How to Towel Dry Men’s Hair Like A Pro! (Comprehensive Guide)

Never step out of your house with damp, wet, and unruly hair ever again!

Check: Best Hair Dryers That Straighten Hair

Tips on How to Towel Dry Men Hair

You’ll feel that it’s either silly or strange to find a guide on towel drying men’s hair, but this information is crucial.

In this guide, I’ll be dividing each process based on hair length, style, type, and even the hair product you usually use. So, whether you have curly, long & thick hair, straight hair, wavy hair, or even thin hair, this guide is perfect for you!

Let’s start by discussing how to dry men’s short hair.

Towel Drying Men’s Short Hair

Who said short-haired men couldn’t have bad hair days? Follow these steps to dry out men’s short haircuts properly.  

Step 1: Choose a Clean Towel

First and foremost, the towel of choice is essential.

Make sure to use a dry, clean towel to work on your hair. Please refrain from using damp towels to make the drying process longer.

EXPERT TIP: Make sure that the towel you’ll use completely covers the entirety of your head. This also gives your towel more space for the wetness and moisture to be absorbed.

Step 2: Put It on Top of Your Head

When you have your towel ready, place it on top of your head. Ensure that your hair isn’t dripping wet.

This step is done so that the towel absorbs the excess water that remains on your hair.

Check out this video!

@tomsmithhd #toweldry #tshirtcurls #towelchallenge #hairadvice #hairtok #hairstylist #hairdresser #toweldryhair ♬ original sound – Tom Smith

Step 3: Rub it Gently

When your hair isn’t dripping wet, what you want to do next is rub your hair gently so that the towel absorbs the water content from the hair.

For curly hair, the rubbing should be in a circular motion. Make sure to check our guide about blow dry men’s curly hair.

EXPERT TIP: Gently rubbing is like letting the towel run through the hair without you putting any pressure on it.

@yourbesthair Vigorously towel drying your hair can create frictions, and consequences can possibly make your hair fall out. #hairloss #haircare #malehair #hair ♬ Lingo (feat. J.I the Prince of N.Y & Chunkz) – Deno

Step 4: Pat Your Head Slowly

When the towel has absorbed much of the wetness, pat your head slowly.

Some of the moisture could have traveled to the ends of your hair. It would be best to let it dry using the towel and gently tap or pat your hair.

Step 5: Let it Air Dry.

When you’re sure that there’s no excess water on your hair any longer, let it air dry.

At this point, your hair will be dry for around 15 to 30 minutes, all depending on the length, thickness, and temperature you’re in.

Now that you know the correct process of drying men’s short hair, let me divulge the right way to towel dry medium-length hair.

@the4thken Air Drying>>> #hair #wetvsdryhair #curlyhair #fyp #hairstyles #menshair #curlyhairtutorial #naturalhair ♬ original sound – jasmeannnn

Towel Drying Men’s Medium-Length Hair

If your hair is categorized as a medium in length, here’s the process of towel drying it so you don’t go out looking wet and soaked.

Step 1: Choose a Large Absorbent Towel

To successfully towel dry medium-length hair, use a larger and more absorbent towel.

Microfiber towels [1] will work great as they won’t cause too much friction on both your hair and scalp.

Here’s a video tutorial.

@giseleayora How to properly towel dry your hair!? #haircare #hairturban #toweldryhair #hairgrowthtips #haircaretips ♬ original sound – Gisele Ayora

Step 2: Squeeze Out Excess Water From Your Hair

Then, what you want to do next is squeeze all the excess water out of your hair.

In case you need guidance on how it’s done, follow these steps:

1. Lean forward until you see the front and middle parts of your wet hair.
2. Then, carefully squeeze out all the excess water from it using both hands.
3. Lean back and do the same thing for the back part of your hair.
4. Repeat these steps until you draw out all excess water on your hair.

Do this until you have damp hair and not to the point that you’ll notice it wet.

Step 3: Use the Towel and Blot Out Parts of Your Hair

When it’s already damp, use a towel and blot out sections and parts of your hair so that the towel absorbs the water contents.

Pat each section of your hair until the towel absorbs excess wetness on various parts of your hair. Vigorously rubbing it instead of just patting will damage the hair strand and the hair shaft.

Step 4: Let Your Hair Air Dry

When you’ve drawn all wetness and moisture out of your hair, it’s now time for the hair drying procedure.

Since you have shorter hair, you’ll less likely need to use additional equipment. But, if you want to dry it faster, blow-drying under medium heat is the key.  

Optional Step: Use a Blow Dryer

If you’re in a rush and want to get the job done quickly, you can use a hair dryer to hasten the drying process.

Set your blow dryer to medium heat settings to avoid hair damage.  Then, point it towards your hair, keeping about five (5) to seven (7) inches in the distance, keeping a continuous motion. [2]

Below is another great video!

@elliotforbes Hair drying tip! Major ??? #DidYouKnow #LearnOnTikTok #menshair #mensgrooming ♬ original sound – Elliot Forbes

The time you’ll dry your hair out will depend on your hair length. It will take you around five (5) minutes or more to dry it out for thicker and longer hair.

On the other hand, if you have shorter hair, around three (3) to five (5) minutes is enough.

Last but most definitely not least is the process of towel drying long hair.

Make sure to read our comprehensive guide about

.

Towel Drying Men’s Long Hair

For curly, long & thick hair, you could find it a challenge. Here’s the best and ideal way to towel dry it.

Step 1: Choose a Clean, Mild Towel

Before anything else, make sure that your towel is clean, mild, and is not too rough.

You want your towel to work its way to your scalp without causing any rough patch on the hair’s overall texture.

For longer hair types, it’s not advisable to use microfiber towels as they might not absorb and hold the water content or the wetness of the hair.

Step 2: Shake Excess Water Out of the Hair

Having long hair, it’ll be easy to draw out plenty of water from the hair. This can be done by just shaking it off the head.

You can squeeze water out of the hair if you have extra time doing further steps.

Step 3: Place the Towel on Top of Your Head

When your hair is already damp, nearing dryness, place the towel on top of your head and allow the air to bring the wetness of the hair to the towel naturally.

Step 4: Stroke Your Hair With the Towel in the Direction of Growth

By now, your hair should be slightly wet, nearing dryness.

To wipe out all the wetness from your hair, using the towel, stroke your hair in the direction of how your hair grows.

Avoid going against the hair growth because this can mess up the direction of your hair. Not only that, but it can also produce textured hair, which will eventually lead to damaged hair.

Step 5: Let Your Hair Air Dry 

Lastly, allow your hair to dry out naturally. Air drying can improve your hair quality drastically, so, if possible, refrain from using a hairdryer and allow natural air to dry your hair out. 

So, these are the different ways to towel dry men’s hair thoroughly!

Check this video out, teaching you the correct hair drying methods using a towel. 

FAQs

Should you need more information, here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about toweling men’s hair.

Learn How to Dry Your Hair Without Causing Any Damage!

This guide on how to towel dry men’s hair will be the only guide you’ll ever need.

So, whether you have curly, long & thick hair, short hair, wavy hair, or even a simple average hair type, you can use this guide to your advantage!

You wouldn’t always need a hair dryer to dry it out regardless of your hair style!  

References:

• 1. Hair loss: Tips for managing [Internet]. www.aad.org. [cited 2022 Feb 12]. Available from: https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/hair-loss/treatment/tips
• 2. Lee Y, Kim Y-D, Hyun H-J, Pi L, Jin X, Lee W-S. Hair Shaft Damage from Heat and Drying Time of Hair Dryer. Annals of Dermatology. 2011;23:455.