How to Air-Dry Your Hair Correctly
Give the blow dryer a break.
by Joyce Chua
If you’ve been subjecting your locks to years of abuse with heating and styling tools and overloading it with taming products, you know deep down that it’s time to stop. But how else can you style your hair and tame it into submission?
The answer lies in the old adage: less is more. Turns out, you don’t have to do much to get the hair you want. Give those styling tools a rest and let your hair dry naturally with minimal products — this can actually be more effective in unleashing your hair’s full potential.
A low-maintenance routine is possible even for the thickest, wildest tresses once you perfect your air-drying technique. Check out our tips below!
1. Shampoo prudently.
Hair becomes frizzy when your strands are dry and stripped of oil, and then exposed to moisture in the air.
Shampooing might actually worsen the problem by drying out your hair further. Shampoo is too harsh on hair, and sometimes not necessary. Try cutting down your usage of shampoo to twice or thrice a week, and simply rinse your hair before applying conditioner to the ends.
If forgoing the shampoo seems too drastic, especially in the summer months, look for cleansing conditioner that gently removes oil and grime while still hydrating your locks. After cleansing and massaging the scalp, leave the conditioner in for five minutes before gently rinsing it out.
2. Towel right.
It’s best not to towel-dry your hair too much as that creates more frizz and can damage your locks. Instead of roughing up your hair to remove the moisture quickly, try a gentler approach.
Swap your old terry cloth for a microfiber towel as the tiny fabric particles are much gentler on hair than cotton. Be sure to dab and gently squeeze your locks, not rub them.
3. Work with a leave-in product.
Even if it’s just good ol’ coconut oil, nourishing your hair is vital for preventing frizz and getting some definition in your tresses.
Apply some leave-in conditioner or styling cream onto damp hair and make sure the product is evenly coated for maximum results.
One trick is to twist multiple sections of your hair after applying the product. Once dry, gently run your hands through your hair and add a thicker styling cream to tame your tresses.
You can also use a sea salt spray on top of leave-in conditioner to get a balance of texture and hydration.
4. Do the twist.
To get defined waves without a styling iron, you need to nudge your wet hair in the right direction. Your hair tends to dry in the shape you leave it in, so dab your hair dry and bun or twist your locks into spirals after working some product into your hair.
5. Don’t neglect the ends.
The tips of your strands are most prone to dryness and breakage, which results in frizz, limpness, and split ends. To avoid this, apply some hydrating serum to damp hair to lock in the moisture.
6. Comb your hair in the shower.
If you brush your hair when it is almost dry or completely dry, you will inevitably experience frizziness. If you really need to untangle, do so with a wide-tooth comb while you’re still in the shower. Be sure to do it gently and while your conditioner is setting in order to avoid breakage.
7. Deep-condition once a week.
An extra dose of hydration never hurts, period.
8. Test-drive various products.
Everybody’s hair is different, so a product that works wonders for someone else might not work for you. So experiment with samples or smaller sizes to find a lineup of products that work best for you.
That said, you don’t have to completely rule out certain products just because you don’t like them at first. If your hair feels too heavy, apply less next time. Or apply a smaller amount at roots and more on ends. The key is to find the right balance that will give you the locks you desire.
Head on over to ZALORA Philippines to start discovering the perfect hair care products for you.
Got any other hair care tips?
Let us know in the comments section below!
