I swear by this $10 hair towel for drying my hair quickly and avoiding damage

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• Drying your hair with a heavy towel or wringing out all of the water can be detrimental to delicate strands. 
• The Turbie Twist ($10) is an easy way to simply and safely towel-dry your hair. Plus, it makes getting ready and drying hair simultaneously a breeze. 
• I've been using this product for years now and I think just about every hair type could benefit from it. 
• See also: This inexpensive towel-like headband keeps my hair dry and out of the way when I'm washing my face or applying masks
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Is it just me, or do movies and television shows have a way of making the act of getting ready seem oddly glamorous? Picture it: girl hops out of shower. In a hurry, she flips over her head and wraps her hair in a giant bath towel. Then, she expertly multitasks, rubbing lotion on her legs, dabbing on foundation and powder, swiping mascara on her lashes, without any slips, all while balancing a giant towel on her head.

In the unabridged version — aka reality — that picture is a little less pretty. Balancing a heavy towel atop your head while simultaneously trying to get dressed and ready for the day is not as easy as it seems. And, frankly, it can strain your neck and your strands, especially if you have fine hair and pull too tight to twist the towel. 

So, how do you get the benefits of towel-dried hair without the annoyance of using a giant towel?

Enter: Turbie Twist. The Turbie Twist is a hooded hair towel with a tapered design and elastic loop that stays secure and keeps your head comfy, all while helping your hair dry faster. 

To use it, just flip your hair over your head, place the Turbie Twist over your hair, twist the end of the towel with your strands inside, and loop the twist into the strong elastic loop on the back side of your head. 

What the Turbie Twist does

Simply put, it dries your hair. Yes, you could use a regular bath towel or ferociously wring all of the water from your locks, but neither of those options are particularly great for your hair. To keep it from breaking, you need to treat your hair gently — and that doesn't mean you need to buy expensive silk wraps or high-end serums. You just need to show your tresses a little extra TLC, and with Turbie Twist, you can do that for just around $10.

Turbie Twist has two options: a cotton towel and a microfiber towel. The cotton towel is made from 100% cotton for a spa-like, plush feel, and starts at $12. The microfiber towel is made with 87% polyester and 13% polyamide, which make for a very absorbent material that's extremely moisture-wicking — it's a little cheaper than the cotton, with prices starting at $9. The microfiber option is a lighter weight than its cotton counterpart, and is recommended over cotton for those with curly hair. Even though they're just hair towels, both twist options come in a range of fun colors and patterns just for fun.

I have very fine, wavy hair, and I've used both the microfiber and cotton Turbie Twists. Personally, I prefer the feel of the cotton. It's a little softer to the touch, which makes for a post-shower experience that feels a bit more luxurious — as much as a $10 towel can feel like a luxury. While both options are lightweight and easy on the neck, the microfiber feels a bit lighter.

I simply wrap my hair into the twist, then go about getting ready without the annoyance of hair in my face and sopping wet strands soaking my clothes. The Turbie Twist is also perfect for post-shower rituals like face masks, since it keeps all of your hair secure and pushed back. How dry your hair ends up depends on how long you keep your hair wrapped up. My thin hair dries pretty fast on its own, but wrapping it up in the Turbie Twist seriously speeds up the process. Instead of quickly running over my hair with a blow dryer, I just leave it wrapped up as I get ready for a similar effect. And, the hands-free drying that this towel provides makes it much easier to multi-task and get ready in the mornings. 

The bottom line

This product is deceptively simple. It's literally just a small towel, but with a few simple tweaks that make it super convenient and effective. I don't even remember when I got my first Turbie Twist, but I feel like I've been using these things forever. At just around $10, the Turbie Twist has earned a permanent spot (or a few spots, to be more precise) on my bathroom shelf. 

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