How to NOT Spend Hours Drying Your Long Hair

A few weeks ago, my hair was very, very long.  No, it wasn't to my butt, I don't think it was even to my shoulders, but it was really long, and it took a very long time to dry.  In fact, by the time I'd got my hair 98% dry and reached the point where I wanted to give up, my body was all sweaty again after spending so much time around my hair dryer's heat!

Out of necessity, I had to find a different option, and I've actually been able to collect a few ways to make thing better!  All of these are anecdotal solutions, and I know everyone's hair is different, but maybe these will work for you like they worked for me.

photo by Morgan Sessions via Unsplash

#1 Get a trim.

My raggedy ends held onto the water much longer than my clean ends after I got a haircut.  In fact, every time I've gotten a haircut, it seems my hair takes less time to dry than it took before.

#2 Get a hair dryer that works well with your hair.

When I was in the thick of my long hair, two weeks before my hair cut appointment was scheduled, my hair dryer blitzed out on me and I had to buy a new one.  I rushed to Ross and choosing between the two options available in their beauty section, and I ended up scoring a boss hair dryer!  The Pro Beauty Tools hair dryer I got comes with a great diffuser and a directional attachment, as well.  These both work great and actually do a much better and faster job than my previous dryer.

#3 Use the diffuser and dry your hair properly.

Instead of blasting my hair with the hair dryer for a half hour I've found that using the diffuser and even hanging my head upside down to allow a bit more airflow in helps my hair get dry a lot faster than just focusing in on one area.  Then, drying your hair in sections gives you a lot more control, and it allows the heat to be concentrated on one section at a time instead of heating up your whole head.  Check out The Beauty Department's great tutorial for blow drying basics.

#4 Don't let your hair sit wet for a long time.

Okay, I admit that I don't know how to explain this one, but I've found that my hair takes significantly less time to dry if I've done one of the following:

• Saved washing my hair for the last step in my shower (which I don't often do because it's important to then make sure your back is clean after washing your hair)
• Only washed my hair (not my body) in the shower or the tub (usually with my head hanging right by the faucet)
• Washed my hair in the sink

For some reason, my hair just doesn't get as soaked, so there's just not as much water that needs to be dried away.

#5 Use dry shampoo.

I am a complete believe in this stuff, and I completely prefer this homemade recipe.  It saves so much time, it adds in so much texture, and the DIY version I use is so cheap!  It's pretty much a miracle worker/life saver/magic maker when it comes to hair.

#6 Accept your hair's natural beauty.

My biggest time saver comes from the days when I'm happy to let me hair do it's own thing.  Sometimes I'll twist it up in a couple buns, let it air dry over night, then play with it a bit before heading out in the morning.  Sometimes I'll dry it until it's about 85% finished, give it a brush, then let it air dry.  Sometimes I'll just get it out of the way with a ponytail holder and some pins.  In the end, knowing more about how my hair reacts to different situations and allowing it to be itself instead of insisting on taming it to do my wishes has been healthy for me.  It's also been healthy for my hair!  Due to this new change in my hygiene/beauty lifestyle, my hair sees a lot less heat damage, which means it maintains the gloss and gleam I get right after a fresh haircut.

Do you have any other tips or tricks for dealing with long hair?  Let us know in the comments below!

P.s.  If you already have a lot of damage going on with your hair, my sister and I tried out this argan oil mask and found some great results.