The Secret behind Airdrying
Printed From: HairBoutique.com
Category: African American Hair
Forum Name: African American Hair
Forum Description: Devoted to the special needs of African Americans.
URL: https://talk.hairboutique.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=40139
Printed Date: October 31 2025 at 1:10am
Topic: The Secret behind Airdrying
Posted By: PickledGeuse
Subject: The Secret behind Airdrying
Date Posted: February 14 2006 at 6:17pm
| Hello All. So yesterday I decided to try air drying seeing as though I've read a lot from the forum about how healthy it is. Let me just say first hand, it was a total disaster. I washed and condition with KeraCare(as usual)... I applied oil and a moisturizer and then I decided to section off my hair and do my own version of what I thought was Bantu Knots. My hair is pretty short so I do not think I got the full effect. I let it air dry thoughout the entire day and once I took it out it was an absolute mess. Although it wasn't dry, it looked dry. Then I tried to put a comb through it..and that HURT SO MUCH my scalp screamed!. I am 7 weeks post of a relaxer..and have a little bit of new growth. After combing..I flat ironed using a creme press..and my hair came out..even worst. I have never liked my hair greasy...So today I noticed that I'm shedding a lot more than normal..Im planning to deep condition and cw tonite and leave it in for about an hour...blow dry and flat iron as normal..Does air drying not work for some ladies? |
Replies:
Posted By: Renata22
Date Posted: February 14 2006 at 6:52pm
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Is your hair short enough to try "wrapping" it? ------------- Hair type: who knows? Length: 23 inches as of 3/10/06 MY HAIR IS OFFICIALLY BRA STRAP LENGTH!! Goal: Waist Length, which is only 30 inches so ADVISE ME ON HOW TO GET JUST 7 MORE INCHES OF GROWTH! |
Posted By: PickledGeuse
Date Posted: February 14 2006 at 7:25pm
| i dont know how to wrap my hair..ive had bad attempts. |
Posted By: tffy2004
Date Posted: February 14 2006 at 7:28pm
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For me airdrying works most of the time but there are times when I end up looking a hot mess. Usually I will wash Friday afternoon or night and leave my hair in the big sectioned braids I washed them in and they will be air dried by Saturday night. Thats when I whip out the trusty flat iron and go to work. Airdrying in braids works alot better for me than airdrying in Bantu Knots. I think it could be because with the Bantu Knots the hair is all coiled up and wrapped around it self and AIR really can't get to it and with braids air gets the the full length of the hair. But I do have to say that Bantu Knots work miracles on straightening my new growth. HTH!!! ------------- Goal:Waistlength Natural Hair! |
Posted By: ThAbAdDeStBaBy
Date Posted: February 14 2006 at 10:04pm
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For myself, airdrying works majority of the time. I have to switch up though like I may airdry in a wrap with the wrap sheet (my best results because my newgrowth was straight and nice) one week, and then the next I do a bun in a pony, or airdry rollerset. So it may differ person to person depending on thier hair texture, style want to accomplish, etc. Therefore I guess some can and some can't get away with airdrying. ------------- ThAbAdDeStBaBy http://public.fotki.com/ThAbAdDeStBaBy3 - http://public.fotki.com/ThAbAdDeStBaBy3 Hair Goal: BSL by late 2007-early 2008 Hair now: net weave w/EP-RT |
Posted By: Phoenix1017
Date Posted: February 15 2006 at 12:08am
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Airdrying is the only way to go for me. I just put my hair in four buns and let it dry in its own time. ------------- http://fire.prohosting.com/p1017 - My Hair Site Copy site: http://phoenix1017.sitesled.com 
Current Length:32" |
Posted By: BabyImaStarr
Date Posted: February 15 2006 at 5:51pm
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I airdry with my hair in a low ponytail and some type of clip on the end to keep the hair straight. When I think my hair is half way dry, I comb through it and put it back in the low ponytail. By the time the hair is dry, I have no shedding and I can easily comb through it and style it however I want.
