Last Updated on December 19, 2022 by Gaga
6 easy ways to maintain sleek styles while you slumber
Straight hair isn’t all that easy to come by these days. With all the blow-drying, flat ironing, pressing, and fussing, it’s no wonder why women are ready to pull their hair out at the slightest sight of one frizzy strand. And if it wasn’t hard enough to achieve that pin-straight style during the day after all the blood, sweat, and tears it took to get that sleek look, then how on earth are you supposed to salvage your style for the next day?
Well, you don’t have to worry because we are going to dive into the top five methods of keeping your hair nice and straight while you sleep so that your mane is the last thing on your mind in the morning.
1) It’s All in the Preparation
First things first, getting straight hair to last through the night begins by making sure your hair has been properly straightened, to begin with. Think about this…if you don’t start with the smoothest results possible, then don’t expect silky tresses that will last you until the following morning.
For hair as straight as it can be, invest in a good blow-dryer brush that not only effectively dries your hair, but smooths it at the same time. What an ingenious concept, right?! The best part about this two-in-one magical gadget is that it completely eliminates the cumbersome task of having to use two hands to blow-dry your hair. And the end results are just as fabulous!
Bonus tip: Finish your blow-drying session with cool air to close your hair strand’s cuticles for a glassy, silken effect.
2) Create an Invisible Shield with an Anti-Frizz Serum
If drier temperatures are a straight-haired girl’s best friend, then high humidity must be her worst enemy. Nothing is more frustrating than perfecting that bone-straight, crinkle-free hairstyle just before leaving the house, only to step one foot out the door and feel your locks frizzing up due to all that moisture in the air.
Instead of swearing off the outdoors in the summertime for the rest of your life, there’s a simpler, less dramatic solution to giving your hair a fighting chance in the war against humidity. Using a silicone-based serum will create an invisible barrier between your hair strands and the atmosphere, which will discourage frizz by blocking water molecules from absorbing into your hair shaft, giving you all the freedom to frolic outside, even when the dew point is high.
Bonus tip: Use a good clarifying shampoo to thoroughly remove any buildup caused by the frequent use of products containing silicones.
3) An Idea You Can Wrap Your Head Around
Wrapping your hair around your head and securing it with a satin or silk headscarf is a great way to keep your hair straight. This technique may take a little practice, so you may want to watch a couple of tutorials on YouTube to perfect the method, but once you do, you will marvel at the results.
This method works by using your head like one gigantic roller. Just brush your hair flatly around your head, pinning it down as you go until no hair is left hanging. Finish by tying your hair in a silk or satin scarf to keep everything in place.
Bonus tip: Using a soft, boar-bristle brush will give you smoother results while helping to guide each strand around your head easily.
4) Pineapples Aren’t Just a Tasty Treat
Keeping your hair stretched and straight overnight is as simple as putting it into a pineapple. Just gather all your hair up into a high ponytail and secure it with a scrunchie or a band made of fabric. Keep your hair tie nice and loose, only wrapping it around once to avoid creating dents and creases. Remember, we’re going for ultimate smoothness here.
And to maximize the protection factor, don’t forget to wrap your head in a slippery silk or satin scarf to prevent moisture loss and avoid breakage from the friction caused by harsher fabrics.
5) Use Straightening Shampoo and Conditioner
The process of creating sleek hairstyles actually begins with your shampoo and conditioner. With the right shampoo and conditioner, it is also easier to keep your hair straight after styling. There is a type of hair shampoo advertised as straightening shampoo. These shampoos are not formulated to make hair sleek, but they do make hair more manageable and easier to straighten by using a flatiron. Straightening shampoos have moisturizing, detangling, and smoothening properties. They help smooth out frizz, add shine, and cut your styling time in the morning.
Bonus tip: Use silicone-free smoothing shampoos or make sure to clarify your hair periodically to prevent buildup from silicones that do not dissolve in water.
6) Sleep on a Silk Pillowcase
Cotton pillowcases tend to absorb moisture from the hair and create friction. Increased friction leads to tangles, frizz, and an increased risk of hair breakage. Sleeping on a cotton pillowcase may ruin the sleek finish of your flat-ironed hair, creating bad hair days.
To protect your straight hairstyle while sleeping, you need to replace your cotton pillowcase with a silk one. Silk is especially beneficial for curly hair that has a problem with retaining moisture. Silk doesn’t steal moisture from your hair, nor create friction that makes your hair messy and tangled. Silk helps to retain the freshness of your straight hairstyle overnight, making styling in the morning a lot easier.
Bonus tip: Satin pillowcases provide the same benefits to your hair while they are more affordable than silk ones. You can also consider a bamboo pillowcase as a vegan alternative to a silk one.
Final Thoughts
When you spend a lot of time striving to achieve silky straight tresses, you want those results to last for more than just an afternoon. With some good prep work, helpful styling tools, and effective techniques you can do with ease, you’ll be on your way to having sleek hair for days on end.
Gaga is a blogger and founder of the Softer Hair website. She often says that insomnia is to blame for her first blogging attempts. Being the night owl, she hated the morning alarm. She left her office job and returned to what she loved most - writing.