How to Dry Your Hair Faster When Getting Ready for Every Wedding Event

The age-old joke of "I can’t, I have to wash my hair" may be a big tease about not wanting to go out, but the truth of the matter is, the entire process of washing and blow-drying your hair is extremely time-consuming. And for those of us with thick, long, or curly locks, you can literally lose an entire day trying to tame the mane on top of your head (trust us, we know firsthand).

What's more, for brides planning to do their own hair for their wedding day, or for those who have several bridal-related events on the horizon, the last thing you want to do is spend hours getting your hair dried and ready for each of your festivities. Is it even possible to cut back on the amount of time it takes to blow out your hair? In short, yes, it is!

Ahead, we spoke to Devin Rahal, a professional hairstylist, on how to dry your hair faster, in order to spend the most time enjoying your special bridal moments. Read on to learn more.

Say Goodbye to Your Traditional Towel

Believe it or not, a paper towel absorbs tons (and we mean tons!) of water from your hair. Plus, blotting your hair between paper towels, versus rubbing or squeezing it with a regular towel, is a much better option for your pre-wedding strands. (However, don’t forget to reuse the towels once they’ve dried.) But if you're really pressed for time for, let's say, your engagement party and a towel is a must, opt for one that doesn't contain cotton, which can tug and break your hair.

Use a Microfiber Towel and Try Plopping

"NuMe makes a really great Microfiber Hair Wrap that helps your hair dry evenly and without frizz," shares Rahal. To use it, all you have to do is wrap your hair up, which will essentially scrunch it down—a process also known as "plopping." What's great about plopping is that it can cut drying time down significantly, and also boost your hair's natural waves if opting for a curly or full-body look.

In a rush and don't have a microfiber towel on hand? Not to worry, Rahal has a few makeshift alternatives. "If you don’t have that, an old T-shirt will do the trick for fine hair, or an old sweatshirt if you have thick hair."

Dry Outside the Bathroom

Another trick? Always leave a misty bathroom when blowing out your tresses. That's because drying your hair in a humid room, where you just showered, is counterintuitive at best. Instead, go to a separate location so you’re not fighting against the dampness in the air when taming your locks.

Use Your Time Wisely

Oftentimes, brides can lose hours trying to blow out their hair by simply using the wrong technique. The solution? "Rough drying should be the way you start all blow-drying." Rahal shares. "You want to focus on the roots, all over the head, flipping and tossing and turning so that you get a lot of body built up at the roots. Then, work from there, as drying the roots will usually help dry the ends in the process. I don’t even introduce a brush to smooth out the hair until the hair is about 80 percent dry."

However, Rahal does note that rough drying requires a bit of technique in order for it to really work. "You don’t want to blow against the grain of how your hair is/how it grows out of your head. You want to wrap and use your scalp as a forming board so that the hair has a nice bend and looks even after the rough dry—it should look a little perfected."

Additionally, trying to dry soaking-wet hair is simply going to take time. Thus, brides should start with hair that has already been air-dried a bit, in order to speed up the blowout process.

Find the Right Products and Tools

Every blowout is only as good as the products you use, so find one designed specifically to cut down on drying time. Rahal recommends using a volumizing shampoo and conditioner, which can speed up the drying process. After that, he recommends going in with Design Me Power Dry. "It speeds up the drying time and leaves your hair soft but full of volume," he says.

As far as tools go, having a powerful blow dryer on hand is crucial. Make sure your hair dryer has at least 1,800 watts because anything less simply isn’t going to do a good enough—or fast enough—job. "NuMe makes a great range of really powerful blow-dryers that will do the trick," Rahal shares.