Hi everyone!

I am posting this out of my growing curiosity of how to best take care of my 'straight' hair (I was TR'ed in April).

At this time, I am blowdying every day for about 5 minutes. My hair looks so great and feels so smooth afterwards, but I am worried about long-term condition.

Thanks so much for answering my poll. :)

Hugs!
Sher

PS- I recently changed my user name from "Spiraling Down" to "Meezer" b/c I no longer have those spirals. ;)

I answered 'once a week.' I used to blow dry my hair all of the way (from the minute I got out of the shower until it was dry :oops: ). Then I found this website. I started out air drying it about 90% and then finishing off with the blow dryer. Now I just air dry all of the way. :D I haven't used a curling iron in ages.

Louise

I blow dry my bangs every morning sighhhhhhhhh.

Speedqueen

I voted Never.

I don't own a hair dryer. last time my hair saw a hair dryer was when I was a teen. BUT I do own a curling iron from my teen years. It's so old though I could probably get away with putting it under the heading "Antique" on Ebay. It has been sitting in my linnen closet FOREVER! lol. along with my Old Crimping Iron. lol mind you I use that on my daughters for halloween at times. hmm actually I have a brand new set of those heated curlers too. I tried to use them once. and never tried again.. maybe I should think about trying to sell them. ..... *going to check and see what other sellable treasures I have in my closet.*

Sheila

I voted never. I own a hair dryer, but the most use it sees is when I need to finish drying something quickly which did not dry in the dryer.

Cheryl

I voted never but that could be misleading - I put diffused warm air on it almost daily but I don't dry or style it - just enough to take some of the big wet lumps out ...g

I haven't used heat styling tools for about three years - don't own any, don't need them :)

I put once or twice a year. If my hair's really dripping and I need to be somewhere, I'll blow it mostly dry and let it air dry the rest of the way.

Once a week or less for me. Usually only on Sunday when I wash my hair and it's not dry before we leave for church. :D

I voted once or twice a year, because that is the absolute most I am going to allow myself, though I am trying to stay away from it entirely. I used to blow out straight once a week-- I'd wait until it was mostly dry and use low heat, but I still think it was taking its toll. For the last 5 weeks or so I have been dryer free, and intend to keep it that way for as long as possible. This board is the only reason I have been able to make it this far! :love:

Never. I never heat style my hair. I am, however, forced to have someone else heat style it for me when I am asked to be a bridesmaid. This, fortunately, happens less than once a year.

Every single day!!!! After my shower, I'll wrap a towel around my hair/head and wear it like that for a good half hour. Then I blow dry it the rest of the way. I just don't have time every day to let it air-dry. My wife and I are both getting ready for work with a 21 month old son. Time is precious. Plus, I can't go to work with a wet head.

(Maybe I shouldn't admit this either, but sometimes I use an iron on the ends to make them look better. )

I said every day, but sometimes it's every other day. I ONLY blow-fry my bangs! I have rarely ever blow-fried all my hair. I have used curling irons though, in the past :rolleyes:

The closest thing I get to heat styling is letting it dry in the sun after a day at the pool... and that's not really styling, so I'd have to say never. :)

I voted never, my hair is naturally wavy, so I don't need too.
Teechia

Never.
I own a hair dryer, but had to buy it when we moved to this apartment so we could put plastic up on the windows for the winter! LOL

It now languishes under the bathroom sink.

Gren

Very seldom. Not using chemicals or heat on my hair is crucial to long hair success.

I voted once or twice a year, but it is actually less for my length. I sometimes blowdry my bangs with a round brush to curl them under, but even that's less than a dozen times a year.

:bluebiggr
Dvips

I put every day but that's not really accurate. I used to let my hair dry totally naturally but since my shoulder went all arthritic on me last fall, I've been unable to tolerate being cold in a cold environment. In other words, there's no way I'm walking out the door with wet hair. I use a diffuser on low and dry at least until the roots are dry. That way, my head won't freeze. It's getting warmer now but I usually diffuse for about a minute on days when I wash my hair, just to get a little lift up top. I don't ever dry it all the way and I don't get my hair wet every day, but it's more than once a week.

