Air drying: what the pros really think

Air drying hair can be a great way to enhance natural texture and give hair a break from heat styling. But is it right for all hair types, and would you ever to do it in a salon? If it’s done right, it can enhance natural texture and is easy to achieve. "In terms of frequency, I would suggest clients air dry their hair whenever their daily routine allows – it will help protect hair from heat damage and reduce breakage caused through over-styling," explains Mason Josh, senior stylist at HARI’s for L’Oréal Professionnel. Adele Clarke, OSMO ambassador and owner of Spectrum Hair St Helens also adds that it works well with current trends. "With the shag, the wolf, and the mullet, that natural textured look as an alternative finish, is becoming more popular than ever," she says. So how to go about air drying? "If I'm air drying a client, my top trick is to start off with the wettest hair possible," explains Mason. "This is because your hair is at its most natural texture when wet. Scrunching the hair from this point will help define any natural curls, waves or movement in the hair. Do not towel dry! When it’s not as wet, frizz is more likely to occur, which is a broken curl." Celebrity hairdresser Jay Birmingham shares: "We love showing our guests how their hair would look when air dried, but in the salon when we are running to a schedule it’s not the most commercial choice." Adele advises clients who are styling at home to use OSMO Extreme Volume Thickening Cream scrunching into the hair and arrange the fringe in the shape that suits. "Once air dried, apply a little OSMO Power Powder Texturising Dust to create that bit of root volume. Then simply just run in your fingers and shake from the roots for lifted tousled volume and a few drops of a serum to tame any frizz," she adds. In terms of products, Mason opts for a cream or liquid leave-in conditioner such as L’Oreal Professionnel Curl Expression Long Lasting Intensive Moisturizer ("it's great for thick, wavy or curly hair. For finer hair, a liquid conditioner such as L’Oreal Professionnel TECNI.ART Liss Control used sparingly is best.") Jay Birmingham does have a word of warning though: "One thing to keep in mind is that hair is in its most vulnerable state when it’s wet. When advising your clients on leaving their hair to air dry, it’s important to make them aware of this. I wouldn’t advise heading to bed with wet hair and allowing it to air dry as this can cause friction against the pillow and potentially lead to breakage." What Should I Tell Clients? Air drying will help contribute to improving the condition of their hair and it could even help extend the life of their haircut. "I recommend to clients that frequently airdry a cut cycle time of 12 weeks, whereas someone that doesn’t and constantly styles by applying heat, I’d recommend 6-8 weeks. This is because their hair is likely to be in better condition and not display breakage as much across the ends of their hair." While it’s a great drying technique, it will only look good for a day or two, so longevity is minimal. It’s also one look, so it lacks versatility. An air dryed style is also less weather proof as there is no setting to the style which could provide resilience to surface humidity and frizz. Want more What the Pros Really Think? Head here!