Put Down the Blow Dryer — Get Amazing Hair by Air Drying
You can get Gisele waves from letting your hair air dry — here’s how. (Photo: Trunk Archive)
Over the last few years, I’ve learned to love my hair most when I let it air dry. I never use my blow dryer (like, not even in the winter) and I tend to avoid blowouts (and as a beauty editor, there are a lot of opportunities to get your hair blown out). Of course, this means that I rely on a serious arsenal of styling products to get my hair to do exactly what I want from the moment I step out of the shower till I arrive at the office. But when it comes to letting my hair air dry, I’ve yet to master the art of sleeping with wet or damp hair. I always imagine I’ll go to bed with my hair in braids and wake up looking like Gisele but the reality is more similar to Alfalfa from The Little Rascals. So I reached out to celeb stylist Sara Potempa for some advice. You may know Potempa as the inventor of the Beachwaver (more on that soon), but she’s also a total master when it comes to the art of the air dry.
Start with hair that is 80% dry
“If you don’t wait for 80% of your hair to be dry, it will still be wet when you wake up,” says Potempa. Take your shower at night of give yourself ample time in the morning to get your hair to that point, and then you can start to set the hair. Leaving in a little bit of moisture helps your hair to make a physical change, the same way that heat styling does.
Prep with leave-in products
Potempa recommends prepping hair with a leave-in conditioner or mousse and avoiding gels that can leave your hair feeling sticky or crunchy. “You want something that is workable and has a flexible hold,” says Potempa. A leave-in conditioner is great because it will help to tame frizz and add shine. Try Aussie Sprunch Mousse + Leave-In Conditioner ($4).
Go for braids to get waves
“If you have fine hair, you want to create a braid that is even all the way down, you don’t want the ends to get too tight,” says Potempa. Keep you braid loose and loop your ends back into the elastic to avoid any kinks. If you’ve every slept with a braid and taken it out to find your hair frizzy or looking like you took a crimper too it, that is a sign your braid was too tight. For people with curly or thick hair, Potempa says to start your braid lower on the head and keep it loose. This will help to tame frizz at the top of your head.
Add a bun for volume
Buns are the best way to add volume when air drying your hair. Potempa recommends pulling hair up into a loose bun on top of your head to help lift the root. Use a sock bun or try Potempa’s Wrap Up ($10), which will make it easy to sleep in the style and keep the style loose. Adding another bun at the back of your head will help to create loose waves. When going for volume, remember to always pull the hair away from your face.
Alternate your styles
There still is truth to the idea that sleeping with your hair in the same ponytail or bun each night can cause breakage and damage, so try to alternate your styles when air drying. “When you do the same thing every night you are creating the same stress point,” says Potempa. “Change it up so you’re not creating consistent tension.”
Related:
YB Loves: The Key to Air-Dried Hair
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