I voted once or twice a year.

I've maybe used a blow dryer 10 times in the past 5 years.
Also I had a deep conditioning treatment under a hood dryer at school in august 2000.

I do own a hood dryer but I bought it for other people or my mannikins.

I voted once a week. It really depends on the occasion. I usually air dry and finish with my hot air round brush if I am heat styling. I love the way it straightens my hair and gives the ends a nice look. Maybe 3 or 4 times a year I'll use flocked hot rollers. I know it's not all the good for my hair but why have long hair if it can't look the way you love it and you can't enjoy it. It's kind of a trade off.

I wanted to vote for once or twice a year because that's how often I use a hair dryer but I always use the cool setting so that doesn't really count (last time I used it sometime in october).
I gave up hair dryer mostly because it's not healthy for the hair but also because my hair looks better after being let to dry naturally-it looks more voluminous (especially if I comb it with my fingers while it's drying) otherwise it looks flat and boring. It's also much simpler. I really don't have the patience to bother with a hairdryer anymore. Oh, it's also easy to overdry(over crunch) my hair if I use a hairdryer. Bottom line: hair dryers are evil for me!!!

Last spring about this weekend they blow-dryed my hair for prom, and I blow-dry culred the ends some last fall (not drying the whole hair, just a little bit for the ends) but I would've picked "almost never" if that'd been an option ;) "Normally" (when is life normal?) I never use any heat-styling.

I never use heat on my hair. I never have, even with short hair, even before I knew it was bad for hair.

I never heat style my hair.
Only when I go to GM and
he puts my hair in hugeo
rollers and I sit under a hooded
dryer does it come in contact with
heat.
;)

I used to blow dry my hair for years, started doing it in 6th grade and stopped about a year and a half ago. On days I'm wearing my hair down, I'll let it air dry almost completely, and blow dry on the cool setting to calm and frizzies. I would say I do that about once a month.

I am in the never catagory as well. I own a hair dryer but not sure where it is located. My hair is poker straight blow drying or curling would only style my hair for an hour or so and then it would be back to being straight, unless I loaded it down with hair spray...(another product I don't use.)
I actually tried the Aloe vera gel to slick back my hair and it works well. :)

I voted once every month. Somtimes it's once every other month or two.

Once in a while I will go through a phase of using my rollers.
I just prefer to work with my length damp so sponge rollers are really the best for me.

Angel Hugs and Love

i voted once or twice a year. I usually will only do a blowdry or hot rollers for some type of special event. i.e., hubbys xmas party.

I haven't heat styled in a couple of years. Not blowdry or curling iron.
Daneille

I wouldn't know what to do with a hairdryer :D let alone any other heat appliance. I condition then air dry or just braid and thats it for style.

Jesmiasan

I put once a month, but sometimes it is twice a month. I wash my hair once ever week or so, at least once a week but sometimes twice, and I heat style about every third wash....lol 'heat styling' being flat-ironing after my hair has fully air-dried.

I said once or twice a month, if that. I use a diffusor sometimes if I'm having a bad day and my curls aren't cooperating. I have less need to use it now thanks to CO washes and gel that doesn't dry my hair out!

Wehn my hair used to be short (chin length) it used to be everyday or else the ends would flip outwards and look horrible. Now, I maybe curly my hair once or twice a year. I haven't in a long while though since I have face framing layers that I'm growing out and since they are not all even anymore it would just look silly if I did anything to them but leave them straight.

I use a curling iron on my bangs, but they don't really count because I trim them so they never get damaged.

Sometimes I blow dry the top of my head and around my ears for a few minutes because a wet scalp annoys me and makes me cold. When I want my hair super straight I blast some heat on the length, but that is rare.

I don't use heat styling, but every so often someone wants to straighten my hair. I let them do it sometimes, providing that they use low heat and mucho hair balm. I haven't blowdried my hair since I took over my own hair as a child.

I chose never, because since I started growing my hair out in December I haven't touched a blow dryer and I don't own a curling iron. I did use one occasionally as my wavy hair was growing out from very short to bob length, but even when I was having bad hair days then I was more apt to put a scarf over it then try to blow dry it straight.

