She always wore her updo for days. How could she sleep and still look good?

[shikara]

I had an aunt who used to wash her hair, put it in her favorite do, and leave it alone til her next wash. I would like to do that sometimes but I wonder - why didn't her hair get all flattened out in places? I tried sleeping in an updo once and the bun looked great, and one side of my head - the other was flat:rolleyes: Any ideas on either a good way to contain the updo at night, or freshen it up in the morning without taking it down?

[chahuahuas]

Maybe she sleeps on her pillow very gingerly?

[clairenewcastle]

Out of interest - what was her favourite updo?

[Lianna]

I know some people who do this. They're mostly curlies, and try not to manipulate their hair a lot. Perhaps curls won't give that bended look straight/slightly wavy hair can get after sleeping. Keeping in mind they probably have a calm sleep or something. :D And silk bonnets/wraps.

[battles]

Maybe she sleeps on her pillow very gingerly?

I wish I could do this. :p My bed is nearly torn apart when I wake up, I don't think any updo would survive the night.

[shikara]

Out of interest - what was her favourite updo?

Well, her style took up a fair amount of space. It looked like a lot of little 'rolls' or something. When I was younger she said she liked my hair because it was long, and that she had always kept her hair long, and that she put it in place with 'pins'. I wonder if she rolled individual sections. I was thinking of a twisted chignon high up. I wonder if a good spray of water on a flattened piece, and lightly lifting the hair with my fingers would work?

[KittyLost]

This may seem like a stupid response, but is it possible she redid the updo in the morning after waking up or just tidied it up a little?

[torrilin]

1. she probably wasn't a restless sleeper

2. she probably used a sleeping cap to minimize friction on her hairstyle

3. she probably spritzed her hair with water and tidied her hair every morning

4. she probably had hair that wasn't of the super slippery rejects all styling persuasion

Since I'm one of those people who sleeps at 60rpm and removes hats in her sleep... 1 and 2 are out. A spritz with water does not do much when your bun has completely disintegrated in your sleep. So for me, this technique wouldn't work.

Even so, sleeping with my hair up and contained does minimize the detangling I have to do, so I don't have to handle it AS much.

[JuliaDancer]

In the 1930s-40s, didn't a lot of women keep the same hairstyle until they washed it? I read they would sometimes re-roll their hair back into the same pin curls and re-style the next day, or they would spritz with water the next day and adjust. I doubt she would wake up to perfect hair the next day. She must have done some re-styling.

[spitfire511]

Any idea that she might have used one of these pillows (http://www.cachebeauty.com/lady_renee.htm)?

My 80-year-old neighbor (who still has her hair set every Friday so it looks nice for church on Sunday) uses one of these. I would bet that she's using a bonnet as well. But this is how it doesn't get 'smashed'. :)

[Carolyn]

My mom and a lot of women of her generation got their hair done once a week. My mom always had a perm and her hair would be set on smallish rollers at the salon. It was teased and hairsprayed. She trained herself to sleep very carefully. Her hair wasn't messed up in the morning. She would slightly refresh the hair at the nape and sides with a fine tooth comb, more teasing and more hair spray. My aunts and my friend's moms all did the same thing. If they had an updo like a french twist they would carefully wrap their hair in toilet paper and then use a satin sleep bonnet.

[Toffee20]

I did this with 2 french plaits during exams... There were a few 'flyaways' the next day, and the day after even more.. but not so many that I looked ridiculous.. I don't think! (but then I am a student, not sure I would of felt happy doing this for a professional job.. =)

[Mymagicfairy]

Many years ago I worked with a lady who did the same
Had her hair set and washed once a week
I couldn't imagine doing that!!
It was hairsprayed to high heaven!!
Lol
I am sure many women still do this

[darklion]

My grandmother does the once a week thing and I'm very clear on her procedure.
She uses a small satin pillow, sleeps very still, and pulls out the hairspray first thing in the morning. She even had a mirror that wrapped around her neck and rested on her chest so that she could work on her hair with two hands (comb in one, hairspray in the other ;) ) She would use the dampness of hairspray to lift any flattened spots and would insert more pins to any wayward curls. Clearly her love of aerosol hairspray was the glue that held her bouffant style together and tamed any flyaways.
She doesn't like the sleep bonnets (I've given her one of mine), instead she just sleeps carefully.

[Magdalene]

My mom had her hair done at the beauty salon twice a week back in the 60's, and wrapped it in tissue paper to sleep in.

[kitschy]

My mom wore her hair in this style in the 60's. It was permed, set, ratted, lacquered and pinned once a week at the beauty parlor. I thought she was gorgeous!

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/27956_384979594569_267822564569_3719197_2863069_s. jpg

[ravenreed]

I couldn't do it either. 60 RPM explains it well. I never wake up in the same place twice! I carefully drape my braid out of harm's way before I sleep and wake up with it wrapped around my neck, or under me, but never where I left it.

I vote for 1 and 2. A satin lined sleep cap is my bet.



