It's wash day, and you're dreading it. Not because you have to wash your hair, but because you have to dry it.
We've all been there.
For many of us, drying our hair to 100% (where you want to scrunch out your gel cast if you have one) can take hours and hours. The tips in this article won't change that, especially if you have low porosity hair, but combining a few of these tips should reduce your drying time or make drying your curls a bit less annoying.
Tips for Hands-Off Hair Drying
If part of the reason you hate drying your hair is because it takes active time (i.e., time where you're having to use your diffuser), there are a few things you can try that don't involve input from you.
- Plop your hair to remove excess water prior to drying. For this we highly recommend the MoonstoneSeven Hair Plop. The adjustable size and absorbent material help decrease frizz while soaking up excess water. Figuring out how long to plop for is entirely up to you. Try 20 minutes or 2 hours... regardless, your hair will be off your face and out of your way while the drying process starts. After plopping, you can finish drying with a diffuser or air dry.
- Use a diffuser cap. When I'm short on time I diffuse my hair while I'm eating my breakfast or replying to emails! The effect of these caps is similar to sitting under a hooded dryer at the hair salon.
Top tips for successfully using a diffuser cap:
- Don't dry your hair fully. Aim for about 70-80%, then release your hair, set it where you want it to fall (especially your roots - clip them if needed) and finish drying with a diffuser or air dry. If you want to dry all the way, clip your roots before putting the cap on but beware that metal clips will get very hot under the cap.
- Put the "arm" of the diffuser cap in the middle of your head, either at the front or the back. This ensures even air flow. If it is on one side, that side of your head will dry faster.
- Use low heat to avoid discomfort. The diffuser cap traps air - if that air is hot, your head will be too!
- If you're struggling to get all of your hair under the cap, try putting it on from back to front while bent over with your hair hanging towards the ground.
- Use a Net Plopping Cap under your diffuser cap for additional volume.
More Tips for Faster Drying
1. Microplop before diffusing or air drying. This involves using a scrunching towel or cotton t-shirt to squeeze excess water out of your hair before you dry it. Cup the lengths of your hair in your plopping towel and press your hair towards your scalp. Be gentle with this process to avoid disturbing your curls.
2. Use less gel or try a foam like Innersense I Create Definition or VERB Curl Foaming Gel. Gels coat the hair, trapping moisture in. In many cases this a good thing! However, if your hair takes forever to dry, try swapping your gel for something that is more lightweight like a foam.
3. If you do want to continue using gel, try the "smasters" technique. This involves applying a thin coating of gel to your hair when it is soaking wet, and then applying another thin coat to hair when you've plopped or microplopped the water out. You're still using the same amount of product over two applications but you're providing your hair a chance to partially dry before the second one. Many curlies report improved definition and curl retention with this method. If you haven't tried it, give it a go!
4. Diffuse instead of air drying. It goes without saying that diffusing your hair will be faster than letting it air dry. Worried about damage? Use a low heat setting. Diffusers spread the air from your blow dryer over a far greater space than a concentrator nozzle. Customers love our Great Big Diffuser because it's absolutely huge and does a fantastic job at cutting down frizz as well as drying time. Tip: If you're using a SnozzlePro Universal Hair Dryer Adapter with your Great Big Diffuser, ensure the small end of the SnozzlePro is attached to the diffuser, and the larger end to your blow dryer.
5. Try styling your hair damp instead of soaking wet. Adding styling products on to soaking wet hair results in more defined curls, which is usually our goal. However, in creating that definition your styling products are coating your hair, trapping moisture into the strands. If you're really struggling with your hair taking forever to dry, you can try adding your styling products on damp hair instead of soaking wet hair.
6. Thin out your styling products. The thicker your products are, either because of moisturizing ingredients or product texture, the longer your hair will take to dry. Runny, watery gels like the Curlsmith Shape Up Aqua Gel or the Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel or foams like the Miribel Naturals Va-Va Volumizing Foam will take less time to dry than thick, creamy, jelly-like creams or gels. If you love using a custard or a thicker product like the Hi! Definition Gel from TreLuxe or the Curl Defining Styling Souffle from Curlsmith, scoop out some product and then add some water to your hand. Emulsify to thin out the gel until it is much thinner in consistency before applying. A bonus is that this often results in a more even application.
7. Don't try to diffuse soaking wet hair even if you style this way. It's going to take forever for that water to evaporate. Microplop, plop, or air dry first.
Drying your hair will probably never be your favourite task. Thankfully are handful of things you can try to speed up this process.
Need further advice on choosing the right products or troubleshooting a new item added to your routine? Send us an email at products@curlwarehouse.com or visit us in store.
