9 Tips for how to blow dry natural black hair gently - no more breakage! - For Long, Healthy Natural Kinky and Curly Hair

9 Tips for how to blow dry natural black hair gently - no more breakage!

7/8/2014

A while ago I went to get my hair braided and the stylist told me that I don't have "the type of hair that can live without blow-drying". She said my hair needed the blow dry to reduce tangles. I had already concluded that she knew nothing about naturally curly hair but her statement did get me thinking.

At the time, I hadn't blow dried my hair in over a year and after shoulder length I found that tangles are a massive problem if you don't have tangle coping strategies.

I'm still resistant to blow drying on a regular basis because I don't want to get heat damage but over time I have become comfortable with blow drying my hair whenever I get plaits at a salon. This is roughly every 3 to 4 months.

This is what my research on how to blow dry curly hair more gently taught me...

Top tips for blow drying hair gently:

Wash and deep condition hair no earlier than the day before you blow dry. Ideally just prior to the blow dry. You shouldn't blow dry or dirty hair.
Thoroughly detangle your hair with fingers and then a comb before you blow dry.
Dry your hair using a microfiber towel so that it's not too wet and doesn't frizz. Don't rub and scrunch the hair, just tie the microfiber towel over your head and it will soak up the water.
Apply a heat protector. Coconut oil can form an effective heat protector as well as a moisture seal.
Section hair. This allows you to deal with any tangles you meet systematically and more easily.
Blow dry using a medium to low heat. Do not use high heat it will damage your hair.
Blow dry down the hair so that the air flow is in the same direction in which the cuticle layers lie.
Leave a little moisture in the hair. It doesn't have to be bone dry following the blow dry.
Finish the blow dry with a cold blast of air. Hot air opens up the cuticle layer and cold hair closes it up sealing the hair, boosting shine and reducing frizz.

Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair.

Lawrenceen

13/8/2013 01:24:47 pm

DayT

15/8/2013 08:03:40 am

Thanks for the post as I think my hair is very similar! But pls could u explain 'blowdry down the hair'. Is that root to tip or tip towards roots. Thanks

Heather Katsonga-Woodward

19/8/2013 05:48:35 pm

Hi DayT - root to tips, that is the direction in which hair cuticles lie.

My best
Heather
:)

Debbie Moore

25/8/2013 08:20:10 am

I feel the same way about my hair, which is very think. when i blow dry it, it is way more manageable. i was very glad to see this post, because i was trying to eliminate the blow dryer because of people saying we shouldn't. i even mentioned to my daughter that my hair likes the blow dryer for the reason of easy manipulation.

Melissa link

25/8/2013 02:51:44 pm

Would you recommend blow drying the hair using the cold setting? If so, is once or twice a week ok?

Evette

26/1/2014 07:21:23 am

I just came across this website, when I asked google how to blow dry African American hair. now I am excited for two reasons, You have provided me with great tips and wonderful advice. which I plan on using for my hair regimen. Also this looks like a very nice website all together. I have added this site to my favorites page and I will visit again and again. Thanks a million!

26/1/2014 11:14:16 pm

Thanks a mil Evette!

Christina

7/8/2014 09:13:54 am

Do you need to use a particular attachment for the blow dryer? and brush? To achieve results

Juvelle Carter

7/8/2014 10:00:19 am

Thanks for the blow drying tips. I will use them when I get my girls hair ready to get braided next week. :)

beverly link

7/8/2014 11:26:27 am

Thanks so much always wanted to know the right way

Valerie

7/8/2014 09:45:50 pm

Really great info. Thnx

Yasmeen

11/8/2014 07:49:27 am

I just had this hair epiphany not too long ago so I'm totally in shock to be reading this. Thank you, Heather! I have very fine, breakage-prone curly hair and it's been a year and a half since I've gone all-natural. That includes no blow drying. Yet despite employing all the tips and tricks I have a head full of fairy knots and splits ends and stunted hair growth. It want until looking at old photos when my hair was blow dryer that I noticed it was longer and healthier looking. To which I concluded that because of my hairs fine nature that it needs to be straight in order to not tangle up in break. Makes perfect sense! I've been deathly afraid of blow dryers so thank you for enlightening us!

Alisha

3/11/2015 12:29:27 am

Me too! My hair since going heat free as just stagnated in length and holy mother of split ends! It's fine and tangles up so quickly! I'm not going to flat iron it like I used to but I think the daily detangling I need to do, and the way it mats and won't stay in when in a protective style (two jumbo braids with hair added and 2 days later my ends were sticking out no matter how well the braid was done) makes me think we both should have stuck to what we knew! It's been a year since this comment; how is your hair?

3/11/2015 03:24:04 am

A year on, and still "natural" I hate my hair 😞 I don't even know what category my hair is 3b/3c... It's thin, fine and frizzy and doesn't do anything I want it to. No leave-in, castor oil or protective style can help my hair. And yet I'm still afraid to go back to blowdrying.

11/8/2014 07:51:25 am

Sorry for all the dufus typos!

santhosh link

26/8/2014 04:16:19 pm

Hey, this is good information how we can blow dry hair. You gave information in very easy steps, which every one can use at their homes. Thanks for giving tips and i hope u will give us more tips about others also.

Ericka

22/11/2015 07:47:07 am

Can you blow dry your hair even if it's still clean, but you already added a little of pomade in it?

Comments are closed.

9 Tips for how to blow dry natural black hair gently - no more breakage!

By Heather Katsonga-Woodward

Categories

Archives