Can I still use a blow dryer on cold?

[christyrose]

Its been really hard not to use a blow dryer even though my hair is short and dries quick, its super straight in some parts or too curly in others without blow drying and has no volume whatsoever. So what about blow drying on cool with cold air? Is it still damaging?

[IvanaGil]

I'm wondering this too.

[Tisiloves]

You wouldn't have heat damage if you blow dry cool enough, but you might well still have mechanical damage from the repeated brushing whilst it's drying.

[Silverbrumby]

I still blow dry on low heat for special occasions when my hair is almost dry. Love it.

[christyrose]

I dont brush as I dry, so does that mean I am safe? My hair is super fine so even something like running my fingers through my hair a little gets it tangle free. Does that mean its ok? I would be so happy because even on cold it makes me have more volume!

[luxepiggy]

As long as you're not brushing whilst using the dryer, I don't think it's a problem. I blow dry on cool every time I wash while gently fingercombing, and I don't find it damaging.

[Tisiloves]

I dont brush as I dry, so does that mean I am safe? My hair is super fine so even something like running my fingers through my hair a little gets it tangle free. Does that mean its ok? I would be so happy because even on cold it makes me have more volume!

It should be fine then, I just suggest keeping an eye on it since fine hair is particularly prone to damage.

[akilina]

To me, It is the best thing you could do if you are going to do it :]
Cool air helps the cuticle lay down and makes the hair much smoother.
Here is a perfect example. When blowing out a clients hair, I would use heat, then run over it with the cold shot a few times. Amazing. It would always smooth the hair perfectly and leave it feeling so much better.
For you I would recommend waiting until it is half dry or so, then using it.

[Arden]

When I blow fry... which is practially never... I use cold... My hair is wavy and super sensitive to blowing it out... if I use heat I end up with a big fluff that wont lay down even with the paddle brush.... Cold I think is ok, my hair doesnt react as badly to it.. the low setting almost gives no frizz but it takes FOREVER cause my hair super grabs moisture... I get tired fussing with it but it does speed things up for me if I happen to be going out somewhere fancy...

On a normal day I wash, blot with my mircofiber towel and bun that baby up :D

[faellen]

I often do this. It just takes hours otherwise. Never noticed any damage from it.

[moralita]

Fellow fine haired person here! I do this a few times a week and it hasn't caused any damage. My hair has almost no split ends, except the inch or so at the ends where I'm growing out old bleach damage. I don't use a brush when I do this, except on my bangs, which I blow dry on the "warm" setting. I always wait until the hair is anywhere from 50 to 60% dry and make sure everything is tangle free.

I also use a leave-in conditioner (neutrogena triple moisture silk touch leave-in) on damp hair before picking up the blowdryer. On top of adding much-needed moisture, it definitely minimizes mechanical damage by preventing a lot of tangling and snagging.

[HintOfMint]

question to those who replied, is blow drying on cold actually effective? Does it actually make hair dry faster than it would if it were just air/towel dried?

[Elenna]

What is damaging about blow drying is the heat, so cool air shouldn't damage your hair. I used to think that only hot hair worked on straightening my hair. Nope, it was just the moving air. Although it does take a little longer, but the benefits way-out-weigh the negatives.

[Ticky]

When I do blow dry, it is on cool. I haven't noticed any damage :shrug:

[MeowScat]

No heat = no problem.

When I want my hair to dry faster than the usual 5 - 8 hours it takes to air dry, I sit in front of a fan. I have no damage from it.

Since you're using cold air with your blowfryer, it's a mini-fan. My only concern was that you were brushing during, but since you're not, you're good to go.

[Inozz]

Oh good. I hate when my scalp is still damp after hours. I ususally give it a quick blow dry of I'm going of bed and it's still damp. I'll stick with cold air now.

