There is nothing more relaxing than washing your hair, until you realize how long it takes to dry. If you have a hair dryer or diffuser — which is what most of us use — the time spent can feel like an eternity. Then, for everyone with curly hair, the drying part is even worse and many prefer you wash less frequently.
The first step in finding out why your hair dries so slowly is with the structure of the hair. The first step is to compare hair thickness. The longer someone waits for the hair to dry, is because the amount of water in each strand is more, simply because the diameter of that strand is more based on that person’s hair thickness. Fine hair has less volume per strand, is lighter, and will take less time for moisture to evaporate.
Hair porosity also has a huge role next. Water can easily pass in and out of the hair shaft for hair with high porosity which means that hair that is dry will dry faster. However, low porosity hair retains water longer. Hairstylist Leigh Hardges notes that as low porosity strands are coarser, allowing more water to cling to the strands. Dr. Board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner confirms this saying that the hair’s porosity impacts the speed that water evaporates from the hair.
Drying time is also influenced by hair type. Because hair does not lie flat on curly and coily hair types, more twists and turns are formed trapping moisture and slowing down the drying process. Tiffany Minyon, a hairstylist, notes that while air moved through curls or coils is circled, it struggles to move through the waves or straight hair.
Don’t forget hair density. There are a lot of people who think they have thick hair when actually, it’s just dense, and it’s full of a lot of strands of hair sort of packed in together. Since air cannot run through a dense mass of hair, it takes longer to dry, explains Hardges.
It’s worth noting healthy hair may also take a little longer to dry. A slower drying time, according to Hardges and Zeichner, could be a sign of a well moisturized hair shaft. If your hair is damaged, it dries faster because your cuticles are more open, allowing water to run out of your hair faster.
The amount of product and water left on your hair after a shower can also add to drying time. The more water and products your hair has, the longer it will take to air dry. While this may be frustrating to those who want instant results, Minyon reminds us that this could be a sign of healthy hair, since it means the hair is hydrated just fine.
Knowing these factors helps you understand the drying of your hair and how to speed that up. Wash day doesn’t have to be so daunting if you know how to work with your hair’s unique properties and can use effective drying strategies.
Drying your hair doesn’t mean you have to sit in a chair for 30 minutes, putting yourself through the wringer. If you use the right techniques and tools, there is no reason at all you can’t significantly reduce drying time but keep the health of your hair in good standing. In this article we’ll look into some practical hints that can improve your hair drying routine to make it more time efficient.
The first thing to understand is your hair’s specific needs. Using the right products is one of the simplest things to do to speed up drying. For reasons, quick dry sprays are an excellent option and have become popular. The purpose of these sprays is to assist with the speed at which the hair dries, as the hair can carry less water in it. “Oh, they are really a great tool,” says seasoned hairstylist Leigh Hardges, who recommends them for being able to cut down on drying time significantly.
Picking the right towel is a very often over-looked, very effective method. According to tradition, terrycloth towels can be very harsh on hair, causing frizz and breakage. Instead, go with a micro fiber towel or even a soft cotton shirt. Gentler and more absorbent than most, they aid in wicking away moisture from the hair more quickly. That simple switch not only gets you drying faster but also helps maintain your hair’s natural curl pattern and texture.
If you have curly or coily hair, you should be saturating and shaping your curls. The funny thing is, it might sound counterintuitive but really, letting your curls get properly saturated with water before you apply styling product will actually make drying more efficient. Curly hair specialist Tiffany Minyon recommends that you pray hands or scrunch on the products to distribute them evenly. But this not only picks up curl definition, it allows for a faster drying time because the products are more easily absorbed.
Another technique that will be quite useful to those who have longer hair is air drying. If you allow your hair to air dry to a certain point before applying heat to it, you won’t damage the natural curl pattern or structure. If you’re going to use a diffuser, skipping this step can really help. Minyon adds that this step is vital to keep your curl intact while also speeding up the drying process.
In matters of using heat, it’s about the right tools and settings. A great hair dryer can cut down the time it takes to dry your hair by a dramatic amount. At this point, you should look for a dryer with sophisticated technology, and several settings, to prevent damage from heat to your hair. Drying with the use of a nozzle attachment may concentrate the airflow and this will speed up the process as well increase its effectiveness?
It also helps to section your hair. Dividing your hair into manageable sections guarantees that you’ll get air to every strand. This technique is not only quick at drying, but it actually produces a more even finish. Clip or hair tie your hair in sections and work through each section, methodically, for best results.
Applying these tips in your wash day routine will make you wash your hairs no more than a dreaded chore but a fun, quick and less time consuming routine. Don’t worry; if you’re using quick dry sprays, making investments in the right tools, or just changing your towel, each of the small changes you make has an impact that leads to a faster and much more efficient drying experience.
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Why Your Hair Takes So Long to Dry (And How To Speed Up the Process)
