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patienceneeded
January 24th, 2012, 08:03 PM
Would using a hair-dryer on medium heat, with a diffuser really be all that bad for my hair? I'm tired of having wet hair (braided) while I sleep, or wet hair hanging down my back all day. It's wet enough in Oregon right now...

Amber_Maiden
January 24th, 2012, 08:06 PM
Is it bad to use heat on your hair? yes. Could you do it anyways, sure, no one is stopping you. You decide what is important and you decide what works best for your hair.

If I, personally, was going to use a hairdryer, I would use one that had a "cool" setting.

LovingLife
January 24th, 2012, 08:07 PM
Not really 'that bad' up with flat ironing. But will definetely show damage over time :) Its really what you're willing to work with to be honest :)

Anywhere
January 24th, 2012, 08:12 PM
Oy. I don't really know what a diffuser is.

But the thing is, I don't think a blowdryer on cool/medium heat is too bad at all. I always thought it was the blowing around like crazy (and heat) that did damage, not the actual air (doesn't someone on this forum use a fan to dry their hair? Isn't that similar to blowdrying on a cooler setting?).

Peter
January 24th, 2012, 08:18 PM
I use my hairdryer on the "warm" setting (there's normal/warm/hot/extra hot) a few times a week. You can look at my hair on my profile and decide for yourself if it's worth it.

I've been doing this for a few years and haven't noticed any damage.

Peter
January 24th, 2012, 08:19 PM
Oy. I don't really know what a diffuser is.

But the thing is, I don't think a blowdryer on cool/medium heat is too bad at all. I always thought it was the blowing around like crazy (and heat) that did damage, not the actual air (doesn't someone on this forum use a fan to dry their hair? Isn't that similar to blowdrying on a cooler setting?).
I believe it's mainly the heat that causes the damage. The blowing around might be a factor if it causes your hair to tangle, but otherwise I doubt it.

Yame
January 24th, 2012, 08:19 PM
Would using a hair-dryer on medium heat, with a diffuser really be all that bad for my hair? I'm tired of having wet hair (braided) while I sleep, or wet hair hanging down my back all day. It's wet enough in Oregon right now...

On medium heat, with a diffuser and far enough from your hair, I don't think is bad at all provided your hair doesn't tangle easily. If it does tangle easily, breaking up the tangles could cause damage, but otherwise I really don't see what the problem is.

In fact, I might be doing the same tonight. I normally let my hair air dry, but I had to wet my hair now to start my black tea experiment, and it's a bit late for my hair to air dry before I go to sleep. I don't want to sleep with my hair wet, so I will be blow drying it in a medium or cool setting. I haven't blow dried my hair in half a year!

chou
January 24th, 2012, 08:37 PM
No, if you use good judgement, I don't think this will cause damage. There is a stigma against heat use of any kind, but there is a huge difference in temperature between a blow dryer on medium and, say, a flat iron or even a blow dryer on high. I have some damage on one section of my canopy from, in part, blow dryer use on very hot combined with a round brush. I have since transitioned to diffusing on low and I can feel on my hair the transition between the slightly frizzier section of abused hair and the smooth part further up of gently dried hair.
If you can hold your hand to the flow of air for a while without discomfort I just don't see how that can actually damage your hair. Lots of girls with tightly curled long hair regularly use diffusers without issue, and curly hair is supposed to be more fragile than other types. I think that the misconception that blow dryers are evil comes from their widespread use as straightening tools when combined with brushing and styling products. If you keep an eye on the temperature by holding your hair in place in the diffuser with your spare hand, I personally think your hair will be just fine.

jacqueline101
January 24th, 2012, 08:45 PM
I think if you use a heat protector and use a low heat setting it would be alright and keep the hair dryer away from your head.

NymphSpirit
January 24th, 2012, 08:55 PM
Why not using cold air? From what I hear it's a quite common feature and it doesn't damage the hair, no?

Chromis
January 24th, 2012, 08:57 PM
I used to live in the PNW. It's all about timing. I timed my washes with when I knew I could just leave it down for a while to get it mostly dry before braiding. Microfibre towels (I have a couple of microfibre turbies that are fantastic) really help to get most of the water out before I let it down. Here I still do the same thing, especially in the winter since it is so much colder!

