After washing our hair, we always repeat the same gesture, wrapping our hair in a towel so that it absorbs moisture. Although sometimes without realizing it we even rub vigorously, and this is where we are making one of the big mistakes for our hair.
We have often heard that hair when wet is more fragile, this is because water makes the hair swell and therefore the cuticle opens, which makes it more vulnerable to breakage. Therefore, you must untangle with great care, and you must also be careful not to cause friction with the towel.
This is something confirmed by Dr. Miguel Valenzuela, an expert in hair transplantation. “When hair is wet, it is at its most fragile state, stretching by about 30%.” This means that wet hair is more prone to breakage if rubbed with a towel or pulled.
Stylist Álex Sestelo indicates that, “rubbing the hair when you get out of the shower with the towel also damages the cuticle and increases porosity,” which means that frizz increases and the hair will lose its softness, especially in dyed or highlighted hair.
Microfiber towels are great allies
What happens is that the fibers of traditional towels are thick and if we rub them against the hair, the cuticle lifts and the hair ends up frizzy, looking dry and dull. And this is where we should talk about microfiber towels, which are precisely perfect for drying our hair.
These types of towels are highly recommended because they are very respectful of the hair, they have a very high moisture absorption capacity and their fibers are very small and soft so they do not damage the hair. According to the expert, “microfiber fibers are thinner than human hair itself. Specifically, 5 times thinner.”
But in addition to the importance of the towel we use, we must also emphasize the way in which we use it. In any case we should avoid rubbing and it is always much better to press directly with the towel to eliminate moisture. Regarding the dryer, we can use it, both to eliminate humidity and to achieve a more polished and frizz-free finish, since with the dryer you can seal the cuticle and reduce frizz. The key is to maintain an adequate distance, approximately 15 cm.
