes something crazy if I blow dry my hair, it sits smoother if I just let it do its thing and gently smooth it down with the palms of my hand as it air dries.

I took my daughter for a cut and blow dry over the summer and it was awful watching how they put the dryer right on the hair - I could see steam coming off it - she has waist length hair but she normally lets it air dry and it's much prettier with her natural waves.

[KittyLost]

Hardly ever!

You're looking at maybe a few times a year, I used to do it after everytime I washed my hair (every other day) but now I only do it if I'm in a rush but I usually plan my showers so that I can leave my hair to dry naturally.

[Lavina]

Never. Or maybe once a year.:rolleyes:

[mrs_coffee]

Almost never, but my hair is relatively short and dries in an hour. Once it grows longer I hope to still not blow-dry because it turns my coarse, wavy hair fuzzy/frizzy.

I'm intrigued by only washing the scalp for that reason, especially in the winter. Never thought of that, but probably will be learning as I go.

[Vermelha]

Never. I get straighter hair without blowdrying or flat ironing, or using heat.

[Octave]

Never and never really liked blow drying my hair as it always got incredibly fluffy and stood in all directions if I did.

[purple_figtree]

Never! Quicker drying isn't worth the damage it would do to my hair. Damp bunning is fine, and I don't wash my hair more than once or twice a week, so it isn't a big problem.

[kettle]

Another "never". I usually leave it up in a bun with some oil. It must be over three years since I've used a hairdryer. I don't even like how it looks blowdried - much better to dry naturally and wavey :)

[Lemur_Catta]

Every time I wash in winter, because I hate sleeping with wet hair, but never during spring\summer.
It gets straighter but that's not why I blow dry. I usually blow dry on medium heat first, then when it's halfway dry, on cool.

[aenflex]

10 times/year, max...

[jenwexler]

I'm going to start calling it "blow fried" for the way my hair ends up with a blow dryer.

[Anje]

Every couple of years, I think.

[spidermom]

I would guess about once a month in cold weather. It takes an hour done very carefully on warm and cool, and I usually don't have an hour to give it. I do like the results, though.

[~bear]

Honestly, whenever I feel like it. Sometimes this equates to not at all for several weeks and others a few times a week. I use cool and low heat and never dry my entire head or until my hair is fully dry. Typically just the top and I let the underside air dry. My hair is smoother when I do it and looks fuller but feels about the same in regards to softness either way.

[Antipodienne]

Barely ever. There have been a couple of times that I've needed a more tailored, professional look for a trade show and so I've put my fryer on the lowest setting with the cold shot button taped down so as to avoid any heat damage. I then do teeny sections of my hair, only drying a couple of inches of length at a time so there's less blowing and less tangling. It can be very tedious.

[SpinDance]

Never, not in many years anyway. I don't ever expect to use a blow dryer again. I wash in the mornings, let it dry loose while getting ready for work and during the commute. Running a detangling tool, such as my 3-prong horn fork, through it and finger combing a few times to keep it from tangling is all it needs. After it is dry or nearly dry I will often put it up, but most of the time it is up and down throughout the day on wash day. Other days it is mostly up.

[Deborah]

Never. And hair that is damaged cannot be healed. Sometimes one can cover up the look of damage if they work hard at it.

[freckles]

In winter, somewhere between once a week and once a fortnight.
In summer, I try not to at all.

[eicamawa]

I always blowdry my front bangs because they wont lay were they're suppoed to if I don't do it. The rest of my hair more rare, only if I need to (f.eks. if it's winter and I have to go outside. Wont do that here in Norway).

[BrightEyes7]

Hardly ever... I really don't like to blow dry. But I do heat style. I prefer to let my hair dry naturally and once my hair is dry, usually on the second day, I'll straighten or curl my hair...

It seems less damaging to me on my hair than the blow dryer.

[mellie89]

Whenever I feel like it. I usually shower during the day and let it dry naturally, but if I have to shower in the morning or right before bed, I need to blow dry. I am not going outside in the winter with damp hair, and I cannot go to bed with damp hair without waking up with weird hair.

My hair looks better when it's blow dried, but feels better when I let it dry naturally.

I always use the low heat, low speed option. I haven't noticed any damage from it. Back when my hair was past BSL in high school, I blow dried on hot every other day, and my hair was in beautiful shape.

[DavidN]

I never blow dry, since my hair is fine and fragile. I try to wash early enough in the day so that it can thoroughly air dry by the end of the day.

I used to straighten with an iron, a long time ago (stopped in late 2006), but I caused so much damage that I swore never to subject my hair to heat again.

[Musterion]

Well, the list of active threads sure fooled me with regards to the content of this thread. I never blow dry, a brisk rub with a towel does me fine :p.

[lapushka]

It's blow dried once a week, for about 2/3 minutes; so, when my hair gets washed.