Before trying this method, I would just put it in a bun and leave it to dry, but using that method I would have a tangled mess that would shed like crazy! ------------- http://public.fotki.com/babyimastarr |
Posted By: cookiesnkream
Date Posted: February 15 2006 at 8:02pm
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Hi,, i've had airdrying horrors myself, and even though im a weekly flat ironer lol i still need to get a good air dry b4 i flat iron,, after trial and error this is what works for me,, i leave my hair mostly wet after spraying Nioxin Bliss ( a leave in) and then pull it into a bun and take my silk scarf and wrap my head with it as though my hair were dry,, when the hair dries,, its much more manageable and flat and softer than if i had let it dry open to the air,, im about 6 mths into the process of transitioning a very very frizzy head of 3b hair so im half soft curls and half coarse dry brittle relaxed hair,, so its a hideous NIGHTMARE LOL air dried and it just wouldnt work not to iron it right now... ------------- Hair type: 3b some c?, fine strands, last relaxer sept 05, never again!!! current :ap length on sides,,nearly bsl in back, damn those old frazzled ends! I am hair OBSESSED |
Posted By: tiajanice
Date Posted: February 15 2006 at 11:14pm
I was just coming to the forum to cry about my own failed attempt at air drying in bantu knots!! I feel so much bettter knowing I'm not alone! I washed and deep cond as usual, put in my leave in, serum and WGO, then put my hair in about 10 knots. This was about 3am (I'm a night owl...) At 8pm They were still wet!!! Undid them anyway and sprayed on some relax by john frieda and hoped they would dry okay. RESULT: a brillo pad. I then re-twisted my hair putting more WGO and shea butter on each section. This time they came out a little softer, but soon dried out again. I finally broke down and after more WGO, pulled out my Beyond the zone heat spray and flat iron. I'm so weak!!! By the way I'm 8wks post relaxer and have a good amount of new growth. Not sure what went wrong!
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Posted By: 1babydimple
Date Posted: February 26 2006 at 8:18pm
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I have mainly 4b hair and air drying in bantu knots is asking for trouble. Don't know why, but they don't work for me, I twist with ORS olive oil to the hair and WGO on the ends or do as cookiesnkream suggested above. I apply ORS/WGO pull it back and tie it down (when relaxed). Bantu's are nice on DRY hair for me. I can remember trying that to air dry Beware Of The Bantus
------------- http://public.fotki.com/1babydimple/ - http://public.fotki.com/1babydimple/ |
and just crying after because I had to recondition just so I could comb it.
moohahahahaPosted By: Renata22
Date Posted: February 27 2006 at 1:41pm
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When I used to wear my hair relaxed straight, I would moisturize my hair and put it into a low ponytail and put a scarf on it (as tight as I could stand comfortably). I would do that on Friday night. By Saturday night, it would be dry except for the part in the rubber band and the ends. I would then let it all out so the ends could dry and just have to "flat iron" the ends (from where the band was and below. I didn't have a flat iron, so I would use the curling iron. I liked it because it kept me from having to "flat iron" from the roots out. This was years ago, but if I had to do that again, I would. ------------- Hair type: who knows? Length: 23 inches as of 3/10/06 MY HAIR IS OFFICIALLY BRA STRAP LENGTH!! Goal: Waist Length, which is only 30 inches so ADVISE ME ON HOW TO GET JUST 7 MORE INCHES OF GROWTH! |
Posted By: Pokahontas
Date Posted: March 03 2006 at 4:34am
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Phoenix, how long does it take your hair to air dry? Mine takes forever! I'll go to sleep w/my hair wet and when I wake up it's still not dry. I usually end up sitting under the hair dryer. I usually air dry in two braids. ------------- |
Phoenix1017 wrote:Posted By: PickledGeuse
Date Posted: March 04 2006 at 7:17pm
| Well I airdryed this week after my horror with NTM recovery mask, and a claryfying shampoo.. my hair was really stiff and frizzy after blow drying and flat ironing. So the next night I deep conditioned with KeraCare Humectant Con..for about 2 hours..and it was pretty soft, but then like a butt..I put more NTM in my hair for some reason it was just so stiff feel. I've used NTM Deep Condition and havent had as bad as a result as the mask recovery. |
Posted By: Phoenix1017
Date Posted: March 04 2006 at 9:33pm
It usually takes a little about 48 hours. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I washed my hair yesterday afternoon (Friday) and it is still wet at this very moment. ------------- http://fire.prohosting.com/p1017 - My Hair Site Copy site: http://phoenix1017.sitesled.com
Current Length:32" |
It's 9:30pm (Saturday) where I am.