# Air Drying 4b/c relaxed hair???



## eurka007 (Mar 8, 2010)

My hair has been breaking and shedding, and I wouldn't be worried but when I first started healthy hair practices a little protein would stop this from happening... now I use the strongest treatments and the little pieces of hair are still in the sink? I'm about 98% sure I have discovered the culprit:
blow drying/straightening

I want to know these things:

1) how do you dry your hair without heat?

2) Is it possible to wear your hair straight or down afterward (without using straightening iron) 

3) what do you do when your hair is breaking...

I just really want to wear my hair straight, and I wrap it at night after I wash it and straighten it with my straightener, but I want to get from wet to straight without heat..

I'm really bad at roller sets, but I'm starting to think I have to just learn how to do it...

thanks in advance!!!


----------



## NIN4eva (Mar 8, 2010)

I had to learn how to roller set and air dry. My hair has improved dramatically since I've removed heat completely. Maybe you could start out with the ponytail roller set then when you're comfortable enough gradually try traditional roller sets. 

To maintain the body, straight length and curled edges I put my hair in a loose, super high ponytail with a very soft scrunchi at night and wrap a satin scarf around the front back and sides of my head (like a giant bandage) leaving the ponytail out because I use a satin pillowcase as well. I've had practically no breakage since I started doing this. I am still shedding, but I think it may be normal.

Also, you may want to test your protein/moisture balance. It's easy to accidentally overdose on special treatments and cause more damage because you've upset the balance. Wear a protective style (bun) every now and then too. HTH

Oh, and don't pull hair too hard trying to get your roots super straight when roller setting, it'll cause more damage.


----------



## eurka007 (Mar 8, 2010)

I think rollersetting is probably my best option..I'm going to look up this "pony-tail" set thing, thank you very much!


----------



## taz007 (Mar 8, 2010)

Yes, rollersetting is the best!  I learned how to rollerset using Macherie's method.  

I also use a lot of protective styles.

Do you use a lye or no lye relaxer?


----------



## texasqt (Mar 8, 2010)

I'm not relaxed but transitioning and I airdry with my hair in ponytails all over - about 12 or more.  Then I flat iron afterwards most of the time.  I learned that I can only either blowdry or flat iron but never both.  

One thing I want to bring your attention to is the temperature of your flat iron. I had been using it on 320 and this weekend I set it to 280 and got comparable results. The higher temperature isn't necessary. I trimmed my hair for a fresh start and I'm hoping to see a reduction in breakage.  If I do, it's definitely because the temp was too high. I use a Sedu.


----------



## complexsimplicity (Mar 8, 2010)

texasqt said:


> I'm not relaxed but transitioning and I *airdry* with my hair in ponytails all over - about 12 or more. *Then I flat iron* afterwards most of the time. I learned that I can only either blowdry or flat iron but never both.
> 
> One thing I want to bring your attention to is the temperature of your flat iron. I had been using it on 320 and this weekend I set it to 280 and got comparable results. The higher temperature isn't necessary. I trimmed my hair for a fresh start and I'm hoping to see a reduction in breakage. If I do, it's definitely because the temp was too high. I use a Sedu.



I was going to suggest this. Air dry then flat iron if you're bad at rollersets. I know if I tried to blow dry AND flat iron there would be lots of breakage. I haven't used a blow dryer since April 2008 and my hair has definitely benefitted from this.

 I always direct people to Sunshyne's air dry method video. That is how I air dry and my hair is very soft afterwards. Just go to youtube.com/hairliciousinc and you should see her air drying vid.​


----------



## sunnieb (Mar 8, 2010)

I never use direct heat. I also can't rollerset to save my life!  I always airdry using the scarf method with my hair hanging down in the back. 

The key for me is to comb through the back of my hair every 30 minutes or so while my hair is airdrying. This removes tangles that may have formed and helps it dry straighter. I usually wash at night, so if I want to wear a straight style the next day, I just put moisturizer and a touch of EVOO on the ends and wrap overnight. 

I do a light protein treatment weekly, so I haven't noticed any breakage in a while. When I did, I would just protective style for 5 days straight and that took care of it.


----------



## NIN4eva (Mar 8, 2010)

I always direct people to Sunshyne's air dry method video. That is how I air dry and my hair is very soft afterwards. Just go to youtube.com/hairliciousinc and you should see her air drying vid.

I've seen Sunshyne's video too. I think I may do that in the summertime. There's no way roller sets are going to last in the hot humid Chicago summer. btw, that siggy is too cute. I always giggle when I see it.


----------



## ~NanCeBoTwin~ (Mar 8, 2010)

Thank you OP for this thread.......

I'm actually using the Sunshyne method right now because of this thread.  I always use the scarf method but the back is still pretty puffy which is fine since I normally bun when I airdy using this method.  I'm going to bun tomorrow, but I wanted to try out the Sunshyne method and it works wonderfully!!!!

I'm a bit ashamed as I've been subscribed to her youtube channel for atleast a year, but I've never gone back afer subscribing.