[chou]

I diffuse on low/warm (my blowdryer has a perfectly tepid warm setting) after almost every wash because I can't go out to work with wet hair and it's too short to damp bun. I have had no problems with damage. I hold my hair in place near the nozzle while drying and my rule is, if it feels uncomfortably hot on my hand, it might be bad for my hair--but this only happens on the hottest setting. Blow dryers are not inherently evil! The ridiculous midwestern winds I have to deal with every day around here are certainly more of a hazard than my blow dryer.

[EndlessSunshine]

I just bought a new blow dryer so I could have the cool setting. It takes me about twenty minutes to dry on cool instead of forever. All is good and I only do it when I don't want wet hair.

[Tigermama]

I think it's OK. I sometimes do this.

[Arden]

question to those who replied, is blow drying on cold actually effective? Does it actually make hair dry faster than it would if it were just air/towel dried?

Well yea, it doesnt dry it as fast as using heat but air, cold or not, is air. When you drive with the windows down your hair dries faster. It's the air circulation around it that helps speed up the process. Another example is when I pull my hair up into a loosely fixed bun. I notice that the hair around my scalp tends to dry faster. i'm guessing because it's being lifted up and has more circulation around the strands. The stuff wrapped up stays wet longer but since it's wrapped it's not real noticable.

[torrilin]

Its been really hard not to use a blow dryer even though my hair is short and dries quick, its super straight in some parts or too curly in others without blow drying and has no volume whatsoever. So what about blow drying on cool with cold air? Is it still damaging?

Um, you're typing yourself as 1c. 1c doesn't have full on curls. Rilly. In fact, most 1c types would not necessarily know there was ANY wave in their hair at ear length. Or chin. It might be clear there's wave at shoulder.

This sounds to me like you're blow drying to avoid dealing with naturally curly hair. Since curly hair is really prone to mechanical damage and you're also typing yourself as F and i... I can't see how using a blow dryer at all could be helpful. It's also very common for F hair to look like there is no volume, even when the hair is a 3c curl level. Fine hair is really easy to damage mechanically, and it does not hold curl well compared to coarser types. Often just combing hair is enough for a finey to drop from looking like a 3 to a 2 or from a 2 to a 1.

[christyrose]

Um, you're typing yourself as 1c. 1c doesn't have full on curls. Rilly. In fact, most 1c types would not necessarily know there was ANY wave in their hair at ear length. Or chin. It might be clear there's wave at shoulder.

This sounds to me like you're blow drying to avoid dealing with naturally curly hair. Since curly hair is really prone to mechanical damage and you're also typing yourself as F and i... I can't see how using a blow dryer at all could be helpful. It's also very common for F hair to look like there is no volume, even when the hair is a 3c curl level. Fine hair is really easy to damage mechanically, and it does not hold curl well compared to coarser types. Often just combing hair is enough for a finey to drop from looking like a 3 to a 2 or from a 2 to a 1.

Honestly 1c was the best I could come up with, but if I am wrong I will change it... I have the biggest head of mixed hair. One the right side in front its pin straight and wont hold curl well if at all. The other side is straight but curls and holds curl kind of easy, the back is straight with a slight wave to it. The problem I had is that a couple spots on my head right now with short hair are very curly. Its only 2 spots in the completely straight other areas. I lost my hair there and it came back very very curly, but its not quite as curly once its longer. It just is a little wave, but a slight bit more wave than the back. So I kind of determined my hair time not by how it is now this short but what its like when those strands have more weight on them. When I blow dry heat or not they just have a slight wave no curl, when I dry wet its almost the same but a few tight curls in there... I would be fine if my whole head was like this, but its not :( So with all that did I put my hair type down wrong? I honestly had never even thought of my hair time before joining LHC but I would be interested to know!

[Arden]

Um, you're typing yourself as 1c. 1c doesn't have full on curls. Rilly. In fact, most 1c types would not necessarily know there was ANY wave in their hair at ear length. Or chin. It might be clear there's wave at shoulder.

