A good or bad hair day can actually start the night before. Despite its hardy appearance, curly hair is so delicate and fragile that how you wear your hair while you sleep has an impact on how it will look the next day. Here’s how to wake up with curls that are as pretty as they were when you went to sleep.
Second Day Hair in a Cinch
- Choose the right pillowcase. If you tend to move around a lot while you snooze, then swap your cotton pillowcase for one that is silk or satin. “Tossing and turning in bed causes a lot of friction and can cause split ends and knots,” explains Lorraine Massey, author of “Curly Girl: The Handbook.” These fabrics create less friction keeping hair smooth.
- Sleep on your back. If you always sleep on one side, you can cause the hair on that side to break off and get weaker. Try to snooze on your back with a pillow under your neck and another under your knees, which is good for your back and your curls.
- Make a top knot. Leaving your hair down and loose can cause it to get tangled, knotty and eventually break. Avoid this by leaning your head forward and then gathering your hair into a ponytail on top of your head. Secure it with a fabric-covered ponytail holder or ribbon. An elastic or rubber band can rip, tear or tangle hair. Sleeping this way also reduces friction with hair rubbing against your pillow case and reduces tangles.
- Treat it right in the a.m. Take your hair out of the top knot and shake it out gently. Then spray hair with a lavender spray and gently shuffle hair at the roots. No lavender spray? Do the same with wet fingers or spritz hair with water. Then let hair settle a bit before you take a second look. Apply a dab of leave-in conditioner or cream conditioner to stray curls and gently scrunch. Or you can revive any stretched out curls by wrapping them around your finger and securing them with a clip for a minute or two. Smooth any top-of-the-hair frizz with a bit of alcohol-free, silicone-free gel.
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