To Blow Dry or To Air Dry???

Should the hair be blow dried or air dried?

It is a matter of preference, actually. Some people do not have much time to devote to styling their hair, or want to achieve the maximum styling they can get for their hair, so they opt for blow-drying it. On the other hand, there are some people who think that blow-drying is a waste of electricity and is the quickest way of damaging the hair, so they opt to have it air dried.

Which is better, you may ask?

Both ways of drying the hair have their advantages and disadvantages, and there are proper and improper ways of doing both. Read on and find out what these are.

Air drying. Air drying is usually done by people who have short and low-maintenance hairstyles, or by people with curly hair. There are also people who have long hair yet have their hair air dry, as air drying does not subject the hair to excessive heat. Therefore, the hair is not as susceptible to damage as hair that is blow dried.

If you are going to have your hair air dried, it is very important to remember that the hair is at its weakest when it is wet. So, take care not to rub your hair dry with the use of a towel. The friction caused by rubbing the hair with a towel will make the hair brittle and eventually break. Rather than rubbing it, you should instead blot the moisture out of your hair with the towel. Also, be careful not to tug or pull at your hair that much when it is still wet. Once the water is blotted out of the hair, fluff it out with your fingers.

Blow Drying. Blow drying the hair is the most convenient way of doing it, and because most people live fast-paced lives, blow drying the hair is the way most people want to do it. Moreover, drying the hair using a blower adds volume to the hair. But inasmuch that blow drying is very convenient, it is also dangerous to the hair, especially if overdone. It can make the hair very brittle.

If you blow dry your hair, make sure that it is not soaking. Blot the water out with a towel first. Do not hold the dryer too close to your head; keep it at least six inches away from your hair and move the dryer constantly around your head. Protect the outer strands of your hair from being over-dried by bending over and blow drying your hair with your hair hanging upside down. Also, try not to dry your hair completely with the blow dryer. Stop while the hair is still slightly damp.

Whether you air dry your hair or you blow dry it is completely your own choice based on your own lifestyle and preferences. But whatever you do, always remember that the hair is fragile. Be careful while handling it.

source:To Blow Dry or To Air Dry?

........and always use a thermal protector/spray! I use Biolage Thermal Active setting spray to protect against heat.

Oh & before u are done put on cool for like 20 sec - dunno what it does but I read it somewhere (seals in the style or something?)

I do both, and my hair stay's pretty healthy. I'm bad for not blotting when I towell-dry. I rub the heck out of it when I do it.

i have long hair and i air dry. i find that blowdrying, it made my hair more frizzy.

Thanks for posting.

well if i want it curly ill air dry but for straight hair i have to blowdry.

i do both. i have REDACKULOUSLY long hair (thanks to me being incredibly lazy and never being able to make an appoinntment when i can get a babysitter).

on the blowdrying side, i have to say, tourmaline ionic blowdryers ROCK for long hair, half the time (IF THAT), and leaves hair super shiny. i have two- a t3 and a revlon... one was 130 and the other was 25. and i feel sort of ripped off because they work the same! i like the revlon one i like even more because it's easier to handle and lighter! who knew?

but i still airdry whenever i can- or else i wake the baby.

I have long hair too and I air dry all the time. I would blow dry my hair once every few months if I really have to.

So if I know I have to style my hair - I shower earlier so that my hair dries on time for me to have time to style it.

My hair is healthy and shiny and I get compliments about it. So Im not about to change my methods.

Most of the time I air dry. However, when I'm running on a busy schedule I usually blow dry it for 1-2 mins upside down and leave the rest to dry while heading out of the house. I have long fine hair, so Since I don't have thick hair, it dries fully within 5 mins

My method is always to air dry. I dont really like use the blowdryer unless I absolutely have to. I like it better when its air dryed cuz then its not all dried out and everything.

I always blow dry my hair. My hair takes 9+ hours to dry on its own and it's wavy...so it looks kind of ratty when I air dry it (to me, anyway).

I always either blow dry it straight or curl it with a curling iron. If I'm in a hurry, I'll use the diffuser and curling mousse to give my hair natural curl.

I blow dry, unless I'm going out... My hairstyle requires shaping, styling and maintenance and I love styling my hair! Plus, air drying leaves my hair rough and frizzy [i think its because my hair holds water for a VERY long time: several days, at times!], and takes forever, thanks to my hair's thickness and abundance.

Blow drying doesn't dry my hair out or damage it noticeably at all. My hair's always dealt with blow drying well, and because I take so much care protecting it, using a good technique and looking after it, its always extremely healthy. It takes work to maintain, but its worth it!

I ususually air dry, b/c my hair is long, and looks the same air dryed or blow dryer. Usually by the time I get to where I need to go, it is dry, my hair is thin. If it's a special occassion I might blow dry and use my curling iron, but thats rare. My hair used to look like straw before I airdryed it. I have layers though, and usually when my hair gets too long I have to blowdry but I need a haircut, my hair is weighed down so much it doesnt make a difference.

i prefer air dry to blow dry, though i do it ocasionnally. i like to take excess water off my hair right after the shower (i wring it, then i towel dry it-pat don't rub!).

my hair's also damaged easily as it is thin, and it's easy noticeable. i also don't want to pay a hairstylist to cut 2 cm, so i take care of my hair, which means i reduce the number of times i blowdry it and how long i use the blowdryer. usually i wait until my hair's half dry, and i guess i'm lucky my hair can dry pretty fast, it doesn't take more than an hour usually.

i love my hair but it always looks tousled anyway, so there's days i don't even bother to do more than brush it .

ive never used a blowdryer and my hair still sucks. lol

I mostly blow dry my hair. When I air dry my hair it looks HORRIBLE. I make sure to use a protective cream so that I don't damage my hair when blow drying.

Ellen Marie

Originally Posted by emily_3383 /img/forum/go_quote.gif well if i want it curly ill air dry but for straight hair i have to blowdry. That's exactly what I do. If I have the time I'll let my hair airdry some and then blowdry it straight. I absolutely can not do the whole upside down thing when I blow dry! It makes my hair all poofy.

I usually do a mixture of both. I let my hair air dry for about 40 mins., then I blow dry it completely dry. It's fine and brittle at the ends so I don't dry them.

its really a matter of preferance.

generally curly hair (like mine) should be air dried because blow brying can make

it frizzy

Wow, I didn't know that about the towel and the comb..

I always thought leaving water for my hair to soak up would make it a little healthier.

Anyway, I use Biosilk after I dry my hair, before I flat iron it so iat isn't TOO damaged. However, if I don't use it.. the effects are quite visible, and is really not that attractive!