I voted once or twice a year. But even then, all I've done is use the blowdryer a little bit to speed up the drying process if I'm in a hurry and there's some special occasion. I've never blown my hair all the way dry. So I don't think the tiny bit that I've done, on a low setting, has really done much damage. I used to use a curling iron sometimes, bult it's been about three years, and probably four or five years since I used one for anything other than a special occasion.

:!: NEVER :!: I don't even like the thought of doing it :scared:

Hardly ever, although sometimes I do use a flat iron to smoothen frizzy areas, but not the ends, just the upper length will I tend to get a halo sometimes. :lol:

oops lol where heheheheheh :silly: not will silly me

I voted once a week. It really depends on the occasion. I usually air dry and finish with my hot air round brush if I am heat styling. I love the way it straightens my hair and gives the ends a nice look. Maybe 3 or 4 times a year I'll use flocked hot rollers. I know it's not all the good for my hair but why have long hair if it can't look the way you love it and you can't enjoy it. It's kind of a trade off.

I feel the same exact way. :wink:

nevah!! blow drying makes my hair dry and tangly, and the last time i had the patience for a curling iron was my wedding day last august. :lol:

Well I voted once a month cause that is what you could average it to be. I will lightly blowdry my hair in the winter if I wash in the morning and we have to go somewhere that day. That would be maybe 12 time in about 4 months of the year. I'd rather deal with a touch of damage than getting a bad cold or worse. Truthfully, DH uses the hairdyrer on projects or getting the grill started more than I use it on my hair. :grin:

i picked once a month because, i get my roots done almost once amonth (every 6 weeks) so usually i either straighten it before hand so it is easier for her to manage, or she straightens (blow out) when shes done (if i tell her to)

i only style my hair twice a week but i didn't see it as an option. i only work on weekends and its the only time i put the straightner on it but i always try to use it with the lowest setting and i'm super careful when i do it. i follow the "hair like 100 year old lace " thing very seriously.

Ive voted for never, I used to have a blowdryer, but now I think about it, I have no idea where it ended up. It's years ago since Ive used it, and it had another purpose for a while too, we used it when our bed was cold, then we were blowing under the blankets with it to make it warm :razz:

I never do it that way

I use the blow dryer maybe once a month. Other than that, I don't heat style at all. I really believe that any heat styling is going to burn your hair and is therefore bad. I only blow it when I have to have styled hair and it is too cold to go out wet headed.

Voted Never as I no longer us the blow dryer :grin:

I use to blow dry my hair everyday on high and I have a 1850 watt blow dryer (I know, I Know) I did this until about 6 months ago when I decided I was going to keep growing my hair out. I did continue using it on my bangs and would on occasion use it on the low setting if I washed my hair in the morning before work to get it mostly dry. Now I wash my hair in the evening.

Since I stopped using it altogether my hair is so much better :inlove:

Once or twice a year.
I have straight wavey hair.... And I never blow dry it and once a year for a wedding or something I will hot roll it, but that it.

Never. I can style my hair without heat. The main reason is, that my hair is fragile and splits easily even in gentle care. Heat styling is damaging and it's said to increase split ends, so it's a big no-no for me.

I never heat style my hair. It's one of the things that makes my hair better that i can actually stick to, so i try to stay away from the hairdryer and curling iron.

I don't think i can ever get the stick straight hair effect with a hairdryer, and if i want curls i can always do braids or mini buns. So heat styling is never necessary for me!

once or twice a year...only when I have to be somewhere and I don't want to be dripping, but I onnly dry to damp...and sometimes I'll spiral curl some loose tendrils of an updo

Oh I did it every day, until now. I shall stay away:D

I never heat style my hair and actually I've never done it in my life :grin:

I voted once or twice a year. For the most part I've sworn off heated styling tools and blowdryers. I may break them out for very special occasions, but other than that I just say no.

I voted once or twice a year.

I've maybe used a blow dryer 10 times in the past 5 years.
Also I had a deep conditioning treatment under a hood dryer at school in august 2000.

I do own a hood dryer but I bought it for other people or my mannikins.

I have now gone at least a full year with no heat except for the water in the shower.

I use a blow dryer on low heat every time I wash.

