Air-Dry method that produces nice look for wearing hair down?

[alxardnax]

Hello!

I have seen many posts here on how to air dry hair fast or in a hair-friendly manner but what method works for you in terms of looking presentable. I always wear my hair down whereas many here on LHC seem to wear their hair up most of the time. What air-dry method produces the best outcome for wearing hair down?

Thanks!

[Jean Stuart]

I let it hang loose but I need to comb it for it to dry quickly.

[jaine]

My favorite drying method for wavy hair is the Curly Girl method ...

In the shower after I wash my hair:
- Comb my hair to get all the tangles out
- Get more water in it so that it forms clumps
- "Pet" my hair with gel on my hands to coat the clumps in gel without breaking them up

After getting out of the shower:
- Blot excess moisture with something smooth like paper towels or a sheet (not a terrycloth towel...too much frizz)

Get dressed carefully (trying not to touch it) ... then let it air-dry completely until it's hard and crunchy, without touching it at all as it dries.

After it dries: Scrunch out the crunch but don't brush it.

[ElusiveMuse]

If I want my hair to be curly, I just scrunch it a little with some oil on my hands and leave it alone. The secret is to not touch it at all. Not even a tiny bit. You have to leave it completely alone. I suspect I am lucky in that my natural curls look quite pretty and presentable when air dried in this way.

If I want my hair to be more sleek, not curly but sort of loose waves at the ends but straight and smooth at the top, I let my hair dry until damp but still wet, wrap it in a low cinnabun with an acrylic hair stick, then take it out when the roots are dry. The bun will still be wet, but I take it down and sort of twirl it with my finger so the twist stays in the length of my hair. It loosens a little, allowing the length to dry, but maintains the sleek waves without giving me a noticeable dent where the transition from the straight top and waved bottom comes in. If that makes sense...

Edited to add - I don't use any product like gel in my hair to get curls or waves. For some reason my hair dries more nicely without product. Except for oil. I always dry it with a little oil.

[katsrevenge]

When I want to wear it down I do a modified curly girl.

I squeeze most of the water out by hand. Then I hang my head upside down by bending over and lay a towel over it and make a tuban with it. No rubbing but I refuse to get too precious with it. It will deal. I then dry me, and lotion.. takes about 15 minutes. Hair is wet-damp but not dripping or anything. I oil the ends with vatiki and gently finger in some gel through it. I do this with my hair hanging down from an upside down head.

I take an old scrunchy-thing or hair safe wide tie. One that has lost most of its stretch. I carefully fold my hair very loosly in half (I'm getting to where I will need to fold it a second time) and make a very untidy and loose (it's not near my skull) top knot.

And then I go to bed. Next morning I get lovely curls almost everywhere, my hair might still be a little damp but its no big deal. If it frizzs a bit I just use damp fingers on it.

[DarkSky]

If I want my hair to be more sleek, not curly but sort of loose waves at the ends but straight and smooth at the top, I let my hair dry until damp but still wet, wrap it in a low cinnabun with an acrylic hair stick, then take it out when the roots are dry. The bun will still be wet, but I take it down and sort of twirl it with my finger so the twist stays in the length of my hair. It loosens a little, allowing the length to dry, but maintains the sleek waves without giving me a noticeable dent where the transition from the straight top and waved bottom comes in. If that makes sense...

Edited to add - I don't use any product like gel in my hair to get curls or waves. For some reason my hair dries more nicely without product. Except for oil. I always dry it with a little oil.

I like that tip! I'm going to give it a try. I haven't had much luck with damp bunning but your particular method might work.

[SoulOfTheSea]

Have you tried plopping?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvR1P1sMfCE :flower:

[inertia]

I haven't yet found a method of air drying that makes my hair look nice. My hair is slightly wavy so if I air dry it like straight hair, it frizzes like crazy. But it's only slightly wavy, so when I try using wavy/curly techniques it takes absolutely forever and the few weak waves don't hold. So I always blow dry or put in curlers when I want to wear my hair down.

Maybe somebody else can recommend a good method for hair which is neither straight nor wavy? I hope so!

[marifullofgrace]

I wash it the night before, spray in a leave in conditioner and sleep with it in a wet bun smacked right on the top of my head. It looks ridiculous but if it's not on top it's uncomfortable to sleep in. When I take it out of the bun in the morning I don't brush it, only gently finger comb to get my part right (I twist my hair in the direction I want my part to fall, as it naturally lays in the middle). My mildly wavy hair then has a kind of "beachy waves" appearance, without looking like bead-head or frizzy. As a young girl I would braid my wet hair, but I find that bunning it gives it more volume. If I have no plans to leave the house I'll just chill in my top bun for the day and the waves are even better.

[Audrey Horne]

I just put it in a bun when damp (mostly a loose bun) with the ends sticking out. It gives me the best hair.