----------



## leigh.hill (Mar 8, 2010)

sunnieb said:


> I never use direct heat. I also can't rollerset to save my life! I always airdry using the scarf method with my hair hanging down in the back.
> 
> *The key for me is to comb through the back of my hair every 30 minutes or so while my hair is airdrying.* This removes tangles that may have formed and helps it dry straighter. I usually wash at night, so if I want to wear a straight style the next day, I just put moisturizer and a touch of EVOO on the ends and wrap overnight.
> 
> I do a light protein treatment weekly, so I haven't noticed any breakage in a while. When I did, I would just protective style for 5 days straight and that took care of it.


 
I discovered this by accident this weekend. My hair was practically bone straight at 11 weeks. Every hour or so, I would re-apply some bit of moisture to my hair then LIGHTLY comb or brush.


----------



## Jewell (Mar 8, 2010)

I used to be an avid rollersetter, and would sit under a hooded dryer (hair too thick and long to airdry...it would take a couple days).  It was very good for my hair.  I stopped wrapping (due to thinning overall), so I didn't need to do rollersets all the time.  I've been airdrying using Sylver2's scarf method for years now.  Love it, and now that I'm transitioning and doing wigs as a PS, I like to braid my hair while damp, then let it airdry.  If I decide to take them down, I have an instant braidout.  

I've only used heat once in the past 15 mos.  I blowdried my hair last week, and my hair STILL HATES it from years ago (lots of flyaways/lost hair).  I don't think a blowdryer will touch this head for a very long time (though I didn't lose much hair, I didn't like the flyaways I had despite using serum and the right products).  The same happened about 3yrs ago when a stylist blowdried, so I just figure my hair hates it. It can take the flat-iron fine, but I choose to limit that contact to about once a yr.

Oh yeah, for the poll: when I have breakage, I use a protein condish plus follow with moisture.  That usually helps right away.


----------



## chelleypie810 (Mar 8, 2010)

complexsimplicity said:


> I was going to suggest this. Air dry then flat iron if you're bad at rollersets. I know if I tried to blow dry AND flat iron there would be lots of breakage. I haven't used a blow dryer since April 2008 and my hair has definitely benefitted from this.
> 
> I always direct people to Sunshyne's air dry method video. That is how I air dry and my hair is very soft afterwards. Just go to youtube.com/hairliciousinc and you should see her air drying vid.​



def. gonna try that this wknd


----------



## Sade' (Mar 9, 2010)

When I was relaxed I would wash my hair then put some setting lotion or mousse in and wrap my hair (while dripping wet) and tie my scarf on as if I was going to bed. I would walk around all day and let it dry then go to bed. The next morning my hair would be dry. Then I would comb my wrap down and proceed to flat iron or curl. I didn't even realize the benefit at that time. This was yearsssss ago. It would be super bouncy and straight. Minimal heat.


----------



## sharifeh (Mar 11, 2010)

team roller set here....


----------



## chelleypie810 (Mar 11, 2010)

roller setting is the devil. lol. Last wknd I was doing it and i almost started crying from frustration and sore arms. I was so upset. I just ended up flat ironing. Once my hair gets longer I'm hoping it will be a little easier.


----------



## NIN4eva (Mar 11, 2010)

chelleypie810 said:


> roller setting is the devil. lol. Last wknd I was doing it and i almost started crying from frustration and sore arms. I was so upset. I just ended up flat ironing. Once my hair gets longer I'm hoping it will be a little easier.



Oh I can relate! Swearing, crying, throwing clips... but I will NOT give in to the heat. I've been successfully ponytail roller setting, but this weekend I plan to attempt a traditional set. I will have patience, music, water in a spray bottle and some sort of alcoholic beverage.


----------



## equestrian (Apr 2, 2010)

*1) how do you dry your hair without heat?*
I put it in a bun, put a scarf on and go to bed. 

*2) Is it possible to wear your hair straight or down afterward (without using straightening iron)*
I guess with roller sets, but I honestly don't care since my hair will always be up. I have no clue how to even flat iron my hair. I can do the front but I always burn my fingers doing the back.

*3) what do you do when your hair is breaking...*
I stop touching it. maybe deep condition.


----------



## nymane (Apr 3, 2010)

First off, I just want to say I  air drying...it's so quick and simple.

1) how do you dry your hair without heat?

*95% of the time I air dry in 6-8 braids*

2) Is it possible to wear your hair straight or down afterward (without using straightening iron) 

*I wear cute updo braid outs, but if I wanted to wear straight styles I wouldn't air dry (I'd use my hooded dryer). But you can also air dry in rollers.*

3) what do you do when your hair is breaking...

*I don't have breakage...but when I do notice a couple of broken hairs, I do a Aphogee Treatment (usually every 6-8 weeks)*


----------



## kyla (Apr 4, 2010)

Thanks for such good information!  I needed that.



