Wrapping your hair up in a protective cap helps to extend the life of protective hairstyles, fight frizz, and retain moisture while you get your zzzzs in. Sleeping without one can dry your hair out, cause breakage, and force you to buy even more hydrating shampoos and moisturizing conditioners to reverse the damage.
If you typically forget your bonnet at bedtime, opt for a satin pillowcase. Friction from cotton or linen pillowcases rob your hair of moisture, leaving it dry and frizzy. On the other hand, satin pillowcases eliminate friction, enabling your hair to combat frizz and retain moisture.
"Do not sleep with head scarves or bonnets that are tied too tight or rub against the hairline because this can cause hair breakage and hair loss," she shares.
While anyone can wear a hair bonnet, they're most often used to protect and strengthen those with curly, coily, or fine hair.
If you're looking to protect your natural hairstyle, silk and satin hair caps for sleeping are a staple to have in your arsenal. Sleep caps reduce friction between your hair and pillow while you sleep, which keeps curls defined and hydrated, protects hair from split ends and shields against frizz.
All hair types can benefit from this practice, whether you have tight curls or fine, straight hair. A nighttime bonnet can be useful to anyone, but there are a few universal rules you should follow, and there may be some differences in how you should wear it, depending on your goals and hair type.
Wearing a bonnet helps prevent friction while you sleep at night, therefore reducing the amount of frizz you wake up with. Having your hair protected alleviates stress and helps to prevent split ends.
Because it helps your hair retain moisture, hair bonnets keep it hydrated and minimize frizz. Less friction can also prevent tangling, and even help with hair loss, though this will also depend on whether there are other underlying conditions causing it.
Not to be dramatic, but hair bonnets are as essential and necessary as oxygen. Wrapping your hair up in one helps to extend the life of hairstyles, prevent frizz, and retain moisture while you get your Zzzz in. Sleeping without one can dry your hair out or cause breakage and other hair woes.
A hair scarf or bonnet is only an option for wet hair when it's damp, meaning your hair should be at least 70 percent dry (the more dry your hair is, the better). The reason is that if you wrap wet hair, it's vulnerable, it's not going to fully dry and it's going to affect your natural texture.
A sleeping hat or cap won't help your hair grow, but it will prevent it from breaking, allowing it to grow longer. So, do bonnets help hair grow? No, not directly.
If your bonnet is too tight, your curls could be smushed against your scalp and become mis-shaped. If it's too big, your curls will fall and not be held up on top of your head. It can also slide off when sleeping if it's not snug enough against your hairline.
Silk tends to be a moisture-wicking textile, which may put your pattern at risk of waking up thirsty. Satin, in contrast, is a minimally-absorbent fabric, which means it won't suck the natural moisture from your curls or soak in any product you're wearing to bed.
Use a scrunchie or tie made of silk or satin, instead. If you have unruly hair, style in a loose braid tied with a silk scrunchie before bed. Not only will the silk scrunchie prevent friction and subsequent breakage from affecting your strands, but it also likely won't create ridges in your hair after it's removed.
If you don't have a satin bonnet on hand, wrapping your curls in a satin or silk scarf will do the trick as well.
To Keep Your Hair Dry
I've started using my own t-shirt headscarf as a shower cap of sorts to keep my hair dry. I just wrap my hair up before getting in the shower and it helps keep my hair protected from the water (as long as I don't stick my head directly under the shower head.)
You could also wear a silk bonnet nightly. It cocoons hair to encourage your natural oils to be spread evenly along your entire hair shaft, balancing greasy roots and dry tips. Oils are no longer concentrated at the roots, so you have far fewer greasy hair days!
What is most interesting is that the main use of the bonnet is to keep Black hair from tangling during a night of sleep, or just preserving a hairstyle until you're ready to take it off.
If you have curly hair, a nighttime headscarf or hair bonnet is a must-have in your bathroom or on your nightstand. Look for a silk or satin scarf or bonnet, which—as we mentioned earlier—will be the most gentle and cause the least friction.
The combination of heat and friction can block your skin's hair follicles, causing a specific type of acne breakout called acne mechanica. Fortunately, this is an easy fix. Stop wearing your hat for a couple of weeks and see if your forehead acne clears.
Yes, you can. If you're too lazy to blow-dry your hair before sleeping, a silk bonnet will protect your hair from friction and reduce frizz. However, it isn't as comfortable as a pillow, especially on hot days.
Sleeping with a satin cap means no more split ends. It protects your hair from the dryness caused by friction between your hair and moisture-absorbing materials such as cotton. This also helps to greatly reduce breakage, tangles and thinning. If you have curly or wavy hair, you know that sleep can cause a serious mess!
Incorporating a satin bonnet into your nighttime routine can be a game-changer for those seeking to prevent acne and achieve healthier skin. By safeguarding your skin from hair friction and keeping your pillowcase clean, satin bonnets offer a simple yet effective solution.
The answer to this question is an unequivocal, resounding YES! There is no one specific hairstyle or texture that a bonnet should be reserved for. If you have straight Caucasian hair and have been wanting to try out a bonnet, then go right ahead—you have the perfect hair type and texture for it!
CONS: Tangles. Because your hair is loose it can get tangled throughout the night, especially if your hair is long. Not as comfortable: Satin's smooth glossy surface may look luxurious, but it isn't as comfy as cotton.