Wringing out your Hair?

[Gwen]

Hello all,

I was just curious... After you wash your hair, how do you get rid of the excess water? Do you wring it out? Squeeze it? Leave it?

I was wondering this last night when I washed my hair... What is the healthiest way to get rid of excess water from your hair before letting it air dry (or doing what you normally do afterwards)?

Gwen.

[Khiwanean]

I squeeze my hair without any twisting or pulling on it to get most of the water out.

[Eolan]

I briefly put mine up in a towel turban. When I take that down I put my leave in on my hair and then i leave it alone until it's dry. My hair dries fast, so I don't need to do anything with it really. :shrug:

[Mesmerise]

I usually squeeze it...but I twist... hopefully that's not too bad lol! I mean it's not a rough twist, but errm... it's a twist.

[WaitingSoLong]

NO TWISTING! lol

I squeeze it. I squeegee it on my head then squeeze hand over hand down the length. If I am, for some reason, in a hurry I will fold it up several times and squeeze the whole length at once.

NO TWISTING!!

[jojo]

I used to do nothing and just let it drip but it takes to long now to dry. I squeeze mine but no twisting and then place it wrapped round a towel and pat it, but no rubbing or twisting just patting it!

[aggie_deirde]

I gently squeeze it.And then squeeze it with a towel.Then let it air dry.

[Mesmerise]

Okay, so what exactly does twisting do to your hair that's so bad?? :eek: I often twist my hair into a bun after I've finished combing any tangles out, so is that also bad?? I don't wanna hurt my hair :confused:.

[angelthadiva]

I squeeze w/o twisting down the length just to get the excess water out.

Twisting and squeezing seems like a very harsh way to treat antique lace :shrug: Twisting and squeezing reminds me of when I'm washing dishes by hand and I ring out a dishtowel...I would never do that to my hair! :shocked:

[Sundial]

NO TWISTING! lol

I squeeze it. I squeegee it on my head then squeeze hand over hand down the length. If I am, for some reason, in a hurry I will fold it up several times and squeeze the whole length at once.

NO TWISTING!!

Oops! I used to squeeze my hand around my hair like I'm making a ponytail then drag it down the length of my hair when it is still clenched :o I guess that's as bad as twisting?

[Bene]

I squeeze it gently along the length, then up it goes in a towel. By the way, microfiber towels kick ass!

[racrane]

I squeeze the excess water out and let the remains drip onto a towel on my back. It dries into nice defined waves if I don't touch it at all. I would get split ends from fussing with my wet hair so much (rubbing, twisting, brushing thru hair, etc) but now there's none. Granted, I'm only SL. But still, the effects are very positive on my fine hair.

[Yozhik]

I was told as a girl to never twist my hair when getting out excess water. The logic is that hair is much more fragile while wet, and twisting isn't exactly gentle and can stretch/snap the hair.

Now I squeeze it out, and sometimes fold it up and squeeze it out, then put it up in a towel turban, and then let it air dry down my back.

I'd like to just leave it be, but my hair retains a lot of water in its curls, and it takes too much time I usually don't have to dry it that way.

[mistik]

After showering, my hair goes in the towel like a turban. That stays for a bit, take it out, finger comb and air dry. If it's going to be hot outside, a quick finger comb and my hair goes up in a scrunchie bun (so it doesn't have to be twisted hard) and I'm very careful not to pull as I make the bun.

[Firefox7275]

I squeeze all the way down the length, wait a few seconds for the water to run deown the length again and repeat two or three more times. I really hate water dripping down my face or neck! After that I used to towel turban but don't any more.

[WaitingSoLong]

I squeeze it gently along the length, then up it goes in a towel. By the way, microfiber towels kick ass!

Brief hijack:
All the microfiber towels I have seen have a "catchy" texture, like velcroe and seem more water repellant than absorbant until they are wet. They seem to be like the towels you dry your car with, they have to be saturated then wrung out and THEN you can dry your car. Do you have a towel that is not like this? Also, they are all REALLY SMALL and no way I can get all my hair in them.


Oops! I used to squeeze my hand around my hair like I'm making a ponytail then drag it down the length of my hair when it is still clenched :o I guess that's as bad as twisting?

I used to do this, too, and stopped. I am not sure if that is bad or not but it felt bad to me, so I stopped. Unless you are snagging individual hair and pulling them (stretching them) I don't see the harm in this method.


Okay, so what exactly does twisting do to your hair that's so bad?? :eek: I often twist my hair into a bun after I've finished combing any tangles out, so is that also bad?? I don't wanna hurt my hair :confused:.