Meg

I blow dry a little and it does take some of the curl out of it, but mostly I do it just to get it to dry in a downward direction, so about once per week i guess

There is no option for me, I use blowdryer 4-6 times a year, always with good styling products to protect my hair. (When I had short hair, I blowdried it 2-3 times a week, without any kind of styling product and using the hottest setting :twisted: )

I've never really been into doing all that....too lazy I guess lol. I still don't do anything like that, I just put it in an up-do for work wet and go.....and it's still damp when I take it out of the up-do when I get home from work.

i voted once or twice a year... that would be a blow dry at the hairdresser! sometimes i will lightly dry the roots only during winter if my hair is very wet or if it is very cold but i never dry it totally myself... airdry all the way!

I answered 'once a month.', but that's mostly for winter months. I sometimes don't have enough time for my hair to dry before I leave the house & I just can't go out in the super cold with wet hair! But that's really rare & I most often air dry.

I answered "Never". I still have my Mom's hair dryer from the '70's, but I don't know where. Even before I knew it was bad for hair, I never blowdried 'cause it was too much work.

Last year I got my hair done for a prom/dinner. The hairdresser gave me a great updo, piled high, with ribbons and curls. She used a blowdryer, a curling iron, and lots of hairspray. It looked great! But when I touched the curls, they were stiff and wiry from all the hairspray (another no-no). When the evening was over, I didn't know how to take it all out without ripping my hair. It took a couple days for my hair to feel normal again. I haven't heat-styled or used hairspray since.

I'd like to learn some hair friendly updos.

HoiLei.

I voted never. I don't even own a blowdryer, or any heat-styling tools.

When I had my hair done for my brother's wedding last summer, I washed it myself, and let it air dry, and the hairdresser did a style that came out like a large bun of curls, with my hair looped and bobby pinned in place. Lots of gel, which was a pain to wash out, but no heat.

Never. At least not with any of the hair currently attached to my scalp.
I let my hair airdry.

Assuming that "styling" means using tools/products... then never. ever. my hair likes to do the farrah thing without any prodding from me. To me, the whole point of having natural hair is never having to do much to it.

In the last four years I haven't used any heat-styling at all, and as I don't plan to in the future I voted 'never'.

Before that, the only thing I'd do was curl the ends of my hair (for a bit of body) about 3-4 times a year for when I needed it to look nicer while loose. I've never used a blow dryer much because it takes too long. :lol:

I do not like heat. I've been heat-free for over one year now and my hair loves it.:)

I heat style about 3 times a week.

I blow dry daily do to the curlyness of my hair. I like to wear it straight because it looks less flat and frizzy. But I do have to do little extra things.

It does not seem to affect the growth rate or the condition for me at all.

I use my ceramic hair straighteners 1 a week before clubbing mainly because then it looks like I've made an effort with my hair and it does look like I've just walked out of a hair dressers when straightened.

Ah!!! LOL! :lol: This thread is funny! I started this almost 2.5 years ago when my hair was TR'ed! How neat to see it bumped back up here!

Prior to the terrible cut that I received on Tuesday, I was heat styling about once a week. Mainly with a ceramic curling iron, just to define/smooth my curls. for pumped up curls, I always used a diffuser... which I never really considered to be 'heat styling' b/c it doesn't blow my hair around and I use it on a cool setting. When my hair is shorter (like it is right now), I tend to heat style almost daily or at least every other day. I make sure to use a very good heat protectant. Even since I first posted this thread, the advances made in heat protection are really amazing! Some of the sprays like VO5 Miracle Mist work very well.

I voted once a month. I used to flat iron my hair about once a month but I haven't done it in 2 months.

I voted "every day" but it's not really styling - I just don't like to go out of the house with really wet hair and as my hair is still very short I at least rinse it every morning to get rid of the flat sides & back.

I don't use a blowdryer but a bonnet dryer for about 5 minutes on the lowest heat setting, this takes care of my roots & that's enough for me as the rest will dry on my way to work.
:grin:

Before I found this site, I was blow drying and using a flat iron almost everyday. Now it's about three times a week, (the closest answer was once a week) and I now let my hair air dry and then just use my new Sedu ceramic straightener on it. I love that thing! I set it on the lowest setting and it takes my hair from 3c to 1a/1b beautifully.

