To blowdry or air dry?

[aster66]

I have a question and I hope this wonderful community can help me out :).I'm trying to be good to my hair after I have been abusing it for years. I ditched my straightener, my curling iron and my sulfate shampoo but there's just one thing that I can't live without: my blowdryer...

I have very thick hair that takes forever to airdry (more than 5 hours)! Now I know that airdrying is the least harmful for my hair but it takes forever and it dries really awkwardly (my normally straight hair turns into a sort of frizzy mess with random kinks in it). So I was wondering how bad it is to use my blowdrayer on the cold air setting? Is that still bad? The air is sort of lukewarm up close but feels cold when I hold it at a reasonable distance.

P.S. I wasn't sure where to post this (mane forum or conventional products forum) so I hope I put it in the right place.

[Renate]

I've tried once to blowdry in the cold setting, I did for several minutes and it didn't dry at all! :mad:

Maybe try making your washes more sparse. If you don't have to leave the house after you washed your hair, try blowdrying in a medium setting for 3 minutes, holding the blowdryer as far as you can from your head, let it rest for 10 minutes then do it again. Or you can do it only on the "inside" part of your hair - that part below the longest threads from the very top of your head.

You can try to headbang a little, rest for a few minutes, then do it again, but not much, or it will knot everything.

[Kilandra]

If your hair is long enough - put it in an updo. If you have issues with frizzies try a natural product like beautiful curls leave-in. I personally love the smell and it works great for me!

I guess blow drying on a cool setting wouldn't be so harmful, but would it really even work?

[Kristin]

I use a blow dryer sometimes. I generally use medium heat; I figure that if the heat doesn't bother my skin, it won't bother my hair. If I have the time, I also wait as long as I can to blow dry (until the hair is about 70-90% air-dried). You can also try letting it air dry 95% and then bunning to get better waves.

[jacqueline101]

If you have to blow dry try a heat protector.

[white.chocolate]

I tried blow-drying my hair with the cold setting before, and my head just felt cold! That was during the cold climates, of course. Using no heat, as far as I have read, does not do damage to the hair, so it's ok. An alternative you can do if you don't want to air-dry is to hold the hairblower about a foot or half a foot (?) away when drying using heat.

[Firefly]

Once in a very great while I'll blow dry. Honestly I think if you're careful it's not terribly damaging. Use the warm setting, don't hold it too close to the hair, keep it moving, and just gently use your fingers to lift the roots. A little heat protector as someone up thread recommended is good too.

[EdG]

The danger in using a blow-dryer is high temperature. Fortunately, the air temperature falls off quite rapidly with distance.

A long time ago, I would prop my blow-dryer up on a stand and sit at least five feet away. The air was only warm at that distance. I then switched to the electric fan heater below.

http://www.edgrochowski.com/articles/heater1.jpg

The fan heater is quite safe at a distance of five or more feet. Also, the fan heater is designed for continuous operation, whereas the blow dryer broke after being run for extended time periods.
Ed

[amybru]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omGqvaDVGTo try this :)

[lapushka]

I think it's outrageous, these claims that blowdrying is absolutely bad. The way they often do it in salons, sure it is, on too hot a setting (so hot it burns your scalp when they hold the dryer in one spot for too long), but on a mildly warm setting, how the heck can it hurt? I personally don't get that.

[Gingerbear]

I agree I don't think the low heat setting on a blow dryer is all that damaging, especially if you have some sort of leave in protectant in. If the air coming out of the dryer is cool enough that you could blow it relatively close to your skin without getting burnt, it shouldn't be all that harmful to your hair.

[bumblebums]

If you are looking for an alternative to blowdrying, try a good microfiber towel (like the kind they sell in travel/hiking stores). They are very absorbent and not as abrasive as your standard terry towel.

I wrap my hair in a big microfiber towel right after washing, keep it that way for about 15 min, and then damp-bun it. By the end of the day, it's still damp. I take the bun down and braid it, and it dries up by next morning.

The comment about kinks and frizz makes me think that you might have mistyped your hair. Did you follow the instructions in the hair typing article on LHC (i.e., don't blowdry the hair or touch it at all while it dries to determine your type)? Your hair is probably wavier than you realize; true 1s don't usually struggle with frizz. If anything, they complain about hair being too flat and limp.

[Amber_Maiden]

I don't think blow drying on a cold setting would hurt it much... But honestly, I wouldn't. My hair takes between 8 and 12 hours to dry- thick hair- and I just let it dry during days I'm indoors or at night while sleeping.

