How to Towel Dry Hair

Co-authored by Kelsey Morey

Last Updated: November 4, 2022 References

While using a hair dryer at the right heat and proper distance is actually better for your hair than air drying it, toweling and air drying your hair is still better than setting the hair dryer to an excessively high heat or using it at close proximity.^{[1]
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Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source} If your hair has been previously heat damaged, or if you just prefer the way it looks after being towel and air dried, there's a right and wrong way to do it. Use a soft towel to squeeze out the moisture, and then let your hair continue air drying. If you treat it well, your hair will stay strong, beautiful and vibrant.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Drying Your Hair Gently

1
Get a soft towel or t-shirt ready. When you’re towel drying your hair, it’s best to use a very soft towel or even an old t-shirt instead of a coarse, nubby towel. Using softer material will prevent your hair from getting tangled and damaged when you dry it.
- When you use a soft towel, your hair cuticles lay flat, so they dry in nice, glossy waves or curls. When you use a coarse towel, they’re more likely to frizz.
- You can buy special towels made just for towel drying hair. Make certain that it is made with a soft material. Check for towels in beauty supply stores or online.
- Consider using towels made of microfiber.
2
Squeeze wet hair gently with your hands. Right when you turn off the shower, when your hair is still dripping water, run your hands over your hair and gently squeeze out the extra water. It's easier to towel dry your hair when streams of water aren’t still running out.^{[2]
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- Don’t twist your hair, as this can easily damage it. Very gently gather your hair into sections and squeeze out the extra water. It’s best to do this while you’re still in the shower.
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3
Blot and squeeze your hair dry with the towel. Grab a section of hair and gently blot and squeeze it with the towel, working from the roots all the wall to the tips. Keep doing this with each section until your hair is totally towel-dried. Your hair will still be damp, but no longer dripping wet.^{[3]
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- Do not wring out your hair or squeeze it too hard. Just use the towel to gently absorb moisture.
- Do not rub your hair with the towel, as this will cause frizzing. Just squeeze and blot.
4
Use a fresh part of the towel to keep blotting. Once you finish going over each section of hair with the towel, you can use a fresh towel or a dry part of the towel to go over each section once more. This step is not strictly necessarily, but it’s a way to get your hair as close to dry as possible using only a towel.
- As your hair dries further, it’s more likely to tangle, so be extra careful not to rub your hair with the towel.
- Once your hair is mostly dry, it’s ready to be styled.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Doing a Towel Wrap for Longer Hair

1
Have a large, soft towel ready. A towel wrap is a good system to use if you have long, curly, or thick hair that tends to hold onto moisture for a long time. You can wrap up your hair while you’re getting ready for the day, then take it down and style it when it’s still a little damp. You’ll need a large, soft towel long enough to wrap your hair.^{[4]
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- You can buy special triangular towels made just for tying your hair up. Check out a beauty supply store or look online for a good selection.
2
Squeeze excess water gently from your hair. Right when you turn off the shower, use your hands to gently squeeze water from your hair. Don’t wring it out, but just squeeze it lightly to remove the streams of water that will drip down. This way your hair will dry faster.
3
Bend over and place your towel over the back of your head. Make sure all of your hair is hanging straight down, and use your hands to finger-comb it into place. Position the towel horizontally across the back of your head, so that the bottom of the towel is aligned with the bottom of your hairline.
- Make sure all of your hair is hanging in the same direction, so it’ll get wrapped up nicely in the towel. If some of your hair is folded back in a random direction it could end up messing up your style when it dries.
4
Bring the sides of the towel together at your forehead. While you’re still bent over, use your hands to gather your hair into the towel so that the sides of it meet in the middle of your forehead. It should look as though you have a long top ponytail covered by a towel.
5
Twist the towel. Starting right next to your forehead, use your hands to twist the towel in one direction. Your hair and the 2 sides of the towel should all be part of the twist. When you’ve twisted the towel to the very end, put the end of the twist on top of your head.
- Don’t twist too hard, since this could pull at your hair. Twist just tightly enough so that the twist stays in place.
- You can hold the end of the twist in place with a hair clip.
6
Keep your hair in the towel for 20 to 30 minutes. The towel will absorb the moisture in your hair during this time. It’s a gentle way to dry long hair. When you’re ready, remove the towel and style your slightly damp hair.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Styling Towel-Dried Hair

1
Use a wide-toothed comb to detangle your hair. Never run a brush through wet or damp hair, since this could cause it to break and lead to frizzing. Instead, gently pull a wide-toothed comb through your hair, starting near the tips and working your way up to the roots.^{[5]
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- If you have very curly or kinky hair, you may not need to comb it at all. Combing could cause the individual hairs to separate and frizz. Experiment with your hair to find out what method works best for you.
- No matter the type of hair you have, you need to detangle it. If you don’t use a comb, at least use your fingers.
2
Add some leave-in conditioner or another product. If your hair tends to get pretty tangled, you might want to smooth in some leave-in conditioner, gel or oil to help you detangle it with the comb more easily.
3
Style your hair and let it finish air drying. Part your hair where you like it to be parted, then style it as usually. Add hair gel, mousse or spray to create the height, volume and texture you want. Let your hair air dry completely, and you’re good to go.
4
Finish with a hair dryer for special occasions. You can use a hair dryer to finish towel-dried hair, leaving it glossy and smooth. First apply a heat protectant product to protect your hair from heat as much as possible. Then dry your hair section by section, using a round brush to create a smooth, glossy finish.^{[6]
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Expert Q&A
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Question

How do I style my hair after drying it with a towel?

Kelsey Morey
Professional Hair and Makeup Artist
Kelsey Morey is a Professional Hair and Makeup Artist, Model and the Owner and Founder of Haus of Pretty based in Westport, Connecticut. With more than ten years of experience, she specializes in balayage, hair care, color care, and photoshoot styling. Kelsey received her training from Brio Academy of Cosmetology and John Casablancas Modeling and Career Center. She also completed her apprenticeship with Warren Tricomi luxury salons.

Kelsey Morey

Professional Hair and Makeup Artist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Try spraying your hair with a sea salt spray after you dry it to help add some natural texture.
Question

What does it mean to towel dry hair?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

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Towel drying is when you use a towel or other absorbent material like a t-shirt to soak up the moisture from your hair. You can towel dry by simply wrapping your hair and waiting or you can gently wring and squeeze.
Question

How do you make your hair dry faster?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

The more moisture you absorb with a towel, the faster it will be to blow dry. Using styling products can also help hair dry faster.