Is it better to dampen hair daily? And how to reduce drying time in a bun? :)

[lole18]

So i've been putting my hair up in 2 buns once it's 60% dry so i could get waves but it takes 7-8 hours to fully dry! Though i have VERY FINE THIN apl hair :\ how can I reduce the drying time to 2 hours or less? I can't put it in a bun once its more than 60-70% dry because the curl won't hold and it'll just turn frizzy.. So thoughts? I tried blow drying on a cool setting but it didn't make a difference! I'll try putting it in 3-5 buns but even if I did it'll still take more than 3 hours to dry!

My second question is, is it better to dampen your hair (from the ears down) like sprits it with a little water then style it or does it not make a difference in the health or moisture\breakage in th hair? Since I wash it every other day\2 days? Thanks :)

[lole18]

:rolleyes:

[Anje]

I don't recommend moistening hair each day, no. It's hard to say exactly when it happens, but eventually hair that has been wet and allowed to stay wet frequently gets "hygral fatigue" and is weakened by all the wetting. It also seems like it gets dryer and people who wet their hair and keep it wet tend to insist that they must keep doing this to keep their hair from drying out, so it might be a self-perpetuating cycle.

[robin000]

If I put my hair in a bun with any moisture, the length will be exactly that moist when I take it down, whether it's been two hours or two days. Interested in potential solutions (but not holding my breath). : )

[lapushka]

If you want waves from buns, then just lightly 'mist' your dry hair with a spray bottle. Just a couple of squirts over the entire length is enough. 60% dry is not nearly dry enough for it to dry fully in an updo (not that fast anyway).

[LaFlor]

If you want waves from buns, then just lightly 'mist' your dry hair with a spray bottle. Just a couple of squirts over the entire length is enough. 60% dry is not nearly dry enough for it to dry fully in an updo (not that fast anyway).

This is what I do as well. I let my hair dry normal, and then I mist it and put it in a bun. I leave the bun in for as long as I can, but it doesn't take very long. I would give it a try, even though you said it usually doesn't hold. Also, whenever I'm able, I put my hair back up in a bun and it helps to keep the wave.

If you have thin hair and are using two buns, I imagine you are going for a tighter wave look, which is going to be harder to achieve and harder to make "hold." Atleast in my experience anyway. I would give bigger looser waves a try and see how you like them, as they are easier and faster!

[pri108]

So i've been putting my hair up in 2 buns once it's 60% dry so i could get waves but it takes 7-8 hours to fully dry! Though i have VERY FINE THIN apl hair :\ how can I reduce the drying time to 2 hours or less? I can't put it in a bun once its more than 60-70% dry because the curl won't hold and it'll just turn frizzy.. So thoughts? I tried blow drying on a cool setting but it didn't make a difference! I'll try putting it in 3-5 buns but even if I did it'll still take more than 3 hours to dry!

My second question is, is it better to dampen your hair (from the ears down) like sprits it with a little water then style it or does it not make a difference in the health or moisture\breakage in th hair? Since I wash it every other day\2 days? Thanks :)

Hi,

i have noticed that if hair remains damp for too long its is prone to breakage. even after a wash when i leave the towel on for too long it feels weaker. hair is at its weakest when wet. my mother and grandmothers always encouraged leaving the hair down to dry as soon as possible when it was wet.

a few months ago i used to wear a clip when my hair was wet in a way to give volume to my hair (long hair pullls on the roots and hair looks too flat) initially i loved the effect. but soon i realised it was damaging my hair so i try not to do that anymore.

[Madora]

[QUOTE=lole18;2621103]So i've been putting my hair up in 2 buns once it's 60% dry so i could get waves but it takes 7-8 hours to fully dry! Though i have VERY FINE THIN apl hair :\ how can I reduce the drying time to 2 hours or less? I can't put it in a bun once its more than 60-70% dry because the curl won't hold and it'll just turn frizzy.. So thoughts? I tried blow drying on a cool setting but it didn't make a difference! I'll try putting it in 3-5 buns but even if I did it'll still take more than 3 hours to dry!

