I DONT MEAN TO BE NEGATIVE BUT TO ME HEAT IS.....

BeautifulFlower

Well-Known Member
I am a bit logical. Think about this and if you have a good explanation for me then let me know the real deal...

If the sun is damaging to the hair...
And the sun is the most indirect source of heat I can think of...
Then how is a hooded dryer healthy for you?

And how is sitting under indirect heat (a hooded dryer) for an hour plus for drying or a rollerset any healthier for the hair than a 10 to 15 minute blast of direct heat (blow dryers)?

I hear about girls having alot of breakage with rollersets and what not.

Heat is heat and the less the better. I use heat for deep conditions, air dry for everything else, and flat iron and blow dry every three months.

I mean what is the difference really...


Thoughts are welcomed.
 
Although I personally think the hood dryer is better than a blow dryer my dermatologist felt that I shouldnt being using any heat at all. She thinks they are all bad heat. She is clear but has very fine hair that she says damages easily.
 
I thought the sun damage was because of the rays not the actual heat. By rays I mean the same ones that damage the skin UVB i think...something like that.
 
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I am a bit logical. Think about this and if you have a good explanation for me then let me know the real deal...

If the sun is damaging to the hair...
And the sun is the most indirect source of heat I can think of...
Then how is a hooded dryer healthy for you?

And how is sitting under indirect heat (a hooded dryer) for an hour plus for drying or a rollerset any healthier for the hair than a 10 to 15 minute blast of direct heat (blow dryers)?


I hear about girls having alot of breakage with rollersets and what not.

Heat is heat and the less the better. I use heat for deep conditions, air dry for everything else, and flat iron and blow dry every three months.

I mean what is the difference really...


Thoughts are welcomed.
I don't know why. Ask my hair, its flourishing!:) To each its own, whatever floats your boat, get it how ya live......you get the point.
 
Solar heat is very much different from electric-generated, circulating, temperature-controlled heat. There are no harmful UV rays associated w/ it. The problem is the when its used excessively and at high temps for long periods of time.
 
ME TOO! I'm glad u said it first. Heat is heat regardless. I personally dont have the time to sit under a dryer at home for 1-2 hours in one spot. Only when i have a lazy day w/ nothing to do will I do it. Its hard for me to do so at the salon.

I think its the manipulation though. Under the dryer there is no manipulation except for gettin the hair in rollers. When i blow dry, my hair is all over the place, gently pulling and straightening. BUT, it only takes me 10 minutes.

Its a tradeoff I think. I wish someone could do a study of a hair folicle w/ a hooded dryer and a blow dryer and see which one caused the most damage.
 
I don't know why. Ask my hair, its flourishing!:) To each its own, whatever floats your boat, get it how ya live......you get the point.

OT, but PRETTY!!!!!!!!!!!


But, back on topic:

I don't think the UV rays from the sun can be compared to the heat from the dryer.

My dryer does get hot and sitting under there for a long time feels brutal, but I do think ends do better with rollersets and over the long haul length of the strands do better, too. I've yet to master the rollersets but I see how they can be better than flatirons and curling irons. And I think the sun is better that those, too. At least we do get some health benefits from the sun (vitamin d).
 
OT, but PRETTY!!!!!!!!!!!


But, back on topic:

I don't think the UV rays from the sun can be compared to the heat from the dryer.

My dryer does get hot and sitting under there for a long time feels brutal, but I do think ends do better with rollersets and over the long haul length of the strands do better, too. I've yet to master the rollersets but I see how they can be better than flatirons and curling irons. And I think the sun is better that those, too. At least we do get some health benefits from the sun (vitamin d).

Thanks hun!:)
 
Also the heat associated with a hooded dryer is indirect compared to a high amount of heat being concentrated on a small area when you blow dry or curl. Think about it...would you rather sit on a long bed of sharp nails or place all of your weight on one nail? which one would cause more injury? the same thing applies to heat I believe.
 
Tru dat.

its the ultraviolet rays that cause cancer, not the actual heat from the sun.

^^ homegirl said it best with the nail thing... although it too is a bit extreme. You can just tell someone who blowdries their hair constantly. it's just fried and not a good look.

Ideally, all manipulation with the hair should be avoided. Especially w/ heat but come on now! It's a matter of which is the lesser of two evils.
 
