The Pixie Drying Method

This is a method of drying hair that I stumbled across in my quest to combat frizz, and it works really well.

Ideally, once you've washed and conditioned you should leave curly hair well alone and allow it to dry naturally. Touching it disturbs the natural curl pattern and can cause frizz. However, in our busy lives it's not always practical to leave hair to dry on it's own like this - UK weather isn't always the warmest is it?! I've left the house many times with soaking wet hair, blasting it with the car heater on full blast and arriving at work with still-half-wet hair and a bright red face!

So the drying method I like best is this - the Pixie Method aims to disturb the hair as little as possible and therefore reduce frizz.

All you need is a hairdryer with a diffuser attachment (the bigger the diffuser the better, especially if you have a lot of hair). Once you have washed and conditioned, add your leave-in of choice plus any styling products. Before turning on the hairdryer, place a section of hair into the diffuser. Turn on the heat on a high setting and heat only this section of hair for approx 20-30 seconds. Before removing the hairdryer from the hair, turn it off. Repeat on the rest of the hair, drying small sections at a time and turning the heat on and off before and after you've done.

By stopping and starting the heat like this, you aren't disturbing the rest of your hair as you move around your head, and you also aren't subjecting your hair to the heat for very long each time. This keeps the hair in it's natural pattern and stops the frizz from forming. You can do it either standing up straight or with your head held upside down, depending on how much height you want.

If you've used a styling product, your hair will still look wet and will be 'crunchy'- resist the urge to scrunch it out yet. Keep Pixie drying until your hair is 75-80% dry and if possible leave the rest to dry on it's own. Your hair will still look wet because of the product, but once it's completely dry you can scrunch it out and will be left with lovely, soft, defined (and frizz-free) curls.

The first time I tried the Pixie method I was amazed at the difference it made. My curls were really bouncy and looked great. I discovered spirals that I didn't know I had and my own mum didn't believe they were natural! Give it a try, you'll love the results!

Drying and Styling

Once you've finished washing and conditioning your hair, DO NOT RUB IT WITH A TOWEL. The first thing most people do to stop their hair dripping when they step out of the shower is to give it a good old rub with the towel, pile it up on top of their head and do the 'towel-twist' while they go about drying the rest of their body.

Most towel fibres are very absorbant (to dry us quickly) and they ruffle up the hair cuticles which causes frizz. To avoid this, use something smooth but absorbant - a pillow case is ideal, or some use an old cotton tshirt. Paper towels or microfibre cloths also work well - blot the hair gently rather than rub it.

If you wish to use a leave-in conditioner or other moisturiser, gently squeeze it onto your hair at this point, with an upward motion to encourage the curl pattern. If you like to keep your curls in 'clumps' just smooth the leave-in onto the curls that have already formed since you stepped out of the shower. If you prefer to separate them out, run your fingers gently through them, smoothing out any frizz that may have started, and then 'cup' the curls up towards your head to encourage them to form their own shape.

At first you may still need to use quite a lot of products at this point but as your hair becomes more moisturised you will just need a small amount - just a 50p size should be plenty.

Once your hair is fully moisturised, you may wish to use a styling product to hold the curls in place while your hair drys (silicone-free remember!) Gels are good and come in a variety of strengths depending on how hard you want your curls to set. Curl creams, pomades and mousses can all do this job, it's just a matter of personal preference. Try one of our trial-sizes to see which one you prefer. Apply your styling product evenly throughout your hair so that you don't have some areas holding better than others.

At this point some like to 'Plop' This is a method that involves 'plopping' your hair gently onto a pillow case whilst holding your head upside down. Bring the sides of the case around your head and secure,  and leave hair to sit for half an hour or so. This removes the remaining excess water while allowing your hair to form a natural pattern without it's own weight stretching the curls out.

Once done, release your curls from their 'plop' and let them hang gently down. Ideally you should leave them now to dry naturally but if you don't have time you can dry them gently using a hair dryer with a diffuser attachment. The 'Pixie' method doesn't disturb the hair too much and helps to reduce any frizz. Hold your head upside down, and with the hairdryer off, put a section of hair gently into the bowl of the diffuser. Turn the hairdryer onto a gently heat and dry that section for 20 seconds or so. Before taking the hairdryer away from the hair, turn it off and let the hair fall out gently. Repeat on other sections of hair until it is approx 75% dry or as required. The movement of air as you move the hairdryer around your head can contribute to frizz as it ruffles the hair cuticles, so this methods helps to avoid this.

If you still have a bit of frizz once you've done this, smooth a small amount of gel over the crown of the head to make it sit down. You may find yourself becoming quite critical of you hair and can't tolerate even small amounts of frizz, however just remember to compare your hair now to what it used to look like. Some days you'll find that there is frizz no matter what you do. The weather affects it a lot, so just try to accept it and enjoy your new curls! They look amazing!