Which heat is worse...pressing comb or blow dryer?

[Karamelcutie]

I got my first blow out yesterday and I LOVED IT !!! My hair looks so good. But that heat is HOOOOTTTT!!! I don't have a perm so I couldn't do the roller set and then have her just blow out the roots (or could I?). But I was thinking even though the blowdryer is hot as hell, the pressing comb my main stylist uses is hot as hell to. If that thing touches your skin you will definitely have a burn mark. So my question is which type of heat is worse? Or are they equally evil? Let me know your thoughts.

 

[Qualitee]

A pressing comb for sure

 

[Kay.Dee]

pressing comb ftw

I'm still afraid of them

 

[tbaby_8]

both can be bad or good depending on how it is used. Used properly, they really won't do any damage, but used improperly and they can take your hair out.

 

[Caramela]

If I had to guess I'd say the blow dryer. Reason being, you rip through a section of hair multiple times with the comb attachment or brush, and it's that dry heat that is sucking the moisture from your hair over and over. It's not really lying your cutilces down, so the hair still has a somewhat rough look after a blowdry.

The pressing comb, you have high heat, but it's one -at the most 2- swipes through the hair to straighten it. Way less maniupulation and it smooths the cutilces of the hair so they have a silkier appearance.

Personally, I'd rather air dry and then flat iron or press it with the comb.

 

[diligence]

Good question. I would have to guess blow dryer, because not only are you applying the heat to your hair, you're elevating the temperature of the water that's on there too.:burning:

 

[marla]

both can be bad or good depending on how it is used. Used properly, they really won't do any damage, but used improperly and they can take your hair out.

So true because I broke all of my hair off with a $%#&^ blow dryer!

 

[Qetesh]

If I had to guess I'd say the blow dryer. Reason being, you rip through a section of hair multiple times with the comb attachment or brush, and it's that dry heat that is sucking the moisture from your hair over and over. It's not really lying your cutilces down, so the hair still has a somewhat rough look after a blowdry.

The pressing comb, you have high heat, but it's one -at the most 2- swipes through the hair to straighten it. Way less maniupulation and it smooths the cutilces of the hair so they have a silkier appearance.

Personally, I'd rather air dry and then flat iron or press it with the comb.

I AGREE WITH THIS COMMENT

 

[sprungonhairboards]

I don't use either one (I rollerset or airdry and use a flatiron) but the obvious answer would be the pressing comb is worse because of the high direct heat. However my hair is dry as a bone and feels fried to a crisp after blow drying. I have to do so much to get my moisture balance back after a blow dry. That's why I don't use one. But I've never had any problems with a pressing comb or flat iron breaking or drying out my hair. It's always soft shiny and still moisturized afterwards.

 

[2grlsandme]

If I had to guess I'd say the blow dryer. Reason being, you rip through a section of hair multiple times with the comb attachment or brush, and it's that dry heat that is sucking the moisture from your hair over and over. It's not really lying your cutilces down, so the hair still has a somewhat rough look after a blowdry.

The pressing comb, you have high heat, but it's one -at the most 2- swipes through the hair to straighten it. Way less maniupulation and it smooths the cutilces of the hair so they have a silkier appearance.

Personally, I'd rather air dry and then flat iron or press it with the comb.

this is interesting? I never knew you could press relaxed hair

 

[BrownSkin2]

If I had to guess I'd say the blow dryer. Reason being, you rip through a section of hair multiple times with the comb attachment or brush, and it's that dry heat that is sucking the moisture from your hair over and over. It's not really lying your cutilces down, so the hair still has a somewhat rough look after a blowdry.

The pressing comb, you have high heat, but it's one -at the most 2- swipes through the hair to straighten it. Way less maniupulation and it smooths the cutilces of the hair so they have a silkier appearance.

Personally, I'd rather air dry and then flat iron or press it with the comb.

I have to agree with this from experience. A stylist ripped through my natural hair with a blow dryer. The breakage was evident when I did my hair after it.

 

[carib_n_curly]

pressing comb hands down

that thing gave me heat damage from ONE TIME and now parts of my hair is bone straight and i'm natural. i'm transitioning out of bad heat damage.

even when i did use blow dryers i never did my hair as bad as the hot comb, it gave me a but load of split ends though.

in defence of the hot comb the woman was paying attention to her crying child that shouldn't of being there and burned my hair but still pressing comb is worst

 

[Soliel185]

Yeah...I've never burned a hank of hair out using a blowdryer. Also, you don't have to rip through your hair. Sometimes I comb with a wide tooth comb while using it, or I just pull my hair straight and use that tension. It won't be "blowout" straight, but it softens the texture and stretches my hair.

