Leaving long hair wet on a 7 year old granddaughter

We don’t really know why they never came back. Illness? Death? Broken equipment? Most likely none of these but we have had an interesting conversation about nothing along the way!

I was told by a Vidal Sassoon hairdresser years ago that hairdryers were bad for hair. I remember him using some kind of hair “infuser” bet I’ve got the name wrong. Also my SIL always said not to use a hairdryer on my grandsons’ hair as his hairdresser had the same. So don’t worry.

Thanks for so many getting in touch and showing interest. It's something I worry about but that's me. Yes, they tend to get sore throats or colds after (and I do agree there are so many other things to concern oneself about at present) and it's ceratinly ingrained in me to use a hair dryer. Probably, I shall feel a little less concerned about it, given that so many do leave their hair to dry naturally.

As regards colds, my experience and understanding is that some people are more suspectible than others, and interestingly (to me), this runs in families. Likewise, research seems to say we carry cold germs or whatever one would call them and getting wet and cold can bring these out. And people did die in the old days, before penecillan, of severe chills etc.

Anyway, I do not wish to start that discussion! Thanks for all interest etc etc. Londonia

Londonia,

This is not about the cold or wet hair.

Do you trust your daughter and sil to be good parents and they have the best interest for their kids in mind, even if it does not match your ideas?

That's the key here.
Today is the wet hair but tomorrow can be something else.

Ok, on google, it says.....
1. Hairdryers are perfectly fine if set to ‘warm’, not ‘ hot’, and shouldn’t be too close to the head. My understanding has always been about six inches away.
2. Rubbing with a towel can damage the hair if done too vigorously.
3. Hair apparently absorbs up to 30 percent of its weight in water. To repeatedly allow to ‘air dry’, can weaken it for later years. To avoid this, you’d have to rub with a towel!
4. It’s fine otherwise, so long as your house is warm. Being cold and damp won’t give you a virus directly, but could lower your resistance to one. Hence, why most colds are in the colder months.

timetogo2016

I can`t see what the problem is tbh,although many years ago,a friend of mine who was a hairdresser said leaving hair to dry naturally can cause dandruff.
From then on i dried my hair.

That’s so interesting

It’s actually the opposite!!

I always prefer for hair to be dried after washing, or at the very least almost dry for a couple of reasons that I have always been led to believe. Rightly or wrongly, I don’t like wet hair on a pillowcase / pillow as I don’t want it to go mildewy. Secondly, the excess wet should, in my view, be removed before going out in the cold to avoid the possibility of head pain, eg after swimming in winter months. These reasons may be based on myths, but I was told by a friend about the latter whose doctor attributed her head pains to this. If a parent didn’t dry their child’s hair with a dryer I wouldn’t find it “unreasonable’” as Londonia does, but would feel a little uncomfortable with it out of concern for the child. But, it’s the parents’ choice and I’d keep my fingers crossed the child came to no harm.
I do think Londonia had a right to her opinion without being subjected to ridicule from some posters who don’t share her view. Sharing a range of views makes for an interesting discussion, and who knows, some may change their viewpoint through it. Being ridiculed shuts the conversation down, and nobody learns.

I would not leave a little girl's hair to air dry. I would blow dry it every time. Personally I think it gives it a better finish.

Didn't dry my DDs hair when they were little. The thought of all that heat on their hair would have appalled me, if I had thought about it, but it never even dawned on me to do so. As for me, I have shoulder length wavy hair with a mind of it's own. ( I am trying to get it shorter but Covid lockdowns keep getting in the way). I just don't have the time , the inclination or the ability to do anything about it. I shower in the mornings, towel dry it as best I can, then I am ready to go. If it is still damp when I go out, then the fresh air will soon dry it. If it is raining then I am no worse off.

Always try to wash my hair in the day and let it dry naturally. Hot hairdryer are bad for hair. Wouldn't go to bed with wet hair though or put children to bed with wet hair.

I have long, fine hair - and gave up using hairdryers long ago, as they just damage it.

My sister, though, was always really fussing about, saying I should have a towel around my shoulders - on a hot day - just couldn't stand me sitting around with damp, 'undone' hair!

My daughter is 7 with long hair and I never dry it with a dryer.

The heat is so bad for hair and letting it dry naturally is better for it.

My hair was always left to dry naturally and I still do it
I don't own a hairdryer.

