Blasting your head with a hairdryer is the last thing you feel like doing when the sun is shining and you're keen to get outdoors. Leaving your hair to dry naturally saves time, money and energy, but how do you make sure your air-dry looks as good as a blow-dry, rather than a dishevelled mess? We asked hairdresser George Northwood for his advice on leaving the house with damp hair, without being that person on the bus with the wet patch on the back of their shirt.
"I always adapt any haircuts I do to suit the summer months as I know that when the sun is out, my clients are less likely to spend ages heat-styling their hair. So cut is key," he told us. "I'd recommend having a longer cut with more of an undone feel to it - if your hair is longer then it's less likely to spring up into frizz as the length weighs it down."
Unsurprisingly, towel-drying the hair is the first step once you get out of the shower - and though it may sounds obvious, taking a couple of minutes to do it properly will be worth your while in the long run.
"Really try to get most of the water out - that way it should be dry by the time you get to work, plus it adds more body. Rigorous towel-drying tends to make the hair a bit knotty, so lightly comb it through once if necessary, but then don't use a comb again after that - you're trying to work with the natural texture," Northwood said. "With air-drying, a little bit of product is important to stop it from going fluffy. Most hair has a natural wave to it so I'd suggest a wave cream or curl cream - the Redken Curvaceous range is great. Even if your hair isn't really curly, these are products designed for air drying, whereas a lot of styling products are heat-activated."
If your hair is fine or straight, Northwood recommends skipping the styling products in favour of a little oil at the ends to keep dry tips looking nourished and healthy. "Most volumising products are designed for heat styling so it's best to just try to lift the hair at the roots, loosening it up around the crown, and then leave it to dry."
If you'd prefer a bit of a boost, Bumble and Bumble and Ouai have great products specifically designed for air-drying - try Ouai's Soft Mousse for subtle volume and Bumble and Bumble's Don't Blow It for light texture.
It may go against your natural instincts, but the next thing to do is to leave your hair completely alone. "Just part it where you want and then leave it. The more you play around with the hair after that, the more you'll ruin it," Northwood instructs. "Once it's fully dry you can scrunch it and even add a little more product if you want. Redken Quick Tease is good for hair that needs more texture - it's like a backcomb in a can. You can use a hair SPF, but I find that in the summer most people want to let the sun bleach their hair a bit."
Easy does it, which works just fine for us.
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