Blow drying your hair is an art form that can take years of practice to master. While your hairstylist may make it look effortless, it can be challenging to mimic a similar effect when styling your hair at home without damaging your hair. So, more people are opting to towel dry hair instead.
Towel-dried hair can also be tricky to master because not all hair types will look the same while towel-drying. Also, some hair types can be more frizzy or inconsistent, so it’s crucial to adapt your techniques for your hair’s needs.
So, what does towel-dried hair look like? Curlier hair types may notice that ringlets or spirals can vary in size and shape. Meanwhile, someone with wavy hair might be more prone to frizz than someone with overly straight hair.
Also, how your towel-dried hair looks can depend on your length. Shorter hair lengths can have a quicker dry time than longer lengths. Your hair texture and density, whether it’s fine, coarse, thin, or thick, will create a different air-dried effect.
However, developing the perfect towel-dried routine can take trial and error. One technique may not work for all hair types. It’s crucial to handle your wet hair with care while towel drying because it’s more fragile and prone to breakage.
How Does Towel Dried Hair Look On Your Hair?
Towel-dried hair uses a towel to dry down hair instead of a blow dryer or hot tool. Also, the towel will soak up the excess water from washing the hair and leave it damp longer than if it were blow-dried.
Some people prefer towel-dried hair over blow-dried hair to reduce contact with heat.
What does towel-dried hair look like? Multiple factors, like its type, texture, length, and even porosity, can contribute to how your hair dries. Some towel-dried hair can look frizzy if it’s not treated with the right products or limp if it lacks volume.
Type
Hair type is one of the first factors to consider when towel drying your strands. Some hair types will have an easier time air or towel drying than others. Your hair type refers to your curl pattern; your strands can be straight, wavy, curly, or coily.
Straight
Straight hair can have an easy time air drying. When you towel dry straight hair types, it won’t produce any curls or prominent waves. However, towel-dried straight hair can look limp, especially if you have longer hair or are fine in texture.
Straight hair can be less likely to get frizzy after towel drying.
Wavy
Wavy hair can be tricky to towel dry because this hair type is not as defined as straight or curly hair. Instead, you can have wavy hair that is straighter or curlier, depending on your hair’s other characteristics.
Wavy towel-dried hair can often look slightly frizzy or undefined.
Curly
Curly hair types often remain curly even when they are wet. Curls are type 3 hair and can range in shape, size, and texture. How your hair towel dry can also depend on its porosity.
You may find that curls are still present while towel drying but could use more definition or be prone to frizz.
Coily
Coily hair types have the tightest curl pattern that may be challenging to towel dry. Curly and coily hair can still have its curls present even when wet, but towel drying the hair as you would straight hair can lead to lackluster results.
Length
Your length can also play a significant role in what your hair looks like while towel drying. The size can affect how quickly your hair dries, but it’s crucial to still keep in mind your other hair characteristics like porosity, texture, and hair type.
Short
Short hair, in theory, will have a quicker dry time than other lengths. However, this can be affected if you have low porosity hair. Shorter hair can receive the most volume from towel drying the hair since there is less of it, and not as weighty.
Whether or not you’re prone to frizz or lack of definition can vary by hair type.
Medium
As you may have guessed, medium hair falls perfectly in the middle. It may require a longer dry time than short strands but doesn’t need as much time as long hair. Again, multiple factors can affect your hair’s ability to air dry while using a towel.
Long
Long hair can take the longest time to dry. This is because towel drying your hair can only soak up so much water at a time, so you may need to wait for your strands to be completely dry from roots to tip.
It can also be affected by hair density and if you have a lot of hair.
Porosity
Porosity refers to how well your hair can soak and retain moisture. How does porosity affect how your hair looks while being toweled dry? Does your hair take a long time to wet in the shower or extra-long to air dry? This is due to your hair’s porosity.
Low Porosity
Low porosity hair can have a hard time soaking up water, but then it will hold onto it for longer, which can explain why it can take longer to towel dry. Also, it’s hard to infuse low porosity hair with moisture, but once it’s there, it will be easy to retain.
Medium Porosity
Medium porosity hair can have the best of both worlds. It can soak up moisture easier than low porosity hair but retain it better than high porosity hair. So, it may or may not affect your towel-dried hair, depending on other hair factors.
High Porosity
Finally, we have high porosity hair. High porosity hair can quickly soak up moisture and water. However, it has difficulty retaining it to keep strands hydrated. It can quicken the dry time of towel-dried hair but also vary by hair type and texture.
Texture
Next, we have hair texture.
The texture of your hair is different from your hair type and can refer to if your strands are fine, medium, or coarse. For example, we may assume someone with curly or coily hair is coarse, but they can also be fine in texture.
Each hair texture can pose a challenge when towel drying your strands.
Fine
Fine hair may not struggle with frizz and often feels silky to the touch. However, it can lack volume or definition, which is not always ideal when styling hair. You may want to supplement towel drying fine hair with a volumizing product like mousse.
However, other hair factors can determine how your fine strands towel dry.
Medium
Medium hair textures won’t feel as soft as fine strands, but they won’t be as thick or rough as coarse hair. How medium textures look after towel drying can ultimately vary based on hair type, length, and porosity levels.
Coarse
Coarse hair can be challenging to maintain when towel drying because its rougher texture may not be as malleable as medium or finer hair textures.
You’ll want to supplement coarse textures with hydrating elements or frizz-fighting products. Again this can vary on your hair’s other characteristics and even how much hair is present.
Tips To Achieve Flawless Towel Dried Hair
How can you achieve flawlessly towel-dried hair? Not all hair types can towel dry their hair using the same method. Therefore, it’s crucial to analyze your strands’ characteristics to help decide how to adjust your haircare routine.
For example, you may not want to overload fine, low porosity hair with heavy oils that can make it look stringy. Or, you don’t want to use any rough towel on your curls.
Use A Microfiber Towel
All hair types can benefit from using a microfiber towel rather than any towel. Microfiber materials are soft and help minimize damage or breakage because wet hair is fragile. You can also use a cotton t-shirt.
Plop Method For Curly Hair
Curly and coily hair types can towel dry their hair using the plop method. Plopping includes securing the curls on top of the head to maintain your curl pattern. The curly girl method can also work wonders for towel drying curly and coily hair.
Invest In The Right Products
Finally, you’ll want to invest in the right products to supplement your towel drying routine. For example, some hair types may lack volume and can benefit from a texturizing spray or mousse. Meanwhile, curly hair can benefit from a nourishing oil.
It’s crucial to avoid certain ingredients like silicones so the hair doesn’t look weighed down after towel drying. Also, opt for products that fit your hair’s texture and porosity.
Wrap-Up
Towel-dried hair can be time-consuming, but you can still receive flawless results with the proper routine. How your towel-dried hair looks can depend on your hair type, texture, porosity, length, and even density.
For example, curly hair can look bouncy and defined with the proper towel-drying techniques like plopping, while straight hair can look voluminous with texturizing sprays or mousses.
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