“Silk helps negate frizz,” she explains. “Twist your hair in a top knot and wrap it into a bun while going to bed. Use a silk scarf or cloth and tie it like a hairband to make sure your hair does not touch the pillowcase. Once you wake up, flip your hair upside down, gently separate the hair and flip it back up.
Hair is more vulnerable when wet, therefore sleeping with wet hair down may result in damage, split ends, and tangles. It may also cause scalp issues, such as flakes and irritation. If you need to wet your hair at night, at least try and dry it slightly so it's damp—not sopping wet.
Don't put it up in a bun every night
If you're a frequent nighttime showerer, avoid putting your hair up in a bun or ponytail every night. Putting so much pressure on your wet strands is a recipe for disaster, and will cause excessive damage and a lot of broken baby hairs around the front of your face.
It is best to sleep with your hair down if your hair length is short. This also lets the air flow freely through your hair, which makes you sleep more comfortably. On the other hand, if you have long hair, it is recommended to tie your hair loosely to prevent knots and breakage.
Hair is at its most fragile when wet, so if you go to bed with it damp and proceed to toss and turn against a pillow, you run a higher risk of breakage. But aside from being rough on your delicate strands, hitting the pillow with damp hair puts you at risk of developing skin infections, primarily on your scalp.
If you want to braid your hair before going to sleep, it's best to wait until it's at least towel-dry to avoid any possible damage. If you're pressed for time, braid wet hair gently and definitely make sure it's dry or damp by bedtime to avoid damage while you toss and turn.
Use a silk scarf or cloth and tie it like a hairband to make sure your hair does not touch the pillowcase. Once you wake up, flip your hair upside down, gently separate the hair and flip it back up. Resist the urge to brush your hair, as it causes more friction and frizz,” recommends Sabanayagam.
Carme likes to wash hair at night, and let it air-dry while she sleeps. “Remove excess water before using a towel,” she adds, “Flip hair upside-down to encourage air flow before fluffing your hair up into your fingers, and lift the root to speed drying time. You can also go outside to help it dry faster.”
After leaving the shower, start by dabbing off excess water with a microfibre cloth. Avoid rubbing the hair vigorously, as the friction causes the strands to tangle and generate frizz. Then, keep your hair wrapped for 10 to 15 minutes.
Q: How long does hair take to dry? A: It depends upon the length of the hair and the method you are using to dry your hair. If you want to know how long it will take to dry your hair naturally, it will take almost fifteen minutes if you have short hair and two hours if you have long, thick hair.
Hair is most vulnerable to damage when it is wet.
The results documented in the published paper referenced above show that letting hair dry naturally causes the cortex (the thickest layer of hair) to swell and become weaker, as the swelling puts pressure on the delicate proteins that hold hair together.
There's a way around unruly locks, according to the professionals: give your hair a quick blow dry before bed, making sure that it's around 80% dry before hitting the pillow. "Additionally, you can braid or wrap a silk scarf around your hair to keep it from getting tangled while you sleep," Jones adds.
It turns out letting your hair air dry after you've washed it is causing more damage than you think. According to Dr Tim Moore (the Australian Vice President of Smart Devices) leaving your hair wet for extended periods of time is putting excessive pressure on your strands resulting in split ends.
Hot water melts away your natural hair oils, leaving it dry, brittle, and frizzy. Excess heat also lifts your hair cuticles, the outermost layer. When that happens, the cells separate and the cuticle layer can't seal itself—another cause of frizzy hair.
When to wash. Rossi generally tells his patients they should wash their hair once or twice per week. But if you've had chemical treatments that can make your hair drier — such as bleach, perms or relaxers — you might want to wash it less than once weekly to avoid breaking or brittle hair or split ends, he said.
If you prefer to dry your hair while sleeping, a hair towel can eliminate all the friction to ensure that you do not wake up with brittle and frizzy strands.
Avoid Pulling Wet Hair Back into a Ponytail or a Bun
"When you tie your hair back it stretches up to a third of its length causing tension breakage," says Rob. “So make sure it's pretty dry before putting it up.
Yes, you can wet natural hair everyday, and it is actually advised to do so to maintain moisture. Let's be clear though: by wetting your hair, we don't meanwashing it. We simply mean rinsing natural hair either in the shower or spritzing water over your hair.