How long does your hair take to dry?

[contradiction]

No matter how long or short, thick or thin, damaged or non-damaged, my hair takes up to three or four hours to be completely dry after washing. I actually have had short hair most of my life and this has always been the case. I estimate the problem will only get worse as my hair gets longer.
I don't like to towel dry my hair (makes my hair frizzy and flat) nor am I blow drying my hair (at the moment, I am trying to go for a month without heat styling but ultimately I plan to go longer). I guess there's nothing I can do to help my hair dry faster. But what causes this? Many of my friends have longer, thicker hair than I and it seems their hair dries way faster than mine.

How long does your hair take to dry? And how long is your hair? What do you do to speed the process?

[Ravenne]

My hair's at apl and it takes anywhere from 1-1.5 hours to dry depending on how much I get out with the towel. My roommate's takes a long time though. Two to three times as long... and hers is around the same length (but a little thicker).

Leave-in conditioners that have alcohol in them speed up drying, I think. Alcohol may not be a good thing to put on your hair every day though.. I use Paul Mitchell Skinny Serum when I need my hair to dry faster or when I blow dry it (it protects it from heat). Other than that, I just run my fingers through my hair and keep air moving through it. Seems to help.

[Gumball]

If I do what I usually do when I get out of the shower then it takes over a day. Haha. That's because once it gets to the damp point I put it up and keep it that way, then sleep with it braided. If I left it to air-dry naturally it takes over an hour or two, if we're talking about utterly dry and no trace of moisture.

[frizzalot]

Have you thought about using those microfibre towel turban things? I have one and it really speeds up the drying process.

[RecklessCharlie]

I've often wondered about this.
My hair takes eons to dry as well - I think I'll try the microfibre towel, thanks!

[Dani]

My hair is about SL and it takes a couple hours, and I remember when it was BSL it took at least four hours, and that seemed like forever. So back then I'd say, "My hair takes forever to dry." :p

[Benjamin_T]

Approximately, mine takes around three hours to dry completely (from dripping wet).

[Madame J]

See this thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=12114) for more answers.

[*Rose Red*]

My hair takes something about 3 hours. It´s straigth, not really thin and I got BSL.

[Roseate]

Forever. 6 hours at the moment.

However, on the bright side for the OP, I find that my hair took approximately the same amount of time to dry at hip as it does now at APL. It does take less time above shoulder, but once the ends reach my back it dries in about the same amount of time regardless of length.

The reason your hair may dry at a different rate than others with the same amount of hair is differences in porosity. More porous hair dries faster, less porous hair dries slower.

[Felix_D]

Mine's short and thin, but takes forever to dry. Up to an hour after having the MF towel sit on it for 30 minutes. I thought I was still detoxing from the SLS, and overly oily, but it looks like I'm always going to have to be used to it being wet for a long time after. Ah well!

PS - Roseate, your avatar picture, my god! I would murder puppies for your thick curls!

[Nilaihah]

My hair takes between 3 and 5 hours to dry completely, dependent if I comb it several times or leave it in a bun.

[cmnt831]

My hair takes all day to dry. I wash it in the morning and it won't be completely dry until bedtime. Sometimes it's still damp in places even then. Maybe I should look into microfiber towels or something. It can get pretty uncomfortable in the winter. Don't mind it at all in the summer, though.:D

[Sammich]

Mine takes forever to dry and it's THINNED out, I'd have expected it to dry quicker. o_O
About 2-3 hours... before my thinned outness it was about 3-4. Not that much difference really. :)

[MissMandyElizab]

mine is well past my sholders and it does take a long time but think this might be due to the lack of movement shorter hair gets more air i could be mistaken

[missjessiecakes]

3-4 Hours. No matter the length or how damaged it is.

[Roseate]

PS - Roseate, your avatar picture, my god! I would murder puppies for your thick curls!

No, save the puppies! I will hand over the curls to you, now... :magic: (And thanks!:))

[Kristin]

My hair takes eons to dry- probably 3-4.5 hours depending on the season. I do use the microfiber hair towels and they really don't make much of a difference. The other day I was in a hurry and blow dried my hair (mostly on cool setting); it still took about 30 minutes. Makes me never want to get my hair wet.

