Wind in your hair

Our home-bound lifestyle is giving us the opportunity to do away with styling tools after a hair wash. Keep it natural with simple air-drying. A stylist tells you how to get it right

Being confined to your home means that you can bid your heat-styling tools adieu and give your mane a much-needed break by letting it air-dry instead. Considered the simplest and healthiest way to dry your hair, air-drying helps your strands to retain moisture and prevents hair-breakage by giving your hair some respite from the vigorous combing or brushing under concentrated heat, explains Drishya Bhagyanath, hairstylist and owner of Trendy Hair and Beauty. However, if you don’t do it right, air-dried hair can also look messy and frizzy, she cautions.

Drishya Bhagyanath

Curly hair
Begin by washing your hair with a sulphate-free shampoo. Condition your curls. Use a microfiber towel to squeeze out excess water. Flip your hair and part into four sections. Apply a lightweight hair gel or oil to each section. Finally, scrunch up your hair to give your curls more definition. “A curl definer can help to maintain the natural pattern of your hair. However, avoid products that are very thick and dense,” Bhagyanath warns. 

Wavy hair 
Air-drying can actually enhance the beauty of naturally wavy hair and improve its texture. Wash your hair with a lightweight shampoo and use a hydrating conditioner. Detangle your strands a wide-toothed comb and squeeze out excess water with a microfiber towel. After 15 minutes, spray your strands with a salt spray to add volume. Now, let your hair dry completely. If you are in the habit of showering before bedtime, you can make four loose braids on your damp hair and unravel them in the morning for beach-like waves.

Straight hair
This hair type is the easiest to air-dry, Bhagyanath admits, but adds that care must be taken to keep the hair from looking limp or flat. After washing your hair, towel-dry it and apply mousse to add volume. Detangle with a wide-tooth comb and toss your hair so it settles naturally. You could also try tucking in a section of hair behind each ear and clipping it with pins, to create soft, face-framing waves.

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