[JuliaDancer]

My hair also takes a long time to dry. In winter, I blow dry on low, extending my arm so the dryer is not right near my head. The air feels lukewarm and takes much longer to dry than it would on a warm or hot setting, but nowhere near as long as air drying. If I put my hair up, it will just stay wet all day and I'll freeze in my office (I work in construction, so our heating isn't very good). In summer, I can braid it and it dries in a few hours at work, but I don't mind, because it's hot and the wet hair actually cools my head. As long as the dryer isn't actually making your head feel hot, I think it's fine to use a blow dryer. Especially on a cool or low setting, it's only making the water on your hair evaporate faster by blowing wind across it, not by heating it up. The problem with the high heat from blow drying and curling irons is the water gets heated so quickly, it basically wants to jump off your hair, and when it's under the little scales, it pops out, breaking them or bending them in bad ways.

[JuliaDancer]

I don't think blow drying on a cold setting would hurt it much... But honestly, I wouldn't. My hair takes between 8 and 12 hours to dry- thick hair- and I just let it dry during days I'm indoors or at night while sleeping.

If the OP gets random kinks from letting her hair air dry, I think sleeping with damp hair would be a bad idea. My hair is not wavy, but not straight, and it holds shape really well. That means if I curl it with a wet set, it'll stay, but also if I go to sleep with damp hair, it will stay in whatever crazy sleep position it was in (even if it's braided), and I'm stuck with it until I soak it again, defeating the purpose of letting it dry overnight. The OP probably has similar hair.

[aster66]

Thanks for the comments and advice everyone! Much appreciated :).

It's good to hear that blowdrying on a cold to medium setting isn't that harmful and I'll probably continue doing that on days when I'm in a hurry. I'm also gonna try bunning or braiding my hair when I have more time (and don't have to leave the house).

@Bumlbebums: You're right! I typed my hair when I had blowdryed it instead of letting it air dry (totally missed the part about letting it airdry :o) . So I probably mistyped my hair. I find it really difficult to type my hair anyway because it seems to have a split personality. The top layers are coarse and seem to have a slight wave while the underlayer is medium and straight with only a slight inward bend at the very end.

Next time I wash my hair I'll let it air dry so I can properly type my hair. Thanks for pointing it out to me!

[aster66]

If the OP gets random kinks from letting her hair air dry, I think sleeping with damp hair would be a bad idea. My hair is not wavy, but not straight, and it holds shape really well. That means if I curl it with a wet set, it'll stay, but also if I go to sleep with damp hair, it will stay in whatever crazy sleep position it was in (even if it's braided), and I'm stuck with it until I soak it again, defeating the purpose of letting it dry overnight. The OP probably has similar hair.

YES! The exact same thing happens to me when I let it dry overnight. My hair stays in whatever crazy shape it dried in (at least the top layers do), which usually looks horrible :mad:

[jujube]

I also don't get the fuss about blowdrying. Flat-ironing, yes. Too hot settings on soaking wet hair, combined with tearing through your hair with a round brush, yes. But the warm/cool settings? Not at all. IDK about you, but my shower water is often hotter than the air coming from my blowdrier. Ever burnt yourself with a flat/curling iron? A blowdrier is nowhere near that hot. Of course, it's healthier to air-dry, but if you don't like the way your hair naturally dries, I'd say go with it.

[heidi w.]

There are ways to speed up the air drying.

My hair, in snowy winter, can take the entire day and into the next to fully air dry, but I don't even own a blow dryer, so I air dry all the time. No matter the time of year.

There are a couple of methods that rely somewhat on the same concepts. My friend, Lady Grace, taught me a "quick" air dry method that she showed me that she used to dry her then 8 foot long hair. She has gorgeous hair by the way.

1. You definitely need a wide-toothed comb. I possess an extra-wide toothed comb and use only this for detangling, ever. No brush, ever. It took me a while to figure out a successful switch because I have slightly heavy, and a lot of hair volume. So the regular wide-tooth combs simply did not go through my hair.

2. I have found a product that helps magnificently with detangling, even while wet. If you must, use a detangler spray.

3. IF you use a BLOW DRYER, consider lowering the heat setting, make sure the blower is a distance away from the hair, and consider partial drying the hair, and allowing it to finish drying via air drying. That's one technique. You could use this in winter for example. The biggest problem with blow drying is that most people put it on high heat and hold it too close to the hair or scalp skin, and it most definitely can irritate the skin or cuticle of the hair in these conditions.

