Is blow drying all that bad?

[Amarech]

This is kind of a spinoff from the rollerset thread. It just got me to thinking. It seems like blow drying is bad news at LHCF. I used to use high heat because I thought I needed to, but once I bought a new blow dryer with wide tooth comb attachment, I only have to use the lowest heat setting and my hair gets dry and straight. I flat iron once and that's it. I wrap my hair every night and when I wake up there's no need for me to do any major touch ups. If I do need to "touch things up" I use the lowest heat setting on the flat iron and that works as well.

Does the temperature matter or is it just better to rollerset. I mean isn't it the same thing? You're still using heat only you sit in rollers for however long.

somebody clear this up for me.

 

[Mook's hair]

Hmm, I'm interested in seeing replies too.
My hair seems to do well with a sensible amount of heat. Airdrying seems to be the enemy. Now that I am 7 months into my transition I have discovered that my new gold n hot blow dryer is a friend to my hair. I don't blow it 100% dry. I mostly hit the roots. But it might just be my Rudy Huxtable hair...it takes a lickin' but keeps on tickin'.

A few months ago I did a no direct heat stretch for a month it went well but at the time I didn't have as much new growth.

I'll be checking in to see others' input.

 

[Divake22]

I used to blow-dry my hair on a hot setting with a comb attachment. At the time, my hair was fried due to highlights. On top of that, I used the scrunci bun clip that added tension to my already weakened hair. Needless to say, my hair broke off something terrible. I had to drastically cut my APL hair and start from scratch. Plus, my hair was really dry with raggedly ends.

Sistaslick wrote (paraphrase) that blow drying is like being in a hurricane versus being in a gentle wind which is hood drying. Also, your ends are protected through rollersetting.

 

[ShiShiPooPoo]

I LOVE to blow dry my hair...I used to (used to because I am on the no direct heat personal challenge) blow it dry then flat iron it then wrap it. I could create the most beautiful styles this way. The thing is that I would touch it up with the flatiron every morning. I actually would see a good amount of growth when I did it this way (even with the heat everyday). I know over time though, especially as I get older and my hair gets drier, that I can't do this all the time-if I want to keep hair on my head.

When I sit under my dryer doing my rollerset, sometimes it gets so hot I think "how is this helping?" but I gotta tell ya, it is and I don't have to touch it up during the week either.

 

[Artemis]

This is kind of a spinoff from the rollerset thread. It just got me to thinking. It seems like blow drying is bad news at LHCF. I used to use high heat because I thought I needed to, but once I bought a new blow dryer with wide tooth comb attachment, I only have to use the lowest heat setting and my hair gets dry and straight. I flat iron once and that's it. I wrap my hair every night and when I wake up there's no need for me to do any major touch ups. If I do need to "touch things up" I use the lowest heat setting on the flat iron and that works as well.

Does the temperature matter or is it just better to rollerset. I mean isn't it the same thing? You're still using heat only you sit in rollers for however long.

somebody clear this up for me.

Just keep the temp reasonable (read: low) and you're straight. You can abuse anything and it be bad (and that includes rollersetting)...

There was a thread started maybe 2 wks ago that debated (again ) between the blowdryer and the hooded dryer...I"ll see if I can find it and I'll post it here.


ETA: Found it

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=166163

 

[Amarech]

sometimes it gets so hot I think "how is this helping?" but I gotta tell ya, it is and I don't have to touch it up during the week either.

That's exactly where I'm comin from. I mean, I'm not knocking the ladies who roller set. When my hair gets longer (as in BSL or longer) I will probably do rollersets. But for now blowdrying is my thing. It just seems to get such a bad rap on LHCF. I understand the whole "gentle heat vs hurricane heat" analogy but that still doesn't solve the temperature problem for me, which, I think is the bigger issue. From the way it sounds, I dry and straighten my hair at a much lower temperature than a lot of those who rollerset.

Just keep the temp reasonable (read: low) and you're straight. You can abuse anything and it be bad (and that includes rollersetting)..
.

Thanks for making that so very clear

 

[Artemis]

No prob, chica

 

[MizzBrown]

I blow dry. On the HOTTEST:burning: setting that I can take. I can count how many times i've done my own hood dryer rollersets unless its at the salon.

