Dry Straight Without a Blow Dryer

It still works and is an excellent way to style hair straight while minimizing damage from heat styling. This makes the doobie especially good for straightening relaxed or chemically processed hair that is fragile. It does, however, require lots of time. You can speed up the drying process by sitting under a hood dryer-the dryer that causes the least amount of heat damage to the hair.

Tools

Setting lotion, leave-in conditioner, or a straightening balm, if you will be sitting under a hood dryer.

One large, round hair roller. The width of the roller will depend on the length of your hair. Try to get it as large as possible, unless you have a short to medium-length hairstyle. In that case, the roller should be large enough to wrap the hair around the roller at least once.

Roller clips

Large, strong bobby pins

Long-tail comb

Technique

Start with damp, not soaking wet hair. Prepare the hair with the styling products; use a setting lotion or leave-in conditioner if you will be air-drying, or a straightening balm - most are meant to be used with heat - if you will be sitting under a hood dryer.

At the crown, section the hair off at a width no wider than the roller. If you tend to have dry ends, apply a light extra layer of leave-in conditioner. Comb hair smoothly and hold the section taut, up and away from the scalp.

Place the roller at the tip of the section. Be sure to smooth the ends with your fingertips and continue smoothing the hair as you wrap it around the roller.

Slowly and evenly roll roller and hair down to the scalp.

Secure the roller to the scalp with carefully placed roller clips. Be sure to place the clips close to the roller. Roller clips have a special dent toward the spring that allows them to sit at the edge of the roller without crimping the hair.

Use the long-tail comb to make a part in the hair that remains loose around the back, front, and sides.

Using the comb and your hands, comb, wrap, and press the hair, laying it flat in a giant swirl around your scalp.

With large bobby pins, secure the hair flat against the head as you go around. Place a bobby pin every two inches or so to secure hair as you work, eventually wrapping all the remaining hair around your head. If you have very long hair, your wrap may overlap.

When your hair is nearly dry, remove the pins from the hair wrapped around the front and the sides. Rewrap hair in the opposite direction.

Remove the doobie when hair is absolutely bone-dry.

Use a hair dryer and brush to lightly style the hair, going over any spots the bobby pins may have dented.

As you would after having blow-dried the hair, lightly apply pomade, silicon or hairdressing cream to the ends to keep them soft and prevent frizzing.

Some Latinas leave their doobies for the weekend, when they can wrap their hair in the morning and spend the rest of the day doing chores or getting work done at home. Others use the doobie to wrap their dry, already-straightened hair at night. This allows the straight style to last throughout the week.

Try on a new hairstyle now.