A healthy hair routine that will have you sleeping easy – Derry's Margaret Doherty & Co.
As a hairdresser, I spend my time helping clients get their hair looking and feeling its best.
We deep-condition, trim split ends, and do protective styles—and yet, one of the most overlooked parts of a healthy hair routine happens while you’re asleep. Yes, I’m talking about your pillowcase.
It might seem like a small thing, but switching to a silk pillowcase—or wearing a silk bonnet—can make a big difference in your hair’s health.
Cotton is great for many things, but when it comes to hair care, it’s not doing you any favours.
Cotton tends to pull at the hair, cause friction, and absorb moisture. That’s a combination that can leave you with dryness, breakage, and frizz when you wake up in the morning.
Before I started using one myself I was wakening up looking like I was in a fight with Mike Tyson – not a good look!
Silk, on the other hand, is much gentler. It allows your hair to glide smoothly across the surface as you move during sleep, which helps prevent tangling and breakage. This is especially important for textured, curly, or fragile hair, which can be more prone to damage.
Another big benefit of silk is that it helps retain your hair’s natural moisture. Cotton tends to soak up the oils from your hair and scalp—those same oils your hair needs to stay nourished and soft.
Silk doesn’t absorb moisture in the same way, which means your hair stays hydrated longer, and your styles last longer, too. Your lovely haircare products will stay on your hair without the cotton pillow absorbing them.
If you wear protective styles—plaits, twists, or a blow-dry – a silk bonnet can help keep your hairstyle in place overnight. You put time and effort (or money) into your style, silk helps keep it looking fresh instead of flattened or frizzy by morning.
It also protects your ends, which are often the most delicate parts of the hair. The ends of your hair will most certainly benefit from a silk pillow or bonnet.
A lot of clients have been asking about it recently at the salon as it’s a craze on TikTok at the minute. Silk is an investment in your hair’s long-term health, and while silk pillowcases and bonnets used to be harder to find or more expensive, there are now plenty of options at different price points. You don’t have to break the bank to add this to your routine.
Even if you’re not ready to commit to both, starting with just one—a bonnet or a pillowcase—is a great step. The difference it makes is subtle but consistent, and over time, you’ll notice your hair retaining moisture better, breaking less, and just looking healthier overall.
It’s a simple change, but one that pays off in a big way. Your hair works hard during the day to stay strong and beautiful—why not give it the rest it deserves at night?
Don’t expect a miracle in one night, but definitely after one week, you will begin to see a difference.