QUOTE]

Drying hair is a matter of getting air through it constantly. But first, after you've done your final rinse, take your palms and press them down your hair length to remove excess water.

Then, taking a towel, drape it over your head so that it hangs down in front of you (along with your hair). Using your palms, press the hair between the towel pieces, all the way down.

Then gently detangle with a wide tooth comb.

Part your hair in the center and clip one section aside.

Take a small, thin strip of hair from your hairline in your hand and lift it up to your eyebrow, then out in front of you. Then release it and let it fall down. Take the next piece of hair and repeat. Continue until all the hair is done on that side. Clip. Repeat on the other side.

Since you have a blowfryer, you might want to put it on the coldest setting, and aim the air at your hair a little bit at a time.

I don't have a dryer and prefer a comb anyway as that gives me more control as I let each piece fall.

Actually, after I have the hair in my hand and the hand pointed outward, I take my comb and comb down the strand, THEN release it.

All in all it takes me about 25 minutes to dry (outside). I use a portable electric heater indoors (stand about 4 feet away from the heat).

The trick to drying hair quickly is to keep air circulating through it and removing enough water from it before you start to dry.

[Bagginslover]

My hair won't dry in buns, at all, even in a pony tail, where the band is will stay wet. Where do you live? If you are somewhere with a cold climate, you will probably find that your hair is the same. Even if you are somewhere warm, 60% is still way too wet, thats only 'towel dry' really.

[CurlyCap]

My hair won't dry in updos or braids at all. It's a fact that I use intentionally to allow me to co-wash at night, but have damp hair for pretty curl formation in the morning. I take down my bun, my hair is damp, it dries during the morning, and voila!...no need to shower every morning (which I hate).

That said, I wet my hair every day to co-wash and have no structural issues. In fact, my hair is VERY unhappy if I don't get it wet everyday and at least every other day. It gets dry and breaks. However, spritzing has always been pointless for me. It doesn't help hydrate and it doesn't prevent frizz. So it's soak it or leave it alone.

[spidermom]

In general, moisture is not your hair's friend. It opens the cuticle. Constant opening and closing weakens the structure.

[Firefox7275]

So i've been putting my hair up in 2 buns once it's 60% dry so i could get waves but it takes 7-8 hours to fully dry! Though i have VERY FINE THIN apl hair :\ how can I reduce the drying time to 2 hours or less? I can't put it in a bun once its more than 60-70% dry because the curl won't hold and it'll just turn frizzy.. So thoughts? I tried blow drying on a cool setting but it didn't make a difference! I'll try putting it in 3-5 buns but even if I did it'll still take more than 3 hours to dry!

My second question is, is it better to dampen your hair (from the ears down) like sprits it with a little water then style it or does it not make a difference in the health or moisture\breakage in th hair? Since I wash it every other day\2 days? Thanks :)

Wet hair is weak hair: softness does not equal health. Rough or damaged hair does not need loads of moisture (= water) it's more likely to need more conditioning/ emollience. Too much water causes damage (hygral fatigue).

[lole18]

Wet hair is weak hair: softness does not equal health. Rough or damaged hair does not need loads of moisture (= water) it's more likely to need more conditioning/ emollience. Too much water causes damage (hygral fatigue).

So i should use a leave in or an oil or a gel instead of putting water on it to tame the frizz?

[meteor]

In general, moisture is not your hair's friend. It opens the cuticle. Constant opening and closing weakens the structure.

I wholeheartedly agree with the warning against hygral fatigue. In one study, every time subject's hair was washed and dried, small loss of moisture was noted. Water definitely breaks the internal protein bonds in hair after a very long exposure. Also very long drying times (over 2 hours) were associated with some damage to the Cell Membrane Complex, the internal "glue" of hair. Keeping hair wet for extended periods of time is not great for it, even though it gives that tangible softness of over-moisturized hair.