So I've gone from 2 heat appliances almost everyday to 1 heat appliance, 3 times a week.

Meezer, I was wondering why you said you just TR'ed. I never thought to check the date of the original post, hehe. :bluesmile

I voted every day, because that was the closest option to the truth. I blowdry it at least a little before work every day, but mostly use the cold setting. I don't curl it anymore--I discovered once I started leaving it alone that the natural wave makes if flip up uniformly, so there's no point to "helping" it along.

I voted Never

Never--I have no patience for blowdrying and I'm too scared of curling irons. The only thing i do use is steam curlers but I don't think they are considered heat styling tools

Never, I don't like what it does to my hair.

I'm a "Once or Twice a Year" person. It depends on the occasion. If I'm performing and my hair has to look a certain way, I'll use hot rollers. I think we have a curling iron somplace in the house.

I use the blow dryer every day in the winter...but only to clear the steam off the mirror.:lol:

I use a blow dryer very rarely. I use a curling iron maybe once or twice a month. I try my best to air dry and then sleep in rollers.

I voted "never" because the most I would ever do is blow dry, and I haven't needed to do that in two years. I don't have any problem letting my hair air dry because I wash it in the morning and I'm never out in the cold for too long while it's still wet. In college, when I had to walk to class in the winter, I would put it in a redoubled ponytail and wear a nightcap on top. (A pointy nightcap with a tassel. Really. I thought it looked cute in a dorky sense, and it kept my hair warm during the walk.) I'm happy with my hair's texture, so I don't have any desire to flatten or curl it.

Almost always when I wash my hair I blow-dry it. But I only rarely use curling irons or similar things.

I use my hairdryer once or twice a week. I don't style with it, just use it on a cool or warm setting to help a little with the drying process when I'm in a hurry. I use my flat iron that often too. It really smooths my hair and gives it body that large rollers don't. I don't really like using it but it works the best for the length my hair is now. I figure when my hair gets longer I'll be able to do up do's and won't have to worry about it being all the way dry or curled.

I voted NEVER. Heat does horrible things to my hair!

I voted once or twice a year, even though its more like once or twice every five years, but its not quite never, but, yes, hardly ever

Never: Ever since LHC, I haven't needed it! My hair does just fine on it's own.

I don't even own a hairdryer. Don't want to get one, either. But then again, I have the kind of job that allows me to show up for work with wet hair. Might change my habits once I graduate from law school.

I voted 1-2 times per year. I do it just to see if diffusing is still a good/bad option to consider/reject for me, and to make sure the blowdryer still works, just in case someone else in the house may want to use it at some point. :silly:

I voted 'never'.

I did nearly every day for nearly a decade (until this past winter, January 2005). I have not heat styled my hair for about 10 months, except for my wedding trial do' and wedding day, where I got lots of heat directed at my hair (overhead blower attached to a chair).

I choose not to heat style my hair anymore.

Guess I'm in the majority on this one. I don't have a hair dryer and wouldn't bother using it if I did. I think it's just in my nature to not do something if I don't have to...unless it's fun!

Actually - never is a new vow. I last had my hair heat-styled with a flat-iron in June, and after that I could no longer deny that some of my ends (a good 4-5 inches worth) were so burned that they were disintegrating. So although I love straight hair best, I'll have to be content to enjoy it on other people if I want long, beautiful hair. And I do, so wavy it must be. What's wrong with that?

I chose Once or twice a year. I never, ever blowdry my hair, but every now and then I'll throw some Caruso steam rollers in. Just for special occasions - weddings, etc. Not more than a couple times per year. I never blowdry because it ruins my hair very quickly, and my hair doesn't look good blowdried.

For the odd special function I will go to the hairdresser and get her to 'straighten' my hair for something different.

Hugs
Merrykat

I voted once or twice a year although I do blow dry my fringe once or twice a week but don't know if that counts :lol:

The remainder of my hair I air dry but have allowed once or twice a year should I really want to look smart for a special occasion and then I will straighten my hair.

