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caiti42
June 22nd, 2011, 01:04 AM
Hi all

I'm wondering if you can give me some suggestions about drying hair throughout the winter. I would like to know what you think is the lesser of the two evils. Going out in the cold (6'c / 40'f) versus blowdrying?

I work long hours so my choices are wash my hair first thing in the morning and leave to air dry - but be out in the cold for a while or wash my hair at night and blowdry before bed (about 20%)

I would like to add that I stretch washes as far as I can - still needs to be washed 3 times a week and going to bed with wet hair is not an option as I get awful headaches in the morning.

So, which to you vote to be the best option?

Thanks!

Hiriel
June 22nd, 2011, 01:23 AM
If it's not below freezing, I'd say going out with damp hair. I don't think that'll be damaging, but it might be a little cold. Being Norwegian, I probably don't have a normal definition of 'cold' :p

IanB
June 22nd, 2011, 01:25 AM
If you can bear it, always air dry. It's so much better for your hair than damaging heat

Mesmerise
June 22nd, 2011, 04:13 AM
I just air dry ;) I usually leave my hair up during the day so it's not hanging down my neck anyway. But even when I had long hair that I wore loose, I air dried it. And I'm assuming that it's just as chilly here as where you are (if not chillier lol... I live in an area known for being cold lol).

lilalong
June 22nd, 2011, 04:16 AM
I do either one of these two things:

1. I don't blow dry but use a woolen hat to make sure I don't catch a cold.
2. I blow dry only my roots, so that I don't get sick.

caiti42
June 22nd, 2011, 04:28 AM
Thanks for your replies! Air dry it is. If I find it too cold I'll try blowdrying roots only. :)

I don't particularly live in a cold area (Gold Coast soon to relocate to the Hunter) but it's mighty chilly waiting for a train at 6:30am!

IcarusBride
June 22nd, 2011, 04:40 AM
I don't understand how sleeping with wet hair can cause a headache?

If I have to shower right before leaving the house in the morning, I wrap a scarf around my damp hair when I leave and it holds in the body heat from my head and usually dries my hair by the time I get to school, and I put it up in a bun then.

Mesmerise
June 22nd, 2011, 04:56 AM
Thanks for your replies! Air dry it is. If I find it too cold I'll try blowdrying roots only. :)

I don't particularly live in a cold area (Gold Coast soon to relocate to the Hunter) but it's mighty chilly waiting for a train at 6:30am!

Hehe yeah... cold is all relative ;) Definitely warmer where you are than where I am!

MandyBeth
June 22nd, 2011, 08:18 AM
I do blow dry if it's below 50* outside or I get a migraine. I really figure the medications from the migraine are going to do more damage to my body than blow drying on cool/slightly warm. If I can't hold the dryer 3" from my wrist for 20 seconds, it's too hot.

CariadA
June 22nd, 2011, 08:34 AM
Maybe you could blow dry on the cool setting or try sitting in front of a fan.

When I want my hair to dry faster, I will sit in front of a fan set to medium speed. It does speed things up a bit! Then you could at least partially dry it before heading out. And you could do it while eating breakfast, having coffee/tea or whatever your morning ritual is. That way you won't spend any extra time on drying.

Scarlet_Heart
June 22nd, 2011, 08:38 AM
Why do you have to blowdry if you wash at night? Could you not braid it? You must work some crazy hours if you don't have an opportunity somewhere in the day to let it air dry.

BroadwayBeauty
June 22nd, 2011, 08:39 AM
2. I blow dry only my roots, so that I don't get sick.

I totally agree! It keeps me warmer and won't leave my hair wet and cold all day. Plus I've actually had my hair freeze and break on more than one occasion because I went out in the cold with wet hair! :disbelief


I do blow dry if it's below 50* outside or I get a migraine. I really figure the medications from the migraine are going to do more damage to my body than blow drying on cool/slightly warm. If I can't hold the dryer 3" from my wrist for 20 seconds, it's too hot.

