The experts consulted for this story do not necessarily endorse the products ahead unless otherwise noted.
For people with long or high-maintenance hair, few activities are more harrowing than washing. When it comes time to cleanse my thick, waist-length hair, I find myself procrastinating for as long as I can, dreading the labor that will go into washing, drying and styling. The most arduous portion of the task — the drying process — is also the one that can inflict the most damage on hair. Luckily, I came across a reviewer-beloved microfiber hair towel that not only shortens drying time, but can help improve the overall health of your hair.
“Heat styling damages hair because high temperatures can structurally and chemically alter the fiber of the hair strand,” said Arey founder and trichologist Jay Small. He added, “When hot tools exceed 356 [degrees], the permanent keratin proteins inside the cortex begin to melt, causing the hair to lose its natural elasticity, strength and ability to hold a style.”
A microfiber towel like this one, however, could be a better alternative to heat styling, based on an explanation that Small offered. “[M]icrofiber towels are woven with incredibly fine, split fibers that create a completely smooth surface, allowing the fabric to glide over wet hair without catching or roughing up the cuticle,” he noted, adding that because microfiber is highly absorbent, it naturally draws water out of the hair strand, which can reduce the overall mechanical drying time and the amount of heat styling required.