I let my hair air dry until it's about halfway to three quarters of the way dry. The last bit is done with the diffuser on warm to give it some root lift (F hair) and just... to get the coldness, wetness off my head (can't stand it). It's never styled with a brush while blowdrying (so it never happens like in a salon).

[Aliped]

I blow dry my length maybe about once every two months, but I blow dry my bangs frequently.

[inertia]

I blow dry whenever I want. Almost always in winter, rarely in summer. I have an oily scalp and sturdy hair, so I can't stretch washes for long and without the blow dryer it just turns into too much of my life spent cold and shivering with damp hair. The cumulative effect might be a problem if I wanted to get my hair really long, but I'm only trying to grow out some of the layering, not go for super lengths.

Having said that, I'm probably not as harsh as other blow-dryers might be. Mostly I keep the dryer positioned over my head pointing down and constantly moving, using one hand to separate and fluff the hairs. This keeps the hottest air on the root area which is the slowest to dry and the newest/strongest section, never heating any section too much, and by the time the stream of air reaches the bottom parts it's no more than gently warm. Generally, the hair below my shoulders doesn't come anywhere near the dryer nozzle.

[Starr]

Once a year for length pictures.

[papillion]

I'm obviously the odd one out, because I always blow dry my hair!

If I don't blow dry it, it always ends up greasy and horrible, but only when I use -cones in my conditioner. When I am -cone free, I can leave it to air dry without any problems. Weird, I know.

[prosperina]

If I had a better blow dryer with a cool setting I might use it more often, but as it is, I never blow dry. I live in a very warm climate and I use turbie towels to get my hair from sopping wet to damp, and then I can put it up. It would take to long and probably be too damaging, plus I think it would give me scary frizz head. I don't know though since I haven't blow dried in forever.

[Nicoliee]

I only blow dry if I'm in a hurry and need it dry quickly. Or if I'm trying to get my hair to have a little more volume. Basically for me every blue moon. lol.

[Loreley]

I blow dry only in winter, every time I wash my hair.

[Chamy]

For me the question should actually be: how rarely do you blowdry? And the answer is never, i have done it a few times in my life and the result is awful on me. I guess last time was four or five years ago.

[Varney]

Never. My hair gets really weird if I blow-dry it. It reminds me of something like this ;)

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR4cgFJlMZpzVmbyHTZfl5JWFq3npKJb xmSyXjgeTmCe4iZuSX5Mg

It's not a pretty sight.

[heynormy]

Almost never, but that's because I wash my hair at night so it has the 6 hours it needs to dry!

[Henrietta]

Never. I used to blowdry my bangs but since I wear them up I don't to even that.
I usually wash my hair in the late evening or night and I leave a conditioner overnight if I know I won't go out early in the morning and I know that my hair will have enough time to dry. If I have to leave home early the next day I just let it dry a little and then I make a ponytail with few elastics. That lets my hair to dry overnight and also gives me straightness:)

[meishkamooshka]

Like....never. It takes too long, and I'm way too lazy

[Keep It Flowin]

I used to air dry daily... it helps straighten and "calm" my hair as I have naturally "nappy" or frizzy/wavy/random curls. But as we get older so does our hair and I've almost always had long hair. So when my hair dryer broke around 2 years ago I never bought another one. I mostly shower at night and I've been "rockin" the natural look. Sleeping on it calms it some and by the 2nd and 3rd day it doesn't look so bad. I also started using a product called WEN that sort of aids but is kind of pricey.

I LOVE how my hair looks when I straighten it with a straightener. I recently bought a new one last year as my old one was 10+ yrs old! It would pull my hair out and I think in that time they've advanced these things to be some what better? I try to ALWAYS use a serum in my hair before straightening to help protect.

[pop]

Never since I joined LHC :cheese: (About a month ago) :)

[Malibu Barbie]

About twice a month, more if I have to be somewhere fast.

[MissManda]

I pretty much never blow dry my hair. I don't own a blowdryer and I haven't been to a hairdresser in almost two years, so avoiding blowdrying is pretty easy for me. I am considering getting one someday because my hair takes forever to dry in wintertime, but if I never wind up getting one it's no big deal.

[JuneBride]

Nearly every night in the winter if I washed to late because I can't sleep with wet hair. In the summer...much, much less...way more air drying.

[Anywhere]

Never. I hate the noise so much.

[Messyhair]

Never, because it just takes too long and the heat damages my hair. I have a cool option, but I have to hold the button in the entire time, so it sucks. Still, when my hair is longer, I may break down and use it a bit.

[Tia2010]

I hardly ever blow dry my hair. If I had to guess I would say maybe four times a year ; and then only on the warm/cool setting.

