Let’s face it, we put our hair through a lot: we straighten it, curl it, color it, tie it, backcomb it, braid it and heat blast it. And that’s before we bombard it with product. Our hair deserves a break, don’t you think? One of the best things we can do to give it some R&R is to air-dry our hair.
Now, air-drying may sound logical and straightforward but there are some tricks to doing it right that will make a huge difference to the health of both your own natural hair and your hair extensions. After all, hair extensions are an investment that you want to last as long as possible. In fact, with Voël extensions, if you’re good to them, they can last you up to a year. Air-drying your hair is probably THE best thing you can do to make sure they last.
Why is Air-drying Better Than Blow-Drying?
Most of the time, our hair treats us better than we treat it. Despite what we put it through, it tends to endure. But it does have its limits. Blasting hair, especially fine hair, with high heat is just too much for it. Exposing fine hair to high or excess heat can result in permanently break the bonds within the hair strands that give them their strength, making your already fine hair weaker and even more prone to breakage. Worse still, once you permanently damage your hair with heat, you’re not going to be able to fix it.
Air-drying not only eliminates any risk of damaging your hair and extensions, but done right, will enable you to remoisturize and pamper your hair, giving it a much-deserved boost and leaving it looking sensational for the days you won’t be washing it.
6 Top Tips to Air-Drying Your Hair
When you’re air-drying your hair, imagine that you’re giving it a spa day. It’s not just about stepping out of the shower, giving it a rigorous rub and then leaving it to hang ‘til it has dried. No! There will be a massage, there will be a facial, there will be a lot of relaxation. Your hair will love you for it.
Tip 1: Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
To properly air-dry your hair is going to take some time, so you want to get the most out of the process. Start with properly hydrating your hair while you’re in the shower. A product I love for fine hair is Kevin Murphy’s Plumping Shampoo which is pumped full of antioxidants that are kind to both your hair and the environment.
I would then go for a deep hydration mask like Olaplex No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask which is packed with oils including jojoba and hemp seed oil but, magically, doesn’t leave fine hair feeling oily or weigh it down.
When it comes to washing the mask off, make sure you rinse the hair with cold water; this will better lock in the moisture and leave your hair hydrated to the max.
Tip 2: When it Comes to Towel-Drying Your Hair, Try a Little Tenderness
Towel-drying and brushing are both steps in the air-drying processing during which you still risk damaging your hair. When towel-drying, you do not want to be rough and ready: avoid heavy-handed rubbing of your hair, or twisting it up in a towel.
Take the time to pat your hair dry, gently squeezing the hair, ideally with a microfiber towel, moving from the root upwards to avoid the temptation to pull down on the hair.
Tip 3: Nourish and Protect Your hair
Once your hair is around 70-80% dry, now it’s time to apply some product which is not only going to nourish your hair as it continues to dry but will also protect it. If you’re prone to frizzy hair, something like Living Proof’s No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream is perfect or else their new Perfect Hair Day Night Cap Overnight can work wonders, especially if you’re air-drying your hair overnight.
Tip 4: Take it Easy When Brushing Your Hair
This is another step in which you need to remember to be kind to your hair, and show it a little patience. With either a wide-toothed comb or wet brush, take your time to untangle your hair, starting from the ends and working your way upwards toward the roots. Don’t rush, pull or stress the hair. Divide it into small sections and work to leave your hair smooth and tangle-free. If you have long bangs, arrange your parting as you would like it to fall once your hair is dry.
Tip 5: Wrap your hair.
Now comes the crucial step before the final, fabulous result: wrapping your hair, especially if you are finalizing drying your hair overnight. It may seem old school, but wrapping hair is coming back into style for a number of reasons:
It locks in moisture
It reduces breakages by reducing friction
It stops us from touching and fiddling with our hair while it dries
Depending on the length and style of your hair, a silk or satin scarf, (satin is eco-friendlier) is probably your best option. It you don’t have a scarf, you can use a microfiber towel.
6. Revel in shiny, healthy, tangle-free hair
The next step is simply to enjoy the results, knowing that you’ve given your hair a treat that will last for days and that both of you will love!