1. she probably wasn't a restless sleeper

2. she probably used a sleeping cap to minimize friction on her hairstyle

3. she probably spritzed her hair with water and tidied her hair every morning

4. she probably had hair that wasn't of the super slippery rejects all styling persuasion

Since I'm one of those people who sleeps at 60rpm and removes hats in her sleep... 1 and 2 are out. A spritz with water does not do much when your bun has completely disintegrated in your sleep. So for me, this technique wouldn't work.

Even so, sleeping with my hair up and contained does minimize the detangling I have to do, so I don't have to handle it AS much.

[Naphthylamine]

My mom wore her hair in this style in the 60's. It was permed, set, ratted, lacquered and pinned once a week at the beauty parlor. I thought she was gorgeous!

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/27956_384979594569_267822564569_3719197_2863069_s. jpg

The principal of the primary school I went to has a very similar style for over 30 years! I cannot imagine doing this every single day. It is possible that she has been doing it once a week, and preserving it that way.

[shikara]

Any idea that she might have used one of these pillows (http://www.cachebeauty.com/lady_renee.htm)?

Hmm, very interesting! I wonder how comfortable these would be. I've heard of women from long long ago that slept on a donut shaped pillow to 'preserve' their elaborate hairstyles (I think it had to do with chinese styles??) Some of these responses are so entertaining hehe

[Ishje]

interesting topic, I have alway's wondered how some people could braid and then wake up and keep the braid in for the rest of the day.
my braid is a mess when I sleep with it.

[Hiriel]

interesting topic, I have alway's wondered how some people could braid and then wake up and keep the braid in for the rest of the day.
my braid is a mess when I sleep with it.

I sometimes keep my sleep braid all day. That does not mean it isn't a mess, just that I can't be bothered ;)

[clairenewcastle]

I sometimes keep my sleep braid all day. That does not mean it isn't a mess, just that I can't be bothered ;)

I've been guilty of this too in the past........:D

[Lostsoule77]

I do this too. I just throw it up into a bun and I'm good to go. When I do this I even use it the second night. :) Of course when I comb my hair the next morning I'm getting tons of shed hair. :p

[gthlvrmx]

I really wish i could do it, not even my night time braids survive my movement. I wake up with the new and shorter hairs falling out and tangling slightly, the braid is all crooked, it just looks messy. If only i could sleep standing up...

[Helix]

Maybe she slept on her stomach with head propped on hands instead of lying on her back? *shrugs*

[kidari]

Sometimes I put my hair in a bun high on my head and sleep in it. In the morning I just kind of fix it a little and go over my bangs with a curling iron and go out about my day. She probably doesn't move around much and sleep carefully, also the style she wears must be sturdy. I'm sure she fixes it a bit in the mornings too.

[AnnaJamila]

I've had my hair up for a day or two and I have a few tips for keeping it neat.

1) Make it tight. Loose styles don't last well. I've found that braided styles work the best.

2) Wrap it in something smooth- silk is luxurious but don't sweat it if you can only get polyester.

3) I sleep on my stomach. If you do sleep on your back try one of those U-shaped pillows- it will keep the back and sides of your head suspended off of the bed.

4) Spritz it with a very fine spray the next morning and smooth with your fingers and ta-da!

I will say that I don't think someone who is very active during sleep would fair well in keeping their hair styled.

[Pierre]

I do it all the time. I rarely wear a single bun in back, usually two buns or braids crossed and wrapped around the head; and I wear a Buff when I sleep.

[rusika1]

In the 1930s-40s, didn't a lot of women keep the same hairstyle until they washed it? I read they would sometimes re-roll their hair back into the same pin curls and re-style the next day, or they would spritz with water the next day and adjust. I doubt she would wake up to perfect hair the next day. She must have done some re-styling.

Try well into the 1960s! There were these odd wrap things made out of (or at least lined with) satiny fabric. They weren't exactly caps or turbans because they had high side walls (to surround your beehive/bouffant) and were open on top. I think women just sort of trained themselves to sleep in one position. I remember my mom had these curlers that were little mesh tubes stuffed with something that looked like a bottle brush. The bristles stuck out through the tubes a little so they could hold the hair. I think you fastened them with those long clips. Then you covered them with a net and (Tried!) to sleep. I don't think she used them often.;)

So anyway, yeah, simpler styles might get refreshed during the week by resetting, but the more elaborate styles were carefully preserved from one salon appointment to the next. (Rattail combs to cautiously reshape any misalignments and hairspray to glue it all down.)

Just think! The 'shampoo daily' trend is probably what ended the 'style it once a week' habit.

Of course, for the ultimate in "how do you sleep in that' one has only to look towards Marie Antoinette and her court. (I believe they slept sitting up.)

[misstwist]

My grandmother had her hair done at the salon weekly until she died in 2001. She always had satin pillow cases and wore the sleep bonnet that has a drawstring on the top.

She fluffed it back up again with a metal pick in the mornings.