I use a shower cap to keep my hair dry on non-wash days.

turtlelover
January 24th, 2012, 09:01 PM
If I were going for EXTREME lengths -- classic and below -- I would not blow dry. However, for my own hair, I do not have damage problems from blowdrying on a medium setting up to waist length. I am sure there is some slight cumulative damage, but regular trims get rid of it and it just isn't a concern.

TitaniaOfFairys
January 24th, 2012, 09:15 PM
I wash my hair every other day, and I blow dry every time. I live in Europe, we have very cold winter here, and even autumn and spring is mostly cold. I just can't leave my scalp wet for hours, if I do this, my body and head will be terribly cold. Also I don't think it is healthy to leave the scalp wet all night, but it's just me.

I put my hair in a towel for about 30-60 minutes, then remove the towel, pin my hair up for 1-2 hours, and only start to blow dry when it is already about 70% dry. I have tailbone length hair, and only have to blow dry for about 10 minutes. I use low heat, keep the dryer far from my hair and move it a lot. While drying it, I use a comb to detangle it if needed, and to prevent tangles from the air. I like to rub some oil (coconut or argan) or Joico leave-in into my ends, those are very good for moisturising and protecting.
I have fine hair, and never had any damage from blow dryers. It grows fast and it's shiny.
I don't say it's not damaging. I know it can be. But I think if you find the safe way to use it, you won't have any problems.

I tried to airdry my hair for a couple of times, but it's just not for me. I felt very uncomfortable, my scalp was cold, and I felt it became numb and "dead". It was like that strange coldness "trapped" into my scalp (sorry, I can't find a better word to describe it) and it stayed with me all day, even in the hottest summer.
Also I hated how my hair looked after air drying. I have a double crown and terrible whirls (or cowlicks) in my hairline, and all of them are curling in the wrong direction. If I don't use the dryer and a comb to make them straight (and the funny thing is that I have straight hair...) I will look awful.
I know everyone's hair is different, and mine is very strange I think. It's way more softer, shinier and has less tangles after blow drying. Each time I let my hair to airdry, it became a frizzy mess, and it was very hard to detangle it.
But as I said, everyone's hair is different.

lippleyluv
January 24th, 2012, 09:39 PM
I blow dry my hair every time I wash my hair which is, on average, about twice a week. I rarely use an actual blow dryer, instead I will put a fan on a chair, stand in front of it, and comb my hair while air blows through it. I usually wait until my hair is about half dry, and it takes maybe ten minutes for the hair to be almost totally dry. I live in the Pacific Northwest too, and there is no way my BSL hair will dry in the few hours I am at home in the evening. My hair is a little on the thin side(to me, LOL) so as far as time goes YMMV but I have not noticed any damage from drying this way. Good luck!

getoffmyskittle
January 24th, 2012, 09:53 PM
No, and stress from worrying about all this stuff is way worse than the stuff itself.

manderly
January 24th, 2012, 10:24 PM
No, and stress from worrying about all this stuff is way worse than the stuff itself.

What she said. I think it's pretty common for newbies to kind of overly stress about stuff like this (I did :)), and to get kind of zen about it as you grow on.

If you don't like wet hair, BLOW DRY IT. If you want the world record's longest hair, it may not be the best choice, but using a blow dryer on a regular heat setting and a diffuser will not cause you any more damage than any other daily activity. Chances are you take a hotter shower than you'd blow dry. LOL

TitaniaOfFairys
January 25th, 2012, 10:00 AM
No, and stress from worrying about all this stuff is way worse than the stuff itself.

I agree. It can kills the joy of having long hair and being happy with it.

Carissamarie08
January 25th, 2012, 10:01 AM
I blowdry and use a flat iron...I like my hair and will never just give this stuff up completely..it makes me hair look good!

Madora
January 25th, 2012, 10:31 AM
Would using a hair-dryer on medium heat, with a diffuser really be all that bad for my hair? I'm tired of having wet hair (braided) while I sleep, or wet hair hanging down my back all day. It's wet enough in Oregon right now...

If you're trying to grow your hair to a great length, then I'd refrain from using a hair dryer.

Drying your hair gently can be done indoors with a portable bathroom fan with variable heat settings. Just be sure to stand about 4 feet from the fan.

