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View Full Version : How long could I get with weekly blow-dryer usage?



jaine
December 4th, 2011, 10:44 AM
Suppose in theory I were to get a weekly shampoo & blow-dry at a salon. The whole shebang - sulfates, cones, hot hair dryer, round brush, etc. How long do you think it could get and still look healthy ... hopefully at least BSL length? I'm not trying to grow past BSL ... and I really, really love how tangle-free my hair is when it's straight.

And getting it professionally shampooed solves the issue of back acne which was preventing me from using cones...my hair loves cones but my skin does not...
Hmm.

alyanna
December 4th, 2011, 11:48 AM
I'm not the best person to be advising, but I'd guess BSL should be attainable. A lot of women around me have hair around BSL and they're all VERY into styling. Their hair is fine.

I was wondering the same thing because two days ago I gave myself a quick blow-dry, warm air, head flipped over, no brushing until I was done. I was just so cold with wet hair. Since the blow-dry my hair has looked pretty AND it's much easier to brush.

I wonder if the damage of the blow-frier might be cancelled out by the lack of ripping hairs out during detangling, braiding, etc... Hmmm indeed ;)

BlazingHeart
December 4th, 2011, 11:53 AM
It completely depends on how resistant to damage your hair is. Frankly, you won't know until you hit false-terminal how long your hair will grow. People who have similar hairtypes can tell you what happened to them, but it won't be a perfect predictor.

UltraBella
December 4th, 2011, 12:03 PM
Many women with much longer hair than BSL blowdry their hair often. Whether at home or a salon, if you are blow-drying once a week it should not stop you from having lovely long hair. If you have extra fragile hair, then it may be an issue.

jaine
December 4th, 2011, 12:08 PM
I wonder if the damage of the blow-frier might be cancelled out by the lack of ripping hairs out during detangling, braiding, etc... Hmmm indeed ;)

I wonder that too. My hair is soooooo tangly when it's curly. And so not-tangly when it's straight.

Liene
December 4th, 2011, 12:19 PM
I used to have quite healthy waistlenght hair, and I blowdried, flatironed, coloured,... it, while using conebombs. I've changed all that, becouse my hair is pretty fragile since I gave birth, but it used to be very forgiving. Maybe yours can take it too, if it feels and looks healthy, I think it's going to keep on growing :)

Annibelle
December 4th, 2011, 01:28 PM
Suppose in theory I were to get a weekly shampoo & blow-dry at a salon. The whole shebang - sulfates, cones, hot hair dryer, round brush, etc. How long do you think it could get and still look healthy ... hopefully at least BSL length? I'm not trying to grow past BSL ... and I really, really love how tangle-free my hair is when it's straight.

And getting it professionally shampooed solves the issue of back acne which was preventing me from using cones...my hair loves cones but my skin does not...
Hmm.

That sounds fun! (And expensive...) I would hate to see your pretty curls straightened, but you should do what will make you most enjoy your hair. I think BSL should be attainable, but I'm not sure, since you're F... I guess it depends on how fragile your hair is. Maybe if you threw in a deep moisture treatment, too, it would be better. :) And also if that were the only day of the week that you did anything (washing, etc.) with your hair.

lolot
December 4th, 2011, 01:32 PM
i was wondering why models have a pretty hair because they are always styled and dyed, and i have seem a lot who have long, pretty hair, how they do it?

Annibelle
December 4th, 2011, 01:35 PM
Lolot, I wonder that, too. I know a lot of them get Photoshopped, and cones help hide damage, too. They also probably have a ton of product in their hair. But what about candid shots? :shrug: Anyone know?

jaine
December 4th, 2011, 01:36 PM
I thought about the expense too ... it would be about $40 per week ($30 for the shampoo & blow-dry, and I'm picturing $7 to tip the stylist, $3 to tip the shampoo girl). It's significant but I already spend a lot on random little things to treat myself throughout the week ... I could consolidate the whole "treating myself" budget category into one salon visit per week without changing the total amount that I spend.

And the conditioner that I use at home is really expensive...like $75 for a 35-ounce bottle ... and not buying that offsets some of the cost... although not all of it of course.

I'm definitely picturing that this would be the only time all week that my hair touches water. (Unless I get caught in the rain, in which case I would just throw it in a bun until my next shampoo.)

I don't think it would work very well in the summer of course ... too much humidity, my hair would probably revert back to curly even though it's not technically getting wet.

beccababesx
December 4th, 2011, 01:50 PM
You could easily get past BSL, it would just take you a lot longer because your hair will split more, thus needing more trims. Alternatively, I see your hair is at shoulder already, could you not just deal with it not being the prettiest for a year while it grows 6 inches, to what I estimate will be your bra strap, and then start blowdrying? That way you'll be at your goal length with beautiful hair much faster, and can grow it even longer slowly, with it looking pretty? That's my plan anyway, I'm coming to the end of my 9 months having ugly hair, and plan to start being bad to it again :p

beccababesx
December 4th, 2011, 01:51 PM
Lolot, I wonder that, too. I know a lot of them get Photoshopped, and cones help hide damage, too. They also probably have a ton of product in their hair. But what about candid shots? :shrug: Anyone know?