I am careful with it, i use the wide tooth attachment, and it just takes LESS time. Under 10 minutes and I'm done. I will put a flat/curling iron to it and set rollers in dry hair.r.

And the hood dryer and salon dryers get hot as hell too so I see no major difference. I always sweat at the salon and would threaten my stylist if she suggests "just 10 more minutes" under that hot a$$ dryer.

 

[Divake22]

That's exactly where I'm comin from. I mean, I'm not knocking the ladies who roller set. When my hair gets longer (as in BSL or longer) I will probably do rollersets. But for now blowdrying is my thing. It just seems to get such a bad rap on LHCF. I understand the whole "gentle heat vs hurricane heat" analogy but that still doesn't solve the temperature problem for me, which, I think is the bigger issue. From the way it sounds, I dry and straighten my hair at a much lower temperature than a lot of those who rollerset.



Thanks for making that so very clear

Everything in life should be done in moderation. Whether you blow dry your roots or use it on a low setting, if it works for you than that is great.

Rollersetting is beneficial for me since my ends are protected, (with my Pibbs) it takes 50 min to dry and hair looks fuller. Blowdrying on a low setting would take my hair forever to dry and then to use direct heat of a flat iron requires a lot more work and damage to me.

Whatever works for you...

 

[Amarech]

I am careful with it, i use the wide tooth attachment, and it just takes LESS time. Under 10 minutes and I'm done. I will put a flat/curling iron to it and set rollers in dry hair.

Really I mean once I got the wide tooth comb attatchment I literally cut my drying time in half (in addition to lower temp setting). Takes me about 15 min now as opposed to 1 hour. I guess that's more than half, huh?

Everything in life should be done in moderation. Whether you blow dry your roots or use it on a low setting, if it works for you than that is great.

Rollersetting is beneficial for me since my ends are protected, (with my Pibbs) it takes 50 min to dry and hair looks fuller. Blowdrying on a low setting would take my hair forever to dry and then to use direct heat of a flat iron requires a lot more work and damage to me.

Whatever works for you...

I totally agree witcha I'm all about moderation. I also had a hunch that roller setting was better if you wanted a fuller look (which I do not--already got too much hair ). Blow drying works for me right now.

 

[Royal Glory]

I blow dry twice a week and follow with the curling iron. I use protectant and I keep my hair deep conditioned. I also try to limit heat to these times only, by rolling my hair on magnetic rollers at night or wearing it up or straight.

All things in moderation. Perhaps I'd reach my goals a little quicker if I didn't, but each person has to decide what her trade-offs will be.

 

[HoneyDew]

I blow dry twice a week and follow with the curling iron. I use protectant and I keep my hair deep conditioned. I also try to limit heat to these times only, by rolling my hair on magnetic rollers at night or wearing it up or straight.

All things in moderation. Perhaps I'd reach my goals a little quicker if I didn't, but each person has to decide what her trade-offs will be.

i agree with this. I would rather take longer to reach my goals and still use my styling tools.

 

[Artemis]

I agree w/RG as well.

In addition, it's very easy to be on the hair boards and think that because something didn't work for you, that it's not going to work for anyone else, and that is why I posted (in the above linked thread) that those who choose to bash (or just shake their heads at) blowdrying, or discredit someone's methods maybe doing so [IMO] b/c they just didn't learn how to use the appliance correctly. I am certain that ripping through your hair with a comb attachment on a hot-as-heck temperature will keep your hair at the same length for yrs, just like ripping a rat-tail comb through your hair during a rollersetting session (followed by 2.5-3 hrs of baking under a hooded dryer set on HIGH) will probably snap and destroy hairs that probably wouldn't have snapped otherwise.

Not only is it important to keep in mind what your goals are hair-wise, and what you are willing to trade, but also to be realistic a/b what your abilities are in terms of hair care and styling, and to go from there. If you know that everytime you do a rollerset, you lose more hair than when you blow dry, then do you. If you know that everytime you blow dry, your hair feels fried, then step away from the blowdryer. But to say that all [insert appliances here] are evil b/c you had one miseducated run-in with one is just not ok, and is not helpful to those finding their way around here. That blowdryer did not plug itself in and attack your hair, and that hooded dryer did not automatically set its own temp to high and force you to sit underneath it for 3 hrs...I'm just sayin'...

*sigh* Ok, now I'm putting my soapbox back into the hall closet until next year ​