Never. Wash at night/late afternoon and either let it fully dry if I want completely straight hair, or braid it slightly damp before going to bed for some waves (that never stay too well as my hair doesn't take curling well).

I put once or twice a year, in the winter. I hate going outside on cold mornings with wet hair, so if I wake up late I might blow dry it. Otherwise I'll just walk around with a wet head :-)

I voted once a week but its usually less than that.

I never blow dry it, however I do use a flat iron anywhere from once a week to 2 or 3 times a month. I get tired of the curly look, so I like to straighten it.

Never!:scared:

I do have a blowdrier and use it when I trim dogs:razz:

about 2x a yr (extreme heat of the curling iron)

I voted for once every month...that isnt exactly accurate, its more like every few months. I blowdry my hair on the low setting with cool air when i need it to be dry and its not. I try to avoid doing this, i also avoid curling irons and straightening irons

I said once or twice a year. Generally for special occasions. But now that my hair is getting longer and I can do more interesting updos, I likely won't ever have reason to heat style my hair again :)

I put once or twice a year because that is what my plan is now. I haven't blow dried in over three months ( I used to every day)! So far so good!

I voted "once a month" because, I don't know exactly. It depends.. if I am in a hurry I have to blowdry, especially if it's cold out there.
Apart from that I never blowdry

I voted never. I don't own a hair dryer of any sort (although hubby blow dries with his daily). I borrowed his once on a cruise so I could speed along natural drying time before a formal dinner, but that's it. I haven't blow dried in a loooooong time. Heat really tends to dry out my hair.

Never. I always wash my hair at night and let it air dry while I sleep. That way the waves stay in and I end up with a lot more body to it. If I want some curls I mist it, roll it around my fingers and bobby pin it or damp bun it for a few hours. My hair takes curls very easily so that is all I need but I don't bother with it often. I prefer a nice up-do for special occasions, its low maintenance and doesn't look tangled by the time its over.

i voted once a week. I used to blow dry my hair everyday religiously until it was bone dry for a really long time, and i recently had started using a straightening iron on the side bangs i have. But i found a website that was very helpful (which also led me to finding this) and since i've stopped the straightening completely, and usually on Fridays i'll blow dry since i'm not completely gone from my addiction yet. But i plan on kicking the habit completely very soon.

I only blow dry when I really need to be somewhere where wet hair is not as acceptable, and that usually happens once or twice a year, thankfully. Most of the time damp hair is just fine :lol:

I can't even remember when I last heat-styled my hair. It's been years, though. I think it happened at a shop about five years ago, if I recall correctly.

Blow drying hair is such a hassle, I don't understand why those heat styling stuff are all rage. Less heat touches hair, the better.

I voted once or twice a year. Prior to LHC, I blowdried daily, but have not done so since (up to about 2 months without using a hairdryer now). I'm planning on using it when we get married so it looks good on the day, and it's always there as a fallback option, hence my choice of 1-2 times per year.

I try to avoid blowdrying. In summer it's not necessary, but in fall and winter I'll have to blowdry after each wash. I can't go out with wet hair when it's cold outside.

I voted once a month though it's probably once every two-three months. I very occasionally use my straightening irons but I doubt it's more than once ever two months. I never blowdry.

never, I don't even own a blow dryer, curling iron, or flat iron.

I used to wash and blowdry my hair everyday. I stopped that when I joined here. It's the best thing I have ever done for my hair.

I went with everyday... even tho I dont blow dry all f it every day jut my bangs to smooth them out....

I usualy just towel dry and bun or braid letting it air dry :)

Never. Never never never. I love my wave, but if I want it straight combing in some aloe while it's damp does the trick.

I dry my hair about twice a week with a blowdryer. This is only if I had to take a shower in the morning before class and didn't have time to shower the night before and let my hair air dry. I'm still getting used to the air dry procedure. I never used to let my hair air dry and I don't really like having wet hair, even in the summer, because it makes me feel really cold.

Only about once a year, if that - I haven't used it in the past 18 months, and the last time I did I used the cold setting.

