There are so many different dryers on the market, from hand held dryers to hooded dryers
I'm going to talk about what you need to look for when purchasing a dryer
brand/price doesn't always make it the best.
History
(wikipedia) blow dryers are frequently called a hairdryer, they are electromechanical device designed to blow cool or hot air over wet or damp hair, in order to accelerate the evaporation of water particles and dry the hair. Blow dryers allow to better control the shape and style of hair,
by accelerating and controlling the formation of temporary hydrogen bonds inside each strand. These hydrogen bonds are very powerful (allowing for stronger hair shaping than even the sulfur bonds formed by permanent waving products), but are temporary and extremely vulnerable to humidity. They disappear with a single washing of the hair. Hairstyles using blowdryers usually have volume and discipline, which can be further improved by the use of styling products and brushes during drying to add tension, hold and lift. There is a myth that using blow dryers increases hair loss. There is no scientific evidence to support this. Blow dryers were invented around the end of the 19th century.
The first model was created by Alexandre F. Godefroy in his salon in France.
Different types of dryers...
Ionic
If you want salon-quality results, then an an ionic dryer, is a must!
it provides smooth hair and body by reducing emissions from position ions.
Ceramic
A ceramic hairdryer will use its own self-regulating heat options to provide effective results resulting in healthy and well-conditioned hair.
Tourmaline
a tourmaline type provides the same results as an ionic dryer with added power and a faster drying time.
Wattage hair dryers have different wattage options. It's important to choose a hairdryer with 1,800 watts, as it will ensure enough heat runs throughout it. Never use a dryer that has more than 2,000 watts, as it is dangerous to use, this is the worst type to use on african american hair this will cause a lot of damage and breakage to your hair, so look for the wattage amount ladies. If the hair dryer has high wattage, then use the lowest setting possible.
Settings Most hairdryer settings have nearly four to six settings temperature settings rang from to low, medium and high. Any hairdryer that has one setting most often provides the user with brittle and dry hair. Look for a hairdryer with a cool air button that provides an option for lesser temperature throughout the entire hair drying process, this is a absolute must for hair that is
3c-4b the cool button is your friend ladies hit it when necessary!
Additional Hair Dryer Features
Many hairdryers have nozzles and/or diffuser options. When a nozzle is applied to a hair dryer it is used to direct the airflow. For someone with kiny/curly hair, these attachments are imperative for proper styling.
These attachments and accessories are made from non toxic durable materials to insure quality and long time use. Enhance volume with a diffuser, straighten hair with a comb pick or create a precision blow with constrictor nozzles.
In my opinion I think this is the worst blow dryer to use on your hair,
i used this type of blow dryer for years, and
i remember always seeing tons of my hair in the combs, they would snag and pop my hair strands constantly, i wouldn't recommend blow drying with this type of hand dryer.
blow dry tips
you will need a nozzle to attach to the hair dryer
this will apply direct heat flow to the hair shaft.
Flat professional hairdressing clips
Preferred styling products Gloss, oil and heat protectant!
Large paddle/ round brush depending on the style
Before blow drying hair Prepare your hair for styling with a good shampoo and conditioning treatment. Blot your hair with a towel and allow it to dry naturally. Your hair needs to be at least 80% dry for the styling to be effective.
Use a wide toothed comb to detangle hair. Apply heat protectant to your hair.
Massage hair with a dollop of straightening balm.
How to blow dry your hair #2
Part your hair into four horizontal sections,
two at the sides and two at the back.
Clip these sections on top of your head. Do one section at a time.
Using a thick, round brush, start blow drying the hair while pulling the brush through the hair from the roots to the ends. Pull the hair away from your head, stretching and straightening it as you go.
Direct the airflow down the hair shaft as this will give added shine to your hair. Continue from section to section of free hair till all the sections are dry and smooth. Keep the tension consistent and evenly distribute heat over the section of hair you are concentrating on. This will ensure uniform hair texture and prevent over drying of certain areas. Continue to work down the length of your hair until only the ends are left around the brush.
For turned in or turned out look, simply bend the hair around the brush.