 

[tocktick]

i think it depends on technique and heat level.

i think a hot comb that you can't control the heat setting is pretty bad. if you use an electric one, you can control the heat setting so limit the damage.

with a blow dryer, if it's set on the maximum setting that could be problematic. however, if it's on cool and a low-medium heat setting then that's better for your hair.

so i guess which one is worse depends on how you use it. i haven't had any problem with my blow-dryer but i use the lowest heat setting (not cool, though). i also make sure to use heat-protectant. when i got my hair pressed years ago, the comb ripped through my hair and the stylist used no heat protectant.

 

[Afro-Indi]

Hot comb hands down,
It's extremely hot direct heat from metal, robbing the hair of moisture with more tension than with blow drying.
Cuticles laying down from hot combing and flat ironing doesn't automatically equal good health;
There's still heat damage and the hair will dry out once the heat protectant/grease/styling lotion wears off and the damage will begin to show.

I don't blow out my hair anymore, but if I had to choose between the 2, I would choose hot air over hot metal.
With hot air, I don't lose my natural curl.
With hot metal, I do.

 

[LynnieB]

Yeah...I've never burned a hank of hair out using a blowdryer. Also, you don't have to rip through your hair. Sometimes I comb with a wide tooth comb while using it, or I just pull my hair straight and use that tension. It won't be "blowout" straight, but it softens the texture and stretches my hair.

ummmmm, yea.

there's a very popular very loooong haired member here that did burn out a huge hunk of hair from the back of her head with guess what did it? the danged hot comb. i cried out loud for her, man. Thank goodness her hair is thick and long enough to hide most of the damage and hopefully it will grow back fast for her.

definitely hot combs!

 

[Lady Esquire]

the pressing comb, for sure! :burning: when i hopped on the healthy hair wagon, i threw it out.

with a blow dryer, you can always attach a diffuser, keep it on cool, and use a wide-tooth comb or quality boar brush.

 

[InnerSoul]

both... in my opinion. You just have to make sure the comb is not smoking and make sure the blow dryer is not set to high. I had damaging results from both.

 

[poookie]

i'd say pressing combs and flat irons are worse than blow-drying. i blow-dry sometimes, and when i do, i make sure to part my hair in small sections, use plenty of serum, and gently go through each section. it takes me 45 minutes to an hour when i do it this way, but i make sure to be especially careful. if this is done correctly, there shouldn't be a large amount of breakage.

when my mother used to blow-dry my hair, she'd just hack away at my soaking wet hair. it would take FOREVER for it to get dry, and she'd use the comb attachment on the dryer to detangle, as opposed to a wide-toothed comb. i always got a larges-sized ball of broken hairs afterwards, but now, I only get a few strands, and 90% of them have bulbs on the ends.

 

[naturalmanenyc]

From what I'm told, it depends on technique. Both can be damaging if used incorrectly. I just got a blow out today (rollerset then blow out) and myhair feels very soft and not brittle at all. It's something about the direction of the heat from the blowdryer against the cuticle that supposedly makes it more or less damaging.

 

[charmtreese]

If I had to guess I'd say the blow dryer. Reason being, you rip through a section of hair multiple times with the comb attachment or brush, and it's that dry heat that is sucking the moisture from your hair over and over. It's not really lying your cutilces down, so the hair still has a somewhat rough look after a blowdry.

The pressing comb, you have high heat, but it's one -at the most 2- swipes through the hair to straighten it. Way less maniupulation and it smooths the cutilces of the hair so they have a silkier appearance.

Personally, I'd rather air dry and then flat iron or press it with the comb.

This is exactly what I was thinking!!!

 

[Bigghair]

I think the hot comb is worse.
The dryer has cold, warm, and hot settings so you can adjust the temp. I use the dryer on cold and it is not damaging.

Now we are talking in terms of heat, not whether the comb attachment rips your hair out. I would think that the small teeth of the hot comb could do the same.

 

[frizzy]

I've thought about this and reluctantly I'm gonna say the blow dryer.

My reasoning is that most likely the person blow drying has hair that is relaxed. Relaxed hair is already at a disadvantage from the chemical treatment, so blow drying with a heat setting is asking for trouble if used regularly or one time with too much heat.

Ther person using the hot comb had better be natural , and therefore the hair is stronger. I think more attention is paid to the temp of the hot comb (out of fear) if the person is DIYing.

I fully believe that all direct will cause damage when used incorrectly or too often, but I think it is easier to be careless with the blow dryer.