Twisting is only bad if it is done forcefully. Go outside, grab a handful of young grass, twist it forecefully and watch the individual grass pieces snap. When I do buns, I will not twist tightly. Twisting to wring hair requires, IMO, too much force. YMMV! Your hair is more susceptible to stretching when wet and stretching = damage which is why detangling wet hair must be done with care. Hair is not a rubber band, it does not just snap back into length. Once it has been stretched the integrity of that hair is ruined.

[Anje]

I run my fingers down it (gentle squeeze, I guess) to get the excess cup or so of water out of it, then turban it for a while. Actually, I turban it for a few minutes, remove the towel, flip it around so I have a dry section, and re-turban. After about 10 minutes, I take it out, apply oil, and air-dry.

[DoubleCrowned]

Towel turban, then hang. I mess with it while it is wet, to sort out cowlicks, but am rethinking that. When I was young, Mother taught me to dry my hair by leaning over and scrubbing it between towel-covered fists. Can you imagine what that does to fine hair?

[Madora]

Please, no wringing! Ouch! Hair is at its weakest when it is wet.

Instead, place your hair in a long towel (held vertically).

Wrap the towel around your length.

Gently press your palms up and down the length of the towel. Do not twist!

Change to another towel if you need to.

By the way, for the sake of your hair, try and detangle it while still in the shower with your hair full of conditioner! Detangle SLOWLY - with a widetooth comb - starting at the ends and working up to the roots. Take your time! Once the hair has been detangled, it can be towel dried as described above.

I don't like micro fiber towels because they catch on my skin. I use thick, 100% Egyptian cotton towels. A lot of folks here use old t-shirts to dry their hair.

[Lunakitty]

I squeegie, squeeze, scrunch then wrap it in a towel for about 15 mins. Then I finger comb and let it airdry.

[WaitingSoLong]

I don't like micro fiber towels because they catch on my skin. I use thick, 100% Egyptian cotton towels. A lot of folks here use old t-shirts to dry their hair.

Yes, that is why I dislike the micros as well. Do the Egyptian cotton towels have a different texture from terrycloth?

[Madora]

@Waitingsolong...

Yes, the Egyptian towels are much thicker/absorbent than terry towels..and of course, cost more. I chose the 100% thread count because I wanted a quality towel that would last a long time..and be good for my hair. They wear like a rock!

[Mannaz]

I squeeze gently and then wrap my hair in a big long-sleeved shirt, so that the hair is hanging down and the hem of the shirt and the sleeves are wrapped over the hair.
I take the shirt off after maybe ten minutes and let hair air dry.

[elbow chic]

squeeze, then blot with towel. I still have a lot of water left in it afterward. Gonna have to try the T-shirt thing.

[Phexlyn]

I squeeze my hair without any twisting or pulling on it to get most of the water out.
This, and then I put it into a towel turban to get even more water out of the hair.

[phoepha]

I squeeze mine very gently and then put up in a towel turbie for a while. I have read somewhere that twisting can cause lots of damage to the hair - this bad habit is in the past ))

[annieangel149]

i twist GENTLY and squeeze! i dont worry too much about the twisting cos i do it really carefully. It doesnt seem to hurt my hair!

[Avital88]

i twist and squeeze:) i do this as long as i can remember and is the only way the water will leave my hair..

[Bene]

Brief hijack:
All the microfiber towels I have seen have a "catchy" texture, like velcroe and seem more water repellant than absorbant until they are wet. They seem to be like the towels you dry your car with, they have to be saturated then wrung out and THEN you can dry your car. Do you have a towel that is not like this? Also, they are all REALLY SMALL and no way I can get all my hair in them.





I know which kind you're talking about and those really suck :(


I got one of these (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AMA4BI) (only I got it when it was about 60 percent off some time ago) it's the 2X, about the size of a regular bath towel. It's not that crappy waffle velcro texture I've seen in most "microfiber" towels. It's hard to describe but it's almost like a really thin, light weight, fleece sweater.

If you can find one in a store, I'd say check it out, feel it up, and see.

[CrystalStar]

I squeeze all excess water out, then blot wtih a towel before wrapping up in a towel-turban for about 40 mintues. No twisting here :p.

[WaitingSoLong]

I cannot imagine a T-shirt beign absorbant enough. It would be soaked and my hair still wet! However, they make bedsheets from T-shirt material. One brand is Jersey (I know Sears sells it or used to). I think I happen to have an old Jersey sheet I was about to garage sale. I am thinking I could fold it in quarters and sew it in place and have a T-shirt towel!