Yes, the constant passing of that comb or brush while blow drying is why it's better to use indirect heat. Now some folks have mastered blowdrying properly and in moderation it works for some, but not the majority. Plus you have to take into consideration that some folks hair can take a beat down and never skip a beat, but others will have major set backs if they thought about using a blowdryer and flat iron on a regular basis.

I guess you have to just find what works for you OP.
ME TOO! I'm glad u said it first. Heat is heat regardless. I personally dont have the time to sit under a dryer at home for 1-2 hours in one spot. Only when i have a lazy day w/ nothing to do will I do it. Its hard for me to do so at the salon.

I think its the manipulation though. Under the dryer there is no manipulation except for gettin the hair in rollers. When i blow dry, my hair is all over the place, gently pulling and straightening. BUT, it only takes me 10 minutes.

Its a tradeoff I think. I wish someone could do a study of a hair folicle w/ a hooded dryer and a blow dryer and see which one caused the most damage.
 
Also the heat associated with a hooded dryer is indirect compared to a high amount of heat being concentrated on a small area when you blow dry or curl. Think about it...would you rather sit on a long bed of sharp nails or place all of your weight on one nail? which one would cause more injury? the same thing applies to heat I believe.

Wonderful analogy and ITA! The diffused heat of a hooded dryer is less damaging than the concentrated heat of a blowdryer or flat iron.
 
How is anything applied indirectly going to be worse or equal to something applied directly? That doesn't make sense to me.
 
I asked the same thing a min. ago w/ a poll. http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=144711

To me, i still dont understand how there really is a difference in terms of heat......indirect or direct, its all heat to me. If you get 150 degree heat for 15 min., i dont see how that can be any worse than like 100 degree heat for 1 hour.

But to me, the biggest thing comes from wind force, and how fast the moisture comes out of your hair. High winds are no good at all for your cuticles. Dome dryers have a steady heat, but there are really no fast winds like with a blowdryer to damage your cuticles, just alot of heat in a concentrated area. And also, the slower water is removed from your hair the better, and of course dome dryers take water out slower.

But to me, i just dont like the idea that much of my hair getting that hot for an hour or two, and i also dont like the idea that all that wind from a blowdryer might be ripping my cuticles off.....I rather airdry and flatiron on a low temp.
 
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Here's an article explaining the difference and why hooded dryers are better for your hair. Published by our own Sista Slick.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/367172/why_hooded_dryers_are_better_than_handheld.html

Have you ever wondered why your hair feels lighter, bouncier, and much more moisturized after a session under the hooded dryer, than your hair feels when it has been rapidly blown dry? How can 30 minutes to an hour of domed heat result in soft, luxurious hair, while less than 15 minutes of blow drying leaves the hair feeling hard, swollen, and thirsty?

While no heat is best of all, domed, hooded dryers are simply better sources of healthy heat than hand-held blow dryers for the hair. Though both heat tools have flaws, the blow dryer is much more damaging to the hair overall. When choosing which heat tool you'd like to you use, you should ask yourself, which would I rather for my tresses?

a.) a 20 minute Category 5 hurricane?
b.) a 45 minute moderate breeze?

This article will walk you through the top 5 reasons that hooded dryer heat, or domed heat, is preferable to blow drying:

1.) Blow dryers are the hotter, more direct heat source. Blow drying depletes and removes moisture from the hair strands more violently and rapidly than a hooded dryer. That rapid heating within the shaft ,caused by hand-held blow drying, is extremely damaging and can lead to all types of hair breakage issues. With hand-held blow drying, there is a much greater probability that you will experience splitting, cracking, or peeling of the hair shaft as a result of moisture loss from the blow drying activity.

2.) Hand-held blow drying results in higher levels of manipulation and added stress to the hair. Hand-held blow drying increases damage from manipulation activity because it allows uncontrolled hot air to blow the hair around wildly. Domed dryers do not blow the hair strands all over or cause them to move wildly about. In fact, most hair styles that utilize domed dryer heat involve "controlled hair" where hair is usually set on rollers, rods, or is already molded into shape. Hand-held blow drying, on the other hand, tends to involve hair arrangements that are more random and wild. Much of the damage from using the heat of your hand-held dryer is aggravated even more by the manipulation you must use to tame the hair as it dries..

3.) When styling, typically some other damaging heating implement or tool is used in addition to a blow dryer, especially if you are not using a round brush to style the hair. Most people immediately follow a blow dryer with a flat iron or curling iron to complete the straightening and styling process. The latter two are the worst heat damage offenders. Usually, additional sources of heat aren't needed when you've used the hooded dryer to dry your hair.

