Do you need a microfibre hair towel? The £10 trick for smoothing frizzy hair

“In order to have high quality hair, you should treat it like an expensive piece of fabric”, the renowned hair colourist Jack Howard once told me. That means: avoid overheating, minimise chemical processes, and to do whatever you can to reduce tugging and stress. He also introduced me to the genius of microfibre hair towels, which you can pick up for under a tenner. I’ve been amazed for years that nobody else seems to have caught on. Until, that is, Google reported that search for microfibre hair towels had rocketed over the past month by 550%. But why do they work?.

Microfibre hair towels were the perfect addition to my routine while I tried to keep my long hair at its best; the idea is for the fine structure of microfibre to absorb excess water from hair, the weave minimising friction which can be damaging and cause static. They also do great work in minimising frizz, from troublesome or troubled hair. I noticed very quickly that the condition of my hair had improved, and I seemed to get fewer breakages, which are what can impede a sleek look. Advocates also talk about the benefits of speedier drying time, and of course that the towels themselves are much more compact than standard issue cotton ones, meaning not only that they fold up small if packing them into, say, a gym bag, but also that when piled above your head, they’re much lighter.

They’re also, I’ve found, incredibly durable, and I bought the Straand one I’ve currently got on the go around five years ago. As to why they’re suddenly piquing interest, my money’s on it being an extension of the healthy hair thing that’s been doing the rounds since Covid, when everyone couldn’t do as much to their hair and so had to leave it to its own devices. In so doing, we collectively realised that healthy, well-nourished hair looked better, and when we could all thankfully go back into salons, stylists noted a return to bouncy blow dries and more desire for pared down colours, like bronde.

Want to give them a whirl? Try one of these:. The one I’ve relied on for years, this microfibre towel is the right size for medium to long(ish) hair, and absorbs lots of water, quickly. This one is aimed at curly hair, correctly identifying that those with curly hair will benefit enormously from having some moisture removed before the drying process begins. If your hair is longer and therefore heavy when wet, this might be the one to opt for; not only is it larger to hold more hair, but it also has an elastic strap to help to secure hair once wrapped within.