The short answer is yes, you can sleep with your hair in a microfiber towel. In fact, it can be beneficial for your hair in several ways. Sleeping with your hair in a microfiber towel can help to retain moisture, reduce frizz, and maintain your hairstyle for longer.
Make sure hair is damp—not soaking wet—before going to bed.
If you can spare a few moments before bed, Shaw says it's a good idea to towel dry—though not for the reason you may think. "Damp hair is definitely better. Wet hair can make your pillow wet and breed mold under the pillowcase," she says.
Can you sleep in a microfiber hair towel? You can, though we wouldn't necessarily recommend it unless you have curly hair. In the case of curly or textured hair, sleeping with your curls in a microfiber towel (also known as “plopping”) can keep them in place, so they maintain their shape while you snooze.
Place your microfiber towel over your hair and gently wrap the towel around your head. Secure the towel with a clip, tie, or velcro. You can sleep with the microfiber towel on your head, and fluff your hair in the morning for an effortless, healthy look!
Then, wrap your hair up in the microfiber towel for 10 to 15 minutes to get the rest of the water out of your mane. This process causes the least amount of friction and allows the hair to dry quickly without damaging the shaft or the cuticle.
One major drawback is that they can cause frizz and damage to the hair. The fibers in microfiber towels are often synthetic and can create static electricity, which can rough up the hair cuticle and cause frizz.
What Is Towel Drying? When you towel-dry your hair, you use a towel or other absorbent material like a soft t-shirt to soak up moisture from your hair. This little step helps cut the time it takes to air-dry your hair.
Twist your hair into a top knot and wrap it into a bun while going to bed. Use a silk scarf and tie it into a headband to make sure your hair doesn't touch the pillowcase. In the morning take your hair down and flip it upside down and side to side. Resist the urge to brush as it causes more friction and frizz.
Reasons why you should not leave your hair to airdry:
“Keeping your hair wet for long periods of time (for example, overnight or air drying on a regular basis) can cause hygral fatigue, which is damage to the hair from excessive swelling,” explains trichologist Stephanie Sey on behalf of Nizoral.
Separate hair into two sections, then twist in opposing directions and fold into a bun, suggests beauty expert Christina Marrale. Secure loosely with ponytail holders and release both buns in the morning.
“Twist your hair in a top knot and wrap it into a bun while going to bed. Use a silk scarf or cloth and tie it like a hairband to make sure your hair does not touch the pillowcase. Once you wake up, flip your hair upside down, gently separate the hair and flip it back up.
Ideally, microfiber towels should be washed after every use to remove the dirt and grease picked up while cleaning so you don't transfer the grime to the next surface.
Bowman suggests flipping your head upside down—it may dry faster this way—and blasting it with a hair dryer until it's damp, not wet. Then, twist your hair into four loose buns (secured with scrunchies), and call it a night. If you have naturally straight hair, a single bun will give you a looser wave.
It is best to sleep with your hair down if your hair length is short. This also lets the air flow freely through your hair, which makes you sleep more comfortably. On the other hand, if you have long hair, it is recommended to tie your hair loosely to prevent knots and breakage.
Hair is especially vulnerable to damage at this time, as washing hair strips it of its natural oils. Therefore, by leaving your hair wet for a long period of time, you risk broken and split ends. And leaving your hair to dry while you sleep overnight is an even bigger no no!
While drying your hair, a single wrong move turns your hair into frizzy and brittle hair. Now you should have to believe that the healthiest drying technique for your hair is to let it seventy percent dry naturally and then use a heat dryer until the hair ultimately becomes dry.
“Air drying dense hair for extended periods of time can be more damaging than using a blow-dryer at low heat and at a safe distance,” says Longsworth.
Hair is at its most fragile when wet, so if you go to bed with it damp and proceed to toss and turn against a pillow, you run a higher risk of breakage. But aside from being rough on your delicate strands, hitting the pillow with damp hair puts you at risk of developing skin infections, primarily on your scalp.
Investing in a silk pillowcase is another simple and effective way to keep your hair from getting frizzy overnight. Silk is a smooth, gentle material that won't cause friction with your hair like a traditional cotton pillowcase can.
Towel-drying your hair is important to help remove water, so hair can dry faster. Yet, the wrong technique can result in extra frizz, tangles, and poufiness. The right ways to air dry hair include gentle drying techniques. It's best to use your towel to squeeze water out from your hair.
“Aggressively drying your hair with a towel results in frizz and tangled hair,” Branch tells Allure. “Rather, dab your hair with an old or unwanted T-shirt for a smooth and absorbent approach, then gently squeeze out the moisture so that your hair is no longer dripping wet.”
Instead of drying your hair with a towel post-shower, swap it for a cotton T-shirt. “When hair is wet, it becomes weaker and softer,” explains hairstylist Isabella Vázquez. “If we use a regular towel to dry it, the grooves of the towel become aggressors to the cuticle of the hair.