Achieving overnight curls while you sleep is possible and, according to a hairstyling expert, is a lot easier than you think. Plus, there’s virtually no room for hair damage-that is, unless you sleep with dripping wet hair. For a play by play on how to get the best overnight curls of your life, we spoke with Nicolette Rauchut, senior stylist at Lrn Beauty, who shared her do’s and don’ts, product picks for nighttime styling, and more.
The Best Overnight Curl Techniques
Finding your overnight curl technique starts with choosing your desired look. For those who fancy laidback, beachy waves, Rauchet recommends a classic French braid, aka a three-strand braid. Start the process on damp hair to create a textured look that sticks. Rauchet adds: “If you are someone who has a thicker hair texture or hair that just never seems to dry, the braiding technique with some mousse or serum may be best for you.”
If soft, bouncy curls are more your speed, opt for sponge rollers. Rauchet breaks down the steps for us: First, dampen your hair using a spray bottle. Then, take small to medium sections. Start by wrapping your ends down to the root, all over the head. Lastly, wrap your head in a silk scarf to protect the rollers from shifting and coming loose.
Not super into the plaited, textured look but live for dramatic curls? Make a statement with Farrah Fawcett-style hair when you slip on a silk scarf before bed. Here’s what to do: Twist a long silk scarf and drape it over the top of your head so both ends are even on each side. You can use a claw clip to secure the top so it holds while you sleep. Part your hair down the middle or on the side, depending on personal preference. Then, take a small section from the back of your part line and gently begin to wrap it around the scarf. Continue this down the hairline as you would a French braid. Once you reach the bottom, secure it with a silk hair tie.
The Products You Need For Overnight Curls
There are three things you’ll want to keep in your hairstyling arsenal for enviable overnight curls: light mousse, leave-in conditioner, and hair serum.
- For fine hair: Opt for a light mousse to hold the shape of your hair. “It’s great for fine textures that need help creating fullness and grit,” says Rauchet. “It also provides great style memory.”
- For frizzy hair: Reach for a leave-in conditioner to smooth out any pesky flyaways without adding too much weight.
- For textured hair: Say yes to hair serum and its magical ability to “manipulate the hair easily without damaging it.”
Should You Style Wet Hair?
While damp hair is preferred when it comes to styling and achieving picture-perfect overnight curls, one should never sleep with overly wet hair. The reason: Hair is at its most vulnerable state when wet, instantly becoming susceptible to damage by way of tension and friction. This is due to the hair reaching its highest stretch point when freshly washed, meaning that expected sleep behavior-like tossing and turning-can lead to matting.
“Another concern of sleeping with wet hair is scalp health. Those with thicker hair textures, which tend to hold water retention more than others, may suffer from itchy scalp or dermatitis,” explains Rauchet. “Between product usage and body heat, over-saturation at the scalp can also cause irritation and discomfort.”
Do Heatless Curls Damage Hair?
In short, heatless curls are better for your hair health than heat-styled curls. But, there is something to look out for when taking the heatless route: acknowledging and embracing the type of sleeper you are. Rauchet recommends active sleepers use a silk pillowcase or maybe a silk scarf wrap over braided hair or rollers. Always made to order. Because all your hair is gathered right up top, you literally don’t feel a thing while sleeping. You won’t get super precise, uniform curls, but you will get gorgeous, soft body movement and minimal morning frizz. Sleepability: 9.5/10 - I completely forgot it was even there.
Premade Wave Curlers: A Cautionary Note
Premade wave curlers
Those brightly coloured mesh spiral tubes you yank your hair through with a plastic hook. How to do it: Using a long plastic rod with a hook on the end, grab a section of damp hair, yank it through a spiral mesh tube and let the tube snap back into its tight corkscrew shape. My review: I’m just going to be honest: absolutely not. Threading your hair through these tubes is an exercise in pure frustration - if you take a section slightly too thick, the hook snags and tears at your roots. Once they’re all in, your head feels heavy, stiff and covered in plastic snakes. In all fairness, I don’t think these are made to sleep in. I woke up three times during the night because the rigid plastic dug into every inch of my scalp, and the resulting curls were way too tight and crimped.
Like so many straight-haired ladies before me-I love curling my hair. I know my curling iron is bad for my hair, but I can’t resist using it. Step One: Start with damp (not soaking wet!) hair. Gently brush it free of tangles and place a headband on top of your hair. Step Four: Repeat this step with the rest of your hair. Step Six: Wake up! Your hair should look something like the bottom left picture above (a little disheveled but dry). So easy, right? I love this no-heat curl method because it doesn’t damage your hair, the curls are pretty natural, and it looks cute while it’s drying!
You could even wear the wet style out during the day if your hair takes a long time to dry-although wait until it’s warm where you live! I hope you like trying out this curling style; you can also mix it up with thicker or thinner headbands for different curl widths.
