Why you should never sleep with your hair down - according to a hairdresser

Hairdressers have explained why you should never sleep with your hair down, and how you can protect your hair with a simple hack.

Many of us want to ensure our hair is protected when we sleep, but hairdressers have revealed there is one simple mistake many of us are making that could be damaging our locks! Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness took to TikTok to explain that sleeping with your hair down is a terrible idea! 

"If you're sleeping with your hair down," they began, "you're getting your hair trapped between your body heat [and] the pillow. You know how sometimes you wake up it's just, like, really hot. You're like 'Ooh, it's steamy in here'. That is like just keeping a 100-degree flat iron just pressed on your ends."

"Because your hair grows only a quarter to a half an inch a month. Your ends are like, you know, a couple of years old. This is probably three-year-old hair down here," they said gesturing to the end of their hair. "So, sleeping with hair for eight hours a night pressed up against the warmth of your body heat and the friction of your sheets - it just creates a rubbing friction tension which, ultimately, makes your ends disintegrate or just kind of break off because it's just too much heat."

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So whats the solution? Jonathan explained that sleeping with your hair in a loose bun or ponytail is the best way to protect your ends. "When you go to sleep it's really important to sleep with your hair loosely tied up," they said and added that using one of the best silk hair accessories is the best hair care tip."Take your hair and loosely put it on top of your head and you want to use a silk scrunchie to secure it."

Jonathan then addressed the major problem with tying your hair up - causing tension on the roots. But don't worry! They had an easy fix that means your hair won't be pulled. "Then you just want to pull your hairline out so you don't have tension," Jonathan said. "That way it's going to keep your most fragile hair, which is your ends, up and away from the body heat."

"You're also not going to have your hair tangle so much, your blow-dries are going to last longer, your hair is going to be shinier, happier and just all over looking better."

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Alice Dawkins, Hair Expert at Milk + Blush added to these comments and suggested that the use of silk pillowcases and hair bonnets are also great options for hair protection while you sleep.

"Jonathan highlighted how natural body heat and friction with the pillow can damage your hair. This is particularly true if you have longer hair. In addition to the issue of friction, as pillowcases are most commonly made from cotton and nylon, they often absorb the natural oils in your hair that are important for keeping your mane hydrated and healthy. Without natural oils, your locks can become dry, brittle and more prone to breakage," Alice said.

She added that plaiting and loose braids are also a great option. "The easiest way to avoid this is to tie your hair back – and there are a range of protective styles. Longer hair can be loosely braided or pulled back in a low ponytail to avoid placing any tension on your scalp. Remember to use a silk or satin scrunchie to protect the ends."

Alice added that there are also some protective hair products that are best suited to certain hair types. "Bonnets are especially ideal for curly hair, as curly hair can become dry and frizzy very easily. To prevent damage altogether, try replacing your pillowcases with satin or silk ones, which are much healthier for hair and will further reduce any friction."