Do Hair Towels Actually Work? A Stylist's Take

Why we made one with THE GREAT., how I use it, and whether it's worth it.

Of all the questions I get about our hair towel collaboration, the most common is simple: why does a towel matter? After 25 years behind the chair, I can tell you that how you dry your hair shapes how it looks as much as any product you put in it. Here's my perspective.

“How you dry your hair shapes how it looks as much as any product you put in it.”

— Mara Roszak Hairstylist and Founder of ROZ

What are the benefits of a hair towel?

A good hair towel is made from a much lighter-weight fabric that is still highly absorbent. It pulls out excess water while keeping the natural texture of your hair intact. That's the whole point.

A standard terry cloth towel works against you. The fabric is heavier and rougher, so it creates more friction on the hair, which leads to damage and more tangles than necessary. The weight is a problem too. Between the size of the towel and the thickness of the fabric, it pulls down on the individual strands. If you're trying to enhance your natural texture, as so many of my clients are, you lose much of it, either from over-absorbing or from all that weight.

How to use a hair towel

I start in the shower. I comb my hair through while the conditioner is still in, then rinse.

What I do next depends on the plan for my hair.

If I'm trying to dry the hair, removing most of the moisture: I wrap my hair in the towel right away, while it's still soaking wet from the shower. I secure it on top of my head like a turban and leave it for about 30 minutes. When I take it off, there's still some moisture in the hair, which is exactly what you want.

If I'm styling from wet and I want to maintain moisture in the hair: I skip the turban wrap and instead I use the towel to scrunch from the ends up, removing the excess water without taking out too much. This leaves the hair damp/wet enough to take a styling product well without the water dripping everywhere.

“When I take it off, there's still some moisture in the hair, which is exactly what you want.”

— Mara Roszak Hairstylist and Founder of ROZ

Is a hair towel worth it?

Absolutely. You'll see a real difference in the way your hair dries naturally. A smaller, lighter towel is also far more comfortable to wear. Most importantly, you avoid the friction damage a normal terry towel causes, and your hair air-dries far more beautifully because of the towel's light weight.

“It's a small change to your routine that pays off every time you wash.”

— Mara Roszak Hairstylist and Founder of ROZ

Which towel material makes sense for your hair?

This section was added by the RŌZ editors. Choosing a hair drying towel comes down to how the fabric feels, how comfortably it fits, and how much moisture you want left for styling. Here is how four options compare.

How is sweatshirt fabric different from terry cloth?

Cotton describes the fiber, not the surface of the fabric. Standard terry bath towels have a thick, looped pile. The cotton sweatshirt fabric used for our towel is a lighter, smoother knit. That distinction matters more than the word cotton alone: two cotton fabrics can feel quite different against wet hair. RŌZ chose sweatshirt fabric for lighter drying that helps keep natural texture and definition.

How do you choose a towel for your hair type?

• Curly or wavy hair: Look for a soft surface you can use without rubbing. Keep enough moisture for your styling routine rather than aiming for completely dry hair in the wrap.
• Fine hair: Prioritize a lightweight wrap that sits comfortably without pulling. A large bath towel may feel cumbersome even if it absorbs water well.
• Thick or long hair: Check the dimensions. You need room for your lengths without forcing them into a tight wrap.
• Fastest dry: Look for absorbency and enough fabric to hold your hair. Microfiber is a strong option to consider, but a material name alone cannot tell you which towel will dry your hair fastest.

Read how the Sweatshirt Hair Towel came to be.

Sources

• American Academy of Dermatology: 10 hair care habits that can damage your hair — guidance to wrap hair to absorb water rather than rub it, then let it air dry.