So, with all of that said, it depends on the person and how careful they are. Heat is heat, period.

 

[AceH]

i think it depends on technique and heat level.

i think a hot comb that you can't control the heat setting is pretty bad. if you use an electric one, you can control the heat setting so limit the damage.

with a blow dryer, if it's set on the maximum setting that could be problematic. however, if it's on cool and a low-medium heat setting then that's better for your hair.

so i guess which one is worse depends on how you use it. i haven't had any problem with my blow-dryer but i use the lowest heat setting (not cool, though). i also make sure to use heat-protectant. when i got my hair pressed years ago, the comb ripped through my hair and the stylist used no heat protectant.

I completely agree with this

 

[Rae1234]

pressing comb you cant adjust the heat

 

[Irresistible]

I say the blow dryer

Because I gotta pick one because doing both together is hell on my hair

but both really

 

[Qt girl]

For natural hair I'd say the comb. But they each have their problems. With the blow-dryer, your hair can become extremely dry and break off (something that may be prevented or even "fixed" to a degree with a LOT of TLC). With the comb, you can permanently straighten or even singe of chunks of hair in one pass, something that can happen easily. This is damage you have to "transition" out of. I'd rather take my chances with a blow out than risk permanent straightening or burned off hair. Unless I was doing my own hair. Doing it yourself is always best anyway when it comes to heat cause no one seems to listen in the salon when you say use less heat.

 

[Fine 4s]

For natural hair I'd say the comb. But they each have their problems. With the blow-dryer, your hair can become extremely dry and break off (something that may be prevented or even "fixed" to a degree with a LOT of TLC). With the comb, you can permanently straighten or even singe of chunks of hair in one pass, something that can happen easily. This is damage you have to "transition" out of. I'd rather take my chances with a blow out than risk permanent straightening or burned off hair. Unless I was doing my own hair. Doing it yourself is always best anyway when it comes to heat cause no one seems to listen in the salon when you say use less heat.

I had perm heat damage front getting blow outs at the dominican salon every two weeks but it did not get dry and brittle. Although less than with a pressing comb, I say both can be damaging as you stated.

Are flat irons comparable to pressing combs in terms of the possible damage to hair caused by singing or extreme heat?
Are electrical pressing combs as damaging as pressing combs used in the marcel stove or over fire?

 

[AshMoBev]

Man this thread takes me back to the days when I would sit in my grannys kitchen and she would press my hair...Grease...Taps to the scalp with that stove burner heated comb! Ouuuuch! Or how about the smell of burnt hair when she let that damn comb get too hot (my heart would melt!...thank goodness my hair was long and thick to hide the mishaps).. Eeeeesh LOL Those were the days......Memorieeees Right!!?!?!! Goodness.

Pressing combs=:heated:

 

[foxieroxienyc]

Once again this is one of those topics where it is about TECHNIQUE and common sense....

Yes BOTH can be damaging and BOTH can be great ways to obtain a straight style. Pinkskates uses a pressing comb, her hair is amazing. We have other ladies here who blow dry, me included, and our hair is fine. I have 4a relaxed, fine, hair that has about an inch or inch and a half of NG from a 2.5 month stretch. I'm sitting under the dryer in a long DC prepping my hair for a blow out.

I don't use pressing combs because in my experience its extremely damaging. Then again when I was using it I had no idea of how to use it. In fact, I used it sooo hot that one day it was on the floor - idiot - and I accidentally stepped on it and had a 2nd degree burn on the bottom of my foot that took months to fully heal.

I now prefer blow-outs to flat ironing when I want my hair straight because my hair feels HEALTHIER after. Knowledge is power. Before you use any of these methods you need to DO RESEARCH on how to properly use them, what tools you will need, and what products will work best to get the desired result. With youtube and other resources, you can put yourself through a virtual beauty school lesson and come out with the tools to doing it properly with MINIMAL to NO damage. Most people here who are dead set against these tools probably don't even know how to use them properly anyways which is why their hair feels like it's dry and breaking. For instance when you blow dry the hair, you MUST actually position it to travel DOWN the hair shaft and it should be at least 6 inches from the hair. You can use a LOW heat setting and still get good results if you use the right brush and products. So it's things like that that produces the RIGHT results, and will lead to less damage with the hair. If you need to turn up the heat to all high heavens to straighten your hair using the blowdryer, perhaps that isn't the best method to straighten your hair and you should try something that works, it's not worth it. So again knowledge is definitely power.

The pic in my siggy below is from a low temp blow out, and I was 2 months post relaxer in it.