USEFUL TIPS
How to Wrap Your Hair in a Towel
6 min read
6 min read
Wrapping your hair up in a towel can be fun and can even feel like we’re at a cabin retreat getaway in a magical forest - or is that just us?
Can you smell the pine scent drifting in through the open window and see the wooden background in the fogged up mirror? Fresh out of the shower with a fluffy towel wrapped around you. Again, maybe that’s just us.
Something about being wrapped, hair and all, in a fresh towel after a nice hot shower already feels like you’re being pampered. Wrapping your hair up in a towel can feel like a trip to the spa, except better because it can also be done from the comfort of your own homes.
A Universal Method
We all know how it goes: flip the hair forward upside down, give it a little rub through with the towel, then twist it all together and pop that bad boy up.
It sort of feels like you’re in a shampoo commercial, catching a glimpse of yourself popping up in the mirror with that pretty towel turban around your head. It may sound weird reading the step-by-step of this technique, probably because we’re usually on auto-pilot when we go through this motion. Isn’t it strange how things that we do so often just become second nature?
You’ve probably been winging it up until this point. Maybe you learned this time-old towel trick from your mother or watching the older girls do it in the locker-room, or better yet - you saw an elegant, elderly blonde woman in a soap opera on TV do her hair like this and you just had to try it out yourself. However you think you may have learned it, it’s likely you can’t remember ever being properly taught. This thought crossed our minds and we decided to look more into it.
We’ve compiled all the information, tips and tricks and do’s and don’ts for wrapping your hair in a towel. Go ahead and grab a warm drink and snuggle up in something cozy because we’re about to break this down.
The Time-Old Towel Turban
How did this popular towel trick come to be? The simple answer is because it works, and works well.
Wrapping your hair in a towel is actually a more favorable option than rubbing it dry. We’re sure you’re also familiar with the towel turban rivalry technique; the rub. Rubbing your hair to dry it could seem like a tempting alternative. At first thought it makes sense; we rub our bodies dry and it works, so why can’t this be carried over and done to our hair as well? Glad you asked.
Rubbing hair with a towel can be aggressive and strenuous for those fragile strands we wear on our head. Most towels are made of low-grade materials, like polyester. (It’s a whole other story why you should definitely invest in a plush, fluffy towel). Towels that are thin and sandpapery can cause more harm than good. When our hair is wet, like after a shower, it’s weaker, meaning it’s more susceptible to breakage.
Our bodies are temples, right? (Don’t worry, temples still like ice cream) And our hair is on our temple (hah), so we should definitely be treating it with the same love and respect. Giving our delicate hair a rough rub-through doesn’t sound too loving or caring, does it?
What does sound loving and caring is a beautiful and nicely propped up towel wrap.
Why It Works
Gentle drying
When done correctly, placing your hair in a soft wrap on top of your hair is much more gentle for those delicate little strands. Our hair is fragile and we should be treating it with all the TLC that it deserves.
Hands-free
When we’re drying our hair, it’s usually not the only thing we’re doing. Drying our hair is usually done simultaneously with drying our bodies, applying facial products, and checking ourselves out in the mirror; you know, the usual post-shower stuff.
Wrapping hair up into a towel leaves our hands free and available to take care of the rest of our post-shower regime.
Friction-free
Having hair wrapped up in a towel allows the towel to gradually absorb the moisture without the rough-housing of rubbing it dry.
Less friction on hair (which remember is weaker when it’s wet) means less breakage and split ends.
Less friction also means less frizz. Yay! Long live the hair.
The Type of Towel You Use Is Important
Not all towels are made equal.
When wrapping up your beloved locks, you want a plush, absorbent, and fluffy towel to work with. Try to get a towel that is made from high-quality cotton, like Turkish cotton. Turkish cotton is known for being made up of premium, long-fibers, which will be softer and stay more plush over time.
Turkish cotton is also highly absorbent and dries quickly, making it the ideal material for bath towels.
You can even go the extra mile and find towels that have silver-ions woven into the fabric. Silver ions possess a positive charge that attaches to bacteria like a magnet. This prevents 99.9% of bacterial growth from the inside out before it even has a chance to get started. Silver fibers also make whatever they are woven into self-cleaning; meaning it will prevent odors and can be washed 3x less frequently.
How to Wrap Your Hair in a Towel
Blot hair dry
- Removing excess water beforehand will help speed up the drying process.
- Blot your hair with your towel, gently.
- If you have long or thick hair it may help to separate hair into sections and then lightly squeeze the sections one by one once they are wrapped in the towel.
Untangle any big clumps
- Detangling hair before wrapping it will make it easier to brush out afterward and prevent any further build up of big knots or clumps.
- Remember that hair is the most fragile when it’s wet, so go slowly and be delicate.
- Tip: always brush hair starting with the ends and then working your way up as it becomes untangled. If you start brushing your hair at the top (the roots of your hair) you risk moving the tangles downwards, resulting in bigger badder knots accumulating at the bottom.
Flip hair over your head
- Bend over facing forwards so that your hair flips over the top of your head and is hanging in front of your face, down towards the ground.
Position towel on the back of your head
- Place the middle of the towel lengthwise on top of the back of your head.
- Adjust the towel so that an equal amount of it is hanging on either side.
- The edge of your towel that is on your neck should be approximately along your hairline.
Twist
- Tuck your hair in place within the towel and then begin to twist the bunch in either direction.
- The twist needs to be firm enough to stay in place but not too firm to strain the hair.
Flip the wrap on top of your head
- Stand up straight and bring up the twisted towel so that it’s sitting on the top of your head.
- Depending on your towel's thickness and size, you may be able to tuck the end of the twisted part of the towel into the part of your towel that is along your hairline - this will help keep the twist in place.
Allow time to dry
- Keep your hair wrapped for 30-60 minutes.
- Feel free to get started on your skin routine, paint your nails, or whatever else your heart desires as your hair dries hands-free
Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy.
Help yourself and your hair by wrapping it properly in a towel. You’ll save time and energy and your hair will thank you. You don’t have to be at a cabin-retreat getaway in the forest to feel pampered - wrapping your hair up in a towel is a simple little way to make your own home feel like a spa.
Did you know?
Detangling hair before wrapping it will make it easier to brush out afterward and prevent any further build up of big knots or clumps.