NIN4eva said:


> I had to learn how to roller set and air dry. My hair has improved dramatically since I've removed heat completely. Maybe you could start out with the ponytail roller set then when you're comfortable enough gradually try traditional roller sets.
> 
> To maintain the body, straight length and curled edges I put my hair in a loose, super high ponytail with a very soft scrunchi at night and wrap a satin scarf around the front back and sides of my head (like a giant bandage) leaving the ponytail out because I use a satin pillowcase as well. I've had practically no breakage since I started doing this. I am still shedding, but I think it may be normal.
> 
> ...


----------



## Myjourney2009 (Apr 4, 2010)

eurka007 said:


> My hair has been breaking and shedding, and I wouldn't be worried but when I first started healthy hair practices a little protein would stop this from happening... now I use the strongest treatments and the little pieces of hair are still in the sink? I'm about 98% sure I have discovered the culprit:
> blow drying/straightening
> 
> I want to know these things:
> ...


 
*See my answers in BOLD*


----------



## charmtreese (May 17, 2010)

complexsimplicity said:


> I was going to suggest this. Air dry then flat iron if you're bad at rollersets. I know if I tried to blow dry AND flat iron there would be lots of breakage. I haven't used a blow dryer since April 2008 and my hair has definitely benefitted from this.
> 
> *I always direct people to Sunshyne's air dry method video. That is how I air dry and my hair is very soft afterwards. Just go to youtube.com/hairliciousinc and you should see her air drying vid.*​




I read this thread about 3 weeks ago and saw this post, since then I have been air drying with great success using the scarf method!!!! I LOVE it, once my hair is fully dry I apply oil and put it in two big flexi rods.  Im about 6 weeks post and so far so good!!!

As much as I love rollersetting, I get more breakage with the extra manipulation it takes to get my fine strands detantagled, parted, and wrapped around rollers.


----------



## divachyk (Jul 6, 2010)

charmtreese said:


> I read this thread about 3 weeks ago and saw this post, since then I have been air drying with great success using the scarf method!!!! I LOVE it, once my hair is fully dry I apply oil and put it in two big flexi rods. Im about 6 weeks post and so far so good!!!
> 
> As much as I love rollersetting, I get more breakage with the extra manipulation it takes to get my fine strands detantagled, parted, and wrapped around rollers.


rollersets caused more damage for me too when using the snap on rollers...it especially got bad when I tried upgrading to the magnetic rollers with the metal clips. 

finally mastered the scarf method for slick down edges.  still kinda struggling with the length of my hair though. how do you keep the length of your hair (the part left hanging) from drying poofy, dry and brittle?


----------



## indarican (Jul 6, 2010)

I just did my first roller set this weekend and it wasnt so bad, I dont plan on doing it so often but I think once a week is good and should keep my ends moisturized and less frizzy.


----------



## sunnieb (Aug 8, 2010)

Bumping for my new hair sister who just joined.....


----------



## LaidBak (Aug 8, 2010)

I use protein to combat breakage.  But I use protein without any kind of heat (no steamer, no DCing under the dryer, no bow drying afterward).  Just 4 minutes of protein followed by 4 minutes of a moisture condish.  That's been keeping my breakage in check all summer.

If I air dry and I want straight hair, I wash in the evening, air dry 85%, wrap my hair (either traditional or cross-wrap), and go to bed.  I wake up with straight smooth hair that may need only a slight touch up with a flat iron in one or two spots.


----------



## fembot. (Aug 8, 2010)

I'm not really 4c, but I'm a 4b. I stopped blowdrying after the new year and my hair has definitely benefitted.

1) how do you dry your hair without heat?
_I put all my leave ins..in(no pun intended) and let it be. Sometimes I'll braid it to create a faux twist out look._

2) Is it possible to wear your hair straight or down afterward (without using straightening iron) 
_Not right away, but if I don't straighten my hair at all during the week, I've noticed that it eventually comes straight anyway. If I want it straight right then, I use a flat iron. _

3) what do you do when your hair is breaking...
_I have noticed FAR less breakage when I stopped blowdrying. If there is something amiss with breakage, I do a no-heat deep condition and go on my merry way._


----------



## lovelexi (Aug 10, 2010)

I usually do roller sets then dry under a hooded dryer. After I wrap my hair and go to sleep. Theres barely any breakage. It took some time of moisture and protein to get to a point of minimal breakage...well in actuality about two months. 

Also, I tried air drying using the scarf method it works but my hair lacks the bounce of roller setting. So i usually air dry in the week, rollersets for weekends. Both ways are good. Annnd roller setting takes practice. I would just keep practicing. And instead of the pins I use the magnetic covers. I find that its easier to use. Im still practicing with the pins.


----------



## MissHoney26 (Aug 12, 2010)

i'm 4b/c and i noticed my hair hates direct heat.. I mean it's horrible for my ends. Anytime I flat iron or blow dry it causes splits no matter what. I would suggest the ponytail rollerset it works great and you can air dry with it overnight and then just saran wrap to get it silky straight. No heat what so ever and my hair loves it! I also notice that air drying with a moisturizing leave in and sealing it with a silicone based product helps alot with frizziness.