This sounds to me like you're blow drying to avoid dealing with naturally curly hair. Since curly hair is really prone to mechanical damage and you're also typing yourself as F and i... I can't see how using a blow dryer at all could be helpful. It's also very common for F hair to look like there is no volume, even when the hair is a 3c curl level. Fine hair is really easy to damage mechanically, and it does not hold curl well compared to coarser types. Often just combing hair is enough for a finey to drop from looking like a 3 to a 2 or from a 2 to a 1.

Yea this is totally true. I just did a hair typing thread and was classified as a 2a but my whole life I belive I had stright hair and would have pre LHC definatly said I was in the 1's....


For compairison....

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj558/Marcie_Coleman/Hair%20Before/Hb4-charlotte-CE.jpg

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This was a year ago, last june or july somtime.... back then I was using sulfates, cones and paddle brushing my hair.....
__________________________________________________ ___
http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj558/Marcie_Coleman/Hair%20Typing%206-28-2012/ht1e.jpg

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj558/Marcie_Coleman/Hair%20Typing%206-28-2012/ht4e.jpg

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
These two pictures are from my hair typing thred. Here I used just a clarifying shampoo, no conditioner, no touching and let it air dry

__________________________________________________ ___

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj558/Marcie_Coleman/6-25-2012%20CGHair/3CG.jpg

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This is what happens with just a little bit of curl incuragement

[christyrose]

Thanks everyone for the go ahead. I feel better now! I didnt want to do it thinking its ok and deal with the damage later on it! I need to get more leave in conditioner, but thanks to whoever mentioned it because I forgot about needing it! Oh and most days I just let my hair dry on its own, its just when I have to get ready early in the morning, or dont have time to let it dry before I leave the house that I would do it anyway. So maybe 1-2 times a week.

[christyrose]

Yea this is totally true. I just did a hair typing thread and was classified as a 2a but my whole life I belive I had stright hair and would have pre LHC definatly said I was in the 1's....


For compairison....

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj558/Marcie_Coleman/Hair%20Before/Hb4-charlotte-CE.jpg

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This was a year ago, last june or july somtime.... back then I was using sulfates, cones and paddle brushing my hair.....
__________________________________________________ ___
http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj558/Marcie_Coleman/Hair%20Typing%206-28-2012/ht1e.jpg

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj558/Marcie_Coleman/Hair%20Typing%206-28-2012/ht4e.jpg

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
These two pictures are from my hair typing thred. Here I used just a clarifying shampoo, no conditioner, no touching and let it air dry

__________________________________________________ ___

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj558/Marcie_Coleman/6-25-2012%20CGHair/3CG.jpg

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This is what happens with just a little bit of curl incuragement


Wow, yeah so I am even more confused. I am going to let it grow out a little more to about shoulder length then ask on the thread. When my hair is short it acts a lot different than longer and the last time I had my hair shoulder length was 13 years ago! I definitely want to get rid of my sulfates because of this though! I cant believe the difference!

[Arden]

Wow, yeah so I am even more confused. I am going to let it grow out a little more to about shoulder length then ask on the thread. When my hair is short it acts a lot different than longer and the last time I had my hair shoulder length was 13 years ago! I definitely want to get rid of my sulfates because of this though! I cant believe the difference!

Well I have fine hair and like was said before fine hair is super duper delicate..

For me just the slightest little thing can make it fall flat as a pancake... I found the silly cones where too much weight for my hair... I also found that my hair wasnt getting enough of the right kind of moisture... I know that's confusing... It kind of confuses me... but hydration without cones makes a compleat diffrence for me.....

If this is a good illustration think of it this way... alot of the same silicones found in shampoos and conditioners are EXCACTLY the same thing found in hand lotion... Just stop and think for a moment what your hair would look like if you put hand lotion in it....

Another thing is that I stopped using a conventional bath towel on my hair. I got a mircofiber towel made for hair and it works SO much better...