[Twil]

I have to squeeze all the water out of my hair, then put products in, and still have to walk around in my bathrobe for at least an hour so my hair won't drench the back of my shirt. After that it still feels damp, then uber-hydrated for about a half dozen hours after. If my hair isn't loose, a braid is about 6 hours, a bun will still feel hydrated until the next morning.

it's not like wet-wet, but it doesn't feel completely dry. It's low porosity hair, once water gets in, its not getting out. :mad:

[pepperminttea]

At the moment, around seven hours air-drying (I'm an inch or two past BSL), left loose to dry - if I damp braid or bun it, the dampness can last for literally days, so it's generally not a good idea for me. It was much less when I used cones and sulphates, around three hours left loose at SL, but I don't mind too much since my hair's so much softer using products without them, and I only wash my hair every 5-7 days anyhow. If I was an everyday washer I think I'd go a bit mad. ;)

[sarahramen]

my hair is just skimming my collar bone at the moment.although it is short, it is very thick so it takes around a day and a half to dry while down, longer if its in braid or something.

[AnitaThorn]

My hair takes about 4-5 hours to dry. I probably wouldn't know that if I hadn't washed it today, haha! But my hair is getting close to waist, so it's taking longer and longer to dry, which makes sense. When I had chin length, hair, it took so little time to dry, it was amazing. But I like having longer hair, which is why I'm here! Hahaha.

/end rambling XD

[Suze334]

My hair takes about an hour to dry- it is so very fine.

[merryhair]

Depends on the weather. In winter, when it's really cold outside, it looks like it takes forever to dry. On ordinary sunny days it takes about 3-4 hours. Sometimes, I stand out in the sun after showers just to make it dry faster.

[Bunnyhare]

Mine is not especially thick but same deal, it has always taken over 7 hours to dry by air..after that i give up and blow dry (on low) the rest or it is up and damp for days...i have no idea why ..i have also seen people with a lot more hair that dries in an hour or 2..wierd..

[Dementia1013]

About 4-5 hours, maybe even six to get all the way 100% dry.

[jera]

My hair is tailbone length and it takes about 4 hours to dry thoroughly in the winter time. :)

[florenonite]

My hair's waist-length, thick, with layers starting at APL. I washed it twelve hours ago and it's still ever so slightly damp. After washing I squeeze it out with a microfibre towel and put it up turban-style, and then I wear it down until it's dry.

[rags]

My hair is fine, and very thin (1.75 pony) and it takes 2 or 3 hours usually to dry completely! That's with a microfiber towel, too.
I used to think it dried slower using cones, but when I tried them and timed it, it dries at about 1.5 hours using cones. Maybe I need to go coney for the winter! (hey, it's freezing here! :p)

[misspriss]

I damp bun while I dry. It taks anywhere from 12-24 hours to dry.

I have no idea how long it takes to dry down, since I haven't done it in a while. I do know that it takes significantly less time to dry with WO washing than with CO washing. I guess sebum and stuff repels water or something.

[FrannyG]

Mine takes a good 5 hours to be completely dry.

[Firefly]

Mine is a little past waist, and how long it takes to dry depends on the season. Right now, between the dry winter air and having the woodstove cranking, it dries in about an hour or two. In the humidity of summer, it can be a good chunk of the day before it actually feels totally dry throughout.

[Messyhair]

Not sure right now, but when my hair was at waist it took 6 hours to dry. I just let it go at its own pace. Unfortunately, if I keep my hair up all day, the hair that's bunned stays wet. :o I think it takes about 4 hours at shoulder length, but I guess I'll find out.

[LorelaiAmethyst]

It takes all day for my hair to dry when down (a.k.a, it won't be dry till about bedtime), and about two days when it's in a braid or a bun.

Yay thick hair!:cheer:

[christine1989]

My hair drys in about 1.5-2 hours (unless I put it up in a clip)

[RedButterfly]

Mine takes 4 to 5 hours air drying. It dries a little faster if I do not use any leave-in products. However, I almost always use a leave-in product.

[my2cats1]

Does the time it take to dry relate to how healthy it is? Like if it dries fast, does that mean the hair is desperate for moisture? Or does one thing have nothing to do with the other?

[Sissy]

I'd say an hour at most. Leave-ins can really speed up the drying process.

[litlepick]

around an hour to air dry, but I have fine thin hair

[Erin-86]

About 2,5 hours with my APL length.

[Messyhair]

Well I was wrong... 5 hours and 45 minutes after washing my shoulder-length hair it was still slightly damp, but I turned in for the night then. So maybe at 6.5 hours it would have been fully dry. And that's why I want to have to wet my hair less often. :o

[JamieLeigh]

Mine is fingertip length, and I'm a CO-er, and it takes roughly 4 hours these days to dry all the way through. I leave it down if I can, while drying, and never sleep on it wet.