I blow dry my hair on work days, but on my off days I like to give my hair a break from heat so I air dry.

During the pandemic I didn’t use any heat at all and only noticed slightly softer + healthier hair.

What really freaks me out is seeing other women using heat styling products where I can visually see the actual steam coming off the product.

Like a girl getting her hair flat ironed w/her hair in the flatiron while the steam of the heat is frying her hair…..

OP- this is so helpful thank you for all of your advice

I used to always blow dry. If I didn't my hair didn't look good.

I went no-heat during the pandemic, and it was a tough transition. At first, my hair just looked bad. But I adopted some styling tips for textured hair (my hair is naturally wavy-curly, but loose and somewhat S shaped) and with time it looked better and better. Now I don't even put product in it most days beyond a tiny bit of leave-in conditioner. It dries into waves and has lots of great body and is super soft. I only wash it every few days and it will start to lose curl definition over those days, but because it stays soft and I'm not loading it up with product, it still looks good.

People told me that when I went heat-free I'd need to use lots of products on my hair, but I've found the opposite is the case. I tried gels, mousses and other products for textured hair, and I do still use them sometimes if I want really good curl definition for a specific reason (like a special event or to have my photo taken). But day to day, I find I don't have to put anything on beyond conditioner. When I used to blow dry my hair (and sometimes flat iron or curl) daily, I had to use products for heat protection, for hold, etc. And then I'd have deal with build up really quickly because my hair just cannot deal with a ton of product. Even when my hair looked good, I often hated how it felt. Plus I think my scalp was really unhealthy -- I'd go through periods where it was really dry and itchy, and other periods where it felt very oily.

I've become a "less is more" person in most beauty-related tasks these days -- less makeup, less skincare, less hair product, etc. I look better and everything feels better and I'm spending less money on products that I wind up abandoning because they stop working or I don't like them.

I have very thick, shoulder length straight hair. Pre pandemic, I would blow dry it, then use the revlon thing just on the ends to give a tiny bit of curl or flounce.

I stopped blow drying once the pandemic hit and haven't gone back. At first, I just let me hair grow a few extra inches. but now I've gone back to shoulder length, and I thought for sure I'd have to go back to blowdrying/smoothing but luckily so far I haven't.

That said, I'm not sure I see much difference in the health of my haircut it could also be because I'm post menopausal and my hair just isn't as great as it used to be, slightly more coarse and dry. So maybe not blowdrying is helpful overall.

Blow drying made it smoother, and lessened the chances of having one section that just didn't lay quite like the rest of it. When it was longer I missed the volume blow drying gave me. But all in all, doubt I'll ever go back.

I pretty much only air dry. After having kids my hair went from straight (which looked pretty reliably good when air dried) to coiled waves (which look good every once in a while when air dried). My hair is pretty healthy, but the halo of little curled-up hairs… I do not like it. I would blow dry it more if I had a dryer I liked.

If I comb it once or twice during the drying time, it’s better. Still doesn’t look polished though.

I started mostly air drying when the pandemic started. I did notice that my hair (particularly my ends) are healthier and I didn't need a trim quite so often. But my hair does not look good when I don't dry it. Its wavy and kind of frizzy and therefore I almost always wear it in a ponytail. If I want to look at all put together I have to blow dry. Luckily I just don't need to look put together that often these days.

Nope. Makes me look like Mrs. Frizzle. My hair has been frizzy all my life. Without the frizz, I do like the way it dries naturally with soft waves; there is just too much foam and spit on top of those waves.

I usually air dry except for special occasions. I haven't regretted, but it's taken a while to figure out the right shampoo and products...and when the weather changes I sometimes need to switch things up. It's easier to get a consistent (or at least predictable) look with heat styling.

I have natural waves/curls, and I stopped regularly heat styling several years ago (pre-pandemic), but what really helped my hair was to stop highlighting. My pre-pandemic highlights are now grown out, and my hair is soft, shiny, healthy, and frizz-free. It's completely wash and go.

Haven't owned any heat stying hair tools in decades (not even a blowdryer). And/but have very curly hair, so product and a microfiber towel are it for me. Saves tons of time

I skipped the dryer and straightener for about 8 or 10 months when the pandemic hit. And I was really disappointed to see no difference at all! I have fine, dark blonde hair if that matters.

I used to, but I read this article and apparently letting it air dry can have disadvantages too. I don’t straighten or use a curling iron, but I do use the lowest heat setting of the hair dryer. I have a dyson, fwiw. I have curly hair so I use lots of get which gets rid of frizz, so I don’t need to worry about that.

https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/air-drying-vs-blow-drying-hair-damage

My hair doesn’t look smooth and shiny if I let it dry naturally. I will let it dry naturally if I’m in a rush, but I prefer blow drying with a heat protectant and a round brush.

Me! I have wavy or curly hair depending on the humidity. It’s nice and shiny and feels healthy too. Using heat tools too much made it feel a bit coarser to me.

Want to let go of my hairdryer, and hot tools and just let my hair dry naturally. Has anyone done this and loved the results and can’t imagine going back to heat styling. Is your hair in better shape, and softer forgoing all heat?