Do you need to send AC or DC through a heating element in order for it to heat up?

If I were to send current through a nichrome wire (it's used in toasters and hair dryers a lot), to make it heat up, does it need to be AC or DC? Or does it not matter?

Also, if I send high amperage and low voltage current through a nichrome wire, will the temperature be higher but it will take longer? And if I send a high voltage low amperage current through a nichrome wire will it heat up faster but ultimately have a lower temperature than the aforementioned wire? I really need someone to set me straight about current and voltage; plumbing analogies just aren't doing the trick.

Do you need to send AC or DC through a heating element in order for it to heat up?

Heating elements don't care if they are AC or DC, just like a lightbulb.

There is a resistance of your heating element. So with less voltage, you will have less heat, and slower heating. The more voltage you have, the quicker the element will heat up, and the higher final temperature you will have.

Amps = Volts / Ohms... Your current will depend on the voltage you supply to your heating element. Since the resistance of your element doesn't change, your current is directly proportional to your voltage.