I have to wash my hair every day because I work out every day and have relatively fine hair that would look greasy otherwise.

But I don't blow-dry more than 1-2 times a week. The rest of the time I put it up into a bun while it's still wet, and it stays that way all day. (bonus: if I take it out of the bun at night, it's got that tousled, sexy look and that's kind of fun.)

Anonymous wrote:This thread inspired me to try something different. For the past 2 days, instead of blow drying, I used a hair thickening lotion and then air dried. It actually looks better than blow drying.

What is a hair thickening lotion? like this sort of thing?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CTSBNT8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This thread inspired me to try something different. For the past 2 days, instead of blow drying, I used a hair thickening lotion and then air dried. It actually looks better than blow drying.

Love love love my dyson airwrap.

I wash and blow dry Mondays and Thursdays. Every other workday, I use the round brush attachment on the airwrap to refresh my hair and restyle. Maybe dry shampoo on Wednesdays. I don't use any heat on the weekend, just a mom bun

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have similar hair to you, OP! What complicates mine is that most is wavy but the top layer is stick straight and very heavy, so no matter how I want to wear it, some styling is needed. I was doing the rough dry with hair dryer then Revlon thing, but after about a year I found that I was frying my ends, even with heat protectant product. I recently splurged and got the Dyson Airwrap and it’s a game changer. Today I went from hair that was quite wet (maybe 10 min of air drying) to looking like I had a blowout in under 15 minutes. The tool is very lightweight, so it’s not tiring to use and still pretty novel and fun for me. It was an investment but so far I think well worth it to not hate doing my hair, to be able to go from wet to not just dry but nice in a short amount of time, and maintain my hair’s health.

I am interested in the Dyson dryer, how do you know that it is less damaging?

I bought the dyson hairdryer and returned it. Made my hair feel like straw? And I’m a huge dyson fan and owner of most of their pieces. I googled it and they’re we’re definitely others who said the same thing about their hair feeling like straw! I have white girl fine hair and sadly didn’t work for my hair.

My hairdresser told me to do this routine after I had my kiddo and for me it's been a game changer with my shoulder-ish length hair (sometimes longer) that has some natural wave to it (i.e., I have naturally great beach hair).

In the evening (usually a Sunday evening) - wash and blow dry my hair with some styling product in it. (I use Moroccan oil). Pull hair up into a ponytail on top of head (yes, Pebble Flintstone style!). I can sleep with it and will wake up with straight hair with a 'lil volume to it -- and can do this for several nights in a row before need to re-wash.

But, here was her game changer piece for me...

After the Pebble ponytail, take old school pink foam rollers (bought package of 8 at CVS, Goody brand for a few dollars). Divide the ponytail into a few sections (I tend to do 3) and roll up a foam roller on each. Amazingly, it's easy to sleep with.

In the morning, just take out the foam rollers and ponytail elastic. I flip my head over and put the blow dryer on it to loosen up the curls. Flip head over, usually run fingers through it to style gently and have a nice, softly styled head of hair in under 2 minutes.

I can do this for 2-3 nights without washing it again (put a shower cap on when shower). Then maybe Wed evening I will use dry shampoo in hair before I put it up in ponytail/rollers for the night. So, for the workweek, I usually only wash my hair once on a Sunday evening (and, I have a toddler so there has been no workweek exercise for me!).

Try it out, it's been helpful for me for two years running now...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have similar hair to you, OP! What complicates mine is that most is wavy but the top layer is stick straight and very heavy, so no matter how I want to wear it, some styling is needed. I was doing the rough dry with hair dryer then Revlon thing, but after about a year I found that I was frying my ends, even with heat protectant product. I recently splurged and got the Dyson Airwrap and it’s a game changer. Today I went from hair that was quite wet (maybe 10 min of air drying) to looking like I had a blowout in under 15 minutes. The tool is very lightweight, so it’s not tiring to use and still pretty novel and fun for me. It was an investment but so far I think well worth it to not hate doing my hair, to be able to go from wet to not just dry but nice in a short amount of time, and maintain my hair’s health.

I am interested in the Dyson dryer, how do you know that it is less damaging?

NP, I have the Dyson dryer and another dryer. My hair is straighter but less shiny with the other dryer. When I was exclusively using the Dyson for about a year, my hairstylist would always comment on how healthy my hair was.

I got tired of mine taking forever to get it under control and looking like a fuzzball in spring and summer, so I got a keratin treatment. Now it takes five minutes to dry and it looks great until the next wash.

Anonymous wrote:I have long thick hair. I wash it at night, put on a leave in conditioner and wrap it in a turbie towel. When I wake up it is damp not wet and I dry it in 5 sections with that Revlon round brush dryer.

I also have long thick hair and wait until it's almost dry, then 5-7 mins with the Revlon thing. Life changing.