----------



## SleepyJean (Aug 13, 2010)

*1) how do you dry your hair without heat?* Girl, it's mystery to me, but I've been able to do it the last couple of times. I have been on lhcf for 3 years and I have never been able to do it.

*2) Is it possible to wear your hair straight or down afterward* (without using straightening iron) Maybe after a reallly good blowout, but other that NEVER!!!  

*3) what do you do when your hair is breaking*... I stop messing with it. I give up hope and concede to failure. This usually means I get extra lazy. I bun for a couple of weeks, and then it just stops. I know people bun for protective styles, but I bun because it's easy and kind of cute on my face type. Somehow the breakge just stops. When it stops breaking I do a protein treatment, and my breakage stops. 

As you can see I don't know how this stuff happens. It's a new experiment everytime.

The protein treatments might be the culprit. If I don't sleep in my DC after a protein treatment, my hair will break until the next wash. My mom experenced this as well. Sleeping in DC works for me, but you may need to try something different for you.


----------



## SleepyJean (Aug 13, 2010)

charmtreese said:


> *As much as I love rollersetting, I get more breakage with the extra manipulation it takes to get my fine strands detantagled, parted, and wrapped around rollers*.


 

This is definitely the case for me too. It's definitely good to know how to do it. Learning rollersetting allowed me to learn a lot of other things. It forced me to get in my hair and just get familar. Rollersetting taught me that. I think I was scared to get in my hair when I was younger. I still wonder what's coming on wash days.  But it is not really a fear anymore. It something I kind of look forward to.

I've really gotten good at it, but it does more harm than good sometimes. I might be able to do a rollerset without so much breakage one day, but definitely not right now.


----------



## tHENATuRALhAiRpRoJEcT (Aug 13, 2010)

if you are relaxed... ever try wrap sets??  but yield on drying completely..... wrap hair (wet) set with foam wrap lotion, etc and sit under hooded dryer for 20minutes.
At this point your wrap MOLD should be set enough to airdry the rest of the way!  Sit a little longer if needed... you may even tied a doo-rag or something that permits air to pass thru and sleep on it
Been doing it my entire life (b4 natural) .... no direct heat... semi airdrying process... super straight hair
(never comb down wet tho'... ruined poofy, frizzy hair


----------



## divachyk (Aug 13, 2010)

tHeHaIRLaB said:


> if you are relaxed... ever try wrap sets??


 Do you have to do this process early a.m. to ensure hair fully dries overnight? I'm trying to get away from combing/brushing but this method sounds tempting as does the pony roller set. Traditional just takes too long and tugs at my hair way too much.



charmtreese said:


> I read this thread about 3 weeks ago and saw this post, since then I have been air drying with great success using the scarf method!!!! I LOVE it, once my hair is fully dry I apply oil and put it in two big flexi rods.


 May I play 50 ?'s with you for a quick moment....
- How does the flexi's help the hair after fully drying?
- Does hair look like roller set when you take them down? 
- What color flexi's do you use? 
- How do you place the flexi's? (i.e. left/right side or front/back)

Sorry for so many ?'s


----------



## divachyk (Aug 13, 2010)

1) how do you dry your hair without heat?
Tshirt dry, 10mins max
Apply leave-ins
Air dry in braids

A detailed explanation of my process & results posted here (won't pollute thread with pics) 
--> http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=490510

2) Is it possible to wear your hair straight or down afterward (without using straightening iron) 
I rarely wear straight any more as I'm PSing 99% of the time. If I desired straight I would likely rollerset or air dry and place rollers of some kind in hair for a little bend on my ends.

3) what do you do when your hair is breaking...
I have controlled breakage by adding a tbsp of protein (aphogee 2min) in my weekly DC mixture. I aphogee 2step once every 6-8 weeks.


----------



## Lovelylocs (Aug 13, 2010)

OP, is your hair also pretty dry?

I've found that when protein treatments and deep conditioners won't work, it's because I need an oil treatment. I think some oil treatments will nurse your hair back to health.


----------



## eurka007 (Aug 15, 2010)

i started this thread in March, and im just now seeing all the amazing answers! I air dried my hair for the first time today- and I have a question (another questions!)

How do you prevent poofy ends when you air dry? The front of my hair is straight- but not the back... Im thinking it might be because Im not as good at relaxing the back- but do you all have any ideas??


----------



## sunnieb (Jun 23, 2011)

Bump.....


----------



## lboogie2679 (Jun 24, 2011)

Good thread......


----------



## mischka (Jun 24, 2011)

somewhat ot, but does hair type even matter when you are relaxed?


