Sleeping with wet hair is probably one of the worst hair sins I’ve consistently committed my entire life.
I’m a firm believer in showering at night, which means my strands are often soggy when I drift into a slumber.
I’ve known doing so isn’t all that healthy for my locks, but has that stopped me from doing it? Absolutely not. I am forever a lazy girl who, for the most part, like to keep things the way they are.
Now that I am trapped in the house and my usual routine has been entirely shaken up due to the coronavirus, I’ve been trying to adapt to these changes by creating even more change for myself. I can’t fix what’s happening in the world around me, but I can work on myself, so at least there’s that.
In line with that sentiment, I decided to not sleep with wet hair for a week. Here’s how doing so saved my strands!
(via Unsplash)
What My Hair Normally Looks Like
Before I dive into my experience, I wanted to share the type of hair I usually wake up to.
Because I always go to bed wet, it’s often either very frizzy and dry or oily and gunky feeling. There is no in between. Brushing it helps a little, but it doesn’t entirely hide the damage. And that is why I straighten it constantly.
Here’s a quick selfie to showcase my messed up mane.
I thought tossing on a cute little outfit and padded headband would fix everything, but that was not the case.
I promised I brushed my locks, though I did not straighten it. We’re in quarantine, there’s no point.
Anyway, that’s generally the hair I am met with when I wake up. If it doesn’t look like that, it’s much worse. Trust me on that one.
Day One
The first day of not sleeping with wet hair was pretty easy, especially because I took a shower in the late afternoon. This allowed my strands to air dry by the time my head hit the pillow.
Waking up, I immediately felt a difference. My scalp, though still somewhat oily, felt healthier. And my locks were nowhere near as thirsty as they normally are. I always found it odd that I’d go to bed with wet hair, only to be met with thirsty tresses in the morning. Science?
Day Two
Unlike the day before, I took my shower later in the evening—way later. This didn’t leave me with much time to let it air dry, so I decided to blow dry it.
Because I was exhausted and ready to pass out, I cranked up the heat. This left my locks feeling a little bit damaged and dry, so it reflected in the morning.
Still, my scalp felt even more amazing and fresh than the day before.
Day Three
I’ve been making it a point to workout almost every day of quarantine (I know, hold your applause). I prefer doing it mid-morning or early afternoon. The later it gets, the less likely I am to perform a full workout.
All that humble bragging has a point, I promise. Because of this, I’ve been showering in the afternoon. This gives me tresses plenty of time to air dry while I binge Netflix the rest of the day.
When I woke up on the third day, my hair didn’t feel too dry nor too oily. Running my fingers through it felt so, so good. I don’t think I even brushed it, my strands just looked that nice. I guess that must be how Beyoncé feels all the time.
Day Four
Again, I had taken a shower in the late afternoon, so I woke up to the most luscious locks. Just look at them! They’re so silky and full of life.
Once again, my scalp felt healthy. I think sleeping with wet hair really takes a toll on my scalp, because it hasn’t felt this good in forever.
Day four was another stunning hair day, though I was slightly irritated I was in quarantine and no one could see. At least you all can appreciate it now.
Day Five
Day five was probably the best hair day I had during this little experiment. But don’t take my word for it, the proof is in the hair. Seriously, those strands are something else.
I quickly want to note that I hadn’t been using any product in my hair. After washing my tresses, I’d let them air dry. When I woke up, this is what they looked like. I maybe brushed through them once or twice, but that was it.
This truly is the healthiest my damaged hair has ever looked and it felt amazing, too. It was if I had just come back from the salon.
Day Six
All good things must come to an end. On day five, I exercised way later in the evening. This meant that, once again, I would need to blow dry my strands.
Rather than setting it on low heat (which would’ve been the smart thing to do), I had it on full blast. This did a bit of damage to my strands, especially those on my right side (your left, in this photo).
Those locks are about as dry and dehydrated as the Sahara desert. In hindsight, I should’ve put some serum in it to combat the heat, but all I was thinking about was going to bed at that point.
Day Seven
I took a day off from working out, which meant I didn’t need to wash my hair. That helped a bit, though they were still a bit dry from the day before.
I can’t say that my hair didn’t feel silky and smooth though, which was a nice change of pace.
Overall Experience
Not sleeping with wet hair was clearly long overdue for my strands. My hair felt so healthy and fresh every morning I woke up. Not only that, it looked far less dry, dehydrated, and brittle.
Moving forward, I vow to never go to bed with my hair wet ever again. I know that’s easy during quarantine, as I have the liberty of taking a shower whenever I please. When these isolating times pass (which I hope will be soon), I will make it a point to dry my hair before sleeping on it.
That likely means I’ll need to use a blow dryer, though I’ll be sure to use it on a low setting and without high heat. Practicing this habit now will hopefully keep my locks looking as stunning as they did on day five.
Though I only carried this out for a week, I suggest everyone stop going to bed with wet hair. I don’t mean to attack you, but the proof is in the pudding. Imagine how luxurious your strands will feel in the morning when you do so. It’s what you deserve.
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