The correct way to sleep with wet hair (2023)

If you shower at night, you've probably woken up with tangled, frizzy, and brittle hair. Not to mention the funniest Bedhead case. And don't we all know the old story that going to bed with wet hair will wake you up with a cold? Although there is no proof that you cancatch a coldSleeping with wet hair affects the health of your scalp and hair strands. The main reason is that the structural integrity of the hair is weakened when it is wet. Cuticles naturally lift when wet, making hair more vulnerable and prone to breakage.

There are also scalp problems associated with sleeping with wet hair, such as unwanted bacteria, fungal infections, skin irritation, itchiness, dryness, redness, and dandruff. If you're not ready to give up your nightly shower routine, you've come to the right place. There's a right way to sleep with wet hair for every hair type, and we'll break it down below.

One of the easiest ways to limit the number of hours you sleep on wet hair is to wash your hair less frequently. How often you shampoo your hair is a personal decision influenced by your scalp, hair type, and lifestyle.

While you sleep, you lose water while excreting toxins through sweat on your scalp. Your sebaceous glands, which are mainly concentrated on the scalp, continue to produce and secrete sebum while skin cells continue to be shed during sleep. This makes your pillowcase a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. If you sleep on this pillowcase with wet hair night after night, bacteria and fungus can transfer back to your scalp and cause an infection.

• apply acurl preparation creamfrom the middle of the hair to the ends (your scalp produces natural oil so you don't need to moisturize the roots). This acts as a detangling and conditioning treatment.
• Use acurl creamfrom roots to ends to keep your curls defined and not weighed down while you sleep.
• Give your hair the shape of a pineapple by pulling it up into a high ponytail and pulling a headband over the base. Keep it loose enough to hold your hair without tension.
• In the morning, let your hair down and use a curl conditioner and blow dry with a diffuser to shape your curls.

• apply acurl foamon your damp hair from roots to ends. Divide your hair into two sections and gently twist them. Secure the ends of the twists with elastics and allow your hair to dry overnight.
• Or you can wrap your loose hair in a silk scarf to allow your hair and scalp to breathe. Using silk allows your scalp to breathe, which is important for the health of your hair.
• In the morning, remove the scarf or elastics from your braid and gently shake your hair to loosen up your natural curls.
• ends with adry wax.

• To wake up with straight hair, combHair treatment with amino acidsthrough damp hair with a boar bristle brush. The dense bristles distribute the product evenly through your locks, leaving you with shiny, frizz-free and manageable hair. Brush again in the morning, flip your hair upside down, and when your hair falls into place, add a few drops of hairspray naturally.
• To wake up with waves, apply a curling mousse to your hair from roots to ends before French braiding. Secure the end with a hair tie about two inches from your ends for a more natural looking wave. When you wake up, untie your braid and run your fingers or a wide-tooth comb through your locks. Rub a dry shampoo into the roots to give it more strength. Check out our previous post for the best dry shampoo tips.how to use dry shampoo.

• apply for oneRostrum Anti-Frizzto detangle, fight frizz and protect hair without weighing it down. Twist your hair into a bun and wrap it in a bun when you go to bed.
• Wear a silk scarf and tie it into a headband to make sure your hair doesn't touch the pillowcase.
• In the morning, let your hair down and twist it upside down and from side to side. Resist the urge to brush, as this will create more friction and frizz.
• ends with ahairspray.

von Jaclyn LaBadia, featured collaborator

Photos by @goldandglowco