How to Air Dry Relaxed Hair

Last Updated: October 12, 2023

Relaxed hair needs to be treated gently and rarely blow dried, but keeping it loose while air drying won't guarantee that it dries straight. This article will lead you through an easy regimen of twisting or using rollers to help to keep hair straight without causing breakage. Read on to learn what to do!

1

Wash and condition your hair.

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Detangle the hair with a wide-toothed comb or brush.
- You can also opt to use a leave-in conditioner to further prevent hair damage.

2

Apply coconut oil to your hair.

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Use more for longer hair. Make sure to cover the ends of your hair thoroughly. Coconut oil protects the hair and produces a smooth texture as it dries.

3

Part your hair using your fingers or the end of a comb.

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4

Grab the hair to the right side of your part.

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Make sure there are no stray hairs.

5

Split the hair into 2 bunches.

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6

Place a soft roller underneath the end of the hair.

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Then, roll the twist up. Flexible, soft curlers (otherwise known as a flexi-roller or flexible curler) are available at beauty supply stores and some drugstores. Roll the twist into the roller until you reach your skull. Bend the sides of the flexi-roller toward the top and center of the rolled and twisted hair.
- Repeat the twist and the roller on the left side of your head.

7

Wrap a satin scarf around your head while it dries.

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8

Leave the twists in your hair for 2 to 24 hours, until fully dried.

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You want to wait until the hair inside the twists has dried to get the full smoothing effect of air drying with curlers.

9

Undo your twists.

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10

Touch up with an iron if desired.

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11

Smooth drops of oil into the hair to further smooth down.

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12

Finished.

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Expert Q&A

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Question

How do you air dry your and keep it straight?

Noël Reid-Killings
Celebrity Hair Stylist
Noël Reid-Killings is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Owner of Noël New York Salon & Boutique. With over a decade of experience, Noël specializes in curating and customizing hair solutions for all hair types and textures. She has worked with countless A-list celebrities including Alicia Keys, Ciara, Yara Shahidi, and Simone Missick. Her work has been featured on makeover shows and in magazines including Essence, Sophisticates Black Hair, Teen Vogue, Elle, 21Ninety, WWD, POPSUGAR, Allure, The Cut, The Huffington Post, and Swaay.

Noël Reid-Killings

Celebrity Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

You could do what they call a wrapping method, which is just taking the hair and wrapping it around the head with a sleek brush and just letting air dry. This will help keep it straight, and you can use bobby pins to hold it in place if needed.

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Question

Will the curlers curl my hair?

Community Answer

Yes, but not dramatically. It will be more of a wavy curl.

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Question

I have short hair and I would like to achieve soft tight curls, how do I get these curls?

Community Answer

If it's not your natural curl pattern, then you're going to have to manipulate it into the shape you want. Use curling items that fit the type of curl you would like. If it is your hair type naturally, use some deep conditioner by Shea Moisture And TGIN (Thank God I'm Natural) or leave-in conditioners.

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Tips

Sleep on a satin pillowcase to smooth hair at night.

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You can replace the flexible curlers with mesh curlers and part your hair into more sections. Mesh curlers allow more air to get inside the twist.

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Warnings

Do not comb the hair after it has air dried. It may become frizzy.

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Repeated relaxing can lead to breakage, brittleness or loss of hair.

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Things You'll Need

Coconut oil
Flexible soft rollers

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How to Air Dry Relaxed Hair

Steps

Wash and condition your hair.

Apply coconut oil to your hair.

Part your hair using your fingers or the end of a comb.

Grab the hair to the right side of your part.

Split the hair into 2 bunches.

Place a soft roller underneath the end of the hair.

Wrap a satin scarf around your head while it dries.

Leave the twists in your hair for 2 to 24 hours, until fully dried.

Undo your twists.

Touch up with an iron if desired.

Smooth drops of oil into the hair to further smooth down.

Finished.

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