[brunette]

My hair is coily when wet, and I wash upside down so I let it coil in a spiral in the palm of my hand, then I put my palms together and squeeze. My hair is really fine and thin especially when wet. I guess this is more difficult if you have coarse iii+ long hair! Afterwards I shake it gently loose and wait a moment to let water away from my scalp, then I turbie twist, but I am careful not to twist my length too much, and I allow it to blot for 20 mins or so.

[Scarlet_Heart]

I squeeze out excess water with my hands and then use an old tshirt to squeeze more out. Much softer than a towel and absorbs a LOT of water.

[jojo]

Okay, so what exactly does twisting do to your hair that's so bad?? :eek: I often twist my hair into a bun after I've finished combing any tangles out, so is that also bad?? I don't wanna hurt my hair :confused:.

Wet hair is at its more fragile and can stretch to an 1/8th of its length, thankfully it goes back to its normal length. However, think of hair as a of a piece of elastic, it has stretch but if stretched too much, as in the action of twisting or even combing the fibres of the elastic or hair will weaken, although they go back to their original state to the naked eye, if you was to look at the stretched hair under a microscope it would be a different story; the fibres would be damaged. Eventually just like the piece of elastic, the hair will loose the power to spring back and will break as its damaged. So imagine now how much potential damage can be made to a bunch of hair when its twisted when wet, when hair is say washed 3 times a week.

Best thing to do is gently squeeze along the length. Damp buns are fine as long as you don't twist too hard; this goes for dry hair too. If you need to put your hair up when wet an octopus clip is much better.

I hope that makes sense!:)

[RadiantNeedle]

I squeeze gently, no twisting. I just squeeze a section, then carefully move down and squeeze again, no pulling. I can reduce a lot of tangling this way, let alone breakage.
If its a cold day I might put it up in a microfibre turban thingy for 15 minutes. If its not too bad I let it hang down my back or over the back of my chair on top of a towel.

[jojo]

^^ sounds much the same as me!

[JuliaDancer]

Towel turban, then hang. I mess with it while it is wet, to sort out cowlicks, but am rethinking that. When I was young, Mother taught me to dry my hair by leaning over and scrubbing it between towel-covered fists. Can you imagine what that does to fine hair?

My parents taught me that too! First, scrubbing my head, then down to the ends. I learned that was a terrible thing to do, and stopped around middle school age. Now I take both hands one on top of the other, squeezing my way down maybe two or three times, before doing the towel turban.

[spidermom]

I divide my hair into 2 sections, each side in front of the shoulder, then I do a milking-the-cow motion down each section 2 or 3 times. Then I put all my hair behind me and drop it into a flannel pillowcase, the opening of which I twist and secure above one ear with a claw clip.

Or sometimes I wash my hair falling forward, then I "milk" it in one clump and drop it into the pillowcase, wrapping it up pretty much the way you would wrap your hair in a towel.

[jojo]

^^ milking the hair; I like that term....I like it a lot!

[MeganE]

My hair soaks up moisture like a sponge, and takes forever to dry. I squeeze the water out of it without twisting, then use a towel to squeeze and blot more of it out. Then I turban in a towel for a few minutes to get the major drips, then put it in a turbie twist for 10 minutes or so. My hair is often still dripping at that point.

I have been kind of careless about tight twisting in my buns. Mostly because that seems to be the only way to get a really tight hold. I'll have to experiment more with this.

[BLove]

I squeez then the towel turbin, flip towel and turbin again. However this is not enough, I have tried to air drie from this point and it has taken more than 24 hours to drie so I then blow drie on low heat to the point of damp, then oil and air dry the rest of the way.

[WittyWordsmith]

Man, reading this thread has really driven home how I did EVERYTHING WRONG last time my hair was really long.

Tight, wet buns held with elastics, twisting out the water and then heat-styling the be-jeebers out of it.

Super-sulfate washes and then loading down with cones on top of the occasional product dump...Not to mention all the switches between blonde and dark brown (or red, or almost-black...) I thought I was being so good to it...:rolleyes: Those stinkin' silicones hid the truth from me!

It must have felt so tortured!

[ooo]

I squeeze it into a fuzzy ball.

[dulce]

I gently sqeeze with a soft old plush bathrobe ,then let air dry.

[DoubleCrowned]

My parents taught me that too! First, scrubbing my head, then down to the ends. I learned that was a terrible thing to do, and stopped around middle school age. Now I take both hands one on top of the other, squeezing my way down maybe two or three times, before doing the towel turban.

Exactly! We were taught to really scrub when we washed our hair, too. It hurt when Mother washed our hair--we'd scream. I couldn't wait until I was big enough to wash it myself!

As for the merits of that and the rough scrub drying, well, Mother is almost bald...

