A woman at a window with sheer voile curtains looks back over her shoulder and smiles, her long brown hair worn loose

Night hair care: 7 habits to change tonight

The short answer

Go to bed with dry hair, tied loosely with a soft, covered tie such as a silk scrunchie, and rest it on a smooth surface: a silk pillowcase or a bonnet. Detangle from the ends up, finish any hot styling early in the evening, and keep regular trims in the diary.

Half past ten on a Tuesday in October. You washed your hair late, so the nape is still damp. The elastic on your wrist is the thin one that leaves a dent, and you wind it twice, tight, before you lie down on cotton. In the morning, the brush spends ten minutes undoing the night.

None of this is dramatic. It is habit, and habits are easy to change once you see them. Here are seven worth changing tonight. Five are plain hair care, the kind the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends, and two are where silk comes in.

Which seven habits should you change?

Tonight’s habit Change it for Why
Going to bed with wet hair Dry hair, or at least dry roots Damp hair sets in the shape of the pillow
A tight ponytail or bun A loose braid or a loose high ponytail The AAD advises wearing hair loosely pulled back
A thin, tight elastic A soft, covered tie, such as a silk scrunchie The AAD suggests covered bands made for hair
A cotton pillowcase A silk pillowcase or a silk bonnet Hair glides over silk instead of rubbing
Brushing from the roots Detangling from the ends up The AAD says to comb the ends first
Hot tools just before bed Styling earlier, so the style can set Warm hair is still taking its shape
Trims whenever you remember Trims on a regular rhythm Neat ends braid and detangle more easily

How should your hair go to bed?

1. Dry it first

Sleeping on wet hair is the habit most of us already suspect. Damp hair takes the shape of whatever presses on it, so a night on a wet bun turns into a morning of kinks and creases. The AAD also notes that hair is delicate when it is wet.

If you wash in the evening, move it earlier. Wrap your hair in a towel or a T-shirt to absorb the water instead of rubbing it, as the AAD suggests, then let it air-dry. Short on time? Dry the roots and the nape at least, on a low or medium setting.

2. Choose a loose style

A ponytail pulled tight, or a bun wound hard for the night, tugs at the hairline for eight hours and leaves its mark by morning. The AAD’s advice is short: wear hair loosely pulled back, and choose styles that do not pull.

For the night itself, the AAD’s curly hair tips suggest a loose ponytail on top of the head (the “pineapple”) or a loose braid. Both keep the lengths together and off your shoulders. Loose means you can slide a finger under the tie without feeling your scalp pull.

3. Swap the tight elastic for a soft tie

A thin elastic holds by squeezing. A scrunchie holds by gathering: the elastic sits inside a wide band of fabric, so the hold is spread out. The AAD suggests covered bands made especially for styling hair, and a scrunchie is exactly that.

A silk one adds a smooth surface. Wind it once or twice, never so tight that it leaves a line, and pick the size by the volume of hair it has to hold. Our scrunchie size guide compares the M, L and XL, and the Siluxe silk scrunchies come in all three.

What should your hair rest on?

4. Trade the cotton pillowcase for silk

You move in your sleep, and your hair moves with you across the pillow, night after night. Hair glides over silk instead of rubbing, so blowouts last and mornings start with fewer tangles.

There is research behind that sentence. TRI Princeton, an independent institute for hair science, measured lower friction between silk and hair than between cotton and hair. The AAD’s curly hair tips note that satin or silk bonnets or pillowcases “may also reduce friction and preserve your hairstyle”.

There are two ways to bring silk to bed. A silk pillowcase asks nothing of you: it suits short hair, fine hair that flattens under any cover, and nights when nothing stays on your head. A bonnet holds the lengths in place, which suits long hair and restless nights. The Glow is a twist-front turban; put it on from the nape, so it scoops the hair in without pressing the crown. Torn between the two? Read silk pillowcase or bonnet.

How do you detangle and style without undoing the night?

5. Detangle from the ends up

Brushing from the roots drags every knot down towards the ends, where it tightens. The AAD’s method works the other way: comb the ends first, then keep combing higher. On wet hair, it recommends a wide-tooth comb rather than a brush.

Detangle before you tie your hair for the night, so the braid starts smooth. And skip the hundred strokes. “Hair never needs 100 brush strokes a day,” the AAD writes. “That’s a myth.”

6. Finish hot styling early

A flat iron at eleven, then straight to bed, and the style meets the pillow while it is still warm. Warm hair is still taking its shape, so it keeps the one the pillow gives it. If you style with heat in the evening, do it early and let the style set completely before you lie down.

The AAD’s advice on heat holds at any hour: limit blow-drying and flat or curling irons, and use low or medium heat settings. An evening without hot tools is the simplest version.

What keeps the routine working over the months?

7. Keep trims on a rhythm

The ends are the oldest part of your hair, and they meet the pillow, the scrunchie and the comb more than any other part. A regular trim keeps them neat, and neat ends slip into a braid and through a comb more easily. How often depends on your cut and length. Ask your hairdresser to set the rhythm, and book the next appointment before you leave the salon.

Where Siluxe fits

Two of the seven habits are ours: the soft tie and the smooth surface. The other five are plain hair care, and they work whatever you sleep on.

For the tie, the Siluxe silk scrunchies come in M ($11), L ($16) and XL ($20), in 100% mulberry silk, 22 momme. For the surface, the Siluxe silk pillowcase ($99) comes in Standard 50 × 70 cm or Euro 65 × 65 cm, with an envelope closure. If you would rather hold the lengths, the Glow ($58) is our twist-front turban, in Rose gold or Gold. All three are designed in Paris.

Complimentary delivery from $100 on USD orders: a scrunchie with the pillowcase gets you there.

FAQ

Is it bad to sleep with wet hair?

It is worth avoiding. The AAD notes that hair is delicate when it is wet, and damp hair sets in the shape of the pillow. Wash earlier in the evening and let it air-dry, or at least dry the roots and the nape before bed.

Should you sleep with your hair up or down?

Long hair does well loosely up, in a loose braid or a loose high ponytail, as the AAD’s curly hair tips suggest. Short hair can stay down on a silk pillowcase. Whatever the length, nothing should pull at the scalp.

Scrunchie or hair elastic at night?

A scrunchie. The AAD suggests covered bands made especially for styling hair, and a scrunchie is one: it spreads its hold over a wide band of fabric instead of one thin line. Wind it loosely.

Should you brush your hair before bed?

Detangle it gently, from the ends up, then tie it loosely. You do not need a hundred strokes: the AAD calls that a myth. On wet hair, use a wide-tooth comb rather than a brush.

Silk pillowcase or silk bonnet?

A pillowcase if you want nothing on your head, or if your hair is short. A bonnet if your hair is long or you move a lot at night. Both give your hair a smooth surface to rest on.

Sources

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