Slept-On Hair Frizzes No Matter What I Try....

[danniro]

Because I have an 8am class I've not been showering before school, instead waiting until afternoon or evening. However, it seems even if I wake up and my hair looks nice, once I've arrived at school the curls have been pulled out to frizzy waves. I've tried a mousse, which works until I scrunch out the crunchiness, then my hair frizzes. I also tried add leave in, and mousse + leave in.

My current routine when I shower is:

1) gentle shampoo (or not so gentle dandruff shampoo, ugh) when needed, not more than every second day
2) silicone free conditioner, liberally, all over head unless I'm pushing 4 days without washing, then I avoid the top of my head
3) After my shower with dripping wet hair I disperse leave in throughout, the amount varies by how recently I washed
4) then I scrunch in gel, use end of towel to squeeze out extra water
5) Plop
6) let air dry

My gel works pretty well when I haven't slept on my hair. And like I said, some days I wake up and my hair looks great. But I've always had this issue where I might leave the house with great (dry, as in no longer wet from shower) hair, but it very quickly frizzes out. I have tried showering before bed and sleeping with my hair plopped, however this makes my roots flats and often puts odd dents in my hair. I don't like braiding because it makes my hair look crimped and I lose what little volume I normally have. I wonder if maybe it's just what happens when my kind of hair is at this length (mid back), my mom always told me that "our" hair looked better short. However she may have just wanted me to be her twin. But my hair does seem to a) get caught/drag on my clothes, which pulls out the curls and b) get tangled and squished by scarves or bags, so length is an issue.

The climate around here is a bit humid, not overwhelmingly so though, it's just a bit of a marshy buggy area.

Do you have any suggestions? I should also add that my hair does not like oil/any kind of moisturizing seemingly. I've tried many different kinds of oils, my hair always sucks them up and doesn't look any different until it suddenly becomes greasy yet still frizzy. Sigh.

[Anje]

What are you doing with your hair at night? Ponytail on top of your head? Silk satin pillowcase? Satin sleep bonnet? You need to reduce the friction that your hair is subjected to when you sleep if you want your curls to not pull apart.

[missblueeyes]

I'm not sure if it'd work but have you tried putting your hair up until you're at school and taking it down inside the building? I find that my hair frizzes (if you can call it that, I'm not that wavy) more when it's loose as opposed to when it's contained.

[Arctic]

Since it's humid there, I wonder whether you use humectants? If you do, they might have something to do with the sudden frizz. You could try some anti-humectants (de-frizz serums or something?).

On the other hand, sometimes I see curlies mention that if their hair's lacking moisture, it frizzes easily (because it tries to absorb moisture from the air); but once it's moisturized, it frizzes considerably less. Maybe your hair would need some extra moisture, if this theory would be true in your case.

And thirdly, Some frizz is probably unavoidable with waves and curls; most other people will find it looks cute and adorabl and halo-like, so I wouldn't worry about it too much :)

[spidermom]

You could try not doing the leave-in at night, sleep with your hair in a loose-ish scrunchie bun on top of your head, then apply your leave-in (but less of it) when you take your hair down in the morning. It will still be damp but should dry pretty quickly.

[rhosyn_du]

If you're not already, try sleeping on a satin pillowcase or in a satin sleep bonnet. Putting your hair in a pineapple (top of the head ponytail), or even draping it over your pillow above your head if you don't move much when you sleep, can also help.

[danniro]

What are you doing with your hair at night? Ponytail on top of your head? Silk satin pillowcase? Satin sleep bonnet? You need to reduce the friction that your hair is subjected to when you sleep if you want your curls to not pull apart.

Sorry I forgot to add that. I put it in a messy bun on the top of my head, not too tight. I have tried satin pillowcases and various headcoverings but haven't seen a difference. I was thinking of getting some scrunchies to secure my hair at night though. It is usually still fairly curly, though too my ears or so is pulled out. But it just poofs when I leave the house.


I'm not sure if it'd work but have you tried putting your hair up until you're at school and taking it down inside the building? I find that my hair frizzes (if you can call it that, I'm not that wavy) more when it's loose as opposed to when it's contained.

Well my campus is pretty spread out so I'm not sure it'd make much difference :/



Since it's humid there, I wonder whether you use humectants? If you do, they might have something to do with the sudden frizz. You could try some anti-humectants (de-frizz serums or something?).

On the other hand, sometimes I see curlies mention that if their hair's lacking moisture, it frizzes easily (because it tries to absorb moisture from the air); but once it's moisturized, it frizzes considerably less. Maybe your hair would need some extra moisture, if this theory would be true in your case.

And thirdly, Some frizz is probably unavoidable with waves and curls; most other people will find it looks cute and adorabl and halo-like, so I wouldn't worry about it too much :)

Uhhh anti-humectants... I'm not super familiar with them but from what I know anti-frizz stuff often contains silicones. The only anti-frizz product I've tried recently was Living Proof leave in, I wasn't impressed though. I'll have to look at my products and see if they have humectants though. I have thought that perhaps my hair is dry... But like I said in my first post my hair doesn't really seem to like oil, or respond to moisturizing.

[danniro]

You could try not doing the leave-in at night, sleep with your hair in a loose-ish scrunchie bun on top of your head, then apply your leave-in (but less of it) when you take your hair down in the morning. It will still be damp but should dry pretty quickly.

You don't think that would pull out the curls?

[Anje]

You don't think that would pull out the curls?

Even if it did, a pony or bun on the top of your head would result in waves pretty high up when you let it down. Put it on the back of your head, and the waves won't start till your ears.

[danniro]

If you're not already, try sleeping on a satin pillowcase or in a satin sleep bonnet. Putting your hair in a pineapple (top of the head ponytail), or even draping it over your pillow above your head if you don't move much when you sleep, can also help.

I've tried satin pillow cases, also various head coverings. My hair is too long and fine and the curls aren't tight enough to pineapple, I do a messy bun normally.

[danniro]

Even if it did, a pony or bun on the top of your head would result in waves pretty high up when you let it down. Put it on the back of your head, and the waves won't start till your ears.

Hm, I'm not keen on sleeping with wet hair though. It flattens the top of my hair.

[meteor]

Since you already plop your hair as your last step before air-drying, maybe you could experiment with going to bed with the "plop" on your head and take the turban off and shake it out in the morning? :)

If not, sleeping on silky smooth materials with hair in a "pineapple" in a soft scrunchie on top of head is the recommended way of preserving curls overnight.
If the curls still get smooshed up too much, maybe you could also re-wet the curls in the morning and scrunch them a bit with your preferred product (gel, mousse, or conditioner...) and let them air-dry in the morning when the hair isn't touching anything that could "smoosh" the curls?

[spidermom]

You don't think that would pull out the curls?

No, I think it would help preserve them.

[danniro]

Since you already plop your hair as your last step before air-drying, maybe you could experiment with going to bed with the "plop" on your head and take the turban off and shake it out in the morning? :)

If not, sleeping on silky smooth materials with hair in a "pineapple" in a soft scrunchie on top of head is the recommended way of preserving curls overnight.
If the curls still get smooshed up too much, maybe you could also re-wet the curls in the morning and scrunch them a bit with your preferred product (gel, mousse, or conditioner...) and let them air-dry in the morning when the hair isn't touching anything that could "smoosh" the curls?

Yeah I've tried that... it works alright, but it seems like it flattens my roots and I usually have weird dents from it. Plus sleeping like that is uncomfortable.
I've used satin pillowcases before and didn't like them or see any effect. My hair is too long and my curls are too loose to pineapple, also.
I've been using mousse as of recently, sometimes a little leave in then mousse