I was reading Sophisticate's Black Hair at the salon yesterday...

[northernbelle]

One can agree or disagree. I do believe, however, if a procedure does not work well for someone, she should not undertake it.

My motive was to simply share information.

northernbelle

 

[Stormy]

I usually rollerset my hair and let it dry under a hooded dryer, or I may blow dry it sometimes. Both methods work very well for me (I use something to protect it) and I don't have any breakage. Letting mine dry loosely doesn't work for me either, unless I put it in a bun so I can somewhat agree with the article.

 

[Poohbear]

I do not agree with the article sorry! I do not see how airdrying can be bad for your hair.

Heat = dry hair / dry hair = split ends / split ends = more trims / more trims = shorter hair!

Furthermore, sitting under a dryer actually opens the cuticle which is why we are told sit under a dryer / steamer when we deep condition so that the conditioner goes into the hair better. To close the cuticle after washing, I learned that you are supposed ro rinse the conditioner from your hair with COLD / COOL water.

I will continue to airdry as my hair as I find it is far more moisturised this way. I think adding serum to the ends would help if you are ponytail drying but with rollersets my ends come out smooth anyway.

I think that when our ends go frizzy it is not open cuticles but rather our hair reverting back to its natural state. I could be wrong but just because our hair is relaxed it does not mean that our hair will look dead straight at all times - it is naturaly curly after all!

Airdried hair can also give you dry hair/split ends/more trims/shorter hair. Whether you use heat or airdry, it's all about the technique you use.

And when your relaxed ends are frizzy, that does not mean they are reverting back to its natural state. Once you have relaxed your hair, it can not go back to its natural state...unless you grow it out or cut it off. Frizzy ends are caused from being exposed to too much air or humidity in the air.

 

[Jewell]

I don't agree with the article...I have been air drying for a little over a year, and my hair is very healthy. Also...I cool-water rinse after the last conditoner to close the cuticle. He says germs as if to infer that a hair shaft can get infected. I think he needs to check his sources. There isn't anything living about a hair shaft...the living part is the hair follicle, found not on hair, but in the scalp. My relaxed hair has thrived more since I quit rollersetting and flat-ironing every week.

 

[Poohbear]

Jewell... did you just create your album? I never seen your hair before and I just checked it out... BEAUTIFUL and you are a GORGEOUS young lady!

 

[hairmaster]

Thats why the came out with the Oonic heat system and iron the ions condition and seal the hair shaft.

 

[Jewell]

Jewell... did you just create your album? I never seen your hair before and I just checked it out... BEAUTIFUL and you are a GORGEOUS young lady!

Thank you so much! {HUGS} Yes, I just created it on the 8th. I will have many more pictures soon to come. Thank you again...you are very kind!

 

[myco]

Personally, my hair cannot stand blow dryers. My hair gets big, rough and dry looking regardless of what I put on it afterwards. Even when I was younger, long before hair boards I didn't like for my mother to blow dry my hair. I would make a point of avoiding her until I knew she wouldn't have time to blow dry it. She'd just put it in a ponytail and send me on my way. My hair would always dry smoother, shinier and softer that way.

Rollersets also work for me, air dried or bonnet dried. As long as I'm not manipulating my hair as it dries, it responds well.

 

[Shinka]

I found my hair grows better with rollersets with heat or airdrying then straigthening with a curling iron ( cathy howse method). it's more manangeable this way. When I do air dry rollersets my looks thicker but my roots tangle easily and my hair just looks rougher. Like the actual strains look rougher

heat I guess seals my hair. I just have to be careful about the temps.

 

[Amarech]

I am so thankful for this post.

I use blow dryer to make my hair straight and a flat iron to finish. I guess I just pay close attention to how my hair is reacting to whatever I do.
I have developed a routine well enough that I blow dry and flatiron the first day (of washing) and then I don't use the flatiron again for 3 days and then its only for a root touch up, not the ends, to which I constantly apply olive oil
My hair does OK with this amount of heat but I also noticed that more heat than this causes breakage.

My challenge now is to not lean so heavily on the flatiron when something doesn't turn out right. In the past I was so dependant on the flatiron everytime my hair didn't look exactly how I wanted it to look.
Now I have discovered that a little olive oil, my satin scarf wrap and 15+ min puts my hair back into top shape---no heat needed!
Its all about what really works for you. While there are similarities and trends in hair texutre and type, really every person is different and may experience a different reaction to the same product, technique, or regimen.

