Drying your hair can take a lot of time, depending on the length of your hair. Everyone should know how to towel-dry hair properly so that they do not end up damaging their hair.
It’s easy to rush drying your hair, but it can be dangerous and damaging. You should always take your time so that you keep your hair healthy.
What Does Towel Drying Hair Mean?
The definition of towel-drying hair is pretty self-explanatory. It is when you dry your hair with a towel. You use the towel to absorb water and moisture from when you were showering, bathing, or swimming.
You can even use another absorbent material like a t-shirt to towel dry your hair.
Most people dry their hair using a towel, but it’s not the only option. You can blow dry your hair or let it air dry. If you have lots of hair, lightly towel drying your hair will speed up the air-drying process.
What Does Towel-Dried Hair Look Like?
Many people with long hair do not like to towel dry their hair because it can cause damage. However, sometimes you are in a rush and need to dry your hair before heading to work, school, or an event. So, what will your hair look like after you towel-dry it?
What your hair will look like after towel drying depends on the length and thickness of your hair. If you have short and thin hair, your hair should dry quickly and is unlikely to look any different from normal.
However, if you have long or thick hair, it can look a little different if you dry your hair wrong. Thick hair is less of a problem than long hair, but each can cause problems.
Due to the rushed nature of drying hair with this method, hair dried using a towel can look frizzy. When you towel-dry hair, you rub it together to get the moisture out. As a result, it can look frizzy compared to when it air dries.
Additionally, towel drying your hair is unlikely to dry hair completely. As a result, people with long hair will likely have shiny wet hair until it dries completely. Again, people with short hair should not have this issue, but it is something to consider.
How to Towel-Dry Hair
Before starting to dry hair with a towel, you must ensure you have the right supplies to avoid damage. Don’t use any random towel. Instead, you should use a microfiber towel to dry your hair. A soft t-shirt is an acceptable replacement until you purchase a microfiber towel.
1. Squeeze out excess water using your hands.
Once you finish showering, squeeze out any excess water in your hair. Don’t use your towel yet; instead, use your hands to gently remove any water dripping from your hair. Start at the base of your hair before moving slowly to the ends. Doing this will make your towel more effective because it does not need to absorb all the excess water.
2. Blot your hair with a microfiber towel repeatedly until you’re happy with the dryness.
Once you squeeze out the excess water, start blotting it with your towel or t-shirt. People with short hair can probably blot all of their hair at once. However, if you have long hair, you should do it in sections. Try not to rub to tug on your hair too hard here. Additionally, you should try your best to use a dry section of the towel for each section of your hair.
Repeat this process as many times as you like until you reach a dryness level you are happy with. However, you should not expect your hair to dry completely from towel drying unless you have short hair.
3. Wrap your hair in a towel to absorb more water if you have long hair.
You can wrap your hair in a towel to absorb more water. This step is optional but popular among people with long hair.
4. Towel-wrap hair for 20 minutes.
Most experts recommend keeping your hair in a towel wrap for 20 minutes so that it can do its work. How you wrap your hair is not overly important, but do not wrap it too tight.
5. Remove the towel & comb your hair.
When you are ready, you can remove the towel and comb your hair. Never touch recently towel-dried hair with a brush, as it can damage and tear your hair. A comb should eliminate tangles without the risk of damaging your hair.
Do’s and Don’ts
Now that you know the best way to towel dry hair, it is crucial to cover some do’s and don’ts.
What to Do When You’re Towel-Drying Hair?
Starting with the positive things,
- You should always use a microfiber towel.
- Always remove excess water before using the towel on your hair, and tie your hair into a turban if you have long hair.
- Additionally, conditioner can help heal any damage caused while drying your hair with a towel.
What to Avoid When You’re Towel-Drying Hair?
While it is crucial to cover the things you should do when towel drying your hair, it is essential to discuss the things you should avoid.
- The first thing to mention is you should never wring your hair. It might be tempting to do this when squeezing out excess water, but it can cause your hair to break.
- Furthermore, do not rub your hair with your towel or tug at it near your scalp. Rubbing your hair can cause split ends, and tugging can cause it to fall out. Neither outcome is desirable, and you should avoid it if possible.
- Finally, you should not wrap your towel too tightly around your hair. If you do, you can damage your hair beyond repair.
Final Thoughts
There are several methods you can choose from to dry hair. While some methods are safer and more effective, nothing is quicker than towel drying.
Towel drying is easy, but it can be dangerous. You must be careful when drying your hair with a towel, or you can cause damage. Follow the above instructions, and you should not have any trouble.