Here's an article I wrote on how to airdry naturally - indoors and out:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=223

patienceneeded
January 25th, 2012, 10:41 AM
I would like to see how long my hair CAN get, but not at the expense of not enjoying it. Waist-Hip area would be fine with me. I'm not going to stress about extreme length. I'll use a blowdrier when/if I want to. I haven't used one in about a year, so I may not use it very often...but I will use it occasionally. Especially during the rainy season. I'm not bothered by the wet hair when the weather is sunny and warm, just when it's cold and wet. I don't have hours to sit around and dry my hair (not that any of you do). I do use microfiber towels to remove excess water, I do use a shower-cap on non-wash days, I comb and detangle carefully, all the LHC "good" habits. I just want to not have drippy hair for hours. My hair is very thick and can take 4-5 hours to dry if left loose, 8-10 if braided or bunned. It's annoying.

Arctic
January 25th, 2012, 12:21 PM
I started to use diffuser drier last summer regularly. I use warm and or cold setting, and lowest wind setting. My hair is short at the moment, but I have not noticed any negative effects from this, on the contrary: I get my cowlicks behaving with drying my hair, and am able to enjoy my hair much more knowing my hair looks good. I wash my hair every day or every other day usually, and diffuse my hair afterwards 95% of the time. I don't have any special heat protectant, because the air is not hot, it's slightly warmer than body temperature at best. I believe I continue diffusing at least my scalp area as my hair grows (to camouflage those cowlicks).

ETA: I don't use comb or brush with the drier, just the diffuser.

Phalaenopsis
January 25th, 2012, 01:12 PM
I wouldn't stress about it too much either. It will dry out your hair a bit, but nothing you can't overcome. With thick hair like that, you will get to hip easily and with blunt ends even though you're hair drying.

lapushka
January 25th, 2012, 01:21 PM
Everything beats sitting around with a wet head for hours on end! So yes, my hair gets blowdried and no, I don't think it's bad provided you use a cool to mildly warm setting. I'm between BSL & WL right now and I don't see any damage yet.

Nev
January 29th, 2012, 02:17 PM
i wouldn't use heat if you're doing a no trimming thing, or if you're growing to really long lengths. I blowdry just my top layers and bangs and i trim them regularly, plus i use a heat protectant...

Vanille_
January 29th, 2012, 02:24 PM
My blow dryer has an ion diffuser setting. It also has two settings - warm and cool. If I blow dry my hair, sometimes I alternate between the two settings.

I see some of you mentioning using a fan. Does the cool air in fact not cause as much damage? I'm wondering if I should switch to only using the cool setting.

My hair bleeds pink FOREVER after dying it. Until it's dry, I'm not allowed to touch it on ANYTHING.

MissHair
January 29th, 2012, 02:26 PM
Personally I don't think medium heat/air is all that bad. Compare it to a nice walk on the beach in the summer, when it's blowing. I flatiron and blowdry and definitely think flatiron is worse because the heat physically touches the hair whilst blowdryer only moves the hair from the wind.

papera
January 29th, 2012, 02:31 PM
I hadn't used a blow dryer for years because I didn't want to damage my hair. But now they're past hip and it just gets annoying to let them air dry in the winter. It just takes ages! So I blow-dry:p But just the hair on the head, not the actual length. And I do use medium heat because the cold setting is just too cold for my liking, brr.
So far I haven't noticed any damage, but more tangling because of the blowing. But well, at the moment I prefer tangling to having a cold!
Once it gets warmer though I'll stop using the hair dryer.

elfgirl
January 29th, 2012, 03:04 PM
If you use the cold air setting, and a heat spray or protector, then things should be okay :) Best of luck!

Macaroni
January 29th, 2012, 03:16 PM
Oy. I don't really know what a diffuser is.

But the thing is, I don't think a blowdryer on cool/medium heat is too bad at all. I always thought it was the blowing around like crazy (and heat) that did damage, not the actual air (doesn't someone on this forum use a fan to dry their hair? Isn't that similar to blowdrying on a cooler setting?).

Yup, I do it in the summer, works great.

LittleOrca
January 29th, 2012, 03:24 PM
It's always wet in Oregon this time of the year. ;) Still, I just save my washes for days (or nights) when I know Im not going anywhere and can let my hair dry in a twistie towel for a while then air dry.

