How To Make Wet Hair Dry Faster

Whenever I decide to wash my hair (which isn't often), I always expect it to drip all over the place and wet my shoulders. Not only does my hair retain moisture as if it was trying to survive a drought, it's also curly and takes forever to dry, forcing me to shake my fists and scream out to the beauty gods how do I make my wet hair dry faster!? Sometimes I think it's worse than the actual detangling I face in the shower simply because I'm an impatient person when it comes to hair styling. Nevertheless, the hair-washing has to be done and I am left constantly dabbing at my ends.

With spring's arrival (even though it snowed here in Boston the other day), my fears of my wet hair freezing the moment I step out of the house are gone. However, the struggle to avoid the drip, drip, dripping all over my clothes (which does, indeed, prevent me from adding styling products) is still too real. I could be out and about doing so many better things than waiting for the last drop of water to evaporate off my hair!

Thankfully, I've found some tips that can help cut down the waiting time and dry any type of hair faster!

1. Use conditioner in the shower

This may seem like a weird place to start talking about how to make wet hair dry faster, but hear me out! Not only does conditioner rehydrate your hair after a good wash, it also repels water. Always use conditioner after you shampoo to seal in the moisture and help your hair avoid absorbing more water than necessary.

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner, $7, Amazon

2. Gently wring or shake out your hair while still in the shower

If your hair is dripping wet when you step out of the shower, it's going to take a long time for it to dry. Your towel is going to absorb as much water as it can, but the chance of it removing all that excess H2O is unlikely.

Instead, try shaking out the water by flipping your head upside down and running your fingers through it. You can also divide your hair into sections and wring it gently before getting out (this is especially good for those with thick and/or curly hair). These two methods will help speed up the process, while giving your towel a fighting chance.

3. Buy a new towel

I hate to be the advocate of spending since I am a frugal individual, but investing in a microfiber towel can actually save you some drying time! Microfiber is great because it is super absorbent and will help minimize breakage and damage that is caused when using a cotton towel. When you do dry your hair, blot (don't ruffle) your hair in sections, using a dry patch on the towel every time to maximize the amount of water removed.

Keep in mind, if you're curly-haired like me, microfiber may still be a little too harsh. You can also use a soft, cotton t-shirt to avoid disturbing your natural curls and causing frizz. If you still use microfiber, use cautiously.

Bodi Hut Microfiber Towel, $13, Amazon

4. Focus on the roots!

If you haven't noticed, the ends of your hair tend to dry first (unless your hair is just super wet, in which the water will run down from the roots and to your ends). To help speed up the process, when blotting your hair, focus on your roots. Your roots are usually the last area to dry, so making sure to remove as much water from that part can greatly cut down on your drying time.

5. Rock a towel turban

Blotting over and over is time consuming, so wrapping your hair up in a towel and moving along in your routine can actually save you some time. The towel will absorb some of the moisture while you're getting dressed or doing your makeup. Just make sure to check it periodically. If you feel your towel is too wet, re-wrap it in a dry towel so it's actually soaking up water or take it down and blot the rest of the moisture away.

6. Use a wide-toothed comb or microfiber brush.

Although I don't recommend combing your hair while it's damp (as it can create frizz or ruin curls), some of us can get away with such an act and still have wonderful, looking hair. If you're one of these lucky people, steer clear of brushes and switch to a wide-toothed comb to separate the hair and allow air-flow. There are also some cool brushes with microfiber material in them to soak up even more water as you brush.

Microfiber Brush, $10, Amazon

7. Blow-dry with product

If you really want to make sure your hair is dry, blow-drying is also a option. Of course, this can take a while, but there are always great products that help cut down on the blow-drying time, such as KMS California Free Shape Quick Blow Dry. When you do blow-dry, always start with the bottom sections of your hair so you don't end up rewetting the sections you've already dried if you were to work from top to bottom.

KMS California Free Shape Quick Blow Dry, $11, Amazon

8. Leave it wet!

Since the weather is warming up, there is no more pressure of having to make sure your hair is dry before heading out (or risk it freezing). If you still don't have the time or patience, let it air dry outside with the sun and warmth as you go about your day.

Images: desiitaly/Flicker, Giphy, martinaphotography, jonathanbeard, eflon/Flickr; Aral Tasher/Unsplash.