IF I blow fry on a high setting my hair turns into a big puff ball... Kind of reminds me of Gilda Rander (you know Origional cast SNL?) ...not that bad cause I'm not true curly but I can definatly get some hight out of it... Even if I brush it after I still am stuck with good ol' texas big hair till it calms down... :D



Fine hair, especially fine wavy / curly hair needs special love :D

[torrilin]

Honestly 1c was the best I could come up with, but if I am wrong I will change it... I have the biggest head of mixed hair. One the right side in front its pin straight and wont hold curl well if at all. The other side is straight but curls and holds curl kind of easy, the back is straight with a slight wave to it. The problem I had is that a couple spots on my head right now with short hair are very curly. Its only 2 spots in the completely straight other areas. I lost my hair there and it came back very very curly, but its not quite as curly once its longer. It just is a little wave, but a slight bit more wave than the back. So I kind of determined my hair time not by how it is now this short but what its like when those strands have more weight on them. When I blow dry heat or not they just have a slight wave no curl, when I dry wet its almost the same but a few tight curls in there... I would be fine if my whole head was like this, but its not :( So with all that did I put my hair type down wrong? I honestly had never even thought of my hair time before joining LHC but I would be interested to know!

If you've got a few tight curls here and there at ear length, that suggests your correct type is 2c or 3a (depending on what you're seeing as tight curls, could be higher even). You're essentially describing my partner's hair, his sister's hair and his mom's hair.

His mom's stated reason for wearing her hair short is "it gets curly if I let it grow!" Her hair is M or M/C textured, so the 3a curls she has naturally do not straighten easily. Like a lot of women with curly hair, she thinks curls are ugly and she does everything she can to avoid them.

My partner's hair is pretty similar, but he doesn't mind his curls. He chooses to not grow his hair out because he's got psoriasis and a curl friendly routine is really bad for his psoriasis. Intense itching is not real compatible with good curl formation. Very sad. So he wears his hair short, but does not try to eliminate the curl.

His sister wears her hair curly (her hair is 3a/M or so... maybe F/M given how easily she straightens it), and like you are describing, not all curls are equally curly. This is normal. Very few people have totally uniform hair over their whole head. She's also a hennahead, and because her previous routine was so drying, for her henna has improved her curl level. It's pushed her to use a lot more conditioner in her routine, so her curls show up much better.

If your goal is to grow long, I'd suggest giving up on the hair dryer while your hair is short enough to dry fast. As the other posters have noted, a hair dryer is not automatically evil. Quite a few curlies use one happily to help enhance their curls... but if you work on a gentler routine but then dry by habit in the same way, you'll waste all the work. So take advantage of the short and fast drying hair for now, and add in a dryer later if you decide you need it.

[lapushka]

My hair's still blowdried, on warm, not on hot nor on cold, on a temperature that won't burn your hand if you hold it in the airstream. If it won't burn your hand, it's not going to do damage to your hair. This doesn't include styling (roundbrushing) while drying!

[luxepiggy]

question to those who replied, is blow drying on cold actually effective? Does it actually make hair dry faster than it would if it were just air/towel dried?

Significantly! If I start with damp hair and blow dry with low speed on the Cool setting, my hair is dry in 5 minutes. Without the blow dryer it would take half an hour. Plus it looks and feels much smoother & shinier than when I air-dry it, because I use a concentrator nozzle and direct the airflow from root-tip.

[luxepiggy]

If this is a good illustration think of it this way... alot of the same silicones found in shampoos and conditioners are EXCACTLY the same thing found in hand lotion... Just stop and think for a moment what your hair would look like if you put hand lotion in it....


I have actually used lotion in a pinch in lieu of conditioner. It worked surprisingly well. :p

[Macaroni]

Yes. I use my blowdryer on cool after my hair is 95% air dried. I bow my head and flip my hair and blow on the roots for volume.

[hairstuck]

I use hair dryers on cold when I use them. Why not? Can't let it air dry if you have to be at work soon after, so... go for it. My hair seems to like being dried on cool.

[Vanille_]

The fastest way I've found to dry my hair is sitting in front of a fan. I'm not talking full blast or anything. But my hair doesn't tangle easy and so it can handle the fan well without having to brush every few seconds.