One of the questions I get all the time is how do I manage to towel dry my below-the-waist length hair to protect it from the damage blow drying can cause.

(Image of Aquis Towel designed to soak up water gently but extra fast – All Rights Reserved)

One of the challenges is using a towel and wrapping it around my extra long dripping hair strands without having a huge towel wrapped on top of my head like a giant turban.

Aquis Adventure Microfiber Towel, Large (19 x 39-Inches)

I have experimented with lots of different methods of towel drying and after a lot of different research I adopted a method which works really well.  It’s not for everyone and should definitely be tried only at your own risk.

By accident I learned that if I took a towel that was vertically a little bit longer than the very tips of my hair, when wet I could wrap it like a sausage to soak up the water and towel-blot my hair to maximum benefit.   Not only did I luck into this method of efficient towel drying, but it eliminated wearing a monster towel on top of my head.

Aquis Microfiber Hair Towel, (19 x 39-Inches)

Instead of using a monster thick towel I had even better results with a less thick towel with it’s vertical edge a bit longer than my damp hair.  I like the Aquis Adventure Microfiber Towel because despite it’s smaller size, it absorbs water very effectively and even more than enough to dry hair completely.  Then the towel efficiently dries itself quickly so you can use it again.

More About Aquis Microfiber Towels

If you prefer, you can use any similar hair friendly microfiber towel.  I personally like The Aquis Adventure Microfiber Towel comes in a variety of lengths so you can match it to your hair length.  Aquis towels are made of Aquitex, a super absorbant material woven from ultrafine microfibers.

The technology behind the Aquis microfiber towel enables water to be drawn from hair and skin more quickly and thoroughly than other towels. And it’s especially gentle on hair and skin. Designed to be lightweight, compact and durable, Aquis towels are ideal for everyday use at home, at the gym and while traveling.

Aquis Adventure Microfiber Towel, Extra Large (29 x 55-Inches)

Which means the long side of the towel also the vertical length of the towel should be as long as my hair when measured with a tape measure from the nape of my neck to the very ends.  IT should be noted that when most people use towels to dry their body the use the towel in a horizontal manner rather than vertical.

Step By Step Instructions

1.  Use your favorite diluted shampoo (DS), conditioner only wash (CO) or whatever method you use to cleanse your hair.  You can also use this hair tube method when washing only (WO) with water or even when you apply a leave-in deep conditioning or hot oil treatment.  It works wonderfully.

(Note: Model to the side is holding her towel horizontally rather than vertically as you will need to do with the hair tube.  Remember that vertical is up and down and horizontal is left to right)

2.  Apply desired rinse-out conditioner or any similar conditioning product.
3.  Perform final water rinse and finish with a cool/cold water rinse.
4.  Use a separate towel to towel blot excess drippage water from the ends of your hair.  Use towel gently to blot to avoid pulling or tearing delicate strands.
5.  Apply cocktail of leave-in conditioner, defrisant and/or mousse or styling/setting cream to hair.
6.  Detangle from the ends up to the roots with a wide tooth comb.  Take your time and work slowly to avoid ripping or tearing hair. 
7.  Once you hair has been blotted dry and then detangled position a towel so that it’s vertically placed around your shoulders hanging down towards your waist.   The towel should be positioned underneath your damp hair.

Note: You can use hair friendly hair clips to attach the towel to your shirt at your shoulders if you have a problem keeping it at your shoulders.

8.  Fold one side of the towel over the top of your hair.
9.  Fold the other side of the towel over your hair forming a tube with your wet hair inside.
10.  Once you’ve created the towel tube around your damp hair take the end of the tube and wrap it around your head in a clockwise fashion so that instead of big turban you have a single tube of hair wrapped into a circle around the perimeter of your head.

Secure the end of the towel tube so it is securely positioned on your head at the starting point of the wrap.

Aquis Microfiber Hair Towel, Lisse Crepe (19 x 39-Inches)

If you do not towel blot right after you wash or decide to towel dry before detangling you will probably need to replace the towel one or more times depending on thick your hair is and how fast water is soaked up by the towel.

The Benefits Of A Towel Hair Tube Versus A Traditional Hair Turban

The towel tube has the following benefits:

1.  There is a higher ratio of towel surface to damp hair unlike the turban where the hair is all scrunched together around the towel.  With the tube, the towel is covering all of the damp hair equally.
2.  You do not have to bend over at the waist to capture the hair like a turban which eliminates snarls and tangles from pushing hair upside down. 
3.  The hair tube is less heavy on the head and neck and when secured properly is very comfortable.
4.  The hair tube seems to help my hair towel dry much faster than when I use the old turban method.
5.  Since the hair tube is more efficient and draped into a circle around the perimeter of my head it also soaks up the dampness in my scalp much better than the old fashioned turban.
6.  The towel tube is a better balanced method and hair dries evenly throughout rather than unevenly which often happens with the turban method.
7.  It actually is easier to move around with the Hair Tube.  When I wear a Hair Turban it has a tendency to come undone at the most inopportune moments.
8.  I like the simplicity and predicitibility of the results I get when the Hair Tube versus a Hair Turban.

Summary

While this hair tube method works for me and my below-the-waist hair, it may not work for everyone with super long hair.  However, I have friends who have adopted my hair tube method and they have much shorter hair then mine with all different types of textures.

More Information

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This entry was posted on Friday, November 27th, 2009 at 10:32 pm and is filed under Chemical Hair Treatments, Hair, Hair Styling Tools, Hairstyling Tips, Long Hair, Shampoo Treatments, Treatments. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.