I only quit the rough drying technique about 6 weeks ago, when I found LHC; can see a difference already. Someday, Spidermom, I will have enough hair to "milk"!

[Jean Stuart]

I squeeze fold squeeze un-fold shake back and squeeze again, then loosely clip a lint free towel to the length.

[jeanniet]

I squeeze it out (no twisting), then wrap it in a t-shirt for 10 or 15 minutes to absorb some of the water, then air dry loose.

[Misti]

Oops! I used to squeeze my hand around my hair like I'm making a ponytail then drag it down the length of my hair when it is still clenched :o I guess that's as bad as twisting?

I hope not, because that's what I do, too. :D

Well, more or less anyway. I gently squeeze the water out of the length of my hair, then wrap it in a towel, turban style. I leave it that way while I finish getting read for work (a half hour or so) stopping at some point to turn the towel to a dry spot.

Then I gently comb it out, lightly oil the last 8-1o inches, and dampt bun it. After work, I let the damp hair loose to finish drying while I eat dinner.

The damp bun holds far better than a dry bun does, but if I don't let my scalp dry out every day, I get itchy.

[gogirlanime]

NO TWISTING! lol

Haha my thoughts exactly, twisting is baaaaaad. I gently squeeze my hair, no pulling or twisting, I squeeze, let go, move down, squeeze, let go, over and over till I've squeezed my whole length. If I'm in a hurry I will wrap my hair in a towel and do the same thing with a towel. I then let my hair air-dry without a shirt on (so the fabric won't damage it) while I do my make-up, then put it up all day and take it down at night for my lightening treatment.

[chelles2kids]

I'm a squeezer here:p

Simply because it takes forever to get my hair fully saturated and then once it's wet... man can it hold the water.

So I do try to squeeze some of it out before toweling.

[dragonchickx]

no twisting!!! lol.. just squeeze without pulling down.. I squeeze in several different squeezes until I get to the bottom or the ends of my hair.. than put leave in and put it in a towel.. good to go.. if this makes sense..

[Mesmerise]

Okay, well I am now a reformed twister! Now I squeeze. I just have to remember that each day lol. At least the only hair I twisted is the already damaged hair haha, errm I mean the part that's been dyed and SLSd and straightened etc. The new hairs haven't yet suffered any torture, so hopefully now they won't have to!

I like the idea of getting a sheet made out of T shirt material and turning that into a towel! I usually just use a towel turban. I really only twisted to get enough water out of my hair so it wasn't so drippy on the way to the towel... but errm it shouldn't matter anyway really, so from now on a gentle squeeze will do it!

[staryfox6]

I gently wrap my hair in a micro fiber towel then squeeze the towel. I usually sleep in a damp/oiled bun and enjoy the waves the next day!

[HintOfMint]

I squeeze it out in a microfiber towel without twisting or dragging my hands down the length. I'll just squeeze hand over hand.

[owlathena]

I get out the excess water by squeezing hand over hand and simultaneously kind of half way wring it out- half turn with very little pressure.

[Jenn of Pence]

I know which kind you're talking about and those really suck :(


I got one of these (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AMA4BI) (only I got it when it was about 60 percent off some time ago) it's the 2X, about the size of a regular bath towel. It's not that crappy waffle velcro texture I've seen in most "microfiber" towels. It's hard to describe but it's almost like a really thin, light weight, fleece sweater.

If you can find one in a store, I'd say check it out, feel it up, and see.

I think sometimes the microfiber can suck because 1. it's, well, a sucky quality and 2. it's been washed with fabric softener and dried with a dryer sheet, thus basically coating it. I have a nice one like the like you posted, although it's quite small and I've definitely got my eye on upgrading to a big one! :eyebrows: But I am super paranoid about washing it, so I only do so on the gentle cycle and then let it air dry...it's just been touching clean hair, it can't be that dirty. ;)



I divide my hair into 2 sections, each side in front of the shoulder, then I do a milking-the-cow motion down each section 2 or 3 times. Then I put all my hair behind me and drop it into a flannel pillowcase, the opening of which I twist and secure above one ear with a claw clip.

Or sometimes I wash my hair falling forward, then I "milk" it in one clump and drop it into the pillowcase, wrapping it up pretty much the way you would wrap your hair in a towel.

