by BR Tabatha
Aching arms. Head rushes. Damaged hair. They're all part of the blow dryer hair drying experience. Just another part of life if you're the kind of person who spends half their life taming their hair into some sort of submission. But what if you don't want to be that person anymore? What if you want to be a bit more beauty basic? There's only one thing for it... you have to learn the art of air drying.
You see, there are dangers untold and hardships unnumbered in the path to air drying. Do it wrong and you can be left with a head of hair that looks like a poodle stuck its paw in an electrical socket. Do it right? Well, you'll never touch your hair tools ever again (which has the added bonus of causing your lovely locks less damage over time). So what are the tips and tricks to the perfect air dry? Read on...
In the shower
First things first, when in the shower keep the water as cool as you can. Warm is fine. Hot is not. Once you've washed and conditioned your hair, then rinsed out the residue, be sure to blast your hair with a cool shot of water to help seal the cuticle in order to keep at attack of the frizzies at bay.
The shower is also the time to detangle your hair with a wide-tooth comb - especially if you've curly or wavy hair, because once the air drying process starts you will not be wanting to touch your hair with a brush, unless you are wanting to go for that electrified poodle look.
Post shower
Once out of the shower skip your usual towel and reach for a microfibre towel and use it to gently squeeze and soak up the water. Do not ruffle the hair or get rough with it. Easy does it, tiger! Once the hair is no longer sopping wet, and all the excess water's been squeezed out, you can move onto the next step...
Product matters
A little product can go a long way in the air drying process. Have straight hair? A blob of mousse will help create texture. Alternatively, you can use a texturising spray to give your hair some oomph. Curly haired and wanting to avoid too much fluffiness? Hydration is key, so add in a leave-in conditioner or run a little oil through your tresses before twisting your curls into the shape you'd like them to stay in.
Style time
Does air drying your hair mean going style-free? Of course not! Once you've down all the above you can pop your hair up in a style while it dries. For example, if you've straight hair you might like to pop it in a braid so that once it's dried and you release it you've beachy mermaid hair. If you've curly hair you might like to grab a trusty claw clip and clip your hair up so that you can rock a cute look while your hair dries, followed by enjoying a gorgeous mane of curly hair once you see it free.
And just like that, you can embrace the hair your genetics gave you, without spending half and hour on the hair tools!
So... Are you a fan of air drying your hair? Do you have an air drying routine or do you just let nature do its thing and hope for the best? Will you be giving this routine a go? Get chatting below!
I'm all about air drying! Way less frizz! Not having a plug in the bathroom turned me.