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What Are Benefits Of Using A Silk Pillowcase In Hair Health?

Silk, more specifically a silk pillowcase, has many properties that may lend itself to being a healthier option for your hair, especially if you are noticing hair fall, dry hair, or hair breakage. I’m always considering healthier lifestyle alternatives, and using silk pillowcases is something I’ve been doing for several months. I mention silk pillowcases in my free e-book 23 Tips for a Healthy Scalp & Hair. Feel free to download it here. A healthy diet and drinking enough water is also important for hair and scalp health. Want to know more about the possible benefits of using a silk pillowcase to your hair? Keep reading below! 

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Downloading this e-book does add you to my LoveLeavingLegacy with Lilla Rose email subscription list, but you are free to unsubscribe at any time and keep the free e-book with my blessing and thanks. Any information you provide prior to download is not sold or used in any way except for the purposes of the newsletter or contacting you with helpful information, usually monthly, sometimes twice.

 

Obviously, changing to using a silk pillowcase is not a magic cure all for your hair care, but there may be some good benefits in hair care and self care. Heat styling without protectant, lots of chemical hair processing, very tight pulling hair styles, and medical problems are the first main reasons for hair health problems, and should always be addressed with a doctor and hair stylist. But, there are some possible benefits to using them in your self care. (Find more on healthy self care here.)

First, silk pillowcases don’t absorb moisture or hair oils since they are not as porous as other fibers, and they may provide less hair friction. These two properties could help reduce drying out hair and help to prevent tangles, frizz, and breakage. This is especially important for ladies with natural hair or extra curly hair. They leave moisture and hair oils in the hair where it belongs. But, also, regular hair trims and using daily conditioner, for even those of us without dry hair, is important. Again, drinking plenty of water is also important for hair hydration.

Second, silk pillowcases do not retain heat. For anyone who runs hot or is going through menopause, this may be especially helpful for keeping heads (and necks) cooler.

Third, silk pillowcases are hypoallergenic. Again, this alone is not a magic bullet for those with allergies. Regular pillowcase and sheet washing, along with pillow and mattress protectors is also important. For those allergic to cotton or other textile fibers, however, using silk could be helpful.

Fourth, they are also anti microbial. If you go to bed with wet hair, you may find that you have less propensity for hair fungal problems using a silk pillowcase as a result.

Fifth, silk pillowcases, since they reduce friction, often extend the life of a hair style, especially a blow out style. This could mean less product and less heat styling for those who often straighten their hair.

How to Choose a Silk Pillowcase

  • Be sure to choose a silk pillowcase that uses a silk fiber, rather than one that is a satin weave. The pillowcase fiber should contain at least 70% natural fibers, and not additives.
  • According to the Washington Post, choose silk pillowcases with “Global Organic Textile Standard, which means a product is made of at least 70 percent natural fibers, and OEKO-TEX, which means the product doesn’t contain chemicals or additives.”
  • Silk fabric weight is measured in terms of “momme.” When choosing a silk pillowcase, some experts recommend a momme count between 15-30. Some say those with a momme count over 22 is best. 
  • The price of the silk pillowcase will depend on the grade of the silk. Silk fiber is graded A-C. Grade A is smoothest and finest. Prepare to spend up to $40/pillowcase.

Caring for Your Silk Pillowcase

  • Washing by hand is preferred. Turning it inside out, submerge the pillow case in water and detergent for 30 minutes. Rinse in cool water. Do not wring, but push excess water out and lay flat to dry on a rack.
  • If you choose to wash by machine, choose a cold delicate cycle with low spin. Insert in a laundry bag turned inside out. Do not wash with other fiber sheets or items. Air dry on a flat drying rack.

This is the pillowcase I chose for myself. I found it on Amazon. (This is an Amazon affiliate link. An affiliate link means that, at no extra cost to you, when you click through a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission which allows this blog to remain active.) It is available in 28 or so colors and in multiple bed pillow sizes. Silk pillow cases make great gifts when pampering a loved one! 

Again there is no magic bullet to my hair care in using this product. I do notice less hair fall on my pillow in the morning, less bed head, and I can go longer between hair washings. I also noticed that even with night sweats, my pillowcase is not wet and my head is remaining cooler. I also use this in conjunction with my Reverse Method hair care method, weekly Masque treatments, and with Lilla Rose hair accessories. 


Other sources used for this post: Good Housekeeping and New York Post.

Hair Tutorial: How To Do An Easy Wrapped Pony Tail

One of my six children is getting married at the end of March. When I saw a post in a group I’m in for ladies “going gray naturally” with a photo of a lady with long silver strands in a wrapped high pony tail, I got excited! I knew I’d have an easy hair style idea to present my hair stylist for my hair for the wedding! I recently got face framing layers with a side part on the affected side of my face, and pony tails are easy! My shortest layer tucks behind my ears. My hairstylist will be able to easily braid or French braid a section of my hair, wrap it around the base of my pony tail, and secure it with my favorite comfortable Lilla Rose bobby pins or a flexi clip. I’ll ask him to curl the pony tail tresses and some of the face framing sections left out of the pony tail, and then spray it with hair spray to prevent any flyaways or shorter hair from slipping out of the pony tail. I’m imagining this being a middle-high pony tail, not a low one.

