Artikel: How to Sleep with Hair Extensions: A Guide by Extension Type
How to Sleep with Hair Extensions: A Guide by Extension Type
How to sleep with hair extensions depends on the type, and clip-in extensions come out before you go to bed. Extensions that a stylist fixes in place, such as tape-ins, keratin bonds, micro-rings and sewn-in wefts, stay in overnight: go to bed with them completely dry, brushed out and gathered in a loose braid or a loose ponytail, on a smooth pillowcase or under a bonnet. Your stylist's instructions, or the maker's instructions for your own extensions, come first, because brands differ in what they advise.
A weft is a strip of hair joined along one edge. Clip-in extensions are wefts with small clips that you attach and remove yourself, and a halo is a single weft that rests on the head without being attached to your hair. Tape-in extensions are thin wefts fixed to your hair with adhesive tape. Keratin bonds, also called pre-bonded extensions, are small strands with a bonded tip fused to your hair. Micro-rings clamp a strand to your hair with a tiny ring. Sewn-in wefts are stitched onto your hair, often onto a braided base.
The routine before bed
Each step names the makers whose care instructions it comes from.
- Dry the roots, tapes and bonds completely. Hotheads' tape-in guide rules out going to sleep with wet hair, Easilocks tells wearers of its tape extensions to dry the roots and tape area fully, and Great Lengths asks for the attachments to be dried thoroughly. This is the makers' rule for the attachments, stated for hair with extensions. What makes some hair slower to dry than other hair is set out in our guide to why hair takes so long to dry.
- Brush out gently while holding the hair with one hand. Easilocks suggests this so the brush does not pull on the Easilocks connections, and Hotheads says to brush before bed.
- Gather the hair in a loose braid or a loose ponytail, for example to the side. Hotheads, Great Lengths and Easilocks describe a loose or soft ponytail or a braid for the night, and Hairdreams says to tie the hair back or braid it. Easilocks suggests wearing the ponytail to the side.
- Use a soft tie and nothing tight. Hairdreams suggests a large scrunchie and advises against any tight braid or ponytail that strains the tapes. The different kinds of tie are compared in our guide to hair ties that don't damage hair.
- Sleep on a smooth pillowcase, or wear a bonnet over the tied or braided hair. Hairdreams, Easilocks and Great Lengths mention one or both of these.
The way to wear extensions to bed is a loose braid or a loose ponytail held with a soft tie, over attachments that are completely dry, with nothing pulling on the tapes, bonds or rings.
How to sleep with each type of hair extension
You can sleep with hair extensions in if a stylist has fixed them in place, which Beauty Works says professional extensions are made for, but clip-ins come out every night. The makers' instructions for each type are summarised here.
| Type | At night | Whose instruction |
|---|---|---|
| Clip-in | Take them out before bed | BELLAMI, Beauty Works, Gee |
| Halo | Take it off before bed; HALOCOUTURE adds that falling asleep in one does no harm | Luxy, HALOCOUTURE |
| Tape-in | Blow-dry the tapes after every wash; tie the hair back or braid it, never tightly | Hairdreams, Easilocks, Hotheads |
| Keratin bond (pre-bonded) | Dry the attachments thoroughly; soft ponytail or loose braid; keep hair oil away from the bonds | Great Lengths |
| Easilocks connections (that maker's own system) | Hold the hair with one hand while brushing; loose side ponytail or braid | Easilocks |
| Sewn-in weft | Brush before bed; loose braid or ponytail | The general routine above (no current maker guide found) |
Where your maker's or your stylist's instructions differ from this table, theirs apply.
On halos, the two makers differ on one point. Luxy advises against sleeping in its halo, citing comfort and tangles, while HALOCOUTURE says that falling asleep in one will not harm you or the extension, although it still suggests taking it off before bed.
Tape-in extensions need two things at night, according to their makers: tapes that are completely dry and a loose style that puts no strain on the tapes. Easilocks' advice on its connections applies to its own system; for micro-rings of another brand, ask your stylist.
Why wet extensions and tight styles are the two things to avoid
Easilocks gives the reason for its drying rule: the adhesive in its tape only reaches full strength once dry, and the hair should not be put under pressure during styling until then. Great Lengths says hair is at its most fragile when wet, which is why it asks for the attachments to be dried thoroughly.
Traction alopecia is hair loss caused by repeated pulling on the hair, as the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) defines it, and the AAD says it can be permanent. By its test, pain or a headache means an extension style is too tight, and your stylist should loosen it. The AAD's advice is about wearing extensions, not about sleep. Dermatological literature links sustained tension at the hairline, from tightly bound styles and tightly fitting headwear alike, to traction damage over time. What a bonnet band means for that tension is covered in our article on whether bonnets cause hair loss.
Silk pillowcase, satin pillowcase or bonnet?
A silk or satin pillowcase, or a silk or satin bonnet, gives less friction than a cotton pillowcase. None of them replaces drying, brushing and a loose braid, and we found no evidence that any of them stops matting or makes extensions last longer.
The makers cited here do not agree on one surface. Hairdreams mentions a silk or satin pillowcase or a sleeping cap, Easilocks a satin turban or bonnet, and Great Lengths' blog a silk pillowcase. Satin is a weave rather than a fibre, so a satin pillowcase can be made of silk or of synthetic yarn; the difference is set out in our comparison of silk vs satin.
A bonnet worn over extensions has to be deep enough for the full length and the braid, with a band that sits on the hairline without pressing. What a bonnet can and cannot do is covered in our guide to silk bonnet benefits, and our piece on durag vs bonnet compares the two for long and braided hair.
What a night routine cannot do
A night routine cannot repair extensions or your own hair. It cannot correct an install that is too tight or badly placed; those are questions for your stylist. The general night routine for hair without extensions is set out in our guide on how to protect hair while sleeping. If hair is thinning visibly or coming out in handfuls, the cause is unlikely to be your pillow, and that is worth seeing a doctor about.
What our silk pillowcases are made of
The RENESSY silk pillowcases use 100% organic mulberry silk with a weight of 22 momme, and both faces of each case are silk. Mulberry silk comes from silkworms raised on the leaves of the mulberry tree, and momme measures the weight of silk fabric. The raw silk is rated grade 6A, a raw-silk grade that assesses several qualities of the thread together. GOTS, the Global Organic Textile Standard, certifies textiles made from organically grown fibres. The silk is GOTS certified. OEKO-TEX MADE IN GREEN is a label for textiles tested for harmful substances and made in traceable, certified production. The pillowcases carry the OEKO-TEX MADE IN GREEN label, and the label ID M27MNB1V9 can be checked on the OEKO-TEX website. The pillowcases carry the Dermatest 5-Star seal and the Dermatest Sensitive Skin seal, dermatologically tested for sensitive skin. A hidden YKK zip closes each case.
Frequently asked questions
Can you sleep with clip-in extensions?
No. BELLAMI, Beauty Works and Gee all say to take clip-in extensions out before going to bed. BELLAMI cites comfort, damaged clips and tangles, and Beauty Works says clip-ins may tug on your own hair. You can sleep with extensions in when a stylist has fixed them in place, which Beauty Works says professional extensions are made for.
Can you sleep with wet hair extensions?
No. Hotheads and Easilocks both say not to go to bed with wet hair when you wear their extensions, and Great Lengths asks for the attachments to be dried thoroughly, so the tapes, bonds or roots should be completely dry first.
Should I braid my extensions before bed?
Yes. A loose braid is one of the two night styles that the extension makers cited here describe, the other being a loose ponytail. Hairdreams warns against tight braids that strain the tapes.
Is silk or satin better for hair extensions?
Neither is the makers' clear choice, since the extension makers cited in this guide name silk, satin or both. Both give less friction than cotton. Neither replaces dry attachments, gentle brushing and a loose braid; we found no evidence that either makes an install last longer.