Need Advice: Which is less damaging?

[a_ caribbean_dream]

My hair is in need of a trim or an aggressive dusting badly! I have been on a personal no heat challenge for about 3 months now, and I am going back to school next week. I was wondering which would be less damaging for my hair....

A) Blowdrying my hair on the lowest setting focusing on my roots; (with heat protection) then heavy dusting and back into twists

or

B) Airdrying then flat ironing my own hair (which I have never done before) to then trim or dust??

Please help me!

 

[sweetgal]

Hey girl.. Don't hold me to anything. You have nice hair by the way!

It really depends on how you do it! I think if you flat iron your hair is more damaging (at least it is for my hair) A few days after I flat iron I see little hairs all over. It also depends on the flat iron that you own. Mine claimes to be ceramic, ionic Blah blah blah...but it's still heat!

Blow drying can also be damaging too, but maybe you can towel dry real well, air dry a bit and then dry the rest on a cool setting....it takes longer but it's far less damaging than the hot or warm setting, and you hair will be softer too! I guess its something to think about...

 

[ThickHair]

How do you wear your hair? If you blow dry it all the time then blow dry and cut. If you flat iron, flat iron then cut. Both of them are heat so, to me it doesn't matter.

 

[Lucie]

Flat ironing is more damaging because you ironing your hair. Blowdrying is less damaging. Be blessed

 

[KiniKakes]

Is it possible to avoid both? Perhaps you can just roller set your hair.... and then blow out the roots only (to get the curler dent out). That way, you are using only indirect heat on the length, and direct heat on the roots.

 

[bajanplums1]

why do you need to use heat at all. I have been heat free since June 7. No one can tell I use heat. I set it in rollers with conditioner and almond oil. If I am in a rush, I let it drip dry and the next day wear it in that wavy airdried/relaxed hair look.

 

[MizaniMami]

For me personally blowdrying was more harmful. Then again I use to blowdry with the comb attatchment. The worse thing ever!

I think flat ironing is a lot safer. But this is my opinion.

 

[Ebonygurl00]

I feel that blowdrying is less damaging. Well, I was taught to flat iron at the highest setting by my cousin, lol, now I just airdry. I guess it's all in the tecnique.

 

[remnant]

For me personally blowdrying was more harmful. Then again I use to blowdry with the comb attatchment. The worse thing ever!

I think flat ironing is a lot safer. But this is my opinion.

That's my opinion too, I loose too much hair when i blow dry before flat ironing so now, i just airdry my hair in 4 or 6 braids and flat iron !

 

[krissyprissy]

I say flat iron. When I blow dry I have hair all in the sink and floor. I flat iron with heat protectant and lose less hair than blowdrying.

 

[a_ caribbean_dream]

why do you need to use heat at all. I have been heat free since June 7. No one can tell I use heat. I set it in rollers with conditioner and almond oil. If I am in a rush, I let it drip dry and the next day wear it in that wavy airdried/relaxed hair look.

I feel like I need to use heat in order to get a good look at my ends and make it even. I don't think rollersetting is possible with my hair type.

 

[a_ caribbean_dream]

I say flat iron. When I blow dry I have hair all in the sink and floor. I flat iron with heat protectant and lose less hair than blowdrying.

Hmmm I can only remember days after flat ironing noticing little hair all over the place. Any more opinions guys?

 

[natstar]

Honestly- I dunno. Both can be damaging if used often and if a heat protectant is not used. You can use both or one or the other. Just be sure to use a heat protectant before blowdrying and or flat ironing. Last weekend I blow dried my hair -on damp hair I used some heat protectant (loreal-pink bottle), then I applied fantasia IC protectant and flat ironed. I got no damage because I don't do it often and I used the protectants.

 

[lonei]

I'd say rollerset then flat iron or airdry then flat iron. With all the tugging from the dryer, I would see hair, broken hair everywhere. But if you flat iron each section slowly and once, with heat protection in each bit, you shouldnt get any breakage, but it depends how hot your iron is and whether you protection does a good job.

 

[simone103]

I find that I get better results health and look wise when I blow dry my hair as opposed to rollersetting or airdrying it. I use an ion ceramic blowdryer on a very low setting and use 3 different heat protectants in my hair. I do this once or twice a week and haven't seen any damage to my hair as a result.

 

[inthepink]

I would have to vote for flatironing. For one, your hair will get straighter so you will get a more consistent trim. And it seems that with blowdrying hair always ends up all over the place.

 

[a_ caribbean_dream]

I'd say rollerset then flat iron or airdry then flat iron. With all the tugging from the dryer, I would see hair, broken hair everywhere. But if you flat iron each section slowly and once, with heat protection in each bit, you shouldnt get any breakage, but it depends how hot your iron is and whether you protection does a good job.

