I think you can use heat responsibly... meaning, if you are going to use direct heat, just make sure it is set to the lowest temp possible that will still achieve the results you're looking for.
Blow dry on warm instead of hot, flat iron or curl on a lower temp setting than the highest one, etc...
I maintained a lot of growth while still blowdrying once or twice a week... and eventhough I had the length, my ends felt very dry and poofy. I didn't like they way they felt so I eventually cut them off and sacrificed a good 3-4 inches in the process... when I started over I only air dried in a bun and my ends feel much nicer now. I caught up lengthwise but I can't help but to kick myself for the heat and the hair I had to sacrifice because of it. I could have been at my goal by now!!!
There are other ways to tame new growth than with heat
The scarf method; The Ponytail Method; Wet sets/Roller sets; 1/2 wigs, etc...