Those with wavy/curly hair who air dry- how do you speed up the process?

[cosmopolitanplease]

I'm experimenting with wearing my hair natural (I have 2c hair I think) but it's very prone to frizz so I can't use a hairdryer even with a diffuser. I have a turban that alleged it would speed up drying time but if anything it seems to slow it down considerably. I've tied my hair in some cycling shorts today (couldn't find a long sleeve t shirt) but again this just seemed to keep the wet in and stop the air drying my hair.

I'm sitting here now an hour+ later and my hair's still sopping wet even though I squished as much water out of it as I could. Now the weather's getting colder I don't want to be sitting around for hours with wet hair. I have thick hair in a long bob.

Any tips please? Does anyone have one of those hood-type dryers that old ladies would sit under at the beauty parlour and might that work?

I tried a hood, it's worth it for the comedy value! Does speed up the drying time but you'll need heat protector spray (Avene do a good one).

I use gel on my hair and then air dry, or use a diffuser on low heat. Still takes a few hours so I tend to do it early evening and by morning I can scrunch out the dried gel cast.

Are you using gel? If so, switch to mousse it'll significantly cut down drying time. It'll be more voluminous and slightly less well defined but personally I prefer that (I'm 2c/3a).

When I say a hood, it's an inflatable one that attaches to your hair dryer and has a chin strap to keep it on. Very fetching.

The inflatable hood looks very promising, thank you!

I am using a leave in conditioner and curl cream (both Noughtie). I do have some curly mousse but didn't love the crunchiness it imparted!

Does anyone use a turban that really does wick the water away like they claim to?

Mousse is quicker, also squeeze all the water out then apply it. If I apply gel to soaking wet hair it takes ages to dry and feels very producty even after I SOTC. You could sit in front of a fan heater to speed it up ?

I've never found turbans etc. to help with wicking away moisture. Squeezing it all out works but it results in more frizz with me so micro plopping is as far as I go. Have you tried (partially) pixie diffusing? I never have the patience to do it all the way through but 15-20mins of it means my hair air dries quickly without extra frizz.

If it is prone to frizz so much that you can't diffuse it, I'd be thinking it still need more moisturization like a leave in conditioner, or deep conditioner. I have fine 2C hair and do both - it's transformed my hair. I use Ecoslay - the Banana Cream is amazing.

Otherwise, and this is a shameful admission, I dry my hair using the blowers in my car

Get in car with wet hair, blowers on, don't touch hair, arrive at work with lovely curly hair. Scrunch out the crunch if used gel.

Mine would be wet in 2 weeks if I didn't diffuse it . Maybe try a different technique or product to dry it .

I squeeze all the water out and put frizz ease mousse then squeeze and scrunch with a microfibre towel. Its much quicker but not as curly as the usual plop, gel etc but its too cold for that already! Mine goes frizzy with the diffuser too as its fine rather than under moisturised.

I have long blond wavy/curly hair, which I let air dry by just ignoring it straight after washing. I do initially use a wide tooth comb as im not a believer in no brushing, it makes me feel dreadful if I don't brush.
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When dry my hair is large and frizzy. like Robert plant in the 60's/70's.

Funny how this wouldn't have been considered 'bad' then, isn't it?

When it is fully dry I slap a small ball of leave in conditioner onto the mid length and ends then twist into a rope and claw clip it up. After an hour when I shake it loose the frizz is all but gone and my hair has nice waves and looks thicker than it is.

I spent years ironing and trying out all manner of stuff to fight the natural frizz. Even when I care for my hair the frizz remains as it is natural to me. I have learned to love a bit of frizz as it suits my face and makes my hair have a lot of body. It will never be stereotypical 'Japanese sleek' but im not sure why it ought to be, it does have lovely colour and shine though.

Do what suits you, not all curlies/wavies get along with the same methods.

I guess I am saying that I don't think frizz is 'bad'.
Tired, uncared for hair sucks, but frizz should not be a definition of that. There's plenty lank, straight, frizz free hair that look dreadful.
Healthy hair shouldn't be synonymous with an absence of frizz.

I'm in agreement with @AnnaMagnani, it sounds like you need a better product.

I have mine wet, put the gel/cream in and then defuse it on low. Just enough to 'set' then curl. Then I leave it 'set' until it's dry. It does look ridiculous at this stage, really corkscrewed and all curled together. Only once it's dry do I shake it out and the curls separate a bit without frizz.

I also tried every product not he market and spent thousands over the years. Im pretty certain no particular product works because every single curly head is different. If your hair is more porous than the next curly, then the same product will be useless.
I also learned that expense doesn't equal satisfaction either, so it was closing game.
If I am not heat styling, I simply don't need anything on my hair after washing and conditioning. We are so used to smothering shit on that we can't imagine leaving it be.

losing game, sorry!

You might need the crunch (cast) to form then scrunch it out when dry. It's the only way mine holds snd isn't frizzy

At the curly hairdressers they put a net on the hair to help with frizz while they dry it under a hood.

I would diffuse and then apply a weightless oil to control the frizz. I sometimes do this if I cba!

I put mine in a turban when I get out of the shower which soaks up the majority of the water. I keep it on while I get dressed then take it off. I don't brush it or comb it.
Then I let my hair dry without any product. Once it is dry I put Paul Mitchell Round Trip on it which calms the fluff and dries without crunch.
Depends how thick your hair is I guess but although my hairs are very thick individually they are not that dense on my head iyswim.

Highly recommend Round Trip, it's fantastic.

Mine with and without product. It looks shit without product, just poofy and like crystal tips

I wash my hair, towel dry, comb with a tangle teaser and put palmers leave in conditioner in and scrunch it.
If it's cold I put it back in the towel to dry some more/keep my head warm for a while.
I got the towel in TK Maxx and it's brilliant, it reminds me of camping towels super absorbent and dries really quickly.

Have you tried the Dyson hairdryer op?

I have very curly hair and it's been a game changer for me. I had never been able to use a hairdryer before as it just used to make my hair terribly frizzy but the Dyson is brilliant. Well worth the money.

I pat my hair with a towel so that it's not dripping, then I run my fingers through it and settle it back off my forehead. I do that a couple more times to pull it into shape. Then I cycle to work... I don't wear a helmet (not recommended) so it's always dry by the time I get there.

Lots of great tips and product recommendations here, thanks everyone! And thank you @NotMyCat for showing us your lovely curls. 

This is my hair now. I washed it this morning and it's still not completely dry 7 hours later. As you can see it's developing a nice frizz halo as it dries and will no doubt be even frizzier by morning.

The comment about the hair nets at the curly hairdresser (oh I wish there was one of these near me!) reminded me, what do you all do with your hair at night? I've been contemplating hairnets or a bonnet of some kind or maybe a silk scarf? I already have a satin pillowcase.

I would love to try a dyson hairdryer @Sallycinnamum to see if it suits me. Do you dry with the diffuser attachment?

Yeah it comes with a diffuser and I dry it on the coldest setting.

I would advise you borrowing one first to try it out as it'd bloody expensive!

Most of the time I air dry my hair especially in summer but the dyson is brilliant if I'm in a rush or I need to wash it before work.

I use a satin pillowcase and pile my hair up on my head
Not found any buff/bonnet that stays on!

The other thing I sometimes do if I develop frizz is emulsify a serum or curl cream in my hands and then just smooth it over