Thanks everyone- I'm getting a lot of mixed responses so this is very hard!!!

Lonei, Can I use setting lotion for my rollerset, then flat iron? That won't burn my hair or anything? Sorry if this is a stupid question I have never roller set before...And the rattail comb scares me alot do I have to use that to have a smooth outcome?

 

[a_ caribbean_dream]

I find that I get better results health and look wise when I blow dry my hair as opposed to rollersetting or airdrying it. I use an ion ceramic blowdryer on a very low setting and use 3 different heat protectants in my hair. I do this once or twice a week and haven't seen any damage to my hair as a result.

I Also have an ionic ceramic blowdryer- its by ANDIS..

 

[sweetgal]

I just bought a dryer the blue ceramic ionic one. If you do decide to blow dry. Please post the results. I'm in cornrows right now and cant try until i take them out which will be at least another 2 weeks.

 

[Supergirl]

For me personally blowdrying was more harmful. Then again I use to blowdry with the comb attatchment. The worse thing ever!

I think flat ironing is a lot safer. But this is my opinion.

ITTTTTTTTTTA

 

[a_ caribbean_dream]

Its split down the middle, half believe flat ironing is more damaging the other half believe blowdrying is. Any other opinions, before I make a decision?

 

[lovelymissyoli]

Its split down the middle, half believe flat ironing is more damaging the other half believe blowdrying is. Any other opinions, before I make a decision?

Yeah --- if you're natural how about making twists and clipping your ends that way? You don't have to use a blowdryer or flatiron.

 

[kristina]

I'd probably flat iron with a heat protectant on low after airdrying. Reasons-
I personally find it very difficult to blowdry the back and top of my head without inadvertently ripping or breaking hair. The sides and front get really straight and the rest is a fro as a result- I couldn't do an even trim even if I tried. If you're good at blowdrying or have someone else helping you,this may not be an issue. In addition to hair loss, I find the blowdryer leeches out more moisture than a flatiron.
And I wouldn't bother with trying to rollerset your natural hair. As you know we have very similar hair types and when I tried last week, it failed to get my hair straight enough to trim by a long shot- so for all the effort you'd have to flat iron anyway.
If you reall want to avoid damage you could also opt for option C, trimming a bit off of twists. But this won't make your hair even either.

 

[a_ caribbean_dream]

I'd probably flat iron with a heat protectant on low after airdrying. Reasons-
I personally find it very difficult to blowdry the back and top of my head without inadvertently ripping or breaking hair. The sides and front get really straight and the rest is a fro as a result- I couldn't do an even trim even if I tried. If you're good at blowdrying or have someone else helping you,this may not be an issue. In addition to hair loss, I find the blowdryer leeches out more moisture than a flatiron.
And I wouldn't bother with trying to rollerset your natural hair. As you know we have very similar hair types and when I tried last week, it failed to get my hair straight enough to trim by a long shot- so for all the effort you'd have to flat iron anyway.
If you reall want to avoid damage you could also opt for option C, trimming a bit off of twists. But this won't make your hair even either.

Thank You sooo much kristina!!! You were always my favorite hair twin! lol

ps. Can I have some of your self flat ironing tips for later on please?

 

[a_ caribbean_dream]

Thanks to everyone for their advice, where would I be without this forum??

*I HAVE decided to stick to my no heat challenge for a little longer, and dedicate this week to extreme S&D dusting while my hair has no product in it. I'm really happy with the progress I've made thus far from being on this challenge, and I always try and find some excuse to get off of no heat challenges. But if my hair continues to tangle and knot up severly at the ends, I will personally straighten it myself sometime in October and trim. I will kinda ignore it until then (which might be detrimental to my overall hair health) ....what do u guys think?

 

[a_ caribbean_dream]

bumping***********

 

[kristina]

Well, I'm still learning but here's what I do to flat iron
First, after washing, I apply a conditioner (Humetress, Elasta DPR, and Kenra EMT are in my current rotation), put on a plastic cap and let it sit for 45-60 mins.
Then after taking of the cap and without rinsing, I add detangler (biolage detangling solution) and section my hair with butterfly clamps.
Next I brush out heavily saturated sections of hair with a mock-denman brush and braid the smoothed out sections. (I make between 12-20 braids- more braids=quicker drying time)
After I'm done braiding I rinsing my hair throughly and go to sleep
When my hair is totally dry (sometime in the afternoon of the following day) I flat iron with the maxiglide section by section
After unbraiding, I spray the hair with IC protectant. Sometimes I put a little castor oil on the ends. Then I take a small section, put a baby dab of marcel curl wax on the root and run the maxiglide through. It takes 2.5 to 3 hours.
Hope this helps