----------



## [email protected] (Jun 24, 2011)

mischka;13685217[B said:
			
		

> ]somewhat ot, but does hair type even matter when you are relaxed?[/B]



for me heck to the yeah. Mainly b/c I'm very textlaxed. If I were bone straight maybe not so much. My hair behaves very 4bc ish even though it's relaxed. Thick and coarse with a z very discernible z pattern. I  it though! 
* back to stalking this thread*


----------



## mikimix (Jun 24, 2011)

Has anyone ever used a shamwow (or equivalent) to dry their hair?


----------



## Nix08 (Jun 24, 2011)

^^ I use a microfiber towel which gets the hair pretty dry.  I then add my cream leave in and spritz my liquid leave in.  Put my satin headband on and allow the length of my hair to hang to air dry.  I use my hands to smooth it down throughout the process.   I relax pretty bone straight so once my hair is dry it is pretty straight.


----------



## mikimix (Jun 24, 2011)

OP thank you for this thread!!
It's really what I need right now


----------



## BeautifulFlower (Jun 24, 2011)

1) how do you dry your hair without heat?
*I do it in two high pigtail plaits, 70% dry (if I can), and with a leave-in/oil mixture.  *

2) Is it possible to wear your hair straight or down afterward (without using straightening iron) 
*I wish LOL. Even my blow-dried hair is big. But braidouts lay flat enough were its cute.

You'll have to relax near bone or bone straight for airdry straight hair.
*

3) what do you do when your hair is breaking...
*I DC overnight and then I do protein the next morning. I do this every 2 to 3 weeks. I DC overnight once a week though. 
*


----------



## nmomma (Jun 24, 2011)

Great thread, 

What about steam rollers?  Anyone use those on a consistent basis and notice a lot of damage?  Can you air dry and use steam rollers then wrap and get semi straight results?


----------



## mezzogirl (Jun 24, 2011)

My hair seems to break when I air dry or have a braid out for more than a couple of days.


----------



## mezzogirl (Jun 24, 2011)

Bumping for more responses.


----------



## Nix08 (Jun 26, 2011)

Nix08 said:


> ^^ I use a microfiber towel which gets the hair pretty dry.  I then add my cream leave in and spritz my liquid leave in.  Put my satin headband on and allow the length of my hair to hang to air dry.  I use my hands to smooth it down throughout the process.   I relax pretty bone straight so once my hair is dry it is pretty straight.



I've also started finger detangling as I smooth and this has greatly reduced the hair that comes out shed and broken


----------



## divachyk (Aug 11, 2011)

To revisit this thread is just interesting. My process has sense changed but it's always good seeing new/revised responses. Bump for additional input.


----------



## Nix08 (Aug 11, 2011)

My newest add ... I use a satin headband when airdrying...for the first 30 minutes or so I put the headband right at my hairline after I move it back some so that my hair line is showing...this tames the new growth.  A better alternative would be to tie a scarf over the entire head.


----------



## divachyk (Sep 3, 2011)

Where did you pick up the satin headband at Nix08.


----------



## Nix08 (Sep 3, 2011)

@divachyk I picked it up at a store called "Ardene" do you guys have one of those?

ETA: a pic of the headband...the underside has satin.


----------



## NIN4eva (Sep 3, 2011)

Here's an update to how I airdry

- Towel dry and add my leave-ins: Redken Anti-Snap, less than a dime size of pure olive oil and Pure Shine anti frizz serum. Really saturate my dry, dry nape.

- Brush it all back with either a paddle brush or rubber shampoo brush, depending on how many weeks post relaxer I am.

- Hold my hair in a low ponytail (I'm not going to make an actual ponytail) then bring the ponytail part up so that my ends are situated as close to the top of my head as possible. I do this so that when I tie down my edges and crown with my satin scarf my ends will also be included under the scarf and will dry nice, smooth and flat.

-  After my edges and ends are about 80-90% dry, I usually take the scarf off and just smooth the length with my hands until everything is dry.

- Lastly, if I want to look flat-ironed do a dry flexirods rollerset with serum and maybe a little more leave-in, put on my satin scarf and/or bonnet and sleep on it all. If I want immediate silky gratification, I use my hot rollers.

- Oh and no more satin pillowcase for me, had my face breaking out somethin' terrible.


----------



## NIN4eva (Sep 3, 2011)

Nix08 said:


> @divachyk I picked it up at a store called "Ardene" do you guys have one of those?
> 
> ETA: a pic of the headband...the underside has satin.
> View attachment 123553





I use these scarves http://texasbeautysupplies.com/crsanilasqsa.html 

I cut them up and use them for braid outs and such.


----------



## prospurr4 (Sep 3, 2011)

1) how do you dry your hair without heat?
Airdried rollerset on 2" magnetic rollers will straighten my texlaxed hair.  After removing the rollers, I crosswrap and cover with a silk scarf (for a few hours) to reduce any roller indentations on my hair.

2) Is it possible to wear your hair straight or down afterward (without using straightening iron) 
ABSOLUTELY!  I haven't used any kind of direct heat since Dec. 2005.

3) what do you do when your hair is breaking...
My breakage is usually do to dry ends, so I just increase the moisture on my ends and wear more protective styles.