[kaned_ferret]

I turban my hair up when I get out to take out the drippiness, then rub some monoi oil through all of it. Then I scrunch it so that it clumps together annd re-turban it for a while. Sit about, then let it fall down and air dry the rest of the way. I usually twirl it into fat barrel curls as I can't stop fiddling with my hair, but the oil keeps it smooth, and helps bring out the curlies nicely :) Modified CG without using any products other than the oil I guess :)

[Shesta]

I wash my hair upside down and after rinsing I just put it in a towel turban for 10-15 min. When I take out it I headbang until all locks go to their right place. At this moment I put some oil in it as leave in, finger-detangle a bit and let it be till it's 70% dry. At this point I bun it, which tames the frizz. However this procedure works well only after DT when my hair is very moisturized. I still havent figured out the Ultimate method for air drying with presentable results. :(

[white.chocolate]

I have 1a/1b hair. I've noticed that whichever air-dry method I choose to do, my hair ends up super straight, so I suppose that my situation is a little bit different from yours. What I've been doing is to let it air-dry for sometime, and when it's almost dry but still damp, I apply some oil and then detangle with my fingers, or a comb if I'm lazy.

[Orangerthanred]

Sometimes I roll my hair with jumbo rollers to straighten my hair. Then, at night, I wrap my hair before I go to sleep and put a hat over it. The next day my hair is really sleek and controlled.

[jojo]

If I want to keep my wave/curl I just wash and let it dry, no messing about it just dries that way! if i want it straightish I comb whilst its drying.

[lunalocks]

If I want my hair to look great while down, I HAVE to air dry it down. I use a zillion products to give some body to the hair above my ears, calm the fly aways below BS and still maintain the slight texture from ears down. I do wide tooth comb while wet, then run fingers through frequently while drying. This de-enhances the big waves, keeps it somewhat straight but with slight texture so it looks thick. This is when I get the compliments about how amazing my hair is. Wish I had a pic, but I am a such a newbe.

[long&blonde]

I shampoo, condition, wrap in towel. Then within minutes(part of pre-work routine, tho I wash at most 2 days a week), I take towel off, rub a good half dollar size dollup of garnier leave-in conditioner between my hands. (The small only size that stuff comes in? Drives me crazy. When I shop; I buy the store out. I feel cashiers are thinking "what is she manufacturing out of that stuff?!" Lol) I put all my hair behind my ears,rub that leave-in thru it. Then I bend my head forward, and comb it all forward,and put in a center part. I toss my hair back, and comb it straight behind my ears,to get any tangles out. Then I part it in the back. Bring half forward on both my shoulders,comb straight down. I run my fingers thru it then for a minute,which immediately gets it very wavy. I then dress with a big cool fan on me & my hair,cool air only. After dressing, I toss my hair over my shoulders,look in my mirror at back & tug at any curls or waves that seem need arranging,give it an all over spray of leave in protein texturizer conditioner, & I leave for work. Even with what seems a lot of combing,& BCL hair, it ends up quite wavy curly. Even after a walk to the bus stop in a knit cap.

[long&blonde]

If I want my hair to look great while down, I HAVE to air dry it down. I use a zillion products to give some body to the hair above my ears, calm the fly aways below BS and still maintain the slight texture from ears down. I do wide tooth comb while wet, then run fingers through frequently while drying. This de-enhances the big waves, keeps it somewhat straight but with slight texture so it looks thick. This is when I get the compliments about how amazing my hair is. Wish I had a pic, but I am a such a newbe.
It sounds like you and I do much the same thing. So hard to try to describe tho!

[Gingerbear]

Have you tried plopping?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvR1P1sMfCE

Would plopping work to enhance a gentle wave, or does the hair have to have a true curl?

[Long_hair_bear]

After putting my leave in in, I braid my damp hair in 2 English braids. When they air dry by the next day, I have heaps of lovely waves. If your in a hurry though or wash your hair in the mornings, I have no idea.

[SoulOfTheSea]

Would plopping work to enhance a gentle wave, or does the hair have to have a true curl?

My hair isn't really curly, just wavy. When I plop. it enhances my waves and reduces frizz and poof. I started a thread called "The Plopping Challenge" http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=79680. On this thread, many with your hair type experimented with plopping and shared their results. Then again, everyone's hair is different. Try it out and see what it does for your hair. :)

Personally, I haven't been plopping much in the winter, it's much too cold to have my hair wet and up on my head. Feels great in the summer, though. :)

[Gingerbear]

Thank you SoulOfTheSea. I will check it out!

[SoulOfTheSea]

Thank you SoulOfTheSea. I will check it out!

You're very welcome! :)

[haibane]

Straight, fine hair with fairy tale ends. I squeeze castor oil into the length (just a little bit) before washing. Then CO the length, oil shampoo the scalp. Rinse carefully and while still sopping wet, apply more conditioner from shoulders down. Then air dry with no touching. Leaves my hair moisturized and the ends clump up a bit, making the fairy tale ends look more substantial, without looking stringy.

[jacqueline101]

I carefully towel dry my hair spray on my detangler and comb with a wide tooth comb. Oil it at half dry and put cocoa nut oil on the ends. Let it dry.