Hair tutorial: Easy Wrapped Pony Tail

Hair Tutorial: An Easy Wrapped Pony Tail

Below are two tutorial videos. One is a video A-Grape and I did a few years ago which describes how to do wrapped pony tails with bobby pins. The other is a low braided wrapped pony tail with a flexi hair clip. We could also use U-pins or hair sticks!

FLEXI: Braided Ponytail from Lilla Rose Inc. on Vimeo.

We’re in the midst of finding shoes to match our dresses. I no longer fit in the Dress Shoes With Heels Club, because hello imbalance disorder and fall risk. Finding comfortable and nice dress shoes with a stable low heel is proving to be quite a challenge. My dress skirt is also a high low hem, as I am afraid of tripping if the skirt wrapped around my ankles.

I need to find jewelry, beyond matching the dress and the wedding theme and colors, that isn’t too heavy on my numb ear, neck and shoulders, and won’t poke or prod those areas or make my head tilt to the right to increase the chances of imbalance and dizziness.

Finally, I have met with a make up artist to learn some techniques for creating the appearance of facial symmetry around my “not great at blinking” right dry eye while using make up that won’t cause itching or other problems around my eye, plus decrease the eye opening of my unaffected facial issues, while “opening” the right side affected by facial nerve weakness and the need for ongoing neuromuscular brain retraining. I have to do different techniques around my mouth in order to appear like I’m smiling from both sides of my mouth equally, which means using bronzer to create the appearance on one size of my face, and highlighter on the other side to decrease natural lines on the unaffected side. Make up is a challenge for a 50+ year old mom’s skin and then to “create” something on my face because muscles aren’t freely moving increases the make up challenges for a non make up, natural appearance person! The learning curve has been steep!

These are not your average wedding stressors! Thanks a lot, acoustic neuroma! I see my make up artist and my hair stylist in the early morning of the wedding, though, so I’ll have some help.

What would you do for your child’s wedding: a traditional Mother of the Bride (or groom) updo? Or would you try a fancy braided pony tail? Do you have an expert do your hair and make up?

Give me some feedback! Maybe I’ll change my mind!

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Heading Back To School: Tips On How To Prevent Head Lice

Many years ago, when our daughters were early elementary age, our family somehow got a nasty case of head lice. We’d been traveling and have no idea where the head lice came from. In the treatment of that episode of lice, and in one subsequent episode, we learned a lot about how to prevent and treat the itchy, annoying affliction. Here are some tips as children are heading Back To School.

Head lice is common between the ages of 3-11 years since these are day care to elementary aged kids, and most at risk. They are also the population who don’t understand the importance of prevention. Lice is a parasite that drinks human blood. They are most often found behind the ears and lower neck. Bites leave signature rashes there, and a case of head lice is very itchy, especially at night. Find out what head lice looks like and the stages of development over on WebMD.

Tips On How To Prevent Head Lice, hair care, hair health

Head lice is passed from head to head/hair to hair touching. On upholstered furniture in public places, such as movie theater seats, or lying on rugs in a classroom or library, it is possible to transfer head lice.

How to avoid getting head lice 

  • No sharing combs, hats, scarves, or hair accessories. 
  • No sharing pillows or bedding at sleep overs or at camp.
  • No sharing ear buds and helmets.
  • Wash and high heat dry new hats after purchase before wearing.

The next step in prevention is what to do once you suspect your children or you could have been exposed. Be sure to wash all possible exposed clothing, coats, hats, scarves, etc in hot water and high heat dry. Do the same with stuffed animals and bedding if possible. If it’s not possible, seal them in a plastic bag for three or more weeks. We did the same with combs, brushes, and hair accessories. Admittedly, I over reacted and boiled our combs each day. They sort of melted.

Another tip for prevention is to keep longer hair tied back in a pony tail or braid, or pinned up in a bun.

Washing your child’s hair with tea tree shampoo and conditioner, and the heat of blow drying also helps to kill any possible lice. Keeping your child’s environment clean helps control any spread of the lice should your child get it. Be sure to keep carpets and car seats well vacuumed each day. I found the biggest asset to the whole ordeal of our children having head lice was that we got our house clean and organized because I became obsessive about vacuuming and laundry.

Twice daily combing with a head lice nit comb scrapes any nits down the hair shaft and away from the scalp. We did use RID for our daughters’ first stint with head lice. The lice weren’t necessarily killed. We had to do a second treatment. Their hair got fried, and their scalps were dry.

A nurse friend with ties to a nurse at the local health department also advised us to use olive oil during nit combing. Once we were diligent with combing and using olive oil to comb, washing with tea tree oil shampoo and conditioner, and blow drying, the ordeal was fortunately contained. The olive oil may have done nothing more than restore our daughters hair to good health.

Unfortunately, the girls report that the smell of olive triggers bad memories for them, and the only good thing about having lice was that we let them watch movies while we nit combed endlessly.

Here are examples of the products we used.
DISCLOSURE: These are affiliate links which means I earn a small compensation to support this blog if you make a purchase through these links. There is no added cost to you. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed in this post are my own.

I hope this helps you prevent lice in your own home, and manage it if your child ends up with a case of it.

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