Coan-Teen
January 29th, 2012, 03:37 PM
I mostly look at it like this: everything causes damage. It's unavoidable. You touch your hair, that's damage. Your hair tangles on itself: damage. You braid a little too tight: damage. That's not to say that those activities are bad or that you're doing something wrong, but everything causes some small minute amount of damage.

Just go with what feels right for you and your hair. I blow dry. My hair is pretty resilient. I don't think blow drying my hair twice a week will cause any more damage than it tangling while I wait for it to dry. (My hair is very clingy when it is wet.) But there is no such thing as perfect hair care. It's just about doing what works for you. Use a cool or a cooler setting and maybe oil a bit to add some slip, but otherwise relax.

celebriangel
January 29th, 2012, 04:01 PM
On cool, it shouldn't be much of an issue. The damage, I believe, is caused by a combination of heat + mechanical damage from handling (observe the way hairdressers blowdry with a round brush. Doing that every day = death to fine, fragile hair, and probably some damage over a long time to less fragile hair)

Blowdrying gently using warm air, and agitating your hair only a little with your fingers while doing so, will remove almost all of the heat and manipulation-related damage. So you should be home and dry :)

mrs_coffee
January 29th, 2012, 07:12 PM
I use my dryer 2-3 times a week on the medium setting. It hasn't damaged my hair as far as I can tell, but if I do see damage I'm not opposed to cutting it off. I don't worry about it too much.

patienceneeded
January 29th, 2012, 08:25 PM
I used the dryer all last week and loved it. I wash every-other day, so I only need to blow dry 2-3 times a week. I will probably avoid it during the summer months, as the weather is warm enough to dry my hair, but will use it when and if I want to and not worry about it. I did buy a heat-protecting spray though, to help minimize any extra damage. My hair is pretty tough, I don't think it'll be overly reactive to the heat.

MonaMayfair
January 30th, 2012, 04:44 AM
I always use a blow dryer this time of year - after 10 minutes wrapped in a microfibre towel and then only on the warm or sometimes cool setting. I dry it a little, leave it for a couple of hours and then dry some more if I need to (never drying it completely with the blow dryer)
However that's just because I've been used to treating my hair pretty gently my whole life - I wouldn't obsess about possibly damaging it!

partlycloudy
January 30th, 2012, 05:19 AM
It really depends how long you want to grow your hair and if you don't mind some damage. If you want to grow to waist+ and you blow dry regularly, damage will probably show over time. It's the accumulation of all the little things you do every day that determine hair's health. Depending on how long your hair is, some of the length might be 3 or 4 years old or more.

Also keep in mind that it's not just the heat/airflow that can cause damage, it's also the brushing/combing of wet hair while doing it. Hair is much more fragile when wet.

Unfortunately the only way of knowing how your hair will respond to treatment is to try it out and see. I only know what works for my hair because I went through a lot of what didn't work first. Good luck!

palaeoqueen
January 30th, 2012, 03:07 PM
I also always thought it was the combination of high heat and brushing that caused the damage. I work at home a lot so can leave mine to air dry most of the time. If I'm short on time or it's particularly cold (like today *shivering in our draughty Victorian townhouse!*) I use the hair dryer for just a few minutes after letting it dry off a bit on it's own, then again after leaving it a bit longer if needed. I always use a low heat and never brush while drying.

ladyshep
January 30th, 2012, 03:58 PM
I use the cool setting now and then. I don't think it is bad to use a diffuser. Keep feeling your hair to make sure it isn't getting scorched and keep moving the diffuser around.

LadyLongLocks
January 30th, 2012, 04:36 PM
I think if you alternate from cool to warm it will be fine. I have used a hair dryer all my life. My hair is very long and healthy. I do air dry in the summer and use fans, but in the winter I blow dry.
I do it in short sessions and let my hair air dry in between.
I can't stand walking around with wet hair so I always try to dry it asap.
If you are careful and avoid the hot setting, I see nothing wrong with blow drying.

akilina
January 30th, 2012, 05:38 PM
Use a brush that air can go thru. I like to dry at the root first then the ends. It makes the whole process go alot quicker especially if you are using a cool setting. If you want to use medium heat (i am guilty of doing this too much), afterward, it would be good to run over it all with the cool setting. Out of all the evil things you could do to your hair I think blowdrying is possibly the friendliest if doing it correctly.