For the straight, sleek look remove the brush and insert it underneath the ends using the airflow from the dryer to keep them against the brush.
You can apply gloss or oil to smooth over your hair and remove any unwanted frizz.
Blow drying tricks and tips
Always point the dryer down the hair shaft as you are blow drying the hair as blowing upward can cause frizz.
Your hair dryer should be light enough to hold easily as holding your arms over your head can be pretty tiring.
never apply direct heat to hair or scalp,
Too much heat on the scalp can and will burn you, trust me!
Never allow air to flow up the hair shaft. Hair will look dull and lifeless.
Brush and blow dry the underside first so that hair in the lower section gets dried too. It is better to work from the backside of your hair to the front side.
Ensure that each section is dried fully before moving on to the next section, so that you don’t need to redo it again. With partly-done section, hair may revert to its original state.
Do not blow dry hair when it is too wet or still dripping. In the same fashion, do not direct heat to a section that is 100% dry. Use a spritz bottle to slightly add moisture before blow drying. Start with hot air and finish with cold on every section to first build in the desired style and then lock in the set.
Avoid too much drying of hair by holding the nozzle at least 5-6 inches away from the head and using a medium setting. Also, do not direct the air flow at any one section for more than a few seconds at a time.
Avoid sectioning clips that cause wrinkles. You can place a piece of tissue paper between the hair and the clip to avoid any ridges.
*Waring*
Blow dryers are for hair, nothing else. Don't use it to dry your body
high heat can cause burns.
Never blow dry your hair when it is dripping wet you could get electrocuted by doing this.
Blow drying can cause headaches, You shouldn't use them for more than an hour-and-a-half at a time. this time frame is for getting a Dominican blow out or a professional styling at the shop.
if your just blow drying your hair at home i would recommend no more then 20mins,
if you still have some wet spots let it airdry
just so you can cut down on the heat somewhat.
Try to avoid blow drying freshly-colored hair It's already dry enough, this is a sure way to have a lot of damage and breakage, heat and color do not mix!
Avoid using near bathtubs - it can be deadly
also ladies always, always, always, use a heat protection!
blow dryers are no diffrent from any other heat styling tool, make sure to protect your hair. when I do blow dry which is hardly ever i use my nexxus heat protect ant spray.
i make the dominicans spray this in my hair as well, before they start my blow outs.
Newest fashion trend??
The blow dryer gun:
Ever heard of a hair dryer that looks like a pistol? It’s called the  Pistol Hair Dryer LOL not much of a strecth with that name smh.
This gadget has been floating on the web for a while now. But now, it’s actually in stock and for sale at gadget4all.com for $39.
The Pistol Hair Gun has three settings, uses 1000W and weighs just 345g.
it 's a small dryer and is intresting to say the least, but i'm not down with pointing a pistol at my head i don't know, it kind of creeps me out lol I may be wrong, what do you guys think??
well there are so many diffent choices when it comes to dryers some would say go with a chi or a sudu or a t3 but a lot of these start at a minium of a $100, i have seen some dryers as much as $300. I have a Remington Professional Hair Dryer it is a cheaper version of chi, it even says it on the box that is what got me lol, I got it at walmart for $40 and i haven't had any issues with it, Well as you know i like to air dry my hair, i think is the safest way to retain your length but if you going to blow dry make sure you get a good blow dryer and follow the tips above.
I get questions a lot pertaining to how i take care of my ends and maintain my hair length the best thing that has worked for me is spraying with a moisturizing base and sealing with either oil or butter.
Moisturizing base=water You can either use a spray bottle with filter water in it as you moisturizing base or else you can use moisturizing spray from the bss.
oil/butter= oil base i use either castor oil or shea butter both work great,
since i no longer relax i can do this 2x a day, when i was relaxing i did it just at night.
There are some moisturizing sprays you can buy
But i am here to tell you, that you can mix water, glycerin and coconut oil together
And still get the same results for half the price and it's all natural.