4. For air drying, the problem is that hair clumps or ropes kind of in sections when wet. If they're left this way during air drying, it takes much longer to air dry. It's important to break up these clumps of hair so that hair can get in between strands. Notice that for most, top of head hair, or front of head hair dries really relatively fast, compared to say, the back of the neck hair. Clumping of wet hair is the reason.

So you don't need to necessarily pristinely detangle the hair. You can modestly detangle, enough that large clumps of hair are more separated, and proceed with detangling in phases as the hair becomes more and more dry.

5. Fans. Big room fans do work to dry long hair a bit faster. Lady Grace used to stand on a table in front of around 3 fans and dry her hair in just a few hours or so. Constantly detangling kind of. If you use a fan, use a safe fan, where the blades won't easily catch up hair. Make sure to stand a fair distance away from the fan. This is a real safety concern. I've had run-ins with all manner of fans: ceiling fans, stand-alone fans. Fans are a safety hazard, so you have to be wise, and aware when you use them. Other people who don't possess long hair may have no such awareness.

I myself have to stand around 5-6 feet away from a rotating fan, and I can dry my hair fairly rapidly with the use of fans. Again, though, you detangle as your hair becomes drier and drier, in steps. Do not detangle all at once and overly pull hair that is already fully stretched when wet.

I hope this helps a bit.
heidi w.

[Regan]

Count me in as another who isn't really bothered by blow drying. If the heat is bearable on your skin, I don't see how it should be a problem. Keep the dryer moving and don't keep it too close to your hair, regardless how warm it is. Do a cool shot afterwards.

[heidi w.]

Aster66, have you heard of Scalp Washing? It can get you through when you can't afford the time it takes to perform a full hair wash. Many of us uber long haired folks scalp wash in some form. There are even quicker methods of washing, kind of cheating on a scalp wash.

Scalp washing works for those with length beyond around waist length. Give or take.

heidi w.

[luxepiggy]

As long as you keep it on the lowest temperature setting and keep the dryer moving constantly, you should be fine. I also recommend stopping before your hair is completely bone dry. I blow dry until my hair is about 90% dry after every wash and I don't think it causes any noticeable detrimental effect to my hair's condition (^(oo)^)v

[aster66]

Glad to hear that most of you have not experienced any problems with blowdrying (if used responsibly :p ).

Thanks Heidi for your wonderful tips! Very helpfull! I've never heard of scalpwashing though :confused:...

[DiablitaNoir]

I also have very thick hair that takes forever to air dry. I used to blow dry my hair but stopped because of the damage and the fact that it made my hair even frizzier than when I air dry it. I just stick to blow drying my bangs and letting the rest air dry. I suppose using a milder heat and more distance on your dryer wouldn't hurt much, as others have said. And I don't wash my hair every day because detergents in the shampoo can sap hair of needed oils and moisture, leading to more frizz. Every few days, I use Carol's Daughter brand hair balm, which contains coconut oil and other oils and I leave it in until next washing. A little bit goes a VERY long way. Hope this helps!

[Danni5173]

When I had thick wavy hair -currently losing my fine bone straight hair :( - I had to blow dry it otherwise I was just not presentable. I couldn't go to work at that time like I just stuck my finger into a light socket. I never damaged my hair using a quality dryer on lower heat- the flat iron did that for me just fine- so I really don't think blow dryers are all that bad. If it worries you- air dry it when your hanging out at home and blow dry it when you have to be presentable.

I do regret my flat iron usage though- I should have embraced my waves instead of trying to change them. I would kill for them back over the fine crappy wiry stick straight weak hair I have now. Wow- that felt good to vent about. :)

Anyway, in moderation and responsibly your hair will be fine. Lately, I'm finding what you put into your body for your hair and your health is more important in the long run than what you mechanically do to it. Also, embrace your hair as it is and love it because you don't know if one day you will wake up and have hair that you never wanted. My doctors are positive that I will have my old hair back one day but it's going to take awhile and unfortunately my issue wasn't caused by anything I did to my hair, though when this started a couple of years back, I gave up SLS and all heat styling, currently my hair is too weak to go back to it. If I do get my old hair back that takes forever to dry, I'll have to blowfry sometimes.

Good luck and there is some awesome advice on this thread.

[Eboshi]

If your hair is coarse, damage from use of a hair-dryer will probably be much less than if you were a fine hair, such as myself. :D

I agree with the other posters: a cool setting, keeping it a good 6+ inches away from your hair and letting it partially air-dry are your friends.

