So you just left the salon, and your stylist gave you a whole care routine for your perm. You know not to wash it for the next few days, but what should you do before going to sleep?
If you have a feeling you’ll wake up to frizz if you go to sleep as-is, you’re right. Read on to see what you should do.
How to Sleep With A Perm
There are a few things you can do while sleeping to boost your curls, or at least not to ruin your perm when you first get home. Having a perm is not like having straight hair. So try these tips.
How to Sleep with Permed Hair in the First 48 Hours
Caring for your hair during the first 48 hours is a little different from the steps you’ll take after that time period:
- Don’t sleep directly on cotton. You can go back to snoozing on your comfortable pillowcase once the 48 hours are over. For now, use a satin sleep bonnet, silk scarf, or silk pillowcase to protect your hair from cotton linen. Cotton can dry out your hair too much during this critical period, and your hair might frizz uncontrollably.
- Try sleeping on your stomach or side. If you sleep on your back, more of your hair becomes subject to flattening — which leads us to the next point.
- Pineapple your hair. When you pineapple, you pull all your hair to the crown of your head loosely and wrap the sides with a silk scarf. This is the best method to preserve your curls from getting flat. But it can only be done if you have the length for it.
How to Sleep With Permed Hair After 48 Hours
If you pineapple your hair after 48 hours, your curls will be extra lovely in the morning. But you can ditch the silk pillowcase and go back to sleeping as you like. Here are a few other tips:
- Braid your hair at night. If you braid your hair before bed, you’ll have perfectly soft curls in the morning.
- Use a leave-in conditioner. Before you braid, you can help lock in your curls for the next day if you use a leave-in conditioner. The spray kind works well because it’s a really easy application. You can also lightly rake a curl cream through your hair if you wish. Whichever you choose, apply it to dry hair.
- Try a high bun. A high bun is something like a pineapple, but the ends are tucked. You don’t need a silk scarf with this one, but it certainly won’t hurt. Use your leave-in conditioner right before tying your bun loosely at the top of your head.
Sleeping With a Perm – Do’s and Don’ts
Any questions on sleeping and waking up with a perm? Check out our do’s and don’ts list below:
- Don’t wash your hair at night. Sleeping on wet, permed hair can cause a lot of tangles.
- Do make sure your hair dries before bedtime. If you wash your hair in the afternoon, squeeze the water from it with a microfiber towel. Then sit in a ventilated area so your hair will dry before bed.
- Don’t brush before bed. Actually, don’t brush your hair at all. It will cause a lot of frizz. Instead, rake your hair with your fingers to release tangles.
- Do scrunch your curls in the morning. No matter how hard you try sleeping and curls, just don’t get along. If they are a little flat in the morning, scrunch them to bring them back to life.
- Do plop your hair in the morning. Another technique to make your curls bouncy again is to plop. Spray your hair with water or a leave-in conditioner so that it’s slightly damp. Using a t-shirt, hold your head upside down and lay your hair in it accordion style. Wrap the t-shirt and leave it on your head for 15 minutes. When you release your hair, your curls will be defined and full of volume.
And that’s it! See? It’s not nearly as difficult as you thought it would be. It just takes a few quick adjustments to your daily routine to sleep with perm curls and wake up with lovely, cascading hair.
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