Never tried that before, but it sounds like a great idea!

gergelul
June 22nd, 2011, 11:52 AM
call me weird, but when I am in a situation like that one I choose to blow dry it :d. I wouldn't risk getting a cold as I am quite sensitive, and, oh well, my hair can take it a few times a year. I mean, I find my health more important that my hair's one, as much as I love it.

ravenreed
June 22nd, 2011, 12:41 PM
I occasionally blow dry, and when I do, I use cool or medium settings. I think the main culprit with heat is using too high a heat and letting it sit in one place for too long. If you keep the dryer moving and use a lower setting, that is better than feeling ill I should think.

squiggyflop
June 22nd, 2011, 12:50 PM
um in the winter i just go to bed with wet hair.. ive never needed to blow dry it before bed.. but our winters are much colder than 40F.. think 20F daily.. with snow.. and sleet.. and freezing rain.. and hail..
but i say this as a person who cant stand doing anything involving getting wet in the morning.. mornings are terrible enough without torturing myself with being wet or touching wet things..

Emerald88
June 22nd, 2011, 12:59 PM
I hate having my hair wet before bed. I always braid it at night and it will still be wet in the morning if I do that which isn't bad in the summer, but in winter it gives me a sore throat or worse. I have a portable space heater in my sunroom since it stays cool in the winter and I sit about 2-3 ft in front of it for a while turning so that it's on one side, then the back and then the other side until my hair is partly dried and then I air dry the rest of the way. It's still heat and not great, but I don't do it every time and it's better than catching a cold.

whitestiletto
June 22nd, 2011, 03:11 PM
What about blow drying it just to dampness, then going to sleep? It will certainly be dry by morning, and I don't think the damage starts until the hair is actually dry.

slz
June 22nd, 2011, 03:17 PM
Why do you have to blowdry if you wash at night? Could you not braid it? You must work some crazy hours if you don't have an opportunity somewhere in the day to let it air dry.
This ! I never blow dry (don't even own a blowfrier), and always wash when I do not intend to leave my home anymore. Use two towels (turban) successively to absorb as much moisture as possible, then let hair down as long as possible, then braid right before going to bed. Of course the braid will still be damp next evening when I re-braid, but that's not a problem : the important part is what's close to the head, which will be dry by the morning.

BlazingHeart
June 22nd, 2011, 03:50 PM
I recently posted a thread looking for methods of drying hair that would speed it along without damaging the hair. I got some good tips there - maybe you can try some of them? You can find it here http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=72958&highlight=drying

~Blaze

long&blonde
June 22nd, 2011, 05:22 PM
Not that I don't ever blow-dry, wish I was that dedicated; but yes, I've not blown dry on many a frigid Pittsburgh PA morning. My ponytail has often frozen into a solid icicle.
And I not only never got sick from doing this, (germs give you the cold or flu, not a wet head), my ponytail just melted out of the icicle. It didn't break off. And it would be solid ice, from a 15 minute walk, 15 minute wait on a bus, below 0 windy day. I'd have a hat on my ears, but the wet ponytail out, too many occasions to count. No harm done. It froze, melted, and I never caught a cold/flu.
I have caught colds/flus/ being around others who were sick.
But never from a wet head, out in the cold.

squiggyflop
June 22nd, 2011, 06:09 PM
Not that I don't ever blow-dry, wish I was that dedicated; but yes, I've not blown dry on many a frigid Pittsburgh PA morning. My ponytail has often frozen into a solid icicle.
And I not only never got sick from doing this, (germs give you the cold or flu, not a wet head), my ponytail just melted out of the icicle. It didn't break off. And it would be solid ice, from a 15 minute walk, 15 minute wait on a bus, below 0 windy day. I'd have a hat on my ears, but the wet ponytail out, too many occasions to count. No harm done. It froze, melted, and I never caught a cold/flu.
I have caught colds/flus/ being around others who were sick.
But never from a wet head, out in the cold.

