Blow Drying Technique for Kinky Hair


 Hi everyone!
For sometime now I've been looking for easier and faster ways to dry and stretch my hair. I have tried blow outs before but I usually end up with dry, coily, or knotted ends.
During the holidays, my little sister wanted to get extensions and we all know that the best way to do this style is with stretched hair. After washing and deepconditioning, the poor child was too tired to do the 'proper-after-wash- procedures'. So  she put her damp hair in 4 huge sections and went on her way...me sef don tire so I ignored her :)
By the next day, her hair was still damp and she was running late for an appointment with a stylist. So we decided to try our luck with the blow dryer once again. After taking down a section, I detangled with my fingers, applied coconut oil and blow dried hair with the blow-dryer set at medium.
I tell you, that was the first blow-out I had ever done that came out without wahala.
 See how smooth her hair is? The stylist kept commenting on the softness and 'obedience' of her hair. "You know how difficult natural hair can be when you don't take good care of it...."
Excited to try out the technique on my hair, I sprayed water on my newly washed hair to dampen it. I then applied coconut oil and proceeded to blow-dry. Below is my result

Although I loved the results I still worried about my ends as there were alot of hair strands in the pik nozzle. I also noticed hair strands in the sink...not shed hair but hair strands that looked like they had been snagged ripped. So the results were good but a bit disappointing. I imagined how scanty my hair would be 2 years from now if I kept this up and I decided to chill till I found a better way.
Then came the post on BGLH that featured MsAlicia James. I read her regimen and got intrigued. She had a video on her site that shows how to blow dry type4 hair without putting heat on the ends. I tried it and there you have it....success!!
 
So what's new?
  • Follow the method I came up with: wash, dc, apply leave in, braid and let hair air dry.
  • Delete the part were I use the pik nozzle.
  • Hold unto a small section of your hair, while covering your ends that must have been air dried using your fingers, then blow dry.
  • Twist or braid section and move to the next.  
That simple!!

 
MsAlicia's technique is more than welcome, as it protects the ends from heat.

Lessons Learnt:
Had to put  hair in braids immediately after taking pictures...heat wan nearly kill me
  • Because the ends  are the oldest part of your hair they must be treated with care. If you are three years natural, then they can be three years old too. Hence the dryness and tight coiling when not moisturized and properly handled.

  • With age, the ends can be the most difficult part of type4 hair. If not treated right, they will rebel against you by coiling and knotting up which will lead to your cutting or trimming them off. Remember that the more you cut, the less length you retain.

  •  I don't know about yours, but I think my ends hate direct heat! And from now on, this blogger would have to be very careful to avoid that. 

  • Lastly, type4 hair can deal with a little heat as long as the ends are well protected. 
Note: For those of us who prefer the no-comb regimen, this technique is you. You can finger detangle before blow-drying a section and after completing the blow out. The beauty of MsAlicia's technique is that the fingers pass easily though the hair strands making it easy to maintain hair without the use of a comb.

26 comments:

  1. Can you share a link to that video of her drying her hair?

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  2. I just may need to try this out the next time I plan to blow out my hair.

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  3. I've heard that coconut oil is a natural heat protectant. I'm glad it worked well for you. The last time I blow dried my hair, it was a pain. I had to stop half-way. Type 4 hair is no joke.

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    1. Yes, coconut oil is a great heat protectant! Easy to find and very affordable.
      About the pain you experienced while blow drying....Sis if you ever want to go down that lane again try this technique. I promise you won't experience any pain if you do things right. All you have to do is properly detangle hair when damp o that sectioning won't be a problem. You take a little section, apply coconut oil and blow dry while holding your hair. No tension, no pain. Shikena! Type four hair can be trouble but once you know how to take care of it, you are good to go.

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  4. I like to just air dry my hair; wash, braid and let it dry on it's own. It works for the stretched out look so I do not need tomorry about stressing my hair with heat

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    1. Nice! Air drying is great but when you have a lot to do with very little time, air drying can be frustrating.

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  5. Talk about a lush hair!!!! Your hair is simply beautiful. How long have you been natural?

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  6. Thank you Kay!! I will be marking my 5th natural anniversary this year :)

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  7. Happy New Year! Nat, I believe this method is called "Tension drying". I would like to try it, but using low heat on the blow dryer makes the whole drying process take a while.How long did you take to dry ur hair?

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    1. Hi Anon,
      Happy New Year to you too! Thanks for sharing, now I can put a name to the technique :). I did not time myself but I don't think I spent more than an hour getting my whole hair done. Since the hair has been left to air dry a bit before blow drying, the process shouldn't be time consuming.

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  8. yea, its called tension blow out. I only tried it on my hair once. It was actually much faster and easier than having to hold a brush on one hand and a blow dryer on the other. Plus I didn't lose any hair since the ends weren't brushed off. Now I see how you achieved such straight hair.
    btw, i'm team Air Dry, I don't even own a blow dryer!
    I hope my hair will be as smooth and moisturized as Alicia James hair someday!

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    1. Hahah....thats a new one o...'team air dry'. Its all good that you've found what works for you but I hope you stick to your team once your hair gets much longer and fuller (I think your fro would be bigger than mine when it gets to my length). I have always had a blow dryer but I ignored it and and focused on air drying but I'm getting really impatient with the drying process. Now that harmattan is over and there is moisture in the air, my hair can take days to dry.
      Thanks for commenting Mane Captain!

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  9. Blessings...
    don't like the process of blow drying, too much stress on the hair.

    peace.
    Rhapsody
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    1. Hmmm....that might be true for your hair but not mine. I don't pull too tightly when blow drying and that's why my hair stayed coily after the process. No combing and no pulling thats why I love this technique. Well,to each her own....
      Thanks for stopping by Rhapsody Phoenix!

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  10. Hi, I just recently started reading your blog. Love it! MsAlicia's hair is just....lush lol

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    1. As in ehn...her hair is just too much. Thanks for stopping by Beeba K. Dont just read but try and leave your thoughts on posts as I hope to learn from you as well.

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  11. Blessings....
    just popped in to say hello....

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    1. Hi Rhapsody B!! Thanks for the love. Have a wonderful week ahead.

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  12. After so many years of relaxed straightness, I now just prefer my hair in a close to an as-is state as possible. I'll admit it is not exactly as-is . . . I need to apply "stuff" to help it appear as I like but, for me, blow drying, is not an option. Plus, I have to nurse my hair back to its normal fullness. However, her technique, which avoids applying heat to the ends, is such a good idea. And not applying the heat directly is also smart. I would still worry about that eventual, gradual loosening of the curls over time. As an occasional styling option, for naturals who want a change of pace, it works.

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  13. Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon every day.

    It will always be helpful to read through content from other authors and practice
    something from their web sites.

    My web blog: optionfair

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  14. Your hair turned out great! That's one method some naturals opt for when air drying takes a long time.

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  15. Hey Natmane,

    How do you protect your ends from drying up after washday?

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    1. Hi Suzanne,
      After washing, I apply coconut oil to all my hair and apply my Shea butter mix to the ends. I smooth the Shea butter mix on the ends and twist or braid. That simple! When and if it gets dry during the week, I just spray on some water, apply very little coconut oil and braid or twist. I hope this helps :)

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