 

[azul11]

Personally, my hair cannot stand blow dryers. My hair gets big, rough and dry looking regardless of what I put on it afterwards. Even when I was younger, long before hair boards I didn't like for my mother to blow dry my hair. I would make a point of avoiding her until I knew she wouldn't have time to blow dry it. She'd just put it in a ponytail and send me on my way. My hair would always dry smoother, shinier and softer that way.

Rollersets also work for me, air dried or bonnet dried. As long as I'm not manipulating my hair as it dries, it responds well.

My hair is the same way. Using blowdryer or flat irons to my hair is a no-no. My hair doesnt like it. Roller sets air dried or under a hair dryer work best for me. I have even done braids out which work cool too. If I were to make a option of which heat I prefer it would be under a dryer. God bless you all.

 

[Cinnabuns]

My permed actualy loved it when I applied heat (at least that's what it semed like to me) but later on with countinued use it made my dry out over time. Overall my hair now likes to air-dryed.

 

[Isis]

It seems like some of the ladies are separating airdrying from rollersetting. For me, it's one and the same since and I've been doing it since I came to LHCF. I've never airdried my hair loose. I love the results of airdrying in a rollerset, whether I airdry all night or airdry for a few hours under a dryer using a cool setting only. My ends are smooth and my hair is very moisturized and full of body.

Using no heat has been a great blessing and my hair is thriving. Using heat is what led me to LHCF in the first place with breaking, brittle, dried out, burned, see-through hair. I want to add that I feel it's all about the technique of airdrying - some hair types can airdry successfully without rollers or braids and others do not. My hair needs something smooth like rollers.

 

[tryn2growmyhair]

some hair types can airdry successfully without rollers or braids and others do not. My hair needs something smooth like rollers.

ITA. A number of stylists have told me that it is ok to airdry texturized hair but not relaxed hair. I can see who texturized hair would be ok to airdry.

My hair, is type 4 and has been described as having a really tight curl to it, I have to have something to smooth the hair. I can imagine if I were a very loose type 3 or a type 2, my hair would be fine with airdrying. However, if I had either of those types of hair, I personally would not get a relaxer. I can just imagine all the time and money I would save.

 

[loved]

That's sounds like good advice. The state of my relaxed hair whenever I airdry loose hair is that of a crunchy mess. My hair needs to set.

I probably have this article since I've been collecting Soph. Black Hair since the early 90s.

 

[The Princess]

I don't know. I air dry all the time. My hair always seems to dry soft. Never crunchy except when I used a leave in that left it that way. I don't have excess breakage either. Airdrying is very convenient for me. I wet bun and tie it down with the scarf. In the morning, my hair is sleek and pony tail is moist.

I say do what works for you, blowdry and flatironing is to much for me to do, with my schedule, then for me to place it in a bun anyways for work.

I use GVP Brand Paul Mitchell The Conditioner leave in and Silicon Mix leave in. Both leaves my hair soft.

When I use Keracare Leave in Conditioner, my hair airdried crunchy.

You have to find what works for you.

 

[vainღ♥♡jane]

i have noticed breakage when i airdry with my hair loose. i am thinking i'm going to phase airdrying out unless my hair is flat twisted or braided.​

 

[cookie1]

This article is what I've been waiting for all my life..lol..Anyways, I've been doing alot of air drying thinking it was best but, my hair is so hard and dry when I do this. It made me not want to wash/cowash it more than once a week. I just did a cowash and blow dried and my hair looks so much better, moist, manageable..etc. I'm glad I came across this one.

I had even thought about cutting my hair off because I thought it was damaged.

 

[cookie1]

I don't know. I air dry all the time. My hair always seems to dry soft. Never crunchy except when I used a leave in that left it that way. I don't have excess breakage either. Airdrying is very convenient for me. I wet bun and tie it down with the scarf. In the morning, my hair is sleek and pony tail is moist.

I say do what works for you, blowdry and flatironing is to much for me to do, with my schedule, then for me to place it in a bun anyways for work.

I use GVP Brand Paul Mitchell The Conditioner leave in and Silicon Mix leave in. Both leaves my hair soft.

When I use Keracare Leave in Conditioner, my hair airdried crunchy.

You have to find what works for you.

