The benefits of silk pillowcases for curly girls

Hollie Shirley / Hair & Skincare Editor

Still unsure if a silk pillowcase is for you? Read on to find out why every curly girl should be sleeping on silk.

As a curly girl, you probably already have a great hair care routine. Whether you follow the curly girl method word and verse or have your own version of it, it is important to remember that having a great nighttime routine is just as important as your daily styling and care.

Putting in all of the time to condition and style your curls, adding moisture and protecting it from breakage, one of the main culprits of split ends, tangles and crushed curls is what we sleep on at night. Applying styling products and expecting them to do wonders will not happen until you support them with the right platform. Thankfully, this can easily be resolved by switching your cotton pillowcase for silk.

With that in mind, here are some of the benefits of sleeping on a silk pillowcase for your curls.

Prevent Breakage

Cotton pillowcases, regardless of their thread count, are a rougher fibre than silk. The fibres of cotton can tug and pull at your hair as you move around at night. Because of the structure of curly hair, it has less elasticity and as such is more prone to breakage. Due to the way silk is woven, the threads are more tightly compact and lay flatter. This allows your hair to glide over the fabric, thus eliminating the tugging and pulling, leading to less breakage.

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Moisture Retention

The moisture-wicking properties of silk make it an ideal choice for curly hair. Because of the S shape of curly hair strands, sebum produced on the scalp has trouble getting to the areas that need it most – the lengths and ends which are prone to dryness. Because this oil doesn’t get soaked into your silk pillowcase, your hair can absorb this into these areas.

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Preserve Curls

Silk pillowcases will help to keep your hairstyles in place without the need to touch up with products or styling tools. Because your hair has nothing rubbing it the wrong way, you will find you will wake up with fewer kinks and flyaways and your curls will retain their shape.

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Frizz Prevention

Silk is an anti-static fabric unlike cotton, so you will find you wake up with less halo frizz (around the top of your head) and down your curls. Friction caused by harsher fabrics can disrupt the cuticle layer of your hair which causes bed head and frizzy hair.

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Sleeping on a silk pillowcase won’t solve your hair troubles overnight (100% pun intended). If you have very dry, damaged, over-processed hair, you will need to consider looking at your routine and ensure you are using products that will benefit your hair type. That being said, adding silk to your routine will improve the condition of your hair combined with a healthy hair care routine.

 

Hollie Shirley
Hair & Skincare Editor

Hollie Shirley is SILKUP’s hair and skincare editor. She’s obsessed with all things hair care and results-driven skincare, that is kind to the environment and your wallet. She has a weakness for limited edition eyeshadows and is always testing out the newest and greatest deep conditioners. Hollie has a passion for hair and is studying Trichology, working towards becoming a Member of the Association of Registered Trichologists.