What Is the Best Way to Dry Your Hair Without Damage? Here Are Our Top 5 Tips

There are two types of people in this world.

On one hand, we have the gals who get up early in the morning to perform their detailed morning routine. Their hair gets gently blow-dried and styled to perfection.

On the other hand, we have those who snooze their alarm five times. When they realise how late it is, they madly shower, scrunch their hair in a towel, and race out the door. Which group do you vibe with the most?

When it comes to damaged hair, the best-known culprits are the overuse of hot styling tools and the use of harsh haircare products.

But, damage can also be caused by something as simple as how we dry our hair. That’s why learning the best way to dry hair is so important.

So, how do you dry hair without damage? Let’s dive into the details for a second. There’s actually a science behind drying our hair properly! Have you heard of the hair’s cuticle? It’s the outside layer of hair strands and is important to the hair's overall appearance.

When the cuticle is damaged, your hair looks dry, frizzy, and dull—probably not the look you’re going for. When a hair cuticle is healthy, it lies flat, and our strands look shiny and feel strong.

The way we dry our hair can damage the hair cuticles, which is why hair can get frizzy or out of control when it’s wet or even slightly damp. The best way to dry your hair isn’t rocket science. It involves just a few easy tweaks that your mane will definitely thank you for.

1. How to Properly Dry Hair After the Shower.

What is the best way to dry your hair? Would you believe that when it comes to your hair’s health, blow-drying your locks can actually be better for your hair’s health than air-drying? Although that might seem illogical, solely air-drying isn’t necessarily the best choice for maintaining shiny and healthy strands.

How to dry your hair after washing? One of the best & easy ways to dry your hair after washing, rather than waiting hours, is to leave it alone until it's about 75% dry. Once you’ve let nature run its course and your hair is slightly damp, grab your hair dryer and blow-dry your hair the remainder of the way.

Not only is this the healthiest way to dry your hair after a shower, but it’s also super-convenient. You can let your hair air dry after a shower rather than spending ages with the hairdryer, likely damaging your hair. When your locks are soaking wet, blow-drying can actually trap water inside the hair strands, where the water boils. By allowing your hair to air-dry initially, this will save your locks from becoming damaged.

How to dry wet hair? The Parlux Power Light 385 Ionic & Ceramic Hairdryer not only adds a cute gold touch to your bathroom. It also creates smoother, shinier, silkier hair with ceramic and ionic technology. This hairdryer offers 4 different temperatures to suit all hair types and textures. This means you can pick a lower temperature to protect your hair from too much heat.

2. How to Dry Hair Quickly.

For many, the best way to dry hair simply involves not having to spend too much time on the process. If you're in a rush and letting hair air dry after a shower doesn’t fit your schedule, one of the best ways to blow dry your hair is actually to ensure that you use heat protection.

We love Oribe Balm D'Or Heat Styling Shield, which defends hair from heat damage and prevents the deterioration of natural keratin. Formulated with Plant Collagen, Caffeine, Biotin, and Niacinamide, this heat-protective hair serum repairs damage and deeply nourishes and strengthens from the inside out. Created without parabens, sulphates, or sodium chloride, this serum is also vegan and cruelty-free.

If you want to use a straightener on your strands to create a certain style quickly, ensure they’re completely dry by the hairdryer first. Otherwise, you could end up seriously damaging the hair (argh—I can hear the sizzle now!). If you love a smooth style, look for a straightener with adjustable temperatures. This is how to dry hair without damaging it, as you can change the temperature to suit the texture and density of your hair.

Our pick? The first of its kind, the Dyson Airwrap Complete Multi-Styler Nickel Copperis not like your traditional hairdryer. The best way to dry hair fast, this unique design has a heat sensor that checks its temperature 40 times a second, ensuring you don’t scorch your locks. Ideal for chest-length or long hair, this pre-styling drier helps you to create sleek, straight strands or easy waves for volume without the crazy flyaways. Or try theDyson Supersonic Black Nickel- it's the best way to dry curly hair fast.