Store brought products you can buy: Organic Root Stimulator
Carrot Oil Triple Moisture
Silk Touch Leave-in
Profectiv Anti-Tangle
Leave-in Profectiv Mega Growth
Cantu Shea Butter
QP Mango Butter
Cantu Shea Butter Leave-in
Night time When I go to bed, I spray my hair lightly with my moisturizing mix, then I add coconut or olive oil to my hair, then I braid it in to pigtails, then I apply shea butter or castor oil to my ends.
So being that I do this to my hair 2x a day, I wash my hair more,
I co wash 2x a week and I clarify every month this is done around my henna treatments.
Another thing that can truly help you maintain your ends/hair, is that you need to make sure that you are always sleeping with either a satin pillow case or a satin head scarf.
this has made a huge difference with my hair and skin.
I refuse for my hair to sleep on anything but satin lol I’ve spoiled her!
So what is SATIN? Traditional satin has a glossy and a dull side, which is important to remember when sewing garments. While satin was once made exclusively of silk, satin is now made with polyester, acetate, nylon and rayon. These other fabrics provide a less expensive means to achieve the glossy finish provided by satin.
a cotton pillowcase may feel soft, but cotton is highly absorbent causing it to draw moisture from your hair and skin while you sleep. The natural oils found on the scalp are uniformly distributed along the hair shaft with the simple act of brushing, but these oils are then absorbed by the cotton, drying it and making it more brittle.
The weave of the cotton is also abrasive tending to grip individual strands of hair causing them to break and the hair to tangle. This is why your hair can look such a mess when you wake in the morning. This can be detrimental to African American hair, especially if your hair is in the 4's!
The answer to this problem according to hair experts is a Satin Pillowcase.
any satin pillowcase will be of benefit.
Most medical experts also recommend satin pillows for patients being treated for cancer and hepatitis C where, following the treatment, patients are often in bed for long periods and suffer from frictional Alopecia, the abnormal loss of the hair root and hair shaft from the hair follicle caused by the hair rubbing against the abrasive cotton and damaging the hair cuticles with heat.
Sleeping on a satin pillow helps prevent the cuticle heating up during the night as the head moves around and puts pressure on the hair because the head and hair flows over the satin.
so satin pillows are not only good for your hair, but your skin as well!
I own 4 satin pillow cases (i'm a wild sleeper =/ don't judge me lol )
they tend to cost more but they are so worth it!
when I went to fl last weekend, i forgot my pillowcase but i had my satin scarf,
well i fell asleep for 20mins on a Cotton pillowcase, when i tell you that pillow was so oily
it totally absorbed everything, i had put in my hair 8hrs earlier, so i know for a fact cotton is not the best thing to sleep in, i have yet to find a single hair on my pillow case in 2 years=)
Organix
Well a few weeks ago i had gotten some new organic shampoo and conditioner i had heard a lot
of good things about them but i never got a chance to try them out, well they had a buy one get one free sale on organix products at bi-lo so i had to get it, and let me tell you this was some of the best shampoos and conditioner that i have every used and i am not over exaggerating or telling you to run out and buy it, just giving my honest opinion =)
1st the shampoo made my hair so soft it foamed up very well, it did not leave my hair matted and tangled, the conditioner was really good as well, it made my hair extremely soft and i kept it in for 5mins and it really got it detangled and moisturized, i would recommend these products to anyone natural or relaxed everything is 100% natural, so there isn't anything to worry about.
This is the conditioner that I have.
Soft & Silky Vanilla Silk Shampoo & ConditionerIndulge your senses with this exclusive blend of smoothing Tahitian vanilla bean oils to instantly nourish and moisturize, while silk amino proteins strengthen and seal your hair’s cuticles, revitalizing your hair, creating silky, smooth shiny hair. Smoothing Tahitian Vanilla Bean oils blended with exotic silk amino proteins create a decadent treat. All you need for soft, smooth and seductive hair in one irresistible formula.
This is the shampoo that I got from bi-lo unfortunately when they have buy 1 get 1 free they never has 2 things that match lol
Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo & Conditioner Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner is an exclusive blend of organic coconut milk to nourish your hair, while ultra whipped egg white proteins add strength and elasticity, along with weightless coconut oils to add hydration and balance. The luxuriously creamy, foaming, hydrating formula leaves your hair feeling clean, glowing, softly scented and super soft.