What, my grandaughter always lets her very long hair dry naturally. Why do we try and impose our ideals on others?

We live in a hot country and friends and us spend a lot of time at beaches and pools. Never seen one single child dry their hair. Even on school swimming days and in swimming teams everyone left their hair to dry naturally. No one was ever harmed by not using a hairdryer.

DiscoDancer1975

Ok, on google, it says.....
1. Hairdryers are perfectly fine if set to ‘warm’, not ‘ hot’, and shouldn’t be too close to the head. My understanding has always been about six inches away.
2. Rubbing with a towel can damage the hair if done too vigorously.
3. Hair apparently absorbs up to 30 percent of its weight in water. To repeatedly allow to ‘air dry’, can weaken it for later years. To avoid this, you’d have to rub with a towel!
4. It’s fine otherwise, so long as your house is warm. Being cold and damp won’t give you a virus directly, but could lower your resistance to one. Hence, why most colds are in the colder months.

Well, that is interesting. When I was small, my long, thick hair was rubbed, extremely vigorously by my Dad after washing. Mums job to wash it - Dads to dry it!!! No hair dryers back then,- indeed, even washing it was done over a big bowl with lots of jugs of water - the final one containing vinegar.

As a teenager, I experimented with doing my own (pink) large highlights in the front. Apllied bleach (made up myself with chemicals I could then purchase at chemist). No hairdryers then.

Later, in the 60's I did have hairdryers - indeed got one of those talked about earlier in this thread with a hose and a plastic hood. Used this over large rollers.

After my third child was born, had my hair cut short, and that is how it has largely remained ever since. Stopped drying it, just brush into place after shower and leave whilst I eat breakfast. When I was still working, used to leave it to dry in car on my way to work.

Now I am 80 years old. My dad's forecast that I would be nearly bald by the time I was 50 due to my mistreatment of my hair, has not come to fruition. Indeed, my (short) hair is still very thick, has to be thinned by hairdresser and grows so quickly (one hairdresser described it 'like a weed')

We need to remember that the hair we see outside the scalp is largely dead. Hard to damage the young hair inside the scalp. So, vigourous drying, leaving wet, colouring, etc. etc. is unlikely to have any long-term effect.

Personally, I would not use any artificial heat on a childs hair as it looks so much better when left to dry naturally, and is also more eco, particularly these days as our homes are usually warm.

Both grand children have long hair, as a family we all swim a lot both in and outdoors, always leave our hair to dry naturally, seems to work ok.

PS: Also wanted to reassure the OP about children and colds. There are a good few hundred different cold virus's. Over our life-times we get these and build our immunity to them. This is the reason that older folk have less number of colds. Children of course, have to start getting these and building their immunity. This is the reason that children always seem to have one cold after another - particularly during winter months.
It is normal and also the reason why small children are considered 'germ factories'. Young adult teachers particularly those in primary education)- who have not yet hadthe time to gain all their immunities, often spend the first couple of years catching cold after cold from their pupils.
Fortunately, grandparents are less likely to catch these from their g.children as we have so much more anti-bodies against them.

An elderly chap, at work, used to tell me off for arriving with wet hair - saying I'd catch a chill. My mother, too, was convinced that clothes had to be well aired - or you'd catch a cold.

I suppose it's hard to change people's long held beliefs, however irrational.

As someone who always lets my hair dry naturally, I think it's harmless. And, more importantly, it really is up to the parents.

I agree with henetha - it isnt wrong to let hair dry naturally, it isnt wrong to use a hairdryer.

Whatever the parents and the child are happy with is ok.

I think this is one of those situations where people just do things differently and you just have to accept someone elses preferred way might not be your preferred way.

Franbern that is so true about teachers and colds.
When I was a primary TA I had constant colds.
The first year especially. I was so ill that I think that I may have had multiple colds at the same time if that is possible!

Thanks for all the replies. Please note I replied on 5th April when original post was 3rd April and it was over Easter!

Thanks.

I stopped using a hair dryer as soon as I left home when I was sixteen.

My reasoning was that using one made it almost impossible to brush my thick long hair once it was dry and that the top layer became brittle.

I shall be 70 soon and leaving my hair to dry naturally has not done me any harm so far.

You have mentioned the matter to the child's parents who seem to agree with me, so say no more, please.

Another one who has always let their and DCs hair dry naturally. I think they should be banned - use up electricity for little or no reason.