Yes....I milk the cow! I usually milk one section, but I'm going to have to try the two section method so I can get closer to the scalp. Odd...I do everything else to my hair in two sections but that. ;)

[Sharifa]

I used to shake my hair (like a dog! XD) although that got a bit difficult when my hair was quite long! Then I'd squeeze, then pat dry with a towel and let it air dry. Recently I read a book, Curly Like Me (http://www.amazon.com/Curly-Like-Me-Healthy-Strong/dp/047053642X), that recommended not squeezing or using a towel at all, to instead leave the conditioner in and comb it while sopping wet. It seemed really strange but I gave it a try and it made a big difference, my hair felt so much better after it dried! And it didn't take much longer to dry than it usually did. Once my hair grows back natural I think it'll help even more. :) Doubt this would work for straight-haired folks though!

[Alex Lou]

I had been twisting. I was pretty aggressive about it. But my ends are damaged from chemicals and heat, and I noticed that they don't bounce back. So now it's sequential squeezing for me. I think that twisting would be fine on my hair if it were healthy. I never noticed any problems before, anyway.

[rena]

Geez, the more I read the more guilty I feel about how I used to treat my hair since I used to wring mine out just like a wash cloth *hangs head in shame*

[gingylocks]

I squeeze mine, first with a towel and then hand over hand going down the length of it. Then I let it air dry, which takes about 2 hours, unless I am in my car. In that case, I point my air vents at my hair and turn them on warm, not hot, and it dries in around 30 minutes during my commute : )

[Mesmerise]

I used to shake my hair (like a dog! XD) although that got a bit difficult when my hair was quite long! Then I'd squeeze, then pat dry with a towel and let it air dry. Recently I read a book, Curly Like Me (http://www.amazon.com/Curly-Like-Me-Healthy-Strong/dp/047053642X), that recommended not squeezing or using a towel at all, to instead leave the conditioner in and comb it while sopping wet. It seemed really strange but I gave it a try and it made a big difference, my hair felt so much better after it dried! And it didn't take much longer to dry than it usually did. Once my hair grows back natural I think it'll help even more. :) Doubt this would work for straight-haired folks though!

Please tell me...how do you get dressed with sopping hair???! I put on a towel turban so I can get dressed! It's not even so much for drying my hair, as getting it away lol. I have no idea how I'd cope with sopping wet dripping hair down my back lol.

[rena]

Please tell me...how do you get dressed with sopping hair???! I put on a towel turban so I can get dressed! It's not even so much for drying my hair, as getting it away lol. I have no idea how I'd cope with sopping wet dripping hair down my back lol.

Sharifa sounds like a wurly curly, so if that is the case, her hair probabaly stops dripping and being soppy faily quickly, even without help from squeezing or towles. Curly hair (for some, I don't know about eveyone) can sometimes have a hard time holding onto moisture and dries very quickly, so it literally needs every drop it can get. Notice how she said it didn't even take much longer to dry than normal, even with the condish and wetness? I am also a wet-to-dry drier :). A towel would actually just suck too much moisture out.

[WaitingSoLong]

I like the idea of getting a sheet made out of T shirt material and turning that into a towel!

I found my sheet and it is much larger than I thought so I bet I could get 2-4 "towels" out of it. I am looking forward to making them when I have time. Maybe I could send one to you if you pay shipping? It would be nice to have a towel big enough that I don't have to fold my hair in half to keep it from sticking out. Gee I wish I had time to make them! I am so busy (and here I sit, on LHC lol)

[nobeltonya]

I squeeze from my scalp and work my way down the ends (w/o twisting or sliding my hands; I let go and move my hands down). Then, I wrap it in a towel turban for about 30 minutes to an hour, which seems to make it softer than just straight air-drying it. And, I haven't combed it wet in like 1.5-2 weeks! :)

[marzipanthecat]

I squeeze my hair - but not wring it or twist it.

I no longer wrap my hair in a towel turban, I've done that for most of my life but I stopped doing it back in January this year (2011!) just to see if it made any difference to the condition of my hair. And my hair has been a lot smoother and bit softer now I just let it drip-dry.

It is very unpleasant having drippy cold wet hair for an hour or two, but I am persisting with it!

[Qamar]

I sequentially squeeze my hair in the shower to remove some of that final cold rinse, (no twisting though) then do a towel turban for about ten minutes. After that I gently untangle with my boxwood comb (I'll never get the tangles out if I wait until its dry) and leave it down to air dry. It takes a good four hours to fully dry but looks surface dry after two hours. I'm going to have to try the vertical towel method though, because my hair hangs out the end of a traditional turban.

[washurei]

i lightly squeeze down the length.