4.) Hooded dryer heat offers some protection to the delicate ends of the hair. For those who rollerset or set the hair on any type of rods, blow dryers allow users to protect the ends of the hair from overwhelming heat . Because the ends/tips are rolled and tucked under the hair, only the hair that can take it the most (the "newest hair"= new growth and upper length) get hit with the most heat under the dome. Hand-held blow dryers attack the full length of the strand with the same power.

5.) Just in general, when used as a heat source, domed heat dryers tend to be used less often than regular hand-held blow dryers. Most people who blow dry their hair, tend to do so pretty regularly. There are individuals who fire up their blow dryers everyday or several times a week for styling out of the shower. The same cannot be said for those who use domed, hooded dryers. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who'd whip out a dome like that! Styles set by the hooded dryer tend to be longer lasting, so the use of the dryer may be limited to once or twice per week. Less heat, better hair!
 
OT, but PRETTY!!!!!!!!!!!


But, back on topic:

I don't think the UV rays from the sun can be compared to the heat from the dryer.

My dryer does get hot and sitting under there for a long time feels brutal, but I do think ends do better with rollersets and over the long haul length of the strands do better, too. I've yet to master the rollersets but I see how they can be better than flatirons and curling irons. And I think the sun is better that those, too. At least we do get some health benefits from the sun (vitamin d).

You just summed it up in a nutshell, Honeydew.:yep: Straight and to the point.
 
I just go by what I see women with long, healthy hair do. Machrie rollersets and her hair is great. She rollersets and limits direct heat as do many other long haired women on this site. That's good enough for me.
 
Since I have been airdrying for about 2 years I haven't really noticed a difference in my hair when I wet wrapped and dried under the hood dryer. I believe some people airdry b/c of laziness(like me) and they don't feel like sitting under the dryer or they don't have one. I also believe it depends on the style you're trying to acheive like a wash and go, braidout, etc.
I do think indirect heat(hood dryer) is good for the hair especially for deep conditioning treatments.
 
As a regular blow-dryer, rollersetter, I'm more afraid of the hooded dryer than the blowdryer. I know that the hooded dryer is supposed to be better than the blowdryer but I don't find so at all. When I blow-dry I'm moving the blowdryer all around, up and down. It's not focused on a certain spot.
With the hooded dryer that insane heat trained on one spot for 2 hrs is brutal. The last time I rollerset, I could smell my hair burning and it still wasn't completely dry.
From now, I plan to sit under the dryer for 45 mins. Air dry for a few hrs, Sit back under the dryer for another 15 mins to make sure my ends are dry.
The good thing about rollersetting is that your ends are smooth and they don't snag on the comb leading to less breakage.
 
As a regular blow-dryer, rollersetter, I'm more afraid of the hooded dryer than the blowdryer. I know that the hooded dryer is supposed to be better than the blowdryer but I don't find so at all. When I blow-dry I'm moving the blowdryer all around, up and down. It's not focused on a certain spot.
With the hooded dryer that insane heat trained on one spot for 2 hrs is brutal. The last time I rollerset, I could smell my hair burning and it still wasn't completely dry.
From now, I plan to sit under the dryer for 45 mins. Air dry for a few hrs, Sit back under the dryer for another 15 mins to make sure my ends are dry.
The good thing about rollersetting is that your ends are smooth and they don't snag on the comb leading to less breakage.

ITA :yep:. Using a heat protectant also is very important to minimize the negative effects of heat with a blowdryer, IMO. Plus, I'm just not willing to sit for hours while my hair dries.
 
I agree with the OP. I think heat, no matter what kind, is damaging to your hair in the long run. No matter how you justify it, I think it's still wrong. Sometimes I look at how long some people have been members of this board and wonder why their hair isn't longer, and I really think it's because of using too much heat. :ohwell:
 
All of you ladies have good points.

And you are definitely right about the UV rays.

I still think hooded dryers and blow dryers have equal potential of damage.

I understand that people say there is less damage done but what makes them an authority on the matter. To me, its like the choice between a lye or no-lye relaxer.

PICK YOUR POISON!:sad:
 
The UVA/UVB rays of the sun is what really damages the hair. They burn holes into the hair strands.