true, the cold head itself doesnt get you sick, its the germs.. however a cold wet head can weaken your immune system (technically just being in the cold even with dry hair will do this) making you more likely to catch the cold.. or it can worsen a cold or flu you already have.. people didnt always know about germs but they did know you were more likely to die from illness in the days following being out in the cold.. they didnt know about the immune system back then.. but really its nothing a nice hat and mittens with a scarf and a coat wont fix.. you only lose like 10% of your heat from your head, so really if you keep your body warm you would be fine

MandyBeth
June 22nd, 2011, 07:16 PM
I don't go to bed with wet/damp hair. I do, my hair is all kinds of mess in the morning, and I have to rewet my hair to fix it, which means I have wet hair and it's cold. Now if it's 90 in the am, wet hair is fine.

julliams
June 22nd, 2011, 08:25 PM
I tried sitting a metre and a half away from our gas heater last night and my hair dried really quick - like within half an hour I would say. I wonder how different it is to a blowdryier really but I guess I don't have the heat right up against my hair, but it did feel slightly drier (as in less moisturised) when it was dry than when I airdry it.

Just a thought. I would personally wash it the night before, as soon as you get home. Presumably you have some kind of heating in your house and your hair should be mostly dry before you get to bed.

Dizzy_zzz
June 22nd, 2011, 08:26 PM
If I take a shower too late to let it air dry I towel turban it until i'm in bed and then I place the towel over my pillow, drape my hair across it, then go to sleep ( I don't think I move much, but if I do, it doesn't seem to knot up my hair); my hair is mostly dry by morning, but still damp enough that it wasn't damaged by the towel sucking all of its moisture out all night like it does when my hair is dry. It finishes drying within an hour, as it's only the ends that are usually still wet. If you move around a lot in your sleep, you could get away with braiding it loosely. I hope this helps. :)

caiti42
June 22nd, 2011, 10:03 PM
Thanks for all the replies!

I get home at about 6:30pm and go to bed at 9ish and up at 5:30am again to leave at 6am!

I think I'll give both ways a go and see which works best for me. I'll try washing in the morning and airdrying and washing at night and trying to get it as dry as possible before bed by sitting in front of the heater.

Ah winter is fun!

Scarlet_Heart
June 23rd, 2011, 10:00 AM
Thanks for all the replies!

I get home at about 6:30pm and go to bed at 9ish and up at 5:30am again to leave at 6am!

I think I'll give both ways a go and see which works best for me. I'll try washing in the morning and airdrying and washing at night and trying to get it as dry as possible before bed by sitting in front of the heater.

Ah winter is fun!

Wow so you are only home and awake for three hours a day?! :bigeyes: You do work some crazy hours.

spidermom
June 23rd, 2011, 10:20 AM
I have a nice roomy angora hat (fits kind of like a shower cap), so if I have to go into the cold with wet hair, I can contain all my hair in it and be warm. Maybe you can find something like that.

JuliaDancer
June 23rd, 2011, 10:58 AM
I'm very sensitive to cold, and if my head is wet when I go outside in the winter, even with a warm hat on, I freeze, and it's very painful and uncomfortable for me. Plus, the field office never has good heating, so I've sat at my desk with damp cold hair all day. If I sleep in wet hair, my hair frizzes so badly, even when I tie it up or put it in a bun, the hairs all around my face are bent in funny directions and frizzy. My hair tends to hold patterns (bun waves, braid waves, ponytail dents) really well, so maybe because I tend to move around when I sleep, the hairs dry in whatever shape they were in and stay that way... I blow dry the roots on low and pigtail braid the rest. I'll take the damage over feeling the cold.

deko
June 23rd, 2011, 02:14 PM
I don't know where my blowdryer is.

Here in Finland we get really cold winters. -30°C / -22°F is not unusual. And still I don't blowfry my hair. When the weather is cold I wash my hair as soon as I get back from work and let it air dry. When I go to bed it is completly dry.