Sleeping with Freshly Straightened Hair

Sleeping girl with long straight hair wearing satin pajamas
Photo: Tatyana Chaiko/Shutterstock
Q: How can I keep my freshly straightened hair straight while sleeping? I sometimes have it straightened at a salon (they use a flat iron) on Saturday but I can never keep the perfect straight look until Sunday, which is a shame after spending so much money at the salon.
 
A: Because the flat-iron straightening is a “physical” change in the hair, it will revert when it is again exposed to moisture or heat. Both of these elements are commonly created as the head lies against the pillow or other bedding.
 
Furthermore, the hair can be further bent and reshaped by the various attempts to prevent “mussing” a hairstyle (such as nightcaps, pins, clips and tape).
 
Your best bet will be to try and work out a means by which you can allow your hair to be laid as flat as possible while you sleep. Some possibilities include sleeping with your hair arrayed around you on the pillow, so that the upper layers are less “mussed” by sleeping, or perhaps you can use a neck pillow and position yourself so that your hair can hang over the end of the bed. Neither of these is a very good solution, particularly if you have a tendency to toss and turn in your sleep.
 
Your best solution would be to get a flat iron of your own and learn to do “retouches” of the straight styling yourself. You’ll have the benefit that your hair will be mostly straight already, and should be back to the perfect straightness you desire rather quickly.
 
Of course, you’ll want to use a protective product to prevent damage, but you should also be able to get good results with much less heat, and have no need to fear doing the retouch of your style.
 
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See also:
 
Hair straightening
 
How can I protect my hair while I'm sleeping?
 
How do you keep your hair flattened down?
 
Can you sleep with temporary hair color?