Ever wanted to know how to dry your hair fast rather than spending an hour balancing a ball of towel on your head? Hair towels are all the rage in the beauty scene, but they’re not simply a trend. Rather, they’re a low-cost, gentle, and effective way to dry your hair fast without frizz or damage – practically a dream come true.
Using one is easy, but there are a few things which make hair towels different from other types of towels. Once mastered, drying your hair fast with a towel is not just possible, it’s super practical.
Ready to level up your hair drying game? Here’s exactly what you need to know to do so.
The Type of Towel You Use Matters
The most important thing to know when it comes to drying your hair fast using a towel is the type of towel you use matters. Big time.
That might come as a surprise because the sole purpose of towels is to absorb moisture. If you haven’t been having any luck getting your hair to dry under that big bath towel, it’s likely due to the towel itself rather than your turban twisting skills.
Here’s a secret. Not all towels are created equal. Those big, fluffy, cheap cotton towels that everyone uses are one of the worst– and most ineffective – ways to dry your hair.
There are several reasons why. First, most towels are made from cotton, but not always. Some terry cloth, an inexpensive alternative to tightly woven cotton, is sometimes cut with polyester threads. Likewise, even when they are made from pure cotton, manufacturers sometimes reduce the overall thread count to keep the price of their products down. A lower thread count means a coarser texture which can create friction against your hair.
Still, cotton itself has high absorbency which is what makes it so great for bath products. The trick here, however, is to look for a high thread count to gain the smoothness and the surface area necessary to dry your hair effectively. That means you can expect to pay a little more, but you’ll notice a clear difference when you next towel-dry your hair.
Alternatively, you can achieve the high thread count cheaply by switching to microfiber. You’ll gain the advantage of an increased moisture-wicking surface due to the denser fibers, minus the price tag associated with a high thread count cotton towel.
Practice Good Shower Habits
There’s the old adage that a good shampoo and conditioner solves most any hair problem, and that’s true. To get the most out of your hair-drying towel, you need to take a few extra steps to ensure that your hair dries quickly and well.
First, make sure you’re using a high-quality conditioner which locks moisture into your strands. If you’ve got thick or curly hair, you already know all about the importance of a good conditioner for general care. However, what many people don’t realize is that conditioner helps dry your hair with a towel as well. It provides a layer of protection during the drying process to help keep your strands from getting too stressed.
Likewise, be sure to gently squeeze the extra water out of your hair before getting out of the shower. Your towel will absorb as much water as it can but you’re giving it a head start.
Target the Roots and Protect the Tips
When hair dries, it tends to dry from tip to root – that is, from thinnest to thickest point. That creates a problem for people with thick hair because it may be so thick that it won’t adequately dry without help.
Using a blow-dryer every day isn’t great. However, neither is rubbing your head vigorously with a towel to get to those soggy roots dry. Instead, you’ll need a bit of technique to get to those roots with your towel while still protecting the rest of your hair. Fortunately, that’s simple.
After you’ve squeezed the excess water from your hair in the shower, take a portion of your hair between your hands and the towel. Beginning at the roots, gently press your hair into the towel from both sides. Work your way down to the tips, avoiding any twisting or pulling on the section. Use a fresh section of your hair towel for each new section of your hair.
Rediscover the Towel Wrap
If you’re not up for the task of drying your hair using a blot and squeeze method, amp up your towel turban game instead. Wrapping your hair in a high-quality, highly absorbent towel is also a great way to dry your hair quickly with minimal effort.
A microfiber hair towel is the best way to do this, but a high-quality cotton towel will work as well. As mentioned before, what you want is the fiber density to maximize smoothness and drying surface.
The popularity of microfiber as a hair towel has created numerous options for you to play with to discover what works best. For instance, a turbie band targets the roots while letting the hair itself air dry. Likewise, a turbie twist creates a convenient hair turban which stays snug without additional effort.
Whichever way you choose, throw on your towel and go make breakfast confidently knowing that it will stay in place while it works its magic.
How to Dry Your Hair Fast With a Towel
The secret is finally out about how to dry your hair fast. We’ve been doing it wrong this whole time. From using coarse, oversized bath towels to subjecting it to frizz-inspiring blow-drying, it’s no wonder that we keep struggling with the same basic question: how do we get our thick, beautiful hair dry without destroying it?
When used correctly, a hair towel is a quick, convenient, gentle way to dry your hair fast. However, it’s important to use the right towel to do so as well as support towel drying with good practices concerning your hair and water. We’ve covered numerous tips to help you make the most out of your hair towel so that it can truly be the invaluable investment that it is in your daily beauty routine.
Healthy hair needs more than simply a good shampoo and conditioner. Upgrade your hair towel and your pillowcase to support healthy, beautiful hair.