Tips on child drying hair after school swimming (prep age)

[FlorenceCraye]

Would anyone have good tips on how a child with long hair (prep school age) can quickly dry their hair themselves after swimming lessons at school?

Aim is to minimise sickness and days off school that may be caused by spending the remainder of the day with wet hair in cold temperatures.

Any tips, including special towels, techniques or tools greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

It won't make her ill, but her head and ears will be very cold outside in winter if her hair is wet. She just needs a good warm hat, get her one with fleece inside, wool outside and big ear flaps. Sorted.

Also recommend a micro fibre towel/head wrap.

Maybe work on their immune system because most children won't get poorly from wet hair. A towel dry then hair up in a bobble should be sufficient.

Thank you so much for the microfiber towel suggestions! Any suggestions of specific brand that works would be very appreciated.
( I have tried them in time-saving hack context few years back and did not find the right one. )

Unfortunately only school swim cap allowed, so no wiggle room there. As a former competitive swimmer, I have not found them effective for keeping hair dry, though can well imagine there are some out there by now what may do this, but alas.

Woolly hat not allowed as child goes back into classes.

Also unfortunately, wet hair in cold temperatures compromises immune system both per scientific studies and per practical experience (PM for details if you find it of interest). As result makes it much more likely that a virus/ bacteria/ pathogen takes hold rather than being fought off by immune system, as it would be without the the weakening of the system

Oh good God. Get a grip woman, it's just wet hair.

So this dangerously cold temperature is in her classroom? I’d be addressing that if I were you!

Decathlon do hair wraps. Honestly though, I’d just teach her to sling it up in a top knot while damp and leave it. The bits near the scalp will dry fast enough and the damp top knot won’t act like a lighthouse for passing germs.

Sellotape around the edge of the useless school swimming hat to form a seal?

Woolly hat not allowed as child goes back into classes

Seriously, wet hair indoors is not an issue. It's only going to be particularly cold when outside, for which she needs a warm hat. Being in a classroom with wet hair is not a problem.

I'd send her in with a proper waterproof swim cap and a letter explaining why. There are plenty of very effective watertight swim caps on the market.

Or give she school one another go but work on technique, I see a lot of kids not wearing them correctly or in the right size.

I have 2 DDs with long/very long thick hair. We find the best method (which was recommended to us) is to twist it up in to a bun before school and secure it there. If you're lucky it might stay dry, depending on how well the swim cap is put on. However, if it does get wet it having it in a bun means any dripping is very much reduced. If you have it in a plait or a pony tail and the hair is wet DC will end up with a soaking wet back and be cold and miserable for the rest of the day (speaking from my own experience!). I also recommend a turban type hair wrap (I just bought one from Amazon/Ebay) to get rid of excess water on the way back to school.

Just realised this was from September last year - oops! Makes a change from Coronavirus, I guess...

DS doesn’t have long hair but it is incredibly thick and like a bear pelt.

He was swimming 4 times a week at one point and I found the best thing was - towel dry as much as you can then slip on a thick hat! Hairdryers are usually rotten in changing rooms.

I’ve seen little towelling wraps that have a bit button on the front that some kids wear (I tried one on DS but he point blank refused to wear it but his cousins wore them!)