My boys did buy me a new ceramic hairdryer for Christmas that has a very cool setting that I don't feel would be hurtful to my hair. ( they know I'm growing my hair now and for some reason that equaled me needing a new hairdryer to them :) ) but I really doubt I will blowdry more often.

[Zaane]

I haven't blow dried my hair in almost 2 years and I'm seeing a huge difference with the health of it and the amount of splits (or lack of) :)

[missfortune9335]

Since joining here, never. I plan my washes with enough time to let it air dry, but I have fine hair that's chemically treated so I have to be very gentle with it.

[xoxophelia]

Can your hair heal if you have blow dried it at the salon too much?

I read a study that showed that the medulla of the hair can become porous even if there is no noticable exterior damage to the hair from heat. The study was also on Japanese hair which means the same can probably happen to people with C hair. While that might not mean your hair will break off, they did show how that effects shine which it did and was pretty noticable.

If you do it a few times you will be fine and your hair can still be shiny and beautiful (yours is), but you just have to remember that each time you are going to effect the health of your hair. I bet if you controlled the heat so it was on low you would be OK though.

[Athena's Owl]

Hi, I am guilty of frequently blow drying my hair to achieve straightness. How often do you blow dry?

Never. I haven't had a blow dryer near my hair in over a decade, and even then, it was only because I was at the hair salon. it always turned out awful - frizzy and huge and badly done, even with a flat ironing afterward. I always did a much better job pressing my hair myself.



Can your hair heal if you have blow dried it at the salon too much?

no. Heat damage is permanent and can't be reversed, just like damage from bleaching, perming, straightening or colouring hair. cuticle scales that shed off the hair have no way to regenerate.

The ends of your hair are the oldest and most damaged parts of your hair. The key to having shiny, healthy hair is to treat all your hair as gently as possible so your ends are as undamaged as possible. if your hair needs healing from using heat the method to get that healing is to *stop using heat* and trim off the damage as the hair grows. this takes years to do, if your hair is longer than say shoulder length.

When you look through the responses to this thread, notice how many respondents with a current hair length of waist length or longer responded with "never." they are numerous. it's the same thing with threads asking about those who wear their hair down every day - the respondents with waist length hair or longer report that they do -not- wear their hair down every day.

Personally I think that BSL is a nice length to maintain if you're using regular heat styling to straighten. you're getting the most damaged ends cut off fairly regularly so the quality is maintained. but the longer it gets the more you have to baby it to keep those ends from looking frazzled.

[constancev18]

Once every 4 mos--when I straighten.

[Shellby]

Today. :( It was just soooo cold and my hair was still wet when we needed to leave. So I zapped only my scalp. Most of my hair was still pretty damp.

[julliams]

I used to achieve a straight look for my hair with blowdrying and it looked really nice. I thought I had frizzy hair that needed this "treatment" to look nice. Then I discovered the book Curly Girl and discovered that I actually have wavy hair which can look just as nice, just different. Now I never use a hair dryer on my hair at all. We only use it on my daughters hair when she has to go to school and its dripping wet but this rarely happens.

Have you tried getting used to your natural texture? It does take time but once you do you will learn how lovely it is.

[rena]

Give me an N, give me an E give me a V, another E and an R...

[Florencienne]

Only in emergency situations now, like when I'm running late for work or school - and that doesn't happen very often. I don't like letting my hair air-dry and find the process tedious. I am guilty of straightening my hair, though.

[bondgirl]

Never, I don't even own a blowdryer. If it's still wet when I go outside, well, there's nothing I can do about it. :o

Ps. Rena, I love that picture in your signature! Very... dynamic! :D

[milagro]

Rarely and on special occasions when I either absolutely have to or want tight curls. It's maybe once in several weeks. When did it more often (like two or three times a week) I got dry ends and lots of splits and I can see the rest of the heat damage is still there at the very tips of my hair. So no frequent heat styling for me but everybody's hair is dfferent and maybe it is perfectly ok for you.

[Rebecca.1905]

I was blow drying after every wash, but since I found LHC, I only do my fringe because the ends flip up if I don't. I don't let it touch my length tho. I've noticed, since I've been doing it this way, that my hair ISN'T frizzy like I always thought it was! It dries naturally into sweet waves and is much, much softer! If I could give it up on my bangs I would, but I've tried it and no. Just no.

[Finoriel]

:ponder:
Once a decade?
Maybe?
:laugh:

[mustpannkook]

Never. When I blow dry my hair will be really poofy. I think I last blowdryed years ago.

[Demetra]

Never.
Even after I hennaed my hair the other day and my mom was pushing me to "just blow it out a little to see the color" No thanks, I'd rather wait for it to dry naturally than put my hair through torture!

