How to Wrap Your Hair in a Towel

Co-authored by Shun Pittman

Last Updated: October 25, 2022 References Approved

Learn how to wrap your hair in a towel on top of your head for all hair types. Or wrap your hair at the side of your head for people with long or thick hair. Your wrap will keep your wet hair from getting your clothes wet. And your hands will be free to finish getting ready while your hair is drying. Wrapping your hair in a towel will wick the moisture away from your head while keeping your hair out of your way. Putting your hair in a wrap is also a great way to keep your head warm after a shower in the winter time.

Things You Should Know

Make a top wrap by flipping your hair over your head, wrapping a towel around it, then twisting the towel and securing it on top of your head.
Create a side wrap by pulling all your hair behind your head, wrapping a towel around it, and twisting. Then, put the towel wrap to one side of your head.
Blot your hair dry and detangle it before wrapping it with a towel. Once wrapped, keep your hair in place for 30-60 minutes until it dries.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making a Wrap on Top of Your Head

1
Select a towel that is the right size. Your towel should be long enough so that it falls past your shoulders when it hangs from the top of your head. Your towel should be wide enough to reach from the nape of your neck to your to your hairline. If your towel is much wider than your head, you can fold the towel in half so it fits better around your head.^{[1]
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Research source} It is a good idea to designate hair towels that are specifically for drying your hair. ^{[2]
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Research source} You may want to use a soft towels made of microfiber or an old, clean t-shirt to dry your hair because these materials will leave your hair softer.^{[3]
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Research source}
- If you have short hair, you should use a shorter towel.
- Some people like to use a plush towel to wrap their heads because of how soft and comfy it feels; however, microfiber towels are preferred by people with curly hair because they are less abrasive to the hair cuticle. ^{[4]
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- You can also use a soft t-shirt to wrap your hair. Just like the microfiber towels, the softer material will not create as much friction with your cuticles as a fluffy towel and can leave your hair softer. ^{[5]
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- You can also buy a hair wrap from a department store like Target. These wraps are made of absorbent microfiber and are lighter and easier to wrap on top of your head than a towel. ^{[6]
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2
Blot your hair with a soft towel so it isn’t dripping wet. You do not want your excess water to leak out of your hair wrap, so use your towel to gently squeeze the excess water from your hair. You can flip your hair over and squeeze the water out in sections if you have thick hair, or if you have shorter or thinner hair, you can tilt your head to one side and gently take each half of your hair and press it between the folds of your towel to dry it.
- There are gloves you can buy made out of microfiber, and they are designed to dry your hair like a towel. Put them on and squeeze your hair to dry it faster.^{[7]
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3
Untangle your hair. If you have straight hair, you can use a large tooth comb to detangle your hair and ready it for the wrapping. If you have curly hair, be careful not to over comb your hair with your fingers because you want to retain as much of your curl as you can. If you are trying to get wavy hair, you may want to skip this step, or gently scrunch your hair in sections so that you don’t disturb the clumps of curls in your hair.^{[8]
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- Your hair is at its weakest when it is wet, so avoid combing out a lot of snarls when it is wet. To help prevent breakage, comb your hair before you take a shower, and it will be easier to detangle before you wrap it up. ^{[9]
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4
Flip your hair over your head. Bend over at the waist, and use your hands to brush all of your hair down over the top of your head so that all of your hair is hanging upside down in front of your face.^{[10]
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Expert Source

Shun Pittman
Master Cosmetologist, Global Salon Educator & Author
Expert Interview. 16 June 2021.}
- Pick a spot to bend over where you have room flip your hair over.
5
Wrap the towel snugly around your head. The middle of the towel should sit at the nape of your neck on your back hairline. Adjust the sides of your towel so that both sides have the same amount of fabric hanging on each side. Then bring together the two sides of the towel to the middle point at the front of your hairline, and hold the sides of the towel together firmly. Hold the sides of your towel around your hairline so that the towel applies pressure to your head but is not so tight that it squeezes your head. If your wrap is too tight, it may give you a headache.
- Tuck the towel behind your ears. Some people like to put the towel over their ears, but this makes it harder to hear.
6
Twist the towel around all of your hair. Twist your towel in one direction starting at the base of your head. With one hand, keep your towel in place and with the other hand wrap your hair. Twist the towel around your hair to the end. You want the wrap to be firm but not so tight around your hair that it causes damage.^{[11]
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Expert Source