----------



## divachyk (Sep 3, 2011)

@Nix08 - no, we don't have that store in our area.
NIN4eva - I use something similar to what you posted.


----------



## divachyk (Sep 3, 2011)

I can air dry without issues but it's the detangling that I sometimes struggle with. Wet detangling is sometimes too harsh on my hair and cause breakage. And don't let my hair be tangled up, oh boy, oh boy. Dry detangling (after hair is air dried) sometimes generate breakage. Some wash sessions I struggle to find a happy medium. My recent observation seems that wet detangling is best when deep into a stretch while dry detangling is okay for freshly TUd hair.


----------



## toni44 (Sep 4, 2011)

charmtreese said:


> I read this thread about 3 weeks ago and saw this post, since then I have been air drying with great success using the scarf method!!!! I LOVE it, once my hair is fully dry I apply oil and put it in two big flexi rods.  Im about 6 weeks post and so far so good!!!
> 
> As much as I love rollersetting, I get more breakage with the extra manipulation it takes to get my fine strands detantagled, parted, and wrapped around rollers.



I agree my hair looked lovely with roller-setting but the breakage was ridiculous , my hair does not love roller setting at all . It may be down to finding a product with great slip , but i have yet to find one , and i'm sick of wasting money.


----------



## Nix08 (Sep 8, 2011)

Do you guys think that we train our hair to airdry as we want it?  I hardly do anything to my hair when air drying...leave in and couple drops of oil and it dries straight without puffing.  When I first tried airdrying it came out a hot mess for several tries  OR is it as the health of your hair improves it air dries smoother/better/nicer?


----------



## divachyk (Sep 9, 2011)

Good question Nix08. I agree I air dry much better now than when I first started. I think it is a combination of improved technique, hair health and regi. 

Sent from my DROIDX


----------



## sunnieb (Sep 11, 2011)

Nix08 said:


> Do you guys think that we train our hair to airdry as we want it?  I hardly do anything to my hair when air drying...leave in and couple drops of oil and it dries straight without puffing.  When I first tried airdrying it came out a hot mess for several tries  OR is it as the health of your hair improves it air dries smoother/better/nicer?





divachyk said:


> Good question @Nix08. I agree I air dry much better now than when I first started. I think it is a combination of improved technique, hair health and regi.
> 
> Sent from my DROIDX



I think it's a combination of both, but I lean towards improved health.  As long as I stick with my basic routine, my hair just does what it's supposed to do.

When it was damaged, I had to work way harder to get it to look decent.


----------



## sunnieb (Sep 12, 2011)

Here's a pic of my airdried hair tonight:



I'm 11 weeks post.  My hair would not airdry like this 3 years ago!  

Sent from my Comet


----------



## divachyk (Sep 13, 2011)

I air dried tonight also sunnieb. Thanks for posting pics.


----------



## Raspberry (Sep 29, 2011)

complexsimplicity said:


> I was going to suggest this. Air dry then flat iron if you're bad at rollersets. I know if I tried to blow dry AND flat iron there would be lots of breakage. I haven't used a blow dryer since April 2008 and my hair has definitely benefitted from this.
> 
> I always direct people to Sunshyne's air dry method video. That is how I air dry and my hair is very soft afterwards. Just go to youtube.com/hairliciousinc and you should see her air drying vid.​



Thanks for this!

The link to Sunshyne's air drying vid is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2pj4tm5GG0

I did my first air dry today but I need to tighten up the process from wash to set so it doesn't take so long. My first mistake was using my microfiber turbo twistie thing.. It worked well on my natural hair but I think it dries relaxed hair too fast and the result isn't smooth.  

I also realized that my hair was relaxed leaving more texture than I was aware of.. I'm happy about that because I've retained nice thickness but when its airdrying it looks like crimped waves and is prone to poofiness. Maybe I need to apply leave-in to the ends while it's still soaking wet. I'm gonna abandon my turbo twisties and try the t-shirt method.. looks like it smooths out the hair much better while drying. 

I put the hair into 2 bantu knots and put a scarf on after rubbing some Silk Elements MegaSilk leave-in around the edges. My edges are very smooth right now. I won't take the bantus out until the morning.


----------



## Queenmickie (Oct 2, 2011)

eurka007 said:


> My hair has been breaking and shedding, and I wouldn't be worried but when I first started healthy hair practices a little protein would stop this from happening... now I use the strongest treatments and the little pieces of hair are still in the sink? I'm about 98% sure I have discovered the culprit:
> blow drying/straightening
> 
> I want to know these things:
> ...