[TheMechaGinger]

I just squeeze the water down the length, definitely no twisting like others have mentioned. Sometimes I put it in a turbie twist for a little while, other times I just pat it down gently with a towel. But no rubbing with the towel either, that's probably just as bad as twisting

[aspartame gram]

I have the problem where if I wrap it up in a towel it helps to absorb some of the water, but my hair is still sopping wet. It'll take several hours for my hair to dry, and it's about BSL. I'm a bit concerned about that. And it completely soaks my shirt if I get dressed with it down! I'm going to try this t-shirt thing and see if that helps. I had heard that putting your hair up in a towel contributes to having more frizz, and my hair frizzes badly even though it's mostly straight... :(

[HintOfMint]

Brief hijack:
All the microfiber towels I have seen have a "catchy" texture, like velcroe and seem more water repellant than absorbant until they are wet. They seem to be like the towels you dry your car with, they have to be saturated then wrung out and THEN you can dry your car. Do you have a towel that is not like this? Also, they are all REALLY SMALL and no way I can get all my hair in them.


That's strange, the microfiber towel I bought at bed bath and beyond is actually incredibly soft and smooth.

[McFearless]

I gently squeeze. I kind of lift the hair up as I'm squeezing so that it doesn't get pulled down, if that makes sense. Twisting your hair causes all kinds of breakage.

[dazeydayze]

D: OH MY GOSH. This thread may have very well saved my hair's life! I've been wringing for weeks now because I thought it helped with the detangling process.. -eeep!-

[Firefox7275]

I have the problem where if I wrap it up in a towel it helps to absorb some of the water, but my hair is still sopping wet. It'll take several hours for my hair to dry, and it's about BSL. I'm a bit concerned about that. And it completely soaks my shirt if I get dressed with it down! I'm going to try this t-shirt thing and see if that helps. I had heard that putting your hair up in a towel contributes to having more frizz, and my hair frizzes badly even though it's mostly straight... :(

Squeeze your hair more times before you turban it, with a short break in between to allow the water to drip down the lengths. When I used to turban I'd do one for five to ten minutes, then turn the towel back to front and re-turban with a drier section of towel.

[MonaMayfair]

I squeeze mine, wrap it in a microfibre towel and leave for 10-15 minutes before unwrapping it and letting it air dry.

[Qadupae]

:( Guilty of twisting here. My hair just takes so long to air dry that any excess water just prolongs it, hence the twist to get our the remainder. Lately, however, I am rethinking of the twist because my hair has been acting fragile.

[Sweet Beat]

After washing with cold water, I fold my hair once and squeeze it (without turning it). Then I keep the folding and make a turban with a towel :)

[irishlady]

I squeeze it gently without twisting or pulling. Then I wrap it carefully in a towel for a couple of minutes, remove the towel, put in a leave-in. Once it's damp I gently comb it with a wide tooth comb and just leave it, or put it into 2 plaits/braids.

[sharicat]

Aww no I have been squeezing then twisting my hair into a turbie and pinning it in it to dry! I wonder if I do it loosely it won't be damaging. I was so pleased with myself for not piling it all on top of my head in a turban any more!

[wendyg]

I wring it. Have ever since I was a teenager and it occurred to me. Then wrap it in a towel for a bit.

wg

[WaitingSoLong]

I found my sheet and it is much larger than I thought so I bet I could get 2-4 "towels" out of it. I am looking forward to making them when I have time. Maybe I could send one to you if you pay shipping? It would be nice to have a towel big enough that I don't have to fold my hair in half to keep it from sticking out. Gee I wish I had time to make them! I am so busy (and here I sit, on LHC lol)

I finally made one towel. I have used it once. I cannot say it dries any better than a regular terry cloth towel but perhaps it is better for my hair and it is bigger so none of my hair sticks out the ends plus it is a LOT les bulky when I have it wrapped like a turban on my head. So, I like it. I am not sure if I will use the rest of the sheet for more towels or not. I can make two more.

Also, it occurred to me that maybe people are twisting/wringing their hair IN a towel and not just with their hands in the shower? I was wondering...

[microchipgirl]