[Eolan]

I never blow dry. I didn't before I found LCH either, mainly because I thought it made my hair look weird. Some people can make their hair look wonderful by blowdrying. I never lerned to master that art, and now I don't want to. :)

[Shicurls]

I blowdry when I feel like I want to. I do not like sleeping with set hair, and sometimes I don't plan my washings very well. For example, I don't like going to church with wet hair. In those cases, I simply use my diffuser on medium speed with medium to cool heat levels.

[elbow chic]

once in a very very great while... probably twice in the last 18 months. Once to see my semi-estranged father-- I guess I wanted to prove to him that I'm not a total disappointment.

By way of having perfectly straight hair for a day? Weeeeird.

[Ais]

I'm guilty of fairly regular blowdries - possibly up to once a week on average, although it waxes and wanes, I can go for weeks without it. I only use it on the coolest setting and for a short period of time though, I find it doesn't fully dry my hair anyway so a quick blast to get the drips out and make it lay a little easier is the maximum. I often just go to bed with a damp bun or walk around the house letting it dry naturally. I can feel the damage on the ends after a few blowdries so I do my best not to let it happen!

[PheonyxRose]

I don't blow dry my hair. I usually towel dry it, then run a brush through it, and let it dry naturally. I might blow dry it if I am going out for a night out, but usually next to never.

[wvgemini]

Sometimes. On the weekends usually. But I'm finding that the longer my hari is, the less it likes to be blowdried. So I'm trying to get used to not doing it.

[aberbeth]

My hair frizzes up if I use a blow dryer on high heat. I normally don't blow dry my hair.

[CAPA7]

Never ever! I don't think I've ever owned a blowdrier! The only times my hair has been blowdried is when I've been to the haidresser's to get it trimmed, and I've decided that's not going to happen anymore.

[Luna12345]

I blow dry like once a month, Maximum 2or 3 times in a month.

[nucleardelusion]

Never! My grandmother used to tell me I needed to, and I argued that I didn't all the way up to high school- at least, that's when I didn't need to explain myself as much. I hated how long it took and getting my hair caught in the side of it. Super scary... sooo... I never bothered.:p

[Joliebaby]

Never:D
I like my natural wavy hair. I'd be too lazy to do it anyway and it would take forever.

[Zarah]

Three times a week. But I have to, for work. My hair is flat and limp & if I don't heat style it it'll look like I have strands on my head. I need that volume. :o

Once I quit that job, I will stop the use of blow drying and only use it when I go out.

[NouvelleNymphe2]

completely got rid of my blow dryer about a month or so after joining LHC. if i have a blowfryer at home in the U.S. when i go home, i'll give it away as well. :) just say no is my new internal monologue regarding blowdrying. if i would like a nice straightened look i sit in front of my fan (on low) and comb out my damp hair. as it gets dryer i'll brush it upside down and then rightside up for a bit. i'm a finey with fairly straight hair so this works well.

[ladylovecraft]

Never ever ever. I pretty much never have. My hair hates it, gets insanely damaged/frizzy. I usually wash it before bed, and if I'm not paying attention enough to plan enough time for it to dry, I just go ahead and braid it wet and deal with the braid waves. I don't really like them, but I cannot sleep with my hair loose, wet or dry...

[Ligeia_13]

Never ^_^ its so much healthier and flows better with my movement if I let it dry naturally.

[hootski]

Once or twice a week. I'm a newbie here and although I stopped using heat on my hair months ago, I do still hang my head upside down and blow dry my roots (for volume) with my hairdryer on warm and low BUT I hold the hairdryer far enough away that the air is lukewarm.

Oh and I do use it warm and fast on my side swept bands, blowing with the "grain" of my hair. If I didn't, I'd get a a section of it wanting to go in the other direction.

The other day I did let it all air dry (except for my bangs) by twisting it up in a bun. Worked well except that I ended up with a nice back-of-the-head "part" that I did NOT like! I'm not sure how to avoid that. :confused:

[Nae]

Once in the past two years, and it was on cool. It was hardly worth the time to take it from drippy to damp. It was just SO darn cold out that day, I didn't want to go outside to total hair-cicles. Wind chills were like -20 in my defense.

[rena]

Never, I don't even own a blowdryer. If it's still wet when I go outside, well, there's nothing I can do about it. :o

Ps. Rena, I love that picture in your signature! Very... dynamic! :D

Thank you Bondgirl :). Though its not me, I think it's a pretty good substitute until I have hair long enough to post my own. The thing that concerns me is getting the timing right...

[Becky9679]

I don't blow dry my hair and never have (ok, maybe a few times in my life I have and my mum used to do it for me when I was little :D)

I don't know why I never blow dried my own hair since at the start I didn't realise the damage it causes, it just never seemed necessary to me. I've always been one of those people who puts wet hair in a towel turban, braids it while damp or just air dries.

Obviously knowing what I know now I wouldn't touch a dryer!

[Phexlyn]

I ditched the blowdryer in January and haven't used it since. I only use warm towels to dry my hair now :)