I know this board is all about the Revlon thing but I really like this tool from BabyLiss: https://www.amazon.com/BaBylissPRO-Nano-Titanium-Rotating-Brush/dp/B00ALHISAQ

Its a hair dryer in that it blows hot air and then there are buttons the make the brush rotate in two directions. You use your arms to create tension, which smooths the hair. I have thick, wavy hair that is about shoulder length. I wash it and then let it air dry most of the way and use this brush going through my hair in sections to smooth it. I think its great and for my hair is very quick.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Can you just decide that you like your non-blowdried hair? Perhaps work with a stylist to give you a cut specifically for that.

As someone who also has wavy hair, it’s not that easy. I like my hair air dried in the summer when I’m at the beach or vacation but for work, it just looks too beachy. And my air dried hair looks terrible after sleeping on it so I end up washing it even more!

Too beachy?
I'm sorry, but you're all too hung up on a certain professional look. If you could wear your natural hair at work, and have it just be clean and tidy, it would help to break this image that women need to primp for work. Make-up, heels, blow-drying, nails, etc... all the things that men don't need to do. All they do is shave, and some don't even do that.

You might not like your natural look, but I seriously doubt that it's not work appropriate. Of course it's fine for work.

Not OP, but my air dried look is not work appropriate. It looks like I’m in White Snake in the mid-80s, or maybe like a witch in a cheap Shakespeare production. That’s with an expensive hair cut and expensive products. The only time I can let it air dry is when I’m actually at the beach, when I do get the beach look. I would wear that to work!
If I can’t blow dry, for me it’s better of just skip washing it.

Can you braid it or wear it in a bun?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I go to a cheap salon for a professional blow dry once a week on Sunday afternoons. Then my hair looks great for the workweek. It's only $25 for the blow dry and style and worth it to me to not have to mess with my hair all week for it to just look mediocre. When I get it done at the salon it looks amazing all week.

Genius.

Do you work out (strenuously, sweat all over hair kind of work out)?

PP here. No I do not work out or do anything all week that would cause me to sweat. For exercise during the week I do light indoor exercise.

I do work out on the weekends only but by then my blow dry doesn't look good anyway.

I have long thick hair. I wash it at night, put on a leave in conditioner and wrap it in a turbie towel. When I wake up it is damp not wet and I dry it in 5 sections with that Revlon round brush dryer.

Anonymous wrote:I have similar hair to you, OP! What complicates mine is that most is wavy but the top layer is stick straight and very heavy, so no matter how I want to wear it, some styling is needed. I was doing the rough dry with hair dryer then Revlon thing, but after about a year I found that I was frying my ends, even with heat protectant product. I recently splurged and got the Dyson Airwrap and it’s a game changer. Today I went from hair that was quite wet (maybe 10 min of air drying) to looking like I had a blowout in under 15 minutes. The tool is very lightweight, so it’s not tiring to use and still pretty novel and fun for me. It was an investment but so far I think well worth it to not hate doing my hair, to be able to go from wet to not just dry but nice in a short amount of time, and maintain my hair’s health.

I am interested in the Dyson dryer, how do you know that it is less damaging?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Can you just decide that you like your non-blowdried hair? Perhaps work with a stylist to give you a cut specifically for that.

As someone who also has wavy hair, it’s not that easy. I like my hair air dried in the summer when I’m at the beach or vacation but for work, it just looks too beachy. And my air dried hair looks terrible after sleeping on it so I end up washing it even more!

Too beachy?
I'm sorry, but you're all too hung up on a certain professional look. If you could wear your natural hair at work, and have it just be clean and tidy, it would help to break this image that women need to primp for work. Make-up, heels, blow-drying, nails, etc... all the things that men don't need to do. All they do is shave, and some don't even do that.

You might not like your natural look, but I seriously doubt that it's not work appropriate. Of course it's fine for work.

Not OP, but my air dried look is not work appropriate. It looks like I’m in White Snake in the mid-80s, or maybe like a witch in a cheap Shakespeare production. That’s with an expensive hair cut and expensive products. The only time I can let it air dry is when I’m actually at the beach, when I do get the beach look. I would wear that to work!
If I can’t blow dry, for me it’s better of just skip washing it.

I'm pretty sure that my hair fits this description, but I have NEVER been told that I look unprofessional, nor do I think I look unprofessional. I have naturally curly hair, and it can get a good bit of volume when the humidity is high. So what? I am groomed, dressed appropriately, and exude confidence in both my work and appearance. And I think that my curly whitesnake hair rocks!

I’m the pp who said I think my hair looks too beachy for work. That’s my own opinion of MY hair. When I actually wear it curly/natural, I get a million compliments. It’s just not right for ME and how I feel. You do you!! I was simply commiserating with the poster I quoted. I have a job where I interact with clients and the expectation is that I am well-groomed and professional...and I personally feel more polished when my hair is blown out. I have a metric shit ton of hair too that absorbs every molecule of water in the surrounding two blocks so when it’s curly, I’m definitely feeling more David Coverdale than Tawny Kitaen. And yes, great haircut and products but genetics are genetics!