Silk Pillowcases For Hair Care

How a silk pillowcase can help get you beautiful hair faster

Photo credit: Susan Wilkinson

The way we sleep is important to the health of our hair and it’s actually something that many of us take note of. We know to wrap up our hair at night but did you know that you might have been doing it wrong this whole time?

Not exactly wrong because anything is better than nothing but you could be seeing better results than what you are getting now.

I’ll start with trying to convince the minority of people that don’t wrap or protect their hair at all. The cotton or polyester pillow cases you use are very absorbent. If you choose to sleep on them without any hair protection then say good bye to the moisture in your hair. This is something that affect all hair types and will lead to premature breakage, frizz and damage. You won’t get beautiful hair behaving like this.

You might be using a had tie. Good job but if it is the wrong material it could be stealing the moisture from your edges and the outer most parts of your hair. It’s better than nothing because the parts of your hair tucked away in the centre will retain their moisture really well. This is probably why you’ve gone so long being happy with your choice of night protection.

But there’s a better way…

One solution is a silk bonnet. It is a very good fix and something that most people can use with no problem. I personally feel restricted with something on my head all night. If it’s not the headband giving me irritation by being too tight or rubbing on my forehead then it’s something making me itch.

It might be mental but I can only go for so long without my head getting itchy with something covering it. Another downside to lower quality satin bonnets is that the colour will leak onto other materials and stain your white or pale sheets.

So if you’re still here and really want to hear about the benefits of silk bedding for your natural hair care then I’ll discuss ahead and look at the different types of “silk” pillow cases you can get along with what each price range gets you.

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Silk vs Satin

Before we get into some examples, let’s discuss the difference between silk and satin. They are similar and without seeing them side by side, you might not even realise a difference. They both have that signature soft sheen look.

The first difference is what they actually are. You might know that silk fibre is produced naturally by silkworms then turned into fabric whereas satin describes the particular weave of a fabric. Satin is often made using polyester but to make things confusing, can also be made using silk.

Satin fabric is dull on one side where silk has the beautiful shine on both sides. Satin is slippery and not always soft but silk is always soft and smooth. The benefits of silk make it really good material to use on our bodies, skin and the thing we love - our hair.

Basically, Silk is the one you want. It costs more, has a rich history and is the real deal. Satin is an imitation that actually does a good job but can’t beat the original.

Choosing a Pillowcase

You just want to test it out without spending too much

Lower cost pillow cases are extremely popular, just look at the number of reviews. The positives are that they will work to some extent, they can feel good and are better than what you probably use now.

The downsides are that whilst they are usually title silk, take a quick look at the fabric type and you will usually see 100% polyester. As you know from what you learned above. Polyester means it’s not silk, it’s satin.

If you aren’t yet sure about trying silk yet, this is a decent option but just remember that Satin is no replacement for Silk.

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You are convinced of silk and want good quality

Mid cost silk pillowcases are advertised as pure silk and they usually are. Check the fabric details to make sure they are not mixed with polyester other fabrics to lower the manufacture cost. Also look out for Mulberry silk, there are other but this is by far the most popular.

The benefits of mid tier is that it has all the benefits I mentioned above. It’s good for your hair and skin. It feels great and if silk is your thing, you will generally feel a lot better for using it. Another benefit is that you can actually get away with not wrapping your hair at night with getting all the moisture sucked out of your hair. The negative is of course the price, most of us are not used to spending this much on pillowcases.

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You are fully convinced and want the best results

With higher cost silk, you start to see the Momme(mm) advertised which is the density. A higher number makes it more heavy and luxurious. You’ll also see the tread count. Again, more is better. High quality silk is also surprisingly durable so you don’t need to be worried about damaging your new high quality bedding. Just read the wash & care instructions and follow them.

The benefits are that you know you are getting 100% quality silk. You will get all the advantages of silk for your hair and skin. If you aren’t used to spending a lot on bedding then it will definitely be a new experience but ask anyone that sleeps in real high quality silk and they will tell you that they love it.

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Complete Bedding sets

Do you need the whole bedding set to match?

If you are shopping for a solution for your hair needs then just buying the pillow case makes complete sense. It will likely do all you need it to and it’s a much lower cost investment to make. You can keep using your existing sheets too, just swap out the pillowcases, so there’s a bonus.

Get the complete set if you want the fabric of your bedding to match across the whole bed. It’s also usually more cost effective to buy the set. i.e. if you break down the cost of each part, buying everything separately will cost more. Some of the benefits of getting a complete set are for aesthetics. The rest are for that luxury feel when you’re in bed.