How Can a Silk Pillow Help Make Your Hair Smoother?
It is definitely a dream to wake up with flawlessly styled and healthy hair that does not need any more fuss or restyling. However, it is a known fact that snoozing on your hair strands certainly causes disheveled texture, tearing, tangles, and even accumulation of oil, sweat, and dirt from pillows. So, what is the ideal way to sleep on your hair to attain optimum hair health and best styling goals without all the effort? Well, silk is surely the answer to your question!
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Silk products such as silk masks and pillowcases are not something new in the market. However, over the past couple of years, silk seems to have been increasing in popularity. People’s interest in silk might be greatly influenced due to it being embraced by the beauty and wellness industries and credited with delivering wrinkle-free, supple skin and smooth, shiny healthy hair.
With that, silk is really something that you can choose to use to achieve that smoother and healthier hair. But, how does silk specifically make your hair smoother? Read more below to know the answer!
Property of Silk
For thousands of years, silk has been utilized for various reasons. This ancient material is considered to be the only naturally occurring filament fiber. This means that the threads of silk are uninterrupted and do not require to be stitched together. It must be noted that fibers, such as cotton or linen, that need to be spun together to form threads have coarser textures, because they comprise more bends. With that, they require to be blended and treated in order to be softer.
Furthermore, one of the most interesting characteristics of silk is its strength. When you touch and feel a silk fabric, you would probably assume that it is brittle. However, other than it being one of the most beautiful fabrics in the market, it is actually also one of the strongest. So, it only provides comfort and a gentle feel on your skin, while making sure it lasts you a lifetime.
The strength of silk is due to the length of its fibers. Unlike cotton and linen that are produced from short plant fibers that are spun together in order to make longer threads, silk is cultivated from the cocoon of silkworm larvae which are able to produce long, continuous thread that you can then work with. The process to produce silk is extremely time-consuming and delicate, which clarifies why silk costs so much.
With that, other than its strength, here are some other properties of silk that explains why it can offer you beauty benefits for you skin and hair:
- Elasticity - Silk has the capacity to keep itself in shape. With that, it is flexible and has some elasticity to it which permits it to pull itself back into shape after stretching, however only to some extent. This allows you to toss and turn at night without having your hair being tugged because silk can accommodate the minimal stretching that your head does to it through the night.
- Thermal regulation - Silk is well known for its ability to maintain the body temperature. This means it can aid in making you feel cool in hot weather and warm in the cold. This makes silk a good insulator which is beneficial in maintaining your hair’s moisture.
- Breathability - Silk is considered to be a lightweight and breathable fabric. This means that silk reduces the risk of overheating which can be detrimental to your skin and hair strands.
The most common commercial silk is the Mulberry silk. This specific type of silk is made from the Bombyx mori silkworm moth’s cocoon. Mulberry silk has no joints and is perfectly smooth, which offers it that glossy look and easy feel. Mulberry Silk also has the best temperature regulating ability and also does not absorb moisture. All these properties combined together are the primary reasons why it is able to make the hair smoother and healthier.
Benefits of Silk To Hair
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Prevent Frizziness
One of the most important benefits of silk to your hair is that it prevents frizziness. Thanks to its extremely smooth texture. This allows for your hair to glide over it without causing any friction. This means that you would most likely wake up without all the frizzy hair, tangles, or bedhead, while cotton pillowcases can snag hair and muss it up into a nest of tangles as you sleep through the night. For years, sleeping on silk is a secret that women with textured and curly hair have been utilizing in order to keep hair styles like braids and blowouts well-kept for longer without having frizz after a short period of time.
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Keeps Hair Hydrated
In addition to preventing frizz, the super smooth texture of silk also keeps your hair hydrated. The smoothness of silk due to its fibers means that it is less apt to absorb moisture from skin and hair. This results in a skin, scalp, and hair that are soft and hydrated without removing it of its needed moisture. This is also the reason why silk pillowcases are ideal for those with dry skin and scalp or for use in dry winter months.
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Keeps Hair Healthy
Silk helps to keep your hair healthy. This is because it helps keep your hair hydrated and it also aids in managing brittle hair. Silk keeps your hair hydrated, encouraging stronger, less brittle hair. Unlike traditional cotton pillowcases that are more permeable so it absorbs moisture from your hair, silk pillowcases leave that hydration right in your hair where it belongs. Furthermore, while cotton pillowcases may absorb the hair’s natural moisture and oils, silk keeps hydration and encourages your hair’s natural movement This means that if you are one of those who experience dry strands or flaky scalp, the silk pillowcase will be the perfect solution for you.
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Prevent Split Ends
Another benefit of silk’s natural properties, specifically its smooth surface, is that it helps reduce friction on your hair while you sleep. Friction frequently results in split ends, knotting, and hair damage. The smooth texture of silk permits for the hair to slide over your pillow as you rest, decreasing frizz, tangles, and the dreaded bed head the next morning. While other fabrics like cotton snag your hair, it is proven and tested that silk is able to maintain your hair healthy without all the split ends. Moreover, silk is also a cleaner surface to sleep on. Cotton is very absorbent, meaning it collects dirt and oils, exposing your hair to them as you rest. This also means cotton will strip your hair of natural oils and therefore dehydrate your hair while you sleep, making it more vulnerable to damage and formation of split ends.
Bottomline:
Silk properties, such as its slippery and smooth texture, helps prevent frizz, tangles, and breakage. This also promotes shiny, soft, and healthy hair. So, if you are one of those who invest in his or her hair products, then you should definitely also invest in a silk pillowcase and mask because it is proven and tested to help your hair stay healthy. These silk products will surely further enhance your enthusiastic hair maintenance by supporting your hair as you sleep. While sleeping on silk may not straightforwardly make your hair develop, the substantial advantage it has on your strands may even have you observing your hair grow healthier and longer.
With that, always remember that the list of advantages of silk pillowcases are numerous. So next time when somebody asks you what these benefits are, always remember: less frizz, breakage and tangles, plus more hydration, natural oils and smoothness that produces a more and healthier hair overall. Make sure your hair is always beautiful – invest in a silk product as soon as possible.
References:
- Celestial Silk. 2020. How Does Silk Help Hair?. Retrieved from: https://celestialsilk.com/blogs/news/how-does-silk-help-hair. Retrieved on 29 October 2021.
- Good Housekeeping. 2019. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home-products/a28037094/silk-pillowcases-benefits/. Retrieved on 29 October 2021.
- Sitting Pretty. 2019. 5 Science-Based Reasons Why You Should Sleep On A Silk Pillowcase. Retrieved from: https://www.sittingprettyhalohair.com/blogs/news/3-science-based-reasons-why-you-should-be-using-silk-pillow-cases. Retrieved on 29 October 2021.
- Washington Post. 2021. Silk Pillowcases May Provide Some Hair And Skin Benefits, But They’re Not Miracle Workers. Retrieved from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/silk-pillowcases-hair-skin-benefits-myths/2021/04/05/a7dcad7c-866a-11eb-82bc-e58213caa38e_story.html. Retrieved on 29 October 2021.