How to Dry Your Hair: 3 Correct Ways

Drying your hair may look easy, but an improper technique can damage your hair and ruin your hairstyle. There are 3 basic ways to do it right, and 5-Minute Crafts is ready to give you some tips on how to make your hair look voluminous and smooth without trying too hard.

Method 1: blow-drying

What you’ll need:

• A hairdryer with a nozzle

Note: You can also try to use a diffuser, especially if you have curly hair.

• A round brush
• Heat protection and styling products of your choice
• Finishing products like hair oil, serum, or hairspray
• Hair clips

Step 1. Semi-dry your hair without a hair dryer and apply your thermal protection and styling products.

• For better results, you should let your hair dry on its own until it’s about 50% to 80% dry.

Step 2. Section your hair and secure it using hair clips.

• Divide your hair into 4-5 more or less equal parts. You’ll be drying hair in each section, moving from the lower layers of hair to the top layer.

Step 3. Take a hair dryer and get ready to start drying your hair.

• Take a strand of hair that isn’t wider than your brush and roll it around the tool. It’s important to hold your brush in your dominant hand to control the process better. Make sure that your hair is detangled. If not, gently brush it before starting to dry it.
• Set the right temperature on your hair dryer: high heat is perfect for creating the shape of your hairstyle, medium heat is good for pre-drying your hair if you don’t have time to let it dry on its own, and cold air is best for securing your desired hairstyle.

Step 4. Start to dry your hair.

• Dry each hair section, separating it into strands and moving from the lower layers of the hair to the top ones. Don’t forget to install a nozzle on your hairdryer.
• Start with drying the roots of your hair strands and then move to their lower parts. Hold your hair dryer parallel to the brush. Make sure you don’t keep your hairdryer too close to your hair to avoid burning your scalp.
• Keep drying each strand of hair until it’s completely dry. Otherwise, it’ll lose its volume while you’re drying other strands.

Note: If you have curly hair or want to try another technique, use a diffuser instead of a nozzle. In this case, you won’t need a brush to dry your hair. Just flip your hair from side to side, drying it with a diffuser.

Step 5. When you’re done, cool down your hair with cold air and apply a finishing hair product.

• Cold air will help make your hair smooth and prevent frizziness.
• Apply hair oil, some serum, hairspray, or any other product of your choice that suits your hair type.

Method 2: air-drying

What you’ll need:

• A microfiber towel (preferably)
• A wide tooth comb
• Styling hair products of your choice
• Hair clips

Step 1. Prepare your hair for air-drying while you’re in the shower.

• Make sure you keep your hair hydrated and use hair products that suit your hair type. This way, you can avoid frizziness and make your hair look smooth.
• When you’re out of the shower, wrap your hair with a microfiber towel to remove the excess water. It’s better to use a microfiber towel because it doesn’t overdry hair as much as a regular cotton towel does.
• Make sure your hair isn’t tangled, but don’t brush your wet hair too hard, especially if you have curly hair. It’s better to use your fingers or a wide tooth comb.

Step 2. Choose the hairstyle and apply styling products.

• You can use leave-in moisturizing conditioners, texturizing serums, hairsprays, and other products of your choice to add volume to your hair and make it more textured and moisturized.

Step 3. Place your hair in such a way that will help create the desired shape and texture.

• For example, if you have straight hair and want to add more volume, you can create several loose braids and your hair will be wavy when it’s dry. For curly hair, you can twist your hair to get a more defined curl.

Step 4. Let your hair dry and enjoy the result.

• It’s better not to touch your hair while you’re air-drying it to prevent it from losing its shape. This rule is especially true for people with straight hair.
• When you’re done, gently comb your hair and secure it with a finishing hairspray if you’d like.

Method 3: drying your hair with a towel

What you’ll need:

• A microfiber towel (preferably)
• Hair products of your choice
• A comb

Warning: You should be careful when towel-drying your hair.

Keep in mind that your hair is very fragile when it’s wet because its cuticles swell and the hair itself stretches. That’s why you’ve got to be very careful when using this method to avoid damaging your hair:

Step 1. Remove excess water from your hair and detangle it.

• Gently blot your hair with a towel without grabbing and squeezing it too hard.
• Detangle your hair using a wide tooth comb or your fingers. Don’t miss this step, otherwise, it’ll be difficult to brush your hair when it’s dry. But remember that wet hair is very fragile and prone to damage, so be gentle and don’t overdo it.
• You can apply hair products of your choice at this point.

Step 2. Wrap your hair in a towel and make a towel turban.

• Flip your hair forward and cover it with a towel so that your head is located at the center of it. The extra fabric of the towel that’s hanging at the sides should be of equal length.
• Bring the sides of the towel together and twist them. Keep twisting until you reach their ends. Make sure that at this point, the towel tightly covers your head.
• Pull the twisted part of the towel back and tilt its end under the towel at the back of your head.

Step 3. Wait for your hair to dry and remove the towel.

• If your towel got too wet, replace it with a new one to dry your hair faster. You’ll have to wait for 30-60 minutes for your hair to dry depending on your hair type.
• When you’re done, your hair should be almost completely dry but you might need to air-dry it a bit.