Shun Pittman
Master Cosmetologist, Global Salon Educator & Author
Expert Interview. 16 June 2021.}
7
Secure the wrap on your head. Stand upright and flip the wrapped hair to the back of your head. Clip or tuck the end of the wrap into the opening of the towel at the nape of your head to secure it.
8
Keep your hair in the towel wrap for 30-60 minutes. This should be enough time for your towel to wick away all of the excess moisture that it can absorb from your hair.^{[12]
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Research source} If after an hour your hair is still wet, use another hair towel that is dry to replace the hair wrap until your hair is damp dry.
9
Turn over your head and carefully unwrap the towel to take off the wrap. Bend at the waist again with your head upside down again, and gently unwrap your hair so that it can let it air dry the rest of the way. Unwrap your hair but leave it loose in the towel so that when you bring your head right side up you don’t have to whip your hair back to get it out of your face. Instead, you can let your hair loose from the towel once your head is back up.
- If you have extra thick hair, you can use two towels to help dry your hair.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making a Wrap At the Side of Your Head

1
Blot your hair dry so that your hair it isn’t dripping wet. Use a soft towel, a microfiber towel, or a t-shirt to gently blot the extra water out of your hair. These soft materials will help keep your hair softer and less frizzy than terry cloth. Designate towels specifically for drying your hair.^{[13]
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2
Untangle your hair. If you have straight hair, you can use a large tooth comb to gently detangle your hair. If you have curly hair, be careful not to over comb your hair because you want to retain your curl. If you are trying to get wavy hair, you may want to skip this step, or gently untangle your hair into clumps of curls with your fingers.^{[14]
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3
Put all of your hair hair behind your head. Grab your hair and place it so it is lying on your back. This method is a good alternative if you get headaches from wrapping your hair on your head.
4
Place your towel on your head. Put the towel on your head so that it rests on the front of your hairline. The long ends of the towel should dangle past your shoulders. Make sure the towel length is even on both sides before you start wrapping. If the towel isn’t even, it will be more difficult for your wrap to stay at the end.
5
Wrap your towel around your head. Take both sides of your towel and bring them around the nape of your neck so the towel is snug around your head. Tuck your towel behind your ears so that your ears are free of the towel. Hold the sides of your towel ends secure at the nape of your neck. Don’t hold it so tight that it damages your hair.
6
Twist the towel around your hair. At the nape of your neck, hold both sides of the towel firmly together. At one side of your head, start wrapping your hair in one direction. Keep wrapping your hair until you get to the bottom of your towel. Be careful not to twist the towel too tightly around your hair.
7
Put your towel wrap to one side. Take the long wrap from behind your head, and carefully move it over your shoulder. Place it so that it is lying on one collarbone in front of you. You can use a clip to secure the end of the towel, or you can hold the end with one hand.
8
Keep your hair in the wrap for 30-60 minutes or until your hair is damp dry. If you have thick hair that still needs to be dried more after 60 minutes, use another hair wrap towel to replace the damp towel. Keep the second wrap on on until the hair is damp dry enough to let air or blow dry.

Community Q&A

Question

What if my towel falls off repeatedly?

Community Answer

The towel shouldn't fall off if you tighten it properly, so make sure you're holding it as tight as you can while wrapping it. You can also use some kind of clip to keep it together if need be.
Question

Why do I have to comb my hair first?

Community Answer

If you don't, then your hair will get extremely tangled in the towel, making it much more difficult to brush or comb later.
Question

Will it still work if I brush my hair when conditioning instead of after the shower is over?

Community Answer

Yes, this should be fine (though I would use a comb instead of a brush).