[bdelanghe (OP)]

Assuming I decide not to towel off after my shower will I dry off quicker after a cold shower or a hot one?

At first I assumed after a hot shower I would dry off faster, since the water molecules would be more excited. But from experience I always seem to dry faster after a cold one.

Any idea's why this might be the case?

[John Chapman]

Can I ask where you are when you are drying off?

One thought that occurs to me is that if you step out of a steamy shower into the bathroom to naturally dry of while you brush your teeth, etc, then the ambient temperature and, more significantly, moisture content of the air in the bathroom would be influential. A hot shower will leave the bathroom full of warm, moisture-saturated air which will resist drying. As the air cools down the water vapour would condense and may actually make you more damp.

There could be many other variables. When it is warm enough for you to have a cool shower is it warm enough to shower with the window open? Or do you have the central heating on when a hot is needed, thus warming the air and enabling it to hold more vapour and so assist drying. We need more details, I think.

[alpha]

Finishing with a cold shower will close your pores, and you will dry off quicker.

[myself]

A cold shower.  You will grab a towel and work as fast as possible to get warm.

[Madidus_Scientia]

But from experience I always seem to dry faster after a cold one.

If you're having a cold shower, it might be that the ambient temperature is hotter, aiding evaporation. And you might even have fans going as well. If you're having a hotter shower, it might be cooler weather, probably without any fans on.