[Sunny_side_up]

A fine haired person here, who has used a blow dryer twice in the last couple days while on holiday and my hair felt horrid! My hairs not how it used to be- medication.
Fly away, dry, delicate, not good for my hairs at all. Ive since braided it wet and pampered with coconut oil and it seems happy again. My mum on the other hand who has wonderfully thick hair thats dyed regularly uses a hot hairdrying setting after she washes(not too often mind you) Has no splits and tough hardy hairs.
Ive got the finest and thinnest hair in the family:rolleyes: and for me heat is a no no. So from what people have said a moderate heat at a reasonable distancence should be fine and yes stopping when a certain % of the hairs dry. I used to do that when i was younger a couple times a week or so and my hair was absolutely fine.

[Danni5173]

A fine haired person here, who has used a blow dryer twice in the last couple days while on holiday and my hair felt horrid! My hairs not how it used to be- medication.
Fly away, dry, delicate, not good for my hairs at all. Ive since braided it wet and pampered with coconut oil and it seems happy again. My mum on the other hand who has wonderfully thick hair thats dyed regularly uses a hot hairdrying setting after she washes(not too often mind you) Has no splits and tough hardy hairs.
Ive got the finest and thinnest hair in the family:rolleyes: and for me heat is a no no. So from what people have said a moderate heat at a reasonable distancence should be fine and yes stopping when a certain % of the hairs dry. I used to do that when i was younger a couple times a week or so and my hair was absolutely fine.

Oooh we need to talk Sunny- not to hijack but one of my 2 possibilities is medication. :( I'm wondering if my hair will ever come back right. If not, I guess I have to get used to being a fine hair. I can't blow dry right now either because it will probably just fall out or break off or both- but it air dries fast now.

[long&blonde]

Fan of using a big box room fan too! I have it on a stand a good 3 feet away from me. And I run my fingers thru my hair, with fan blasting on me(on lowest setting tho;higher settings of fan cause tangles). Just as you describe. :)

[aster66]

Thanks for all the helpful comments everyone :)!



When I had thick wavy hair -currently losing my fine bone straight hair :( - I had to blow dry it otherwise I was just not presentable. I couldn't go to work at that time like I just stuck my finger into a light socket. I never damaged my hair using a quality dryer on lower heat- the flat iron did that for me just fine- so I really don't think blow dryers are all that bad. If it worries you- air dry it when your hanging out at home and blow dry it when you have to be presentable.

I do regret my flat iron usage though- I should have embraced my waves instead of trying to change them. I would kill for them back over the fine crappy wiry stick straight weak hair I have now. Wow- that felt good to vent about. :)

Anyway, in moderation and responsibly your hair will be fine. Lately, I'm finding what you put into your body for your hair and your health is more important in the long run than what you mechanically do to it. Also, embrace your hair as it is and love it because you don't know if one day you will wake up and have hair that you never wanted. My doctors are positive that I will have my old hair back one day but it's going to take awhile and unfortunately my issue wasn't caused by anything I did to my hair, though when this started a couple of years back, I gave up SLS and all heat styling, currently my hair is too weak to go back to it. If I do get my old hair back that takes forever to dry, I'll have to blowfry sometimes.

Good luck and there is some awesome advice on this thread.

I can relate to the fingers in light socket look, thats exactly what my hair looks like when I don't blowdry it. It's good to hear from everyone that if used correctly a blowdryer won't be all that damaging to my hair :).

[naturegirl321]

Mine is in the pile to take to the next clothing swap in a couple weeks. I've used it a couple times and I figure if I don't have it, I won't be tempted to use it.

[sbhonda]

I was in a similar predicament. My hair is very, very thick, and even at only shoulder length and very layered, it took 6-7 hours to air dry. However, recently I've started trying oil shampoo (1:1 or 2:1 shampoo to coconut oil, depending on the day) and my hair has been only taking about 3 hours to dry, which is tolerable to me. I can shower after dinner and have dry hair by bedtime, unlike before when I had wet hair either all day or all night. I've only been using oil shampoo for about 5 washes, so I can't speak about the long term results, but so far my hair is softer than it's been in a long time.

[ladyshep]

I can't seem to live without my blowdryer either.You can use a turbie towel or a super absorbant paper towel to speed up drying time on your hair to decrease exposure from a blowdryer. Then blowdry the rest of your hair. You can also use SKINNY HAIR SERUM from Paul Mitchel. It cuts drying time in half. I do this and my hair has never been healthier as it is now.

[turtlelover]

Perhaps the cumulative effects of blowdrying would be bad if you were going for extreme, extreme lengths, but I seriously never had a problem growing to waist with very healthy hair blowdrying every day and a half. I think it depends on what your goals are.