I agree that we all have to find what works for us and I love your hair..It looks so healthy and that may be one of the reasons air drying is working for you.

 

[poookie]

i don't buy it. airdrying works perfectly fine to me, in fact, i prefer it to blow drying. your cuticles won't remain raised as long as your hair's pH balance is in check. rinsing with an apple cider vinegar rinse will fix this, as will using porosity control on a regular basis. i air dry all the time and my hair remains super soft & non frizzy (using the scarf method), even when it's fully dry.

 

[JayAnn0513]

I think his theory on why it works is BS but I do agree that the way an average relaxed woman expects her hair to look after drying and styling - "straight and shiny" is not the result she is going to get from air drying. Many of the relaxed heads I see walking around IRL are damaged and they need direct heat to get that false healthy shiny look. Air drying loose tends to bring attention to unhealthy frizzy split ends. I notice it in my own hair, which is why I can't wait to cut off these last 3 inches of relaxed hair.

 

[brucebettye]

I am texlaxed and I air dry 100% of the time. I have no problem with it and I do not use direct heat. However, I never wear my hair straight I only wear it curly.

 

[Supergirl]

I see this is an older thread, but I must say that I heartily disagree with the information in the article. I was able to grow my hair to waistlength (it is no longer waist in case you're looking @ my avatar like --but you can see my WL hair in my fotki)with my airdrying regimen--something I was never able to do when I used direct heat on my hair once a week.

There is an art to airdrying in a way that the hair is left soft and smooth. It is possible. I am a 4a and if I can do it, I'd say that most anyone can. The only thing I would put above airdrying might be rollersetting. But I definitely wouldn't put blowdrying and/or curling/flat ironing above airdrying. The hair might look and even feel better as compared to airdrying, but these methods are certainly more damaging than airdrying.

I have learned how to airdry my hair beautifully without frizz, crunch, etc. Also, what you do with your hair before, during, and after it airdries can make a big difference.

So, yep, airdrying works for me!

 

[Neith]

I don't see how airdrying could lift the cuticle MORE than heated appliances do. erplexed

 

[beans4reezy]

When I cowash, I air dry. On my wash days, I rollerset and I typically do not use heat to dry the set.
My roller sets are divine...shiny, bouncy and moisturized. When I air dry my hair loose, sure, it doesn't look like I am runway ready or anything, but my hair does not break as a result; my hair does well with air drying.
Still trying to understand how 400 degrees of heat on your hair is more damaging than air though.

 

[anon123]

Okay, maybe it's true, but if so now I'm really confused. So both hot air and cold water make the cuticle lie flat?

 

[mscocoface]

So the flat ironing on damp hair must be really off the chain huh?

It just goes to show not everything is for everyone. Do what works and is healthy for your hair.

 

[GV-NA-GI-TLV-GE-I]

I don't see how airdrying could lift the cuticle MORE than heated appliances do. erplexed

I also disagree with the article...or from what was presented of it. The cuticle opens with warm water and shapoo. It is closed with cool water and/or conditioner applied. Dry heat closes the cuticle. Airdrying will close the cuticle. Aside from fungus, "germs" entering the cuticle cannot cause disease. I airdry all the time. I hate heat on my hair.

 

[Neith]

Okay, maybe it's true, but if so now I'm really confused. So both hot air and cold water make the cuticle lie flat?

That's how I feel too.

Why do you use the cool setting or do cold water rinses to close the cuticle then?

Why do we condition with heat for deeper penetration?

So how in the heck can heat make the cuticles lie flatter?

ETA: Not upset or wanna fight or anything Those are just the questions running through my mind.

 

[ebonylocs]

^^^
I really think it's about two things - smoothing down the hair cuticles while it's drying so that it "sets" that way, and drying the hair completely and thoroughly.

If either of those isn't done, the hair can be or appear frizzy / rough / brittle.

So there is no reason why airdrying *thoroughly* in braids / in a roller set wouldn't achieve the same result as using heat. Sitting under the hood dryer simply speeds up the process, which might be advisable, depending on how long your hair takes to dry. Airdrying overnight like Isis did/does doesn't work for me with my braidouts or rollersets. The hair just doesn't dry properly, which means frizz and brittleness. So I have to get the hair at least semi-dry before braiding / rolling. And in the future I might get a hood-dryer / soft bonnet dryer for quicker process, even though I usually hate heat.