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10 Great Benefits of Microfiber Towels for Curly Hair

So, what’s the big deal about microfiber towels for curly hair?

Well, when microfibers burst onto the scene a few decades ago, they were mostly touted as super-soft, super-absorbent cleaning cloths for delicate items. Nowadays, microfiber materials are used to make a range of things – from car interiors to mops, tablecloths to clothes and, of course, hair towels.

Read on to discover why microfiber towels are so good at what they do. Find out why you should be ditching your regular terry cloth towel and enjoying the benefits of microfiber towels for curly hair instead.

What are microfiber towels made of?

Microfiber is a synthetic material made up of superfine threads. The microfibers in a microfiber towel are most often made from a blend of polyester and polyamides (usually nylon).

Each of the fibers making up the material is thinner than a silk thread. To help you put it into perspective: consider that a silk thread is about 5 times thinner than a strand of hair.

This extreme thinness, along with how closely woven the fabric is, allows a microfiber towel to pack tens of thousands of fibers per square inch. This helps to give a microfiber towel its super absorbency so it wicks away excess water quickly.

Are cotton terry cloth towels bad for hair?

If you take a good look at a cotton terry cloth towel, you will see that it has relatively long loops of thread sticking out of it. These loops give the towel a greater surface area for absorbing more water. The problem with that is those same loops can snag and tug on your hair. This leads to damage in the form of split ends and breakage.

What’s more, terry towels:

• Tend to be coarser than microfiber ones and so are harsher on your hair.
• Can be too drying, removing too much moisture from your curls.
• Are heavier and bulkier than microfiber towels. These two factors can lead to neck pain, as well as to a thinning hairline from breakage.

 Benefits of microfiber towels for curly hair

Water causes the cuticle (outer layer) of your strands to swell and open up. This makes the strands more prone to damage, so the sooner you get excess water out of your hair, the better. It’s also better for your strands while they are in this fragile state if you avoid roughing them up as you dry your hair.

Microfiber towels can help with that. Here are 10 benefits of microfiber towels for curly hair.

1.      They are very water-wicking.

This means they actively draw in water. This ability lets a microfiber towel pull water from throughout your hair, not just the surface strands it makes contact with.

2.      They don’t leave your hair too dry.

Just as how hair that’s too wet is a problem, hair that’s too dry has its issues, too. Microfiber towels absorb EXCESS water from wet hair. They won’t leave it completely dry and thirsting for moisture. This gives you better control over the amount of product you add to your hair. It also makes it easier to style your hair after washing – in an awesome wash and go, for example.

3.      They reduce blow-drying time.

With most of the water already out of your hair, you can expect to see your blow-drying time dramatically reduced. This cuts the time your hair is exposed to direct heat and the damage it can cause. Plus, since your hair will be left mostly dry by the towel, you may be more inclined to air dry it the rest of the way without worrying about hygral fatigue.

Want tips on how to correctly blow dry curly hair? Read How to Use a Blow Dryer (the Right Way!) to Dry Curly Hair – 10 Tips

4.      They require no rubbing, wringing, or patting.

Rubbing your wet hair with a towel is a BIG no-no. it’s just as bad as using a towel to wring water from your hair. That’s why if you have to use a cotton terry cloth towel to dry your curly tresses, patting is a safer move.

With microfiber towels, however, no rubbing or patting is needed –  just time. The towel will wick away water on its own. It reduces the chances of damage and helps to preserve your curl pattern, too, a major plus!

5.      They are soft and gentle on hair.

Microfiber towels are quite soft thanks to the way the super-fine fibers make up the fabric. It’s another of the benefits of microfiber towels for curly hair. A microfiber towel doesn’t just feel plush in your hands – it’s also very plush and gentle on your curls. This softness creates less friction on strands even if the towel is used to rub hair.

6.      They reduce frizz.

So, take away the rubbing, the friction, and the excess drying, and what do you have left? Less frizziness, of course! That is sooo welcomed when styling curly hair. After all, keeping frizziness at bay is why frizz control products are so popular. Thanks to microfiber towels for curly hair, however, you’ll be using much, much less of your frizz control products.

7.      They reduce breakage.

Curls, coils, and kinks hide the true length of your hair. It’s why length retention is such a big deal for many in the natural hair community. Microfiber towels lend a hand to the cause. They reduce breakage by eliminating the need to rub, wring, or excessively blow dry your textured hair.

8.      They are lightweight.

Microfiber towels are noted for how much lighter they are than regular cotton terry cloth towels. You can easily turn a large microfiber towel into a comfortable head wrap or turban. It won’t put undue strain on your neck or on your strands.

9.      They are practically lint-free.

Terry cloth towels tend to leave lint in your hair – yuck! And, don’t get us started on the volume of lint they leave in the dryer filter! Microfiber towels won’t do either of these things because of the material that makes them and how closely woven the fibers are.

10.  They are inexpensive and durable.

Microfiber towels are a budget-friendly option. This benefit of microfiber towels for curly hair is greatly multiplied when you consider how durable and reusable they are. Your microfiber turban or towel can withstand over 500 rounds in your washer and dryer!

Need to find the best microfiber towels for curly hair? We’ve got you covered! Click here to check out our top 10 picks.

Do you use a microfiber towel? What’s your favorite thing about it? Share!