I have to blowdry and flatiron my bangs every day to keep them from turning into hideous cowlicks. Other than that, once every couple of months I'll get the urge and flatiron all of my hair.

never..it falls as it falls and dries in the air

I own a hair dryer, but the most use it sees is when I need to finish drying something quickly which did not dry in the dryer.

LOL.. I do this too..

I can't remember the last time I used a blowdryer on my hair.. The only time I do/would is if I had to was in an emergency and it was in the winter.. lol

I have always air dried my hair. The only time I would heat style is when I accidentally spray on too much hair spray to keep my bangs in place and had to wash it out in a hurry before I leave home. So I only wash my bangs and blow dry that part. As for curling irons and straighteners, heck, I bought a whole set a month before I found LHC, and now, it's sitting there to gather dust.

Never! anymore.
Before coming to LHC, though, I shampooed my hair every night (didn't use conditioner:blueeek:) and blew it dry, with the setting on full heat/full blast. Even got my hair caught in the motor on a couple of occasions..

Never. My hair has never been blow dried or heat styled in my life.

This is amazing! I clicked on this thread thinking that I would post an answer to it and there I was... the original poster... 3.5 years ago! Woot!!! :rockerdud

The TR on my head has been gone for over 3 years (I chopped every inch of it off). I do still heat style now and then... especially to create looser curls and waves. On the other hand, updos are my best friend now and they don't require heat styling. :) So, I do a lot of alternating.

I still blow-dry my hair and occasionally flat-iron it, but never more than once a week, and most of the time I just let it air-dry naturally. I forsee myself doing this less the longer I'm on LHC. *grins*

Mira-chan - Wow. Never? Never never? Never ever? Just... wow! That's really neat.

I voted once a month. too tired to even really try to fix my hair. that has been the best remedy to get me away from heat styling my hair.

I never use any heat on my hair.

I can safely say "never", as well.

I voted once or twice a year. Only at some really special occasion, and only at the hairdresser's. I don't think that long hair actually need any of that heat style stuff...

maybe twice a month.

Once or twice a year just for fun, but I'm too concerned with my hair's health and also a bit lazy so it will never be something I do often.

I voted never. I used to blow dry and use a curling iron, especially in past "grow-outs", but I haven't had heat on my hair in a over two years, even before I joined LHC and saw the nasty pictures! I've pretty much stopped doing "unnatural" things to my hair. My goal is not only long hair, but long and healthy hair.

I voted once or twice a year. Usually on some special occasion.
I really can't remember the last time I blow dried or flat ironed my hair.
I just air dry now and wear it natural. My curls are happier that way.

"Life is too short and friends are too few."

I diffuse daily, but never with heat only use cold air as it gives great lift and seems to close the cuticle faster, the result for me are very simular as rinsing with cool water, great shine and less frizz :)

Seasonal for me! Chicago in the winter sometimes dictates that I use the evil heat monster so my hair doesnt freeze when running to the car!!
Jim :)

I quit blowdrying cold turkey as soon as I joined LHC and read about what blowdrying does to your hair. That was about 4.5 months ago. Then last week, I had my hair styled at a salon, and it was blown dry. It was kind of a treat and felt nice, but it's not something I feel compelled to repeat. I would use heat styling for a special occasion, but that's it. Never would I do it again on a regular basis. It's way too damaging for my Ole Gray Hairs!

Not using any heat at all. I want VIRGIN HAIR!!!

I voted never. If the need arises that i need my hair dried faster, I will use either a fan or hairdryer on cool setting. But i never use heat. Haven't even used a curling iron in about 10 years. Whenever i try to dry my hair faster than air drying I get frizzies and it doesn't look right. Most times I will just use the fan to help get some of the moisture out but not a complete dry.

I voted never. No heat styling for me for 3 or 4 years now. I still own a blow dryer and curling iron but they have been in my under the sink graveyard just in case. My daughter uses my curling iron on her bangs and the most use my blow dryer gets is to move positions under the sink when in search of something.

I never use heat tools on my anymore. I've sworn off everything from flat irons to curlers to blow dryers. However, I do sit under a dryer on low heat for about twenty minutes once a month when I get my hair dyed. The heat is necessary for the dye to be fully functional. Sigh. :(

Never for me.

