[Toni]

Well definitely, our hair does look flatter when we lay on it. And yes, some natural oils that are stimulated while you sleep pay a part in this.

I was taught to NEVER take a brush to wet hair (unless it is a blow dry brush and the tangles have already been removed) when you first shampoo it, especially to remove any tangles. Hair stretches when it's wet and therefore, this can cause damage. Combing is recommended at this time, starting from the ends and working up to the top if there were a lot of tangles.

You are not causing a bit of harm by finger combing or finger raking your hair wet or dry. However, I suspect your hair follicles are angled up a little which causes your hair to dry a little off the scalp, shall we say and this is what causes some people to have "poofy" hair naturally.

Foregoing any products, have you ever tried to comb your hair flat before AND DURING the time that it is drying? This would help fight that natural "off the scalp" lift you are getting. This is my first advice to keep your hair as maintenance free as possible. See you would be distributing any natural oils that you are stimulating by combing during the dry time. And I would recommend you get a good brush to use once the hair is dry and then see what happens.

IF, these things are not doing the trick, then you may have to resort to the old blow dry, which takes less time then you think. Problem is, I hope your hair grows fast and you get "regular" trims or else the ends will dry out from all that heat. So use a low setting if you have one.

Hope this helps. btw...that's a great looking style to achieve!!!