Hair in towel - Am I wasting my time?

[Tomoyo]

Normally, after I wash my hair, I aim to keep it in a towel for about an hour before I dry it, because I figure I'm allowing my hair to absorb more moisture. Am I right? Or is there a point at which the hair gets saturated and simply isn't going to absorb any more?

An hour can be an inconveniently long time sometimes; if I knew I could cut that down and not really have a negative effect on my hair, I'd rather do so.

[1nuitblanche]

Scientifically, I don't know. However, I don't imagine that your hair is soaking up a whole lot more moisture by being in a towel that long compared to being left to air dry (especially if you put it up to dry). I would think that much of the moisture is going into the towel and evaporating from there. It does probably slow down the drying process though, so your hair would be wet for longer.

[Madora]

Normally, after I wash my hair, I aim to keep it in a towel for about an hour before I dry it, because I figure I'm allowing my hair to absorb more moisture. Am I right? Or is there a point at which the hair gets saturated and simply isn't going to absorb any more?

An hour can be an inconveniently long time sometimes; if I knew I could cut that down and not really have a negative effect on my hair, I'd rather do so.

Eventually the water will be absorbed...after a long time, depending on your hair's porosity.

What makes hair dry quickly is allowing air to circulate through it.

By way of illustration:

Bend at the waist and place a towel horizontally over your head so that it covers all the hair.

Take your palms and press them against the towel covered hair. Start at the top of your head and slowly work down to the ends.

Remove the towel, then begin to gently finger comb your hair.

After fingercombing, then detangle with a wide tooth comb, working in small sections, until all the hair is detangled.

Airdrying ("fanning the strands"):

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=223

This is for longer hair but can be easily adapted for shorter hair.

Just remember it works best when the most of the moisture has been removed from the strands and the hair has been detangled FIRST.

Just keep "fanning the strands" and let the air circulate.

I hope this helps!

[heidi w.]

I pretty much use Madora's description. Your hair is short right now so having it in a towel for a while won't be a problem, but if you eventually get longer hair, and being mostly a straight haired person (as evidenced by your siggy photo) piling the hair up in a towel will actually create a lot of tangles. Learning good hair care techniques now pays off majorly later.

I first wring my hair, literally, by twisting all of the hair a bit and pressing it to remove excess water. Then a towel pressed against my head hair, then the length is taken into a towel while the hair is hanging down and I press inwardly on the hair from outside the towel. Sometimes I have to wring out the ends again to remove the excess water.

I use a conditioner tidbit that works very well as a detangler, and minimally detangle to merely separate the clumps of wet hair so it's exposed to "air" so it can air dry more rapidly. And over the next several hours I work on detangling in layers and stages, and in sections to help the hair dry somewhat more rapidly.

I hope this helps.

heidi w.

[spidermom]

I use a flannel pillowcase. Towels seem too rough. I only leave it in the pillow case for 20-30 minutes. I think the maximum amount of moisture that is going to be absorbed has been absorbed by then.

[lapushka]

After about 15 to 20 minutes of having the towel on my head, the towel is drenched, so that's when it's time to take it off as it can't possibly get any wetter, and at that point I start to feel quite chilly, so: time to remove the towel.

[teela1978]

Are you leaving the towel on to suck water out of your hair, or to let your hair suck up water? Its not clear to me in your OP. Honestly, I leave my hair in a towel for maybe 10 minutes max. It seems to work fine.

[Sillage]

I don't think there is any benefit to dragging out the drying time which is essentially what you're doing if I am reading your post correctly.

[jacqueline101]

I leave my towel on for ten minutes. I twist out the water wrap it in the towel.

[Unicorn]

I tend to wrap my hair while I'm still in the shower, dry my body, moisturise get dressed or whatever. This takes maybe 5 minutes. At this point the towel is saturated. I get a fresh dry towel, wrap up and leave it on for maybe 10 minutes.

Bearing in mind I have BSL locs, I have a lot of hair, so I use a third clean, dry towel for another 20 minutes or so, but 2 towels fora total of 15 minutes or so should wick as much water away as is going to happen.


Unicon

[MeowScat]

After I wash and detangle my hair and the shower is shut off, I squeeze the length over my shoulder. I stopped twisting it (a hard habit to break!) a few months ago because it's not the gentlest way to do it. I don't slide my hands down either. That pulled out some hairs. I just squeeze at the nape, then release my grip, grab the next lowest section, squeeze, release, etc. to the bottom. Gotta be gentle with that sopping wet antique lace!

I have two little microfiber hand towels and I blot my scalp, then squeeze the length with the towel the same way. I'm then done towel-drying. Maybe 1 - 2 minutes, that's it, air works much better for me.

I then lean back and put my fingers into the back of my scalp hair from underneath and give it a little shake to get the air in there. I do that every few minutes, actually.

Now it's fan time. I sit at my desk and while putting my make-up on, I have a fan blowing on the back of my head and length. I spread the hair out as far as possible across my back.

Whew! Sorry this was so long!

[bunzfan]

This is how i do it. i gently squeeze as much water out of my hair in the shower put it in a towel for 5 minutes to absorb some of the water, then i light twist the length like I'm doing a French twist and leave it in a micro fibre towel for 20 minutes once i take it out its half dry.