I used to blow dry every 3 or 4 days, but luckily my natural laziness means that I've actually air dired since I was very young so it wasn't hard to kick the habit!

I never heat style, but now that the weather is turning cold, I wish I had a hairdryer. I have to wash my hair in the morning or I end up with a mop, and going outside with wet hair is Not Fun.

I'm so proud to answer NEVER! Last time I used my hairdryer was last year I think, and only once, because I was in such a hurry, and couldn't leave house with completely wet hair. Now I only wash it when I know I can let it airdry, which is usually when I come home from work, before doing anything else. Once my hair is washed I have time for other things while it's airdrying. Clever eh? :)

I never used straightening/curling irons.

I never heat style at all now. I let my hair dry naturally and it's fairly straight anyway so I don't bother using straighteners either!

Maybe once or twice a year on very special occassions only..

I never use a curling iron or blow dryer, but I do use a straightener on my fringe every other day... so I wasn't realyl sure what option to go for. :undecided

I quit blow drying and using the curling iron 2 weeks ago after I joined LHC and began learning about hair care. I can already tell a difference in my hair.

Never - My current hair has never been heat-treated. I live in the desert so my hair has to put up with a lot of abuse anyway. I do own a hairdryer but I think that the last time I used it was when I spilled water on my bedroom carpet a few years ago (hmmm.... wonder if it still works.....). I never mastered a curling iron as a teen so I have never bought one.
Darya

Never! I'm an air dryer. Tons of sun, though. :]

I think it's probably had heat to it 5 times in my life?

Well, I guess never. The most I do is to dry of most of the damp in the winter so my hair doesn't drip too much, then it gets plaited and left to dry naturally. One day I will have a house with good central heating so I can let it totally air dry even in the winter:rolleyes:

I voted once or twice a year, only because on the rare occasion when it is the dead of winter and I don't have time to air dry, I won't leave the house with a sopping wet head. But this doesn't happen often - so essentially, I air dry all the time. I've never really used a curling iron either. I did used to blow dry regularly though, on and off...I stopped for good about a year ago. :)

I voted 'never'.
I always let my hair dry naturally, I even don't know whether my hair dryer is stlll working.

I voted once a month but sometimes it's more like a couple times a month. I was cursed with hair that isn't quite curly but isn't quite straight, so I'll straighten it sometimes for a special occasion like dinner with my boyfriend or something. I rarely ever blow-dry though.

Never. I use my hairdryer for drying paint samples sometimes, crackle finish, and drying the insides of glass bottles.

Once or twice a year. I can count the times:

A glamorous Christmas dinner, annual occasion
Random high school graduation every 2 years

I voted once a week but it's more like every second or third day - when I wash my hair. I let it partially air dry while I'm applying makeup but it's got too many layers right now to be anything but a huge mess if I let it air dry all the way. Once the layers are gone I look forward to only needing a hair dryer when I am rushed.

i voted for never. last year i heat styled for fun every other month or so. just for me to look a little diefferent, but not for going out with. but i am not heat styling my hair since i let it grow, for a year now i think. and i am not going to do it again, because i really can see the damage afterwards. i want healthy hair! bad enough i am back to lighten a little bit again...

I put once or twice a year. I do have a dryer with a diffuser, but I only use it if I'm caught with a really wet head and have to be somewhere. Since I usually use a microfiber towel to scrunch out the wetness, this doesn't happen very often.

This past year I went through a phase of straightening it a couple times a week, after every wash. Now I never heat style.

I forsee heat styling once I get to my goal and it's in good condition, but only because I have a rather expensive flat iron that I don't want to throw out and also because it's a good way to change without dying or cutting my hair. But I don't plan to do it more than a couple times a month.

In high school I used to blow dry it all the time. I haven't heat styled it in years, but it still seems to be quite damaged.

My answer is twice a year for great events in fact !!

I'll try to style my hair a couple of times a year, but I never really like it.

Once or twice a year. I only airdry my hair. I use my old blowdryer to dry my body after bathing, not my hair. I don't use a curling iron, I am a klutz and it would take too long to do that to my hair. I might use steam rollers a couple of times a year when my hair is not layered.

Never...ever. :shake: