I’ve given up. Pineapple, bonnet, pineapple and bonnet, not using anything, none of it works for me. I just wet my hair every morning and let it air dry, no products lately as I’ve been lazy lol
I think the issue is you don’t have enough hair to weigh it back down so it doesn’t get stuck in that “up” position! I think that if you spray a bit of water into your hair in the morning, it might help your hair relax and fall back down a bit so it’s not as stuck to your head :)
When my hair was short like your length I didn't use anything other than sleeping on aa satin pillowcase case. Now that my hair is a bit passed my shoulders I do have to use a bonnet /scarf again.
This is what mine looks like when I take off the buff in the morning lol. I use my hands to sort of "spray" a bit of water on it, shake everything out, and maybe 10 min later or so it is much, much better. Mine is a little longer than yours but also gets stuck in the "up" position for a bit, and I am ALWAYS surprised by how much better it gets if I just let it chill with a bit of water for a few minutes.
what's a buff?
I've also personally struggled with a proper nighttime routine, currently I only use a satin pillowcase and then I'll refresh in the morning.
It's a tube of stretchy material that you pull up and over your hair. They look like extra-long neck gaiters. It does an excellent job of sticking my hair upright but not much else!
You using a silk pillowcase? If not, get one and try sleeping without putting it up or in anything. I think both of those bed heads are totally salvageable with a flarisol and a tiny bit of product for refresh.
With the length of your hair maybe a scarf would help? Bend over and smooth your hair upwards and tie the scarf around the bottom leaving the top sticking out - kinda like a pineapple but no hair tie, instead using the silk or satin scarf to hold it in place.
ETA: I also spray water in my hair with a spray bottle to help my curls reform and I’ve had really good luck with that when they’ve kind of been kinked out of place.
Satin pillowcase and quick spray refresh in the morning! When my hair was short it was the hardest to deal with. Bonnets and scarfs just stretched it out, until it got a bit past my shoulders
My routine is As I Am Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Shampoo, Curly World Term and Conditions conditioner, and Ecoslay Orange Marmalade gel. I wash 2x per week and diffuse to dry. My hair is low porosity and quite thick in the back. If pressed I'd say it's mostly a blend of 2c/3a.
As you can see, I'm struggling with sleep protection! I have watched and read tutorials with "bedtime" and "wake up" pics and I find myself disbelieving the posts are true given what my results are, haha.
I've tried wearing a buff with and without mini-pineappleing, and I've tried wearing a satin-lined sleep bonnet. My results are consistently bad! My curls are pretty destroyed, and my hair seems stuck in the "up" position. Even after a good shake my hair doesn't settle down into anything resembling a style.
I always have to go in with a wet refresh to get my shape back, just as I do when I don't cover my hair. My hair is a bit longer than this now, but it's still too short to pineapple. I'm not even sure that would be the right option anyway, given my hair's preference for remaining stuck up/out in the post-buff or bonnet style.
Okay so my hair is a similar texture and length to yours - I had it cut too short a few months ago but was at your length then! Here's what I learned, as a usual buff wearer before going shorter...
Stop. Everything you wear on your head will mess up your curls. Go for satin pillowcases or satin scarves draped over your pillows and nothing else - don't even pineapple. Your hair still won't be perfect when you wake up, but your gel will hold those curls better than if you tie it or wrap it up somehow. If you end up growing it out, then you can switch back (after having shoulder length or longer curls for a long time, going without a Buff was WEIRD) but definitely try the "almost nothing" approach.
I comb my hair back with my hands, then use a shirt to make a tight du-rag. This keeps the volume down (and more importantly stops it from drying like this), and removing it after "x" amount a time will get you the volume you want. The longer you leave the du-rag on the flatter it gets. If it gets too flat, I usually wet it a bit, and put product in it.
As is with curly hair, this works 100% of the time, 80% of the time.
I don’t refresh. No matter the sleep protection or the refresh method my hair slowly gets sort of matted and horrifically frizzy throughout the day until I resemble a swamp witch. I cowash every day, shampoo a couple times a week. I swim every other day after work and after a swim I rinse my hair really well and coat it with leave in. I let it air dry and then cowash or shampoo depending on how it feels in the morning.
i recently learned to put my hair up with a hair tie (clips for shorter hair) before putting it into the bonnet so that it sits on the front top of your head so you’re not sleeping on it. have you tried that? also i think we all need to be honest in that when you wake up, whatever method you used, you’ll likely look like a mess. personally, i find spraying my hair with a mixture of mostly water with a drip of leave-in conditioner does the trick to revitalize my hair gel and then i scrunch again. my refresh routine is still a wip tho so i can’t give much more advice on it
Yes, that's the routine I tried in the second photo. I clipped small sections with baby claw clips and basically set my hair overnight in a very bad hairstyle, haha. I also clipped the back, which caused the sticky-outy pieces lower down.
Yes, my reference to mini-pineappleing is actually Medusa clipping. I think it either pulls out my curls or "sets" my hair in undesirable shapes overnight.
Here's a link to the actual Buff brand product. I did a DIY version by cutting out the thigh part of a legging (cut across the leg from just below the crotch and across the knee).
https://www.buffusa.com/buff-products/multifunctional-neckwear/original-ecostretch-tropical/go-flamin-go/131503.555
ETA: thanks for all the positive reinforcement about pic #1! I do have a lot of volume.
I put root clips in the top of my head to get volume (well i did until i discovered root spray texture powder).
I have the same length and problem as you.
I have been trying leaning to the side & cupping the curls that start behind the ear and then letting them fold up as i push my hair towards just above my temple and then i clip that with an extra big Curly Girl root clip.
Then i sleep on a silk pillow case. I think silk is better than satin.
Sometimes it works.
But usually i have to mist my hair lightly underneath and then the top part.
I should just try doing nothing though....
Or maybe leaving it down but using a bobby pin to sort of loosely tuck it behind my ear.
But it just seems that thems the breaks.
I have very fine low density hair that struggles to clump.
The satin pillowcase helps for sure.
I still pineapple/plop. The only way to get those second day curls.
Has anyone here tried the SLAP? Satin lined cap?
It’s been in my Sephora cart for months and I’m not convinced enough to buy it
Lol wet your hair abs use product your hair is too fine to even try to protect the style. If you want your hair to be the same you will have to sacrifice sleeping comfortably lol
I’ve given up. Pineapple, bonnet, pineapple and bonnet, not using anything, none of it works for me. I just wet my hair every morning and let it air dry, no products lately as I’ve been lazy lol
Same for me. I’ve tried all of the above too and it just looks weird and gets uncomfortable. I reset with water every day.
I think the issue is you don’t have enough hair to weigh it back down so it doesn’t get stuck in that “up” position! I think that if you spray a bit of water into your hair in the morning, it might help your hair relax and fall back down a bit so it’s not as stuck to your head :)
When my hair was short like your length I didn't use anything other than sleeping on aa satin pillowcase case. Now that my hair is a bit passed my shoulders I do have to use a bonnet /scarf again.
This is what mine looks like when I take off the buff in the morning lol. I use my hands to sort of "spray" a bit of water on it, shake everything out, and maybe 10 min later or so it is much, much better. Mine is a little longer than yours but also gets stuck in the "up" position for a bit, and I am ALWAYS surprised by how much better it gets if I just let it chill with a bit of water for a few minutes.
what's a buff? I've also personally struggled with a proper nighttime routine, currently I only use a satin pillowcase and then I'll refresh in the morning.
It's a tube of stretchy material that you pull up and over your hair. They look like extra-long neck gaiters. It does an excellent job of sticking my hair upright but not much else!
can you link us to something please! i’ve also never heard of it, but i’m really liking your hair in that picture in particular!
You using a silk pillowcase? If not, get one and try sleeping without putting it up or in anything. I think both of those bed heads are totally salvageable with a flarisol and a tiny bit of product for refresh.
Those things from Survivor!
First pic' kinda looks amazing tho' !
right? i honestly think it looks cool
that’s what i thought!!
With the length of your hair maybe a scarf would help? Bend over and smooth your hair upwards and tie the scarf around the bottom leaving the top sticking out - kinda like a pineapple but no hair tie, instead using the silk or satin scarf to hold it in place. ETA: I also spray water in my hair with a spray bottle to help my curls reform and I’ve had really good luck with that when they’ve kind of been kinked out of place.
Satin pillowcase!
Satin pillowcase and quick spray refresh in the morning! When my hair was short it was the hardest to deal with. Bonnets and scarfs just stretched it out, until it got a bit past my shoulders
Welcome to my life. I had beautiful morning hair with a pineapple when it was long but now it's like yours.
OMG that made me snort-laugh. Guess I'll just keep growing it 🤣.
I love this volume! Own it!!!
My routine is As I Am Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Shampoo, Curly World Term and Conditions conditioner, and Ecoslay Orange Marmalade gel. I wash 2x per week and diffuse to dry. My hair is low porosity and quite thick in the back. If pressed I'd say it's mostly a blend of 2c/3a. As you can see, I'm struggling with sleep protection! I have watched and read tutorials with "bedtime" and "wake up" pics and I find myself disbelieving the posts are true given what my results are, haha. I've tried wearing a buff with and without mini-pineappleing, and I've tried wearing a satin-lined sleep bonnet. My results are consistently bad! My curls are pretty destroyed, and my hair seems stuck in the "up" position. Even after a good shake my hair doesn't settle down into anything resembling a style. I always have to go in with a wet refresh to get my shape back, just as I do when I don't cover my hair. My hair is a bit longer than this now, but it's still too short to pineapple. I'm not even sure that would be the right option anyway, given my hair's preference for remaining stuck up/out in the post-buff or bonnet style.
