safest way to blow-dry hair?

[mediumhair]

My hair takes over 10 hours to naturally dry in my climate so I have to use a blow dryer. Since I wash my hair every to every other day I need to know if there's something I should put on my hair before blow drying and if I just need to keep it on low-medium heat? Anything else?

[Arctic]

My hair is short at the moment, but I use blowdrier after almost every wash. I have a diffuser drier, which is always gentler that the normal drier nozzle. And I use the lowest heat and wind settings, and push the cool button almost all the time. I don't know how this would effect on long hair, but on my hair and at this length I have not seen any kind on negatives from drying my hair like this. No driness, splits, nothing like that.

I notice you have straight hair, and diffusers are usually marketed to wavy/curly hair, but I see no reason why they couldn't be used on straight hair too.

[Tsopana]

Just definitely don't oil your hair before blow drying it! Other than that, you could use a heat protectant spray- although those stuff contain a bunch of chemicals and probably cones, too.. :/

[luxepiggy]

I blow dry every time I wash, and I like to use a heat protectant (Aquage Beyond Shine).

[|Xei]

Use the lowest heat setting you have on your blow dyer. Warm air isn't going to damage your hair, and it makes the drying process a lot faster than if you used cool air. The key here is to keep your blow dryer moving constantly so you won't be overheating any one area of your hair. Keep the blowdryer at least half a foot (6 inches) away from your hair, and point downwards to keep your cuticles flat. Pointing downwards also helps to prevent tangles.

I personally find that I get less tangles when I dry my roots first. But this might be different for you. Finger combing constantly while blowdrying also helps to eliminate tangles, and dries the hair faster and more evenly.

As for products, that just depends on your personal preference. I used to dry on warm air all the time, and rarely did I use any heat protectant. My hair did not get dried out. The warm air was mild enough that it wasn't going to do any heat damage (imagine sitting in a very warm room or something). You can, of course, use some product beforehand if you feel you might need the protection. Coney products are usually the best choice for heat protectants. It doesn't matter if it's in a spray or serum form.

[Nev]

Well, I like to just blowdry part of my hair. Like not the entire length, just the top and parts close to my scalp. Its cold in winter :(

[MoreWhenNuh]

Definitley use the diffuser attachment.