Hate my hair air-dryed!

[whiteisle]

What can I do, if anything, to improve the way my hair looks when it's air-dryed? I typically use Nature's Gate Aloe poo and condish and then run a wee bit of cocount oil through it and commence to blow-dry. If I let it air-dry I look like a waif or like I got a quick shock from the outlet. Blah! It just looks like I don't care about it at all when in truth I really do. How can I get my hair to "behave" better and look nicer when air-dryed?

Oh, and I haven't had a chance to update my photo but it is now just skimming the top of my shoulders and almost one length. Yeah for growth!

Help! I really want to kick the blow-dryer habit!

[peachrose]

At your length then you could try two french braids or another updo when damp and leave it all day or as long as it takes your hair to dry. I find that my texture is much nicer when my hair dries "contained" for lack of a better word.

[DecafJane]

I find the same thing - drying it when it is pulled back will get rid of the wave/body. If you're doing this prior to work, I'm not sure what the solution would be.

[darkwaves]

You've got lots of different lengths right now -- so patience, and kindness to your hair would be my best offerings.

When I was at that length, I lived with claw clips holding wisps in place. But still, I usually looked like I'd just rolled out of bed. (As one of my colleagues said the day the light bulb went on, re: why my hair was always so messy: "Oh! You're growing!!! your hair!")

[Shorty89]

Could you comb it as it's drying? That might tame it a bit.

[lacereza]

................................

[marajade]

At your length then you could try two french braids or another updo when damp and leave it all day or as long as it takes your hair to dry. I find that my texture is much nicer when my hair dries "contained" for lack of a better word.

Ditto! :cheese:

[Kirin]

At your length, and to be presentable, I continued to use a blow dryer, but used the "cool air" setting. If your dryer doesn't have this, you might consider getting a cheap one that does. Nothing is more frustrating than being at a point where hair is too short to "put up", so hangs down like dregginess.

I continued to blow dry my hair on cool, and occassionally still do. As long as the dryer isn't hot, and you aren't tousling and raking a brush through your hair harshly (finger style why drying) you should be fine.

[spidermom]

You are not going to hurt your hair with the blow-dryer unless you use hot and put the nozzle very close to the surface of the hair. Oh - or tear at it with a brush.

I blow-dry whenever I feel like putting in the time and effort. It is not damaging.

Product might improve the look of your air-dried hair. Try styling or aloe vera gel or a styling creme. I use a styling putty on the surface of my hair to get rid of most of the 100,001 little short frizzies that stick up all over the place. Product is my friend.

[aisling]

No good advice except for what has been said but I wanted to add that from what you describe, I don't think your hair is type 1B at all. It sounds more like a wavier type, it's difficult to see at this length but don't be surprised if you develop some good waves when your hair grows longer. 1B is a pretty much straight hair type, no really visible waves.

[Arctic]

No good advice except for what has been said but I wanted to add that from what you describe, I don't think your hair is type 1B at all. It sounds more like a wavier type, it's difficult to see at this length but don't be surprised if you develop some good waves when your hair grows longer. 1B is a pretty much straight hair type, no really visible waves.

Aisling was quicker than me ;) I was also going to suggest that maybe you are more wavy than you think! Time for hair typing photos perhaps?

[Anlbe]

If you put your hair in large curlers before you blow dry the damage will be very minimal. It's how they dry long hair at the GM salons. The other option that can work for 'some' people is actually sleeping on damp hair. Strange but my hair is actually alot smoother if I sleep on it wet, you might think it's worth a try?