Hey everyone I hope you all are doing well, I had a excellent birthday thanks again for all of the emails and birthday wishes on youtube, twitter, facebook, myspace ETC, I truly appreciate it!!
Well today I'm blogging about ROLLER SETS! I love roller sets but I am not the best at them, I am learning and hope fully, with time and patient I can get better.
Roller sets are a great protective style, I did a roller set a few weeks ago it turned out ok I think it's harder for me because of the 2 different textures, but from what a few people told me they said that I need to flat iron my natural hair first, then roller set it so it blends with my relaxed ends. so I will try that this week and hopefully it will look good and my hair will flow together.
rollers come in many sizes and shapes there are so many different types of rollers to choose from no matter what you choose you hair will look good!
this lady has a beautiful straw set you can get this this look by using rods or regular drinking straws.
Roller sets give your hair bounce,body and style, without having to resort to a lot of unnecessary heat from flat iron or blow dryers, this is good especially if you are trying to achieve length with your hair. with that being said roller setts can be very challenging to learn, especially if you have a full head of hair. Practice makes perfect and you will notice a big difference in the health, texture and length of your hair.
How to roller set....
my combs & rollers, I put my setting lotion, in a old motions bottle, I mix it with 1/2 lotta body and 1/2 water=) go green!!
things you will need: 1) Wide Tooth Comb 2) Rattail 3) Magnetic rollers 4) Duckbill Clip 5) Water Bottle 6) Leave-in Conditioner 7) setting lotion
Instructions:
1) Wash and Condition hair as usual
2) After rinsing out conditioner, leave hair soaking wet and put a plastic shower cap over wet hair.
3) Apply leave-in, or setting lotion make sure to concentrate on the ends. Fill your water bottle with the mixture of your choice water, water and setting lotion, or liquid leave-in.
4) Part hair twice down the middle (imagine a Mohawk) use a ponytail holder or big duckbills to keep the sides out of the way.
5) Start with the mohawk first. Spray with water, don't forget to soak your ends! they need to stick to the rollers.
6) Part a 1 inch horizontal section and comb down. The hair should be hanging in front of your face. Pinch the end and place the roller on TOP of the hair. Roll up (towards the ceiling). Rolling up is the easiest on your arms and creates a lot more space on the head for the rollers. Continue until you finish the mohawk section.
7) Move on the right or left side. Make three vertical sections.
8) Start with section furthest from your face. Part a 1 inch section and roll up. Continue until you complete each section. Then move the opposite side of your head and do the same.
9) Air dry or dry under a hood dryer. Anticipate at least 30-90 minutes under the dryer.
10) Make sure your hair is COMPLETELY dry before removing the rollers, or else your hair will revert if not completely dry!
11) Remove Rollers and ENJOY Remember the smaller the roller, the tighter the curl and the longer the curl will stay.
difference between heated rollers and regular rollers:
normal rollers have to be used when your hair is wet, then you let it dry. hot rollers are heated up and can be used on dry hair.
my box of mixed rollers!
these are not the best because of the spikes can snag your hair and cause breakage.
Heated rollers come in three sizes, large,medium and small. Sets tend to contain 12 or 24 rollers. The best type, in my opinion, are the ones covered in a velvety material. Avoid the old fashioned type with the hard plastic spikes around the barrel of the curler. Always place the 'pins' in the proper storage space. These are a real hassle to replace and they are so easy to loose.
velvet coated heat rollers are the best type to buy.
Here's how to get the best out of your set of heated rollers:
· Wait until the red light comes on, indicating that the set is ready (hot enough). · Start at the crown and use the right size for your style. ·Roll the hair around the curler and pull the ends until they disappear. This will avoid the 'fish hook' look. · Don't roll them too tight. · Work your way down the back and then the sides. · Finish with the ones at the front. · Remember that the direction of the roller will determine the direction of the hair. · Once all of the rollers are set in place, sit still. It is often the movement that allows the rollers to slip and pull,splitting the hair. · As soon as they are cool start removing the rollers in the same order that you put them in. · Spray your hair with a light spray and let it dry. · You can now style as desired
the large ones:gives body to straight styles.
the medium ones:bends or changes the direction of the hair.
the small ones: gives curl definition.