Wow, I've been wringing out my hair like a washcloth for years, first I squeeze, then squeegee, then start twisting it into a rope and into a bun at the same time and pulling as tight as I can (gets out tons more water that squeezing/squeegeeing didn't), and then I just leave it tied into the bun while I rinse off my back and then get out and dry off, then take the bun down and squeeze out more with the towel about 3 times. I don't recall how many years I've been doing this, the idea just came to me one day to wring it out and it's been a total habit. I am just now coming to the realization that this could in fact be largely responsible for the fact that the entire outer canopy/perimeter of my hair is all crinkly, wiry, and scribbly looking (like when I simply squeeze out my hair all those hairs are sticking out in all directions like crazy pubes while the inner portion of my hair is hanging down wet and straight). I have always just assumed it was because I am mixed race and those crazy hairs are the high porosity ethnic ones, they spring out from my part and crown... no matter how much I go over my head with special straightening sprays (not regular hairspray but those straightening/flattening sprays like Soya want flat hair from Sexy Hair or whatever that company is called, and that Control Freak straightening spray Tigi used to make) and a toothbrush, I still have at least a few crinkles sticking out while the rest of my head is shellacked lol. I used to pluck them out when I was in my early 20's but like all other high-maintenance routines, I gave up after a few years out of laziness. Plus, my hair is thinner than it used to be so I can't afford to pluck any out now!
So I'm going to try only squeezing (god I hate drippy hair though! I'm fussier than a cat when it comes to getting water on me) and I'm also thinking of making it more of a habit to only touch my hair with the sarong I bought specifically for turban-wrapping my hair post-shower instead of terrycloth towels (I have the mini size kind like you'd just wrap around your hips as a skirt, and I wrap my hair in a modified scarf bun at my nape... maybe I came up with this on my own? But I could've sworn I saw it on YT but I can't find anything on the internet at all about this method).

[MusicalSpoons]

I used to wring out my hair, squeezing and pulling and everything to get as much water out as possible! That stopped the moment I found LHC :grin: for a while after that I used to squeeze my hand over the top of the hair and run it down the length, squeezing the whole way, for a few months. Now I do the sequential squeezing, hand over hand, no tugging or pulling. Then I loosely wrap the hair round my hand in a very high ponytail, then *put* a towel on top to keep it in place and out of the way (no pressure or pulling down on the hair ... that's the idea anyway). I might have to change that after reading through this thread. I'm finding breakage all through the length still and wondering if the towel isn't as gentle as I intended! I might try putting in a loose bun with acrylic hairstick to dry and get dressed, then let the hair hang down my back on ... well, it'll have to be a towel to start with, until I can find something microfibre-y or absorbent t-shirt-like.

[Stray_mind]

I take a towel and gently press it to my hair, so the water gets soaked into the towel. Then i put a towel turbie on for a few minutes and then air dry.

[Lizabeth94]

Coming from someone who has perpetually wet hair (swim instructor), i very gently take a t shirt or jersey knit cloth and sqeeze down the length, then i wrap in a turban of some sort. (A loose cotton or bamboo beanie hat works good in cold weather and looks better than going home with a towel on my head. By the time i get home my hair is almost dry.

[lapushka]

I "wring" it out, not like a rag, but just by holding it with hands and going up and down along the length squeezing. That's it. You have to get the water out... somehow. Yes, hair is fragile while wet, but not that fragile. It can totally handle this, not "wringing" wringing out, but you guys get my meaning.

[AutobotsAttack]

I just flip my sopping head of hair over and wrap a cotton shirt around it, and let it soak up most of the water.

[Longlegs]

I just squeeze it out, blotting not roughly squeezing. I use a chamois type of cloth, very soft and it absorbs water well.

[Platzhalter]

I "wring" it out, not like a rag, but just by holding it with hands and going up and down along the length squeezing. That's it. You have to get the water out... somehow. Yes, hair is fragile while wet, but not that fragile. It can totally handle this, not "wringing" wringing out, but you guys get my meaning.

I definitely get it, doing it the same way as you do, at least from the description. Given how much water my hair seems to hold once it's actually soaking wet (which takes a lot of time and water), a towel or shirt would be dripping after a minute - unless I wring most of the excess water out beforehand.

[lapushka]

I definitely get it, doing it the same way as you do, at least from the description. Given how much water my hair seems to hold once it's actually soaking wet (which takes a lot of time and water), a towel or shirt would be dripping after a minute - unless I wring most of the excess water out beforehand.

Same here! That is why I squeeze out the water, gently. You don't have to be rough at all! But leaving it dripping and just wrapping a towel around it? I don't think that would work. My head would be dripping and it would take 3 days to dry.

[DanceInSunshine]

I squeeze mine! Usually I’ll loop it up so I can fit it all in my hands and then squeeze it. Then I run my hands up and down, squeezing the length. Then gently towel dry. My hair dries super quickly when I do this!

[MusicalSpoons]

I definitely get it, doing it the same way as you do, at least from the description. Given how much water my hair seems to hold once it's actually soaking wet (which takes a lot of time and water), a towel or shirt would be dripping after a minute - unless I wring most of the excess water out beforehand.


Same here! That is why I squeeze out the water, gently. You don't have to be rough at all! But leaving it dripping and just wrapping a towel around it? I don't think that would work. My head would be dripping and it would take 3 days to dry.