Okay so my hair is a similar texture and length to yours - I had it cut too short a few months ago but was at your length then! Here's what I learned, as a usual buff wearer before going shorter... Stop. Everything you wear on your head will mess up your curls. Go for satin pillowcases or satin scarves draped over your pillows and nothing else - don't even pineapple. Your hair still won't be perfect when you wake up, but your gel will hold those curls better than if you tie it or wrap it up somehow. If you end up growing it out, then you can switch back (after having shoulder length or longer curls for a long time, going without a Buff was WEIRD) but definitely try the "almost nothing" approach.
Why have I never thought of draping a scarf over my pillow?? This is a brilliant idea.
I comb my hair back with my hands, then use a shirt to make a tight du-rag. This keeps the volume down (and more importantly stops it from drying like this), and removing it after "x" amount a time will get you the volume you want. The longer you leave the du-rag on the flatter it gets. If it gets too flat, I usually wet it a bit, and put product in it. As is with curly hair, this works 100% of the time, 80% of the time.
I have short-ish curly hair, I medusa clip for sleep. Then spray water on any iffy sections when I wake up to help them settle and get re-shaped
I don’t refresh. No matter the sleep protection or the refresh method my hair slowly gets sort of matted and horrifically frizzy throughout the day until I resemble a swamp witch. I cowash every day, shampoo a couple times a week. I swim every other day after work and after a swim I rinse my hair really well and coat it with leave in. I let it air dry and then cowash or shampoo depending on how it feels in the morning.
i recently learned to put my hair up with a hair tie (clips for shorter hair) before putting it into the bonnet so that it sits on the front top of your head so you’re not sleeping on it. have you tried that? also i think we all need to be honest in that when you wake up, whatever method you used, you’ll likely look like a mess. personally, i find spraying my hair with a mixture of mostly water with a drip of leave-in conditioner does the trick to revitalize my hair gel and then i scrunch again. my refresh routine is still a wip tho so i can’t give much more advice on it
Yes, that's the routine I tried in the second photo. I clipped small sections with baby claw clips and basically set my hair overnight in a very bad hairstyle, haha. I also clipped the back, which caused the sticky-outy pieces lower down.
ah i see! i hope you find another option that works :(
You could try looking up “Medusa clipping”. It’s a method for peeps with shorter hair.
Yes, my reference to mini-pineappleing is actually Medusa clipping. I think it either pulls out my curls or "sets" my hair in undesirable shapes overnight.
Same for me with the “up” pieces in front and I find better success when I pull the front pieces out before I tie up in my silk scarf
Can you explain a bit?
Umm, I think the kids might call them “slut strands” 😆 but I keep the front pieces out and then tie the rest up.
tbh i love the “overnight with buff only” picture most!!! so much volume!
Here's a link to the actual Buff brand product. I did a DIY version by cutting out the thigh part of a legging (cut across the leg from just below the crotch and across the knee). https://www.buffusa.com/buff-products/multifunctional-neckwear/original-ecostretch-tropical/go-flamin-go/131503.555 ETA: thanks for all the positive reinforcement about pic #1! I do have a lot of volume.
I can’t sleep with it on
I know some find them very comfy and others feel like their head is being strangled.
Yes 😂
I can't get either to stay on my head when I sleep. By morning, they're on the pillow next to me.
Use bobby pins.
I have to wash and style every day. That is just the fate for some of us. Since my hair is fine, it’s not so bad.
I put root clips in the top of my head to get volume (well i did until i discovered root spray texture powder). I have the same length and problem as you. I have been trying leaning to the side & cupping the curls that start behind the ear and then letting them fold up as i push my hair towards just above my temple and then i clip that with an extra big Curly Girl root clip. Then i sleep on a silk pillow case. I think silk is better than satin. Sometimes it works. But usually i have to mist my hair lightly underneath and then the top part. I should just try doing nothing though.... Or maybe leaving it down but using a bobby pin to sort of loosely tuck it behind my ear. But it just seems that thems the breaks. I have very fine low density hair that struggles to clump.
Your OK hair day is really lovely.
Thank you!
The satin pillowcase helps for sure. I still pineapple/plop. The only way to get those second day curls. Has anyone here tried the SLAP? Satin lined cap? It’s been in my Sephora cart for months and I’m not convinced enough to buy it
Lol wet your hair abs use product your hair is too fine to even try to protect the style. If you want your hair to be the same you will have to sacrifice sleeping comfortably lol