Air-drying is not bad for your skin! There's no reason you would need to towel off after getting wet, other than the water may get on your clothes or make you a little colder. And as we've covered, air-drying can actually have benefits, so the answer is really quite the opposite!
"Rubbing can lead to skin irritation and inflammation, so as long as you are using a clean towel, you always want to gently pat." Aside from the annoyance of a dripping-wet face, Zeichner attests that there's actually no real problem with air-drying.
Pat your skin dry.
Aggressively rubbing your body with a towel can cause friction and irritation to your skin. Dry skin can flake off and patches of dry skin can spread. Instead, pat or blot your skin gently. Start at the top of your body and work your way down to your toes.
Do I have to dry myself after a shower? The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that you should “blot your skin gently dry with a towel” because rubbing your skin down can lead to dry or flaky skin. That means no furious drying after a shower.
She adds, “Vigorous towel-drying the body after the shower is done can cause irritation to the skin and damage the skin barrier, if done frequently. As a rule of thumb, always ensure that you gently pat the skin dry with a soft cotton towel and apply a moisturiser to seal in the moisture after a bath.”
· Pat yourself Dry & Moisturize
Now that you have taken a hearty shower, the next step is to dry your body without losing moisture. This doesn't mean that you rub yourself with a towel, as the action can cause irritation and itchiness. Instead, pat yourself dry leaving your skin a little damp.
Once you finish washing your hair, gently squeeze out excess water, starting from the scalp and moving towards the ends. Your hair will still be damp, but it shouldn't be dripping wet. Next, gather a section of your hair and gently blot it with a towel. The trick is never to rub your hair, instead gently squeeze it.
After your shower or bath, hang your towel across a bar or shower rod so it can dry fully. This will help prevent bacterial growth and extend the time between washes. Avoid using hooks, which can cause moisture to get trapped within the fabric's folds.
LPT: Waiting 30-60 seconds to dry off after you turn off your shower significantly decreases the volume of water soaked up by your towel, thus your towel will need less time to dry by its next use.
“Air drying versus blow-drying is much better for all hair types.” Less damage is a key reason for that. "Every time you use heat on your hair, it expands the cuticle, which agitates the outer layer of hair," Odisho says.
Keep in mind that showering twice a day or frequently taking hot or long showers can strip your skin of important oils. This can lead to dry, itchy skin. Skipping showers for long periods of time can also cause issues including infections, acne, and dermatitis neglecta.
FACT: Using a traditional towel to dry your soaking hair is the worst thing ever. The coarse texture and dryness of a cotton or towel can cause damage to the hair. Wait what! Yep it's true, cotton towels can worsen split ends and cause small craters along the hair shaft, weakening the hair and creating frizz.
To air-dry towels, lay them flat on a drying rack inside or hang them outdoors on a clothesline. Air-drying towels may leave them feeling a little stiff but tossing them in the dryer for a quick 'no heat' fluff can soften them up a bit.
Ever forget to hang up a wet towel only to find it invaded by fuzzy green mold or mildew? Damp towels make the perfect environment for mold to grow especially when left in a dark location for extended periods of time.
First, let your hair dry naturally, about 70-80% of the way dry. Then, with your dryer on the coolest setting (don't touch that hot setting!), blow your hair dry, keeping the dryer about 6-inches away from hair at all times and moving it around continuously. Voilà: gorgeous, healthy hair, without the heat.
“Humans tend to perspire at night,” Dr. Goldenberg said. “When you wake up in the morning, there's all this sweat and bacteria from the sheets that's just kind of sitting there on your skin.” So take a quick shower in the morning, he said, “to wash all of that gunk and sweat off that you've been sleeping in all night.”
Many doctors say a daily shower is fine for most people. (More than that could start to cause skin problems.) But for many people, two to three times a week is enough and may be even better to maintain good health.
Most evidence seems to indicate that taking a shower one to two hours before bedtime gives the body enough time to reach the right temperature for sleep.
Dr. James says any time there's an increased presence of moisture (like when you're not fully dry after a shower) can create a potential breeding ground that's favorable to yeast.
The Dangers of Improper Drying. Towel drying your hair with a regular towel can cause your hair to experience major frizzing and even splitting. When your hair is wet, it's in its most fragile state. It's essential that you treat it delicately while drying it for this very reason.
Warm, damp towels are an ideal environment for microbial growth, including bacteria, mold and yeast.
The main reason is that they wash their towels in hot water 40-50c with commercial detergent and no fabric softener. Fabric softener can really reduce the absorbency of your towels,which leave a waxy residue on towels, for example. Also, cotton gets more absorbent with use, and hotel towels are well-used.
Having hair wrapped up in a towel allows the towel to gradually absorb the moisture without the rough-housing of rubbing it dry. Less friction on hair (which remember is weaker when it's wet) means less breakage and split ends. Less friction also means less frizz.