I have 4b/c hairs and only began my HH journey this summer. I lurked for awhile then posted my first posted last week. When I read that relaxed ladies were air drying I shook my head in disbelief, then thought they meant something different when the wrote "air dry." Several hours of youtube videos later, and another few here reading, I gained the confidence to air dry and it was a rewarding experience. Currently I am eight weeks post. Today I did my usual pre-poo, co-wash, DC with Silicon Mix and a black tea rinse, PC, and final ACV with distilled water rinse. I did all of this over the sink, and ran the comb through my hair carefully under the water during the final rinse. I pressed the water out with a towel, and left the towel on my hair for about five minutes. Then gently smoothed Silicon Mix leave in, Wave Nouveau Finishing lotion and Grape Seed oil on my hair from root to tip. I tied a satin scarf around my edges to keep them flat. Then I created a loose ponytail with my EVO soaked elastic band. I went about my business for about 15 minutes then put a roller on the end of the ponytail. I reapplied leave in and oils, wrapped my scarf around the edges and read Elle magazine. An hour later I took the scarf off and my edges were smooth and shiny. The ponytail had body and bounce. I tucked my ends under and went out. I do not wear my hair down. I am lusting after APL! Hope this helps...


----------



## sunnieb (Oct 3, 2011)

Bump bump

Sent from my Comet


----------



## Raspberry (Oct 6, 2011)

Air drying went better for me the second time around. I added some Hot 6 Oil to my condish and detangled in the shower, that worked out great. The t-shirt method gets a thumbs up  my hair dried much smoother overall.  I did two large bantu knots because I was having a hard time sectioning my hair for multiple braids, I'm a bit style challenged yall, for next time I know to use clips as styling aids . My hair was still a bit damp in the morning so the knot-out had that big curly/wavy look.  I look like such an 80s throwback nowadays  people seem to like it though, get a lot of compliments.


----------



## divachyk (Oct 10, 2011)

divachyk said:


> 1) how do you dry your hair without heat?
> Tshirt dry, 10mins max
> Apply leave-ins
> Air dry in braids
> ...





divachyk said:


> I can air dry without issues but it's the detangling that I sometimes struggle with. Wet detangling is sometimes too harsh on my hair and cause breakage. And don't let my hair be tangled up, oh boy, oh boy. Dry detangling (after hair is air dried) sometimes generate breakage. Some wash sessions I struggle to find a happy medium. My recent observation seems that wet detangling is best when deep into a stretch while dry detangling is okay for freshly TUd hair.



I have several entries in this thread and quoted them to show progression. My regi has been a work in progress for quite some time. I purchased bone combs which helps the detangling process go a lot quicker. I'm now able to wet or dry detangle without causing excessive breakage.

I now use products that of higher quality and I DC with steam almost 99.9% of the time. My low porosity hair has responded well to these changes.

I air dry by working with sopping wet hair (I do not ring out my hair)
 1. Apply LIs and jbco to scalp/root area
 2. Lightly comb through hair with my hotcomb jumbo rake
 3. Gently comb through the ng in the crown area with a fine tooth comb
 4. Place scarf on head
 5. Sit nearby a fan to help speed up drying
 6. Periodically comb or run fingers through hair as it dries to smooth the strands
 7. Apply a tad bit of jbco to the ends when dry


----------



## Raspberry (Oct 20, 2011)

Air drying is turning out better each time I do it . 

Current findings: I love tshirt drying, it's super simple and leaves my hair very smooth; tshirt drying for at least 15 minutes ensures that my hair will fully dry in the morning after I set it. Silk Dreams products are amazing for detangling and setting. Keeping my ends tucked up with styling clips while braiding/bantu-knotting/whatever ensures they won't get get dried out and puffy.


----------



## allmundjoi (Oct 20, 2011)

Deleted.......


----------



## Raspberry (Nov 26, 2011)

So far I've learned that if I want a straighter look and smoother ends, a single bun works the best.

I'm still experimenting with the best leave-ins for air-drying. One thing I've learned is oil in the final rinse is very necessary to ease detangling and to get a smoother result after t-shirt drying.


----------



## ElizaBlue (Nov 27, 2011)

1) how do you dry your hair without heat? 

After getting out of the shower, I lightly towel dry, more patting. Then apply Megatek as leave-in and seal with  raw Shea Butter or Coconut oil. 

Comb through with a cake cutter and pull into a bun. I go back over my edges with more butters or oils and tie a silk scarf around my head.

2) Is it possible to wear your hair straight or down afterward (without using straightening iron) 

Yes. Sometime around mid-day it's dry and I can wear it down. I have some weird tresses, it looks just like a high priced roller set. Almost like my siggy but less curls, more like three big waves.


3) what do you do when your hair is breaking...

I rarely experience breakage, when I do I up the Megatek.


----------



## sweetypoo705 (Feb 4, 2012)

I have been airdrying my hair using the scarf method almost a year(when I started my hair journey). My hair is in the best condition it has been in a long time. I only have to run the flat iron through once on 280( I'm 23 weeks post relaxer).  I haven't had any breakage during this stretch- and I attribute it to airdrying, being diligent about my hair journey, Aphogee products, and reading many informative posts and magazine articles.

APL Challenge 2012
12 Inches in 12 Months Challenge2012        Happy Hair Airdrying!!!

Pics of my airdried hair at night and the next morning.


