In this fast-paced life, you probably don’t want to spend large chunks of your free time drying your hair. Whether you’re always on-the-go because of a busy work schedule or you’re simply craving a lower maintenance care routine, learning how to dry your hair fast is a valuable skill. Anyone whose hair takes a long time to dry will understand the struggle.
It often feels like the only options are to put your life on pause for hours while you wait for your hair to dry, go to bed with wet hair and wake up with still-damp locks, or get up at the crack of dawn and lose valuable sleep to ensure you leave home with dry hair. However, there is another option that’s much more enticing: taking special measures to speed up the hair drying process. In this guide, we’ll be sharing how to make your hair dry fast with expert tips and tricks, so you can get back to living your life – all with fabulous hair!
Why Doesn’t My Hair Dry Fast?
Before we unveil the secrets of drying hair fast, it’s important to understand why certain hair types dry slower than others.
If you’ve ever wondered why your hair takes all day to dry while your friend can enjoy dry locks with half an hour of air drying, it all comes down to the following factors:
Factors That Impact Hair Drying Time: 1. Hair type
Your hair type will be the key factor for determining your natural drying time. The finer and lower density your hair is, the faster it’ll dry. On the contrary, thick strands and high density hair will take longer to dry.
It’s important to note that density is not the same as thickness. Density refers to the amount of hair you have, while thickness refers to the feel of your individual strands; one can have high density fine hair, or low density thick hair.
When it comes to drying, the more hair you have, the longer it’ll take to dry because of the sheer volume of strands that need to dry. On a related note, the length of your hair will also play a role – short hair will dry faster than long hair simply because there’s less of it.
Factors That Impact Hair Drying Time: 2. Texture
The more texture your hair has (waves, curls, or coils), the longer it will take to dry. While water can easily slide off straight hair, textured hair creates somewhat of a trap for moisture.
Factors That Impact Hair Drying Time: 3. Porosity
Porosity refers to the hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture.
- High porosity hair absorbs and releases moisture easily. Strands typically have open cuticles, allowing water to easily enter and pass through.
- Low porosity hair does not absorb moisture easily, but retains it for a long time once it has penetrated the hair shaft. Low porosity hair features a tightly closed cuticle that makes it hard for water to enter, but that also means it’s difficult for water to leave once it’s there.
High porosity hair dries faster than low porosity hair. There’s also medium porosity hair, which absorbs moisture fairly easily and retains it for a moderate length of time.
Not sure where your hair falls on the porosity spectrum? You can do an easy DIY test by dropping a single strand of hair into a glass of water. If your hair quickly sinks to the bottom, it’s high porosity. If it floats at the top, it’s low porosity. And if it falls in between? You have medium porosity hair.
Factors That Impact Hair Drying Time: 4. Hair Health
Damaged hair tends to absorb and hold onto moisture longer than healthy hair, because its cuticles are typically raised or porous. This uneven surface makes it more difficult for water to evaporate.
Factors That Impact Hair Drying Time: 5. Environmental Conditions
External factors can also contribute to drying times. The sun is a great natural source of heat, so your hair will dry faster on a warm sunny day than a cold winter day.
How to Make Your Hair Dry Fast (3 Easy Steps)
Now that you understand the science behind drying times, you can find a fast drying approach that works for you. We recommend the following tips for speeding up your hair drying time:
Step 1: Start In The Shower: Condition & Detangle
You know what they say, great hair starts in the shower! Start the detangling process while you’re conditioning your hair by combing through it with a wide-tooth comb. Tangled strands take longer to dry because they create a messy texture that moisture will cling to. This technique ensures an even application of conditioner, and leaves strands separated and primed for drying.
Step 2: Wrap It Up: Dry With A Microfiber Towel
Ditch your jersey towel for a soft microfiber model. This material is better at absorption and is gentler on hair, preventing frizz and damage. You can either use it to blot your hair before blow drying, or wrap your hair up in it like a turban to speed up air drying times.
Step 3: Blow It Up: Style & Dry With A Hair Dryer
A high quality blow dryer is one of the best ways to speed up drying times. It can also be the better choice for preventing damage, provided you’ve got the right model and are using the right settings:
Choose an ionic hair dryer.
Wondering how to dry hair fast without frizz? Ionic technology uses the power of negative ions to quickly repel moisture from hair strands while boosting shine and reducing frizz. It’s a fantastic option for anyone that wants to dry their hair and make it look its best as fast as possible. The Laifen SE Lite is the perfect example of a high quality ionic hair dryer.
Avoid heat & work with a powerful airflow.
Heat damage is a valid concern when it comes to blow dryers, but in today’s market there are innovative models that actively prevent it. Choose a powerful hair dryer with a fast airflow that will speed up drying time, and stick to a low temperature setting. The Laifen Swift will teach you how to dry hair fast without damage. It’s equipped with an ultra fast brushless motor, resulting in drying times that are three times faster than your average hair dryer. It also has a convenient temperature cycling mode to ensure your hair is never exposed to excessive heat.
Work in sections.
Those with thick and/or dense hair will benefit from drying hair in sections rather than trying to tackle it all at once. Divide your hair into a few sections (experiment to see what works best for your hair density) and finish one before moving onto the next.
Remember to always use a heat protectant if using a hair dryer. You can even try a blow-dry spray or mousse, which are specially formulated to speed up drying times while offering heat protection and moisture.
Conclusion – How To Dry Hair Fast After A Shower
Drying your hair doesn’t have to take forever. There are certain things you can’t control, like your hair’s natural texture, porosity, and density. But with the right tools and techniques, you’ll be able to speed up its drying time – and make your hair look amazing in the process.
