Sleeping with completely wet hair damages the follicle and causes breakage, so you'll want to blast it with the hairdryer to dry out 70 per cent of your hair, or let it naturally dry till it's just a little damp,” says Sabanayagam. She also advises changing up your bedding if you're planning to sleep with wet hair.
Make sure hair is damp—not soaking wet—before going to bed.
If you can spare a few moments before bed, Shaw says it's a good idea to towel dry—though not for the reason you may think. "Damp hair is definitely better. Wet hair can make your pillow wet and breed mold under the pillowcase," she says.
You can, though we wouldn't necessarily recommend it unless you have curly hair. In the case of curly or textured hair, sleeping with your curls in a microfiber towel (also known as “plopping”) can keep them in place, so they maintain their shape while you snooze.
Many people believe that sleeping with wet hair can increase the risk of developing a cold. However, there is no scientific evidence that wet hair directly causes any type of illness, including the common cold.
Ideally, you want to leave the towel in for at least 10 minutes. When you unravel the hair towel, squeeze your hair gently to remove any leftover water.
“Aggressively drying your hair with a towel results in frizz and tangled hair,” Branch tells Allure. “Rather, dab your hair with an old or unwanted T-shirt for a smooth and absorbent approach, then gently squeeze out the moisture so that your hair is no longer dripping wet.”
Towel-drying your hair is important to help remove water, so hair can dry faster. Yet, the wrong technique can result in extra frizz, tangles, and poufiness. The right ways to air dry hair include gentle drying techniques. It's best to use your towel to squeeze water out from your hair.
Braid your hair before going to sleep. This old trick works every time and is one of the best ways to wear your hair when sleeping. It not only protects your hair – stopping it from tangling and breaking – but also gives you gorgeous beachy waves the next day and cuts down on frizz.
The verdict is in: Sleeping with your hair back is an incredibly effective way to minimize frizz and knots. If you have breakage-prone or easily tangled strands, developing the habit of sleeping with your hair in a bun, ponytail, or braid is one of the easiest stylist-approved tricks you can try.
Having hair wrapped up in a towel allows the towel to gradually absorb the moisture without the rough-housing of rubbing it dry. Less friction on hair (which remember is weaker when it's wet) means less breakage and split ends. Less friction also means less frizz.
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.
What is pineappling hair? The pineapple hair technique, a term coined by the NaturallyCurly community, is a way to protect your curly hair when you sleep. Done correctly, the pineapple hair method creates a beautiful pile of curls on the top of your head, which resembles the shape of—yes, you guessed it—a pineapple.
You risk infection
Goldman warns. “The recurrent heat from your head on the pillow or body on the mattress and sheets, especially if your head is wet — either from bathing before bed or from overnight sweating — can lead to fungal and bacterial growth.”
After washing your hair, most people rub their hair dry to remove excess water, or wrap a towel around the top of their head. This is not the best practice. Instead, gently pat your wet hair with a towel and loosely wrap the towel around your hair keeping it on for several minutes to remove excess water.
Is air-drying bad for your hair? When you air-dry your hair, you maximize the amount of time your hair retains moisture. Although this seems like something that would be good for your hair, it can actually be harmful over time.
So while direct, excessive heat can cause damage to the surface part of the hair strands, air-drying can cause trauma to that inner layer. When the cell membrane complex layer swells, it can weaken the hair over time, explains Dr. Longsworth. It can also cause something called hygral fatigue.
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.
The towel absorbs moisture from your hair and cuts the time it takes to air-dry your hair. This is important because wet hair is extremely fragile, meaning it's a good idea to remove extra water from your hair quickly—but gently.
It's best to leave your hair untied at night. If you're using an overnight product in your hair, first comb it with a wide-tooth comb and tie it in a loose braid. Remember not to use metal or rubber hair ties. Instead, go for a soft, silk scrunchie or headwrap.
Using hair wraps for sleeping, especially in conjunction with an overnight conditioning mask, also helps to reduce dryness. It effortlessly hydrates your strands while you sleep, preventing strain and breakage and leading to a more lustrous, softer appearance when you wake up.
"Never go to bed without tying your hair up (for long hair), as loose hair can tangle. Removing tangles later can cause breakage," says celebrity hairstylist Fallon Toni Chavez. You can wear it in a number of ways, including a low ponytail or loose braid.
Using a large towel to dry your hair can result in damage due to the weight that it places on your hair. As the cotton absorbs the water in your hair, it'll become even heavier than the large towel already is. The weight of the large towel can cause your hair to break.
Surprisingly, drying wet strands with a bath towel can seriously damage the mane. This one mistake can be the cause of major hair problems. Vigorously rubbing your wet hair with a towel can lead to excessive hair breakage and hair fall.