----------



## NaiyaAi (Mar 26, 2012)

I have a question... I read somewhere that people who use no-lye relaxers shouldn't airdry because no-lye relaxers make your hair dry and more prone to breakage. I knew already that no-lye relaxers do make your hair dryer because of the calcuim, but wouldn't a good chelating shampoo take care of that problem? 

Does anyone here who air-dries use a no-lye relaxer?


----------



## sunnieb (Mar 26, 2012)

NaiyaAi - I use no-lye and I airdry exclusively.

I clarify weekly, but I also think the products you use and your techniques have a huge impact on successful airdrying.

Sent from my Comet using LHCF


----------



## divachyk (Apr 25, 2012)

I need to break the bad habit of feeling I need to comb & separate the strands as my hair is drying. I get small pieces of breakage from over manipulating.


----------



## lollikd (Feb 13, 2013)

most helpful thread for me by far!


----------



## Beamodel (Apr 13, 2014)

Doing da bump


----------



## EnExitStageLeft (Apr 14, 2014)

This based of my old Texlaxed Regi........

1) how do you dry your hair without heat?

Banding.....

How To Band

2) Is it possible to wear your hair straight or down afterward (without using straightening iron)

With Banding it will leave your hair with a beachy wave effect, so yes it can be worn down afterward. It almost looks as if you wand curled it. 

3) what do you do when your hair is breaking...

My Breakage Regi...

Prepoo
Chelate (To Remove ALL build up)
Protein Treatment (Focusing heavily on the breaking areas)
DC w/ a moisturizing DC afterwards
Air Dry


----------



## lorr1e1 (Dec 7, 2020)

Bump I have never successfully air dryed my hair, maybe I did it wrong I have 4c hair (relaxed)


----------



## SleepyJean (Dec 8, 2020)

lorr1e1 said:


> Bump I have never successfully air dryed my hair, maybe I did it wrong I have 4c hair (relaxed)



I air dry my hair in sections. Before it dries, I detangle and add leave in conditioner so it is soft. It works every time doing it this way. I haven't blow dried in years and I am also 4c relaxed.


----------



## lorr1e1 (Dec 9, 2020)

SleepyJean said:


> I air dry my hair in sections. Before it dries, I detangle and add leave in conditioner so it is soft. It works every time doing it this way. I haven't blow dried in years and I am also 4c relaxed.


My hair does not like water based products dries it out, I use wide tooth comb, I'm wondering if you have 4b hair. 

Any 4c'ers I've met in life has the same dryness issue as me, and won't air dry. I only wash my hair one or two times per week I rarely use flat irons or curling iron if I'm going out anywhere so blow dry hair for 20 mins with some light oil based/heat protector products and a bit of JBCO on my scalp.


----------



## LushLox (Dec 10, 2020)

I air dry my hair very easily now. I simply spray the roots with some leave in and just apply a cream leave in, I’m using Rahua Leave In which is very very good and at all stages. I simply scarf my hair down, comb at regular intervals apply some oil, and put it into a pony or bun, silk cap and thats it. My hair dries smooth and moisturised. It’s such an easy process, but feels so very beneficial to me.

Strangely the healthier that my hair has become the easier air drying is.


----------



## SleepyJean (Dec 10, 2020)

lorr1e1 said:


> My hair does not like water based products dries it out, I use wide tooth comb, I'm wondering if you have 4b hair.
> 
> Any 4c'ers I've met in life has the same dryness issue as me, and won't air dry. I only wash my hair one or two times per week I rarely use flat irons or curling iron if I'm going out anywhere so blow dry hair for 20 mins with some light oil based/heat protector products and a bit of JBCO on my scalp.



Idk how popular it is, but I used ORS lotion and really like it


----------



## lorr1e1 (Dec 11, 2020)

SleepyJean said:


> Idk how popular it is, but I used ORS lotion and really like it


Yeah I have that too but I find it does not have as much oil content in it so it can dry me out after a day. I have used keracare oil Moisturizer in the past that was a bit too heavy so light usage for that. 

I am currently using mizani products so I recently switched from miracle to their miracle oil as I found the water based liquid too drying. This is why I am wondering if people that think they are 4c must be 4b. My hair is like sandpaper when natural and any products I use must have enough oil content in it to condition and soften it.


----------



## GGsKin (Dec 11, 2020)

lorr1e1 said:


> Yeah I have that too but I find it does not have as much oil content in it so it can dry me out after a day. I have used keracare oil Moisturizer in the past that was a bit too heavy so light usage for that.
> 
> I am currently using mizani products so I recently switched from miracle to their miracle oil as I found the water based liquid too drying. This is why I am wondering if people that think they are 4c must be 4b. My hair is like sandpaper when natural and any products I use must have enough oil content in it to condition and soften it.


I wouldn't say softness is down to hair type. I have a cousin who has 4c hair. She usually wears her hair in it's shrunken state, without gel and her hair feels super soft and has so much elasticity.


----------