A set with heated rollers takes a lot less work, it's a plus if you have long thick hair.
What's the best type of heated rollers for African American hair?
From everything I've read the best kind for African American hair is the Caruso Professional Ion Steam Hairsetter. lots of ladies have seen good results with these. I do feel like it works better on hair types in the 2-3c if you have 4a-4b it may not work as well unless you are relaxed, now if your natural from everything I've read you will need to straighten your hair first or else you will not see any of the desired results.
description from their site:
Non damaging - Ionic Technology for soft, voluminous curls creating shine and reducing static and frizz. The new anti-static, anti-frizz Caruso Professional Ion Steam Hairsetter uses negative ions to produce up to three times the amount of steam of ordinary hairsetters. Ions create strong, long-lasting and luxurious curls. Help condition, soften and make hair shinier while adding volume and reducing frizz.
Here are some directions from one of the ladies on lhcf I've never tried it so check it out and see if it works for you=)
For NaturalHair (Press and Comb) Soft, natural textures may be curled by carefully controlling the amount of steam. (For some coarse, natural textures, the rollers may not work well. For best results, coarse hair should be chemically treated). Follow this setting procedure:
1. Shampoo hair, removing all traces of oil/curl activator.
2. Blow dry hair smooth until completely dry.
3. Section hair first. Then steamrollers briefly -- no more than 2-3 seconds. (see "Steaming the Rollers" section).
4. Set by taking large sections and using the comb clip where necessary. (Comb clips hold short ends on the roller).
5. Wait 5 - 10 minutes (until moisture is evaporated). Or use a dryer for 2-3 minutes instead.
6. Remove rollers. If no dryer has been used, let the hair "air" for 5 minutes.
7. Comb and style.
Important: Do not set hair that contains curl activator...gummy moisturizer...heavy oil...or any product that leaves hair feeling damp. The setting process will moisturize hair naturally. A light setting lotion may be used before setting for extra body only if the hair is thoroughly dry. After setting, a light spray of oil sheen or holding spray may be applied.
I have also read that a few ladies add setting lotion, or leave in conditioner to the water, so that way the steam makes their hair bouncier. this whole steam thing sounds interesting, I would love to try it out some time.
my satin rollers
OK last but not least this is the latest rage in rollers LOL!! they are called satin pillow rollers, these have got to be the easiest rollers that I have ever used! believe me folks, if i can use them you can too! I brought 3 packs of these at the bss, they cost $3.99 a pack you get 10 of them in a pack. the best part is they are very comfortable to sleep in. when I took them out the curls were super tight, the only thing I didn't like is that my natural hair didn't curl as good as the rest, but like I stated earlier I will need to flat iron first. so once I do that, I will post some updated results, but these roller are great they are very easy to use, and there is no snagging of the hair thanks to the satin.
so ladies what types of rollers do you use? and how many times a week do you roller set? have a great week everyone!! ti
welcome to my hair blog
my name is Ti and 2years ago
i embarked on a hair grow challenge, and now i want to help other women grow their hair too..
by showing them proof that you don't have to mixed or have Indian in
yo family lol... to have long healthy hair.
Me and my hair have both been through a lot in over the years, i went from hating my hair, to just plain ignoring it, but now that i have learned the proper way to care for my hair i love my hair to death :o)
my hair grade is 4a/with a lil 3c mixed....
i achived (bsl) bra strap length in oct 08 then I trimmed my hair nov 18th 2008! so i am right above bsl!
my next goal is full bsl by june or mid back length by nov 09!!
happy growing everyone!
make sure to read my older posts,
there is a lot of great info on there that shows you how to start your hair growth journey.
make sure to subscribe to me on youtube
click the youtube button on top,
to get to my youtube home page....
thanks for all of your support!!
ti