However, I wouldn't worry so much about "opening the cuticle". It takes major alkalinity (e.g. bleach, dye, relaxers) to raise a cuticle, and that's a permanent change. Cuticle doesn't really open and close like a door. And water is only slightly alkaline for our somewhat acidic hair and skin. You can smoothen the cuticle or roughen it up a bit with brushing, vinegal/lemon rinses, smooth/rough material..., but it's not the same.
This is a useful read on the subject: http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2010/07/does-hair-really-not-react-in-ph-range.html
http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2010/06/investigation-does-ph-affect-your-hair.html

[meteor]

So i should use a leave in or an oil or a gel instead of putting water on it to tame the frizz?
Yes, that's much better.
Oils: penetrative oils (coconut, olive, avocado, palm) and light, "sealing" oils (mineral, grapeseed, camellia, argan, etc)
Gels: aloe vera gel, flaxseed gel, okra gel.
You can use a simple leave-in or rinse-out conditioner, too.

[lole18]

Yes, that's much better.
Oils: penetrative oils (coconut, olive, avocado, palm) and light, "sealing" oils (mineral, grapeseed, camellia, argan, etc)
Gels: aloe vera gel, flaxseed gel, okra gel.
You can use a simple leave-in or rinse-out conditioner, too.

Which is better though? Aloe gel, coconut\olive oil or Jojoba oil? To prevent hygral fatigue?

[meteor]

Which is better though? Aloe gel, coconut\olive oil or Jojoba oil? To prevent hygral fatigue?

Oils prevent hygral fatigue best on dry hair, applied overnight or longer before getting wet. This is because oils and water don't mix. Oils are anti-humectant, hydrophobic, they help you temporarily "seal" water inside and outside of hair.


Aloe vera, honey, glycerin, panthenol, protein and many other beneficial ingredients are actually humectant, hydrophilic, hydroscopic, so they attract water to themselves (either out of the atmosphere, when it's humid - in a shower, for example - or out of your own hair, when it's dry!). You need to check out dew-points before using humectants in large amounts. If it's too wet or too dry - you risk getting more frizz or dried-out tresses. It's pretty safe to use them in the shower (where it's humid), but I find that they can still build up and just don't work well in very dry climates.

[meteor]

Also, I forgot to mention the so-called "artificial sebum". It's used quite a bit by researches as a way of giving some sort of natural moisture to skin and hair. Jojoba oil that you mentioned is a good part of the overall mix, being a wax.

For example: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19134124
"The proposed synthetic sebum consists of 17% fatty acid, 44.7% triglyceride, 25% wax monoester (jojoba oil) and 12.4% squalene."

I recommend reading this: http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2010/02/best-oil-to-use-is.html
"In experiments, scientists can use artificial sebum (sebum is the naturally occuring oil found on the hair) International Journal of Pharmaceutics , pg 37-43, 2009.. Artificial sebum mimics natural sebum and involves combining several different types of oil and oil related compounds.

The main components include:

1. Squalene (around 15%) - If you google it please check out the safety information from WHO, it is naturally occuring and safe.
2. Wax esters (around 20-25%) - Sadly this comes from spermaceti in research but there are plant derived wax esters such as jojoba oil
3. Triglycerides (around 40-60%) - You can find these in olive oil, coconut oil , cotton seed oil. Typically ALL these oils will be added, not just one
4. Fatty acids (around 0-15%) - Coconut oil is a good source
5. Cholesterol and related esters( around 3%) - Cholesterol can be bought "


Think of it as an artificial representation of our natural moisture.


Which is better though? Aloe gel, coconut\olive oil or Jojoba oil? To prevent hygral fatigue?

[Firefox7275]

So i should use a leave in or an oil or a gel instead of putting water on it to tame the frizz?

Why are you getting frizz? Do you have significant damage, high porosity, hidden wave? Address that and you will have less frizz. Oils tend to work in dry hair (tho can leave done with the greasies), conditioner and conventional gels tend to be overly sticky on dry hair. Aloe vera is a disaster for many in very high or low dew points, especially with high porosity hair.

If you have hidden wave how you style hair when just washed will affect frizz once dry. Your overnight routine is also relevant: if you put your hair up, if you use a silk/ satin pillowcase or sleep cap.