I can't even imagine leaving my hair dripping wet :rollin: back when I used to really wring the water out to within an inch of my hair's life, my Mum would still tell me off for leaving puddles of water everywhere when my hair was too long for the towel. Even in the middle of summer, with the heatwave, I wasn't tempted in the slightest to leave any more water in my hair than necessary. There is a reason I leave my hair to dry overnight :grin:

[lapushka]

I can't even imagine leaving my hair dripping wet :rollin: back when I used to really wring the water out to within an inch of my hair's life, my Mum would still tell me off for leaving puddles of water everywhere when my hair was too long for the towel. Even in the middle of summer, with the heatwave, I wasn't tempted in the slightest to leave any more water in my hair than necessary. There is a reason I leave my hair to dry overnight :grin:

I can't either. I'm not tough on my hair when squeezing it out, I get all the wetness out I can, then towel it up and then leave it in there for 15-30min.; it helps!

[Crna Kosa]

I squeeze it gently while im still in the shower then when I get out wrap it in cotton shirt. Sometimes the shirt gets too wet so I have to take another one to take the moisture from my hair. I don't know if this is correct or damaging, but it's still better than blow drying.

[zashin66]

I twist first and then squeeze down the length with both hands sorry if walking my hands down.

[peachyleshy]

I was wondering this recently! I squeeze mine gently then put it up in a regular towel... sometimes I'll use a special hair towel, but they seem like they just get soaked, but don't help dry my hair...

[OhSuzi]

I have head upside down and GENTLY squeeze the ends a little just to get the very wet wet water out - with out pulling on the hair - then i twist it because it naturally spirals a bit like a unicorn horn any way – I don’t wring any of the water out – I just encourage it to twist in the direction it goes in any way and not too tight– then wrap it all up in a t shirt– still quite damp at this point and leave it on top of my head – either over night & it’ll be proper curly and only mildly damp in the morning.
or for as long as pos say a coupla hours before I go out somewhere – it’ll still be damp but air dries pretty quick, with soft wavy whurls
(basically “plopping” wonderful technique I only just discovered that’s done wonders for my curls!)

[Frankenstein]

I squeeze the water out of my hair several times and then wrap it in a t-shirt.

[Sora Rose]

I squeeze mine. No twisting. Sometimes I'll gently run my hand down the length to get rid of more water. After that, I'll just leave it and walk around with wet hair for a while.

[Chromis]

I "wring" it out, not like a rag, but just by holding it with hands and going up and down along the length squeezing. That's it. You have to get the water out... somehow. Yes, hair is fragile while wet, but not that fragile. It can totally handle this, not "wringing" wringing out, but you guys get my meaning.

I would not call that wringing. Wringing implies twisting it, generally twisting it tightly at that.

What you are doing I would just call squeezing.

[enting]

I squish. I hold my head upside down and pile my hair in my hands and squeeze gently and then clip up. Either that or I wet bun with no squishing, squeezing, or wringing, just whatever comes out from bunning. Sometimes I wrap a towel around my head, sometimes I don't. If I try actively removing water from my hair rather than it dripping and air drying it will definitely come out frizzy.

[sophia_]

I squeeze and wrap mine in a bathrobe

[lapushka]

I would not call that wringing. Wringing implies twisting it, generally twisting it tightly at that.

What you are doing I would just call squeezing.

Oh OK. :) Important to get the words right, in case someone misinterprets something. :flower:

[littlestarface]

I squish the water out upside down, then put all the hair on top of my head like plopping then wrap it in my turbie towel.

[Arciela]

I kind of scrunch my hair and then just leave it, I just keep my bathrobe on so it doesn't get my shirt soaked..but with my hair, less is more with everything..including touching it after a shower.

[enting]

littlestarface I do just like that.

[LittleOgre]

I squeeze out the entire length but I don't wring. I can already imagine the damage honestly...

[littlestarface]

littlestarface I do just like that.

Very Nice! :hifive: I figured if squish to condish and scrunching make curls come out might as well do it for taking out water too.

[nycelle]

I squish the water out upside down, then put all the hair on top of my head like plopping then wrap it in my turbie towel.

Pretty much the same, but I use a microfiber towel and I don't plop on purpose, just kinda works out that way.

[postpixie88]

I squeeze (without twisting) then pat it down with a t-shirt.

[nikittyy]

I squeeze mine gently with just my hands and then wrap a towel around it and do the same thing.

[MemeAimee]

I used to ring it out (twisting), but I read on here about 5 years ago that it was damaging, so I switched to just lightly squeezing it then hopping out of the shower and lightly squeezing with a towel, then air dry from there.