3. How to Dry Hair Without Frizz

The best way to dry hair without creating a frizzy mess is within reach!

We’ve all done it, but try to avoid frantically using a bath towel to dry your hair fast and furiously. Instead, use a microfibre towel to wick moisture and help your hair dry more quickly simply by dabbing it, rather than aggressively rubbing or twisting it.

If your hair is frizzy, it may signify you’re shampooing too much. Tone down or skip the shampoo for a while and see the difference when you dry your hair. Also, consider opting for a wide-toothed comb instead of a brush to detangle and maintain the integrity of the hair as you dry.

Another great way to dry hair without frizz is to try styling it while it’s still wet. Braiding damp hair not only reduces frizz, but it works to introduce texture to the hair without the need for tools like curlers and tongs.

For more tips on the best way to dry your hair quickly and without damaging it, take a look at our ultimate frizzy hair guide!

4. How to Dry Curly Hair

If you think there are only two ways to dry your curls, using a hairdryer or not, then you are missing out!

The ideal scenario allows you to dry your curls quickly without stripping them of moisture and reducing frizz. In discovering the best way to dry curly hair for you, there may be a few lifestyle habits that need addressing.

Firstly, if you are wrapping your hair with a towel and rubbing it dry – stop it immediately! This damages the hair cuticles and compromises your curls. Just like with frizzy hair, using a microfibre towel can make all the difference.

Apply your product as usual, combing through your hair to detangle and prepare for styling. Then, gather your hair into a low bun at the nape of your neck, pulling the hair at your roots tight enough so that it will naturally dry smooth. If you are looking for a tighter curl, you can try using a diffuser to get the job done. This enables your hair to dry with the least amount of movement, creating curl definition and reducing frizz.

5. How to Dry Hair Quickly Without a Hair Dryer

OK, so obviously, blasting your hair with heat isn’t great. But what about if you want to towel-dry and air-dry your hair? We often get asked, ‘Is drying your hair with a towel bad?’ or 'what's the best way to air dry hair quickly?'

So, let’s say you leave your wet hair to sit and dry for hours. By not drying hair at all after a shower, the water droplets stay in your hair, which makes your hair swell up. This swelling causes damage to the proteins that make up the structure of your hair. When these proteins are impacted, your hair looks and feels rough (cue frizz).

Does air drying your hair make it frizzy? It can if you’re in a humid environment. The best way to air dry hair quickly is to speed up the drying process to keep strands sleek and controlled. If you want to let your hair dry naturally, opt for a microfibre quick dry hair towel like the Coco & Eve Microfibre Towel Wrap. This hair drying towel is not only gentle on your hair but also extremely absorbent to get you out of the house faster. We'd call it the key to drying curly hair fast.

If you decide to air dry, frizzy hair, you can multitask by adding a leave-in conditioner. This’ll help prevent frizz while your strands dry. When you’re letting hair air dry after a shower, reach forVIRTUE Refresh Purifying Leave-in Conditioner, which can be used daily to nourish hair. Special ingredient Alpha Keratin 60ku  (derived from ethically sourced human hair) helps rebuild and repair hair strands. Just spray onto your damp hair, concentrating on the lower half of your hair.

Well, that's our wrap on how to dry hair properly and quickly after a shower! We hope you enjoyed all our helpful tips on the best way to air dry hair, how to dry hair without damage and how to achieve a quick hair dry!

Want more of the best treatments for dry & damaged hair? Check out these helpful guides...

• The Best Shampoos for Frizzy Hair

• Humidity-proof Hair Care Routine For Frizzy Hair

• The Best Shampoos For Damaged Hair

• Literally Every Single Question You've Ever Had About Your Scalp, Answered

• The Best Shampoos for Oily Roots & Dry Ends

• The Best Shampoo and Conditioner for Dry and Coloured Hair

• The Best Conditioning Treatments for Dry Hair

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