Extensions are a wonderful thing :p

Miss Catrina
December 4th, 2011, 01:52 PM
I think that sounds reasonable. I know at least a handful of people with hair around BSL to waist and I'm certain that they are blow drying and worse a lot more often than once a week, and their hair looks fine for the most part (and they aren't taking the additional TLC I'm sure you would). A good salon will be sure to use a heat protectant product, as well.

If you'd be willing to "risk" going into a beauty school to get this done, your costs would be cut in half (mine doesn't let students accept tips - it goes to charity). It's a little bit of a scary thought, but there's not one person in my class who I think wouldn't have the competence to wash and blow dry hair.

Rybe
December 4th, 2011, 02:04 PM
I think you'd just have to find out if your hair can handle it. Even though my hair's fine, it's pretty resilient to mechanical damage when dry, which I guess supposedly isn't SUPPOSED to be the case. But then again if it's damp I it snaps if I even THINK about combing it...For me I'd be scared of all the wet handling, not the heat! But for other people this doesn't seem to be the case, hehe

UltraBella
December 4th, 2011, 02:20 PM
Being a makeup artist and owning two salons, I work on plenty of models and I have to say, the majority of them have really lovely hair. Most do not have extensions, in fact, they are frowned upon because they make the model less versatile.

There are plenty of people who heat style, blow dry, use hairspray, dye or bleach and still have awesome hair. I am not encouraging anyone to do anything they don't want to, nor am I implying that those things are not overall damaging. I just don't agree with the common perception here that if you see great hair in a magazine, commercial or on the runway that it's all an illusion.

Annibelle
December 4th, 2011, 02:24 PM
Being a makeup artist and owning two salons, I work on plenty of models and I have to say, the majority of them have really lovely hair. Most do not have extensions, in fact, they are frowned upon because they make the model less versatile.

There are plenty of people who heat style, blow dry, use hairspray, dye or bleach and still have awesome hair. I am not encouraging anyone to do anything they don't want to, nor am I implying that those things are not overall damaging. I just don't agree with the common perception here that if you see great hair in a magazine, commercial or on the runway that it's all an illusion.

UltraBella-- do the models you work on have coarse hair? Or fine? Or is it a pretty even mix? Because it's always seemed to me that people with C hair just naturally have more resilient hair than F.

UltraBella
December 4th, 2011, 03:38 PM
UltraBella-- do the models you work on have coarse hair? Or fine? Or is it a pretty even mix? Because it's always seemed to me that people with C hair just naturally have more resilient hair than F.

Most of them have fine hair, coarse hair isn't nearly as common.

jesis
December 4th, 2011, 03:48 PM
Last winter I blow-dried my hair every time I washed on a low heat setting because I didn't want my hair to freeze and it still grew around 3" in those few months.

jojo
December 4th, 2011, 04:01 PM
We have a few members who regualry blow dry their hair and it looks great, as long as you don't use the hottest setting and keep the dryer moving and not too close to the head, i don't see a problem. As for getting to BSL, for most if not everybody it is do-able, just make sure to throw in a few DC for good measure!

ericthegreat
December 4th, 2011, 04:09 PM
Suppose in theory I were to get a weekly shampoo & blow-dry at a salon. The whole shebang - sulfates, cones, hot hair dryer, round brush, etc. How long do you think it could get and still look healthy ... hopefully at least BSL length? I'm not trying to grow past BSL ... and I really, really love how tangle-free my hair is when it's straight.

And getting it professionally shampooed solves the issue of back acne which was preventing me from using cones...my hair loves cones but my skin does not...
Hmm.

I have now achieved nearly classic length, with thick ends. As you know, I've bleached my hair from my natural jet black all the way to blonde, and I also get it blown out and flat-ironed nice and straight all on the same day at the salon. I have done literally everything that is considered an LHC sin, and yet my hair is still here, and just as shiny and silky as ever.

You can definitely achieve at least BSL, and most likely an even much longer length than that, even with heat styling your hair along the way jaine. You seem to have quite healthy, strong hair yourself from what I can see of your pictures.

ktani
December 4th, 2011, 04:17 PM
It most definitely can be done, provided it is done with care.

You can request that the blow drying be done on a lower heat setting or do it yourself.

Heat styling does not have to cause major damage. It can though.

It is the same with chemical dyes. There are ways to help prevent damage and a good colorist can minimize damage as well with proper methods for the hair involved.

Some people have genetically stronger, more damage resistant hair to start with.

That is the gene lottery, lol.