As far as the blowdryers and hooded dryers.....I do believe heat is heat there is a BIG difference between the too. Handheld dryers get really hot and concentrate the heat on what every hair you are drying at that point in time. As a result, the water in the hair strand is heated and can get hot enough to boil and cause bubbling and there for breaks in the hair strand. The difference is that most hooded dryers are not used under the super hot setting and there for the water is not heated high enough cause the water to boil.
 
All of you ladies have good points.

And you are definitely right about the UV rays.

I still think hooded dryers and blow dryers have equal potential of damage.

I understand that people say there is less damage done but what makes them an authority on the matter. To me, its like the choice between a lye or no-lye relaxer.

PICK YOUR POISON!:sad:

I think what lends credibility is that many have used both hand-held and dome dryers so they can attest to the damage or lack of damage cause by both. And you just cant compare it to sun damage. The sun causes skin cancer too...never heard of it occurring from a dome dryer.
 
I am a bit logical. Think about this and if you have a good explanation for me then let me know the real deal...

If the sun is damaging to the hair...
And the sun is the most indirect source of heat I can think of...
Then how is a hooded dryer healthy for you?

And how is sitting under indirect heat (a hooded dryer) for an hour plus for drying or a rollerset any healthier for the hair than a 10 to 15 minute blast of direct heat (blow dryers)?

I hear about girls having alot of breakage with rollersets and what not.

Heat is heat and the less the better. I use heat for deep conditions, air dry for everything else, and flat iron and blow dry every three months.

I mean what is the difference really...


Thoughts are welcomed.

The sun is not damaging to the hair. The sun is good for us and we need it in order to live. Overexposure to the sun is what's actually damaging. Overexposure to anything has the potential to be damaging. This is why you have to find a healthy balance...
 
I agree with the OP. I think heat, no matter what kind, is damaging to your hair in the long run. No matter how you justify it, I think it's still wrong. Sometimes I look at how long some people have been members of this board and wonder why their hair isn't longer, and I really think it's because of using too much heat. :ohwell:

I really think that indirect vs. direct heat is subjective. There's really no way to come to a consensus on this topic. You have to do what works for you and don't worry about the next person

I don't about everyone else but length comes eventually because your hair is always growing. Over the course of time, people have setbacks(relaxers, dye, breakage, etc.), go back and forth between being natural/texlaxed/relaxed, or just simply have a change of heart about their hair. Imo, anyone can grow long hair but not everyone can sustain a healthy head of hair in the process.:nono: There's absolutely nothing more horrific looking than long haired individuals with unhealthy looking hair. If you stick around here long enough you will definitely see what I'm talking about!:grin:
 
I thought the sun damage was because of the rays not the actual heat. By rays I mean the same ones that damage the skin UVB i think...something like that.

You're right! Heat from the sun doesn't damage hair. UV rays damage hair just like it does skin, that's why so many hair care products now sport sun protection.

Here's how I think of indirect versus direct... the heat in the oven is indirect, the flame is direct which would you guess is more damaging?
 
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As a regular blow-dryer, rollersetter, I'm more afraid of the hooded dryer than the blowdryer. I know that the hooded dryer is supposed to be better than the blowdryer but I don't find so at all. When I blow-dry I'm moving the blowdryer all around, up and down. It's not focused on a certain spot.
With the hooded dryer that insane heat trained on one spot for 2 hrs is brutal. The last time I rollerset, I could smell my hair burning and it still wasn't completely dry.
From now, I plan to sit under the dryer for 45 mins. Air dry for a few hrs, Sit back under the dryer for another 15 mins to make sure my ends are dry.
The good thing about rollersetting is that your ends are smooth and they don't snag on the comb leading to less breakage.

Yeah, thats what i think also....
I think as far as heat, one of them is not better than the other---I think its just manipulation, air force, and how fast the moisture gets sucked out.

Thats a good plan too....I wish dome dryers had a cold setting.
 
Yeah, thats what i think also....
I think as far as heat, one of them is not better than the other---I think its just manipulation, air force, and how fast the moisture gets sucked out.

Thats a good plan too....I wish dome dryers had a cold setting.

Oooo, I can't stand those dryers in the salon. :mad: I used to move mine higher off my head because it just too hot. :burning:I don't know how anyone sits under those things.

The Pibbs has a cool setting. Actually, it goes from 0 to 70. I can't tolerate anything about 55. It's just too hot. Around 50 feels like the warm breeze on a summer evening. It's very comfortable... even pleasant.
 
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