How to Get Gorgeous Hair in Your Sleep

InStyle.com

Why skimp on beauty sleep? Prime your hair before bed! These speedy A.M. styling tips will get you ready in no time.

WAKE UP WITH ... PIN STRAIGHT HAIR

Works for: Straight, wavy or blown-out hair

Key Product:

Smoothing Cream
Try: John Frieda Frizz-Ease Straight Fixation Smoothing Crème, $7; at drugstores.

PM Prep
1. Work a drop of smoothing cream into damp hair, then blow-dry until the hair is 80 percent dry, says stylist Bradley Irion.

2. Clip away a 3-inch-wide chunk of hair at the crown.

3. Take a 1-inch section of hair above your ear and wrap it over your head "like a headband," says Irion. Secure with pins.

4. Grab a section of hair behind the one you just wrapped and repeat, moving clockwise until your hair -- minus the section at the crown -- is wrapped into a beehive.

5. Comb the hair at the crown in the direction of the beehive, pinning as you go. Wear a silk headscarf overnight to protect hair.

AM Touch-Up
If the bobby pins left any dents overnight, quickly smooth them with a flatiron. For an extra body boost, spray dry shampoo at the roots, teasing with a rattail comb where you want volume.

WAKE UP WITH ... DEFINED CURLS

Works for: Curly hair

Key Product:

Curl Activator
Try: Samy Get Curls Re-Energizing Potion, $6; at drugstores.

PM Prep
1. Run a lightweight curl activator through damp hair with your fingers and use a wide-tooth comb to detangle without disturbing the natural curl, says stylist Ellin LaVar.

2. Separate hair into four sections -- divide the hair at the top of the head from ear to ear on both sides of your part. Then section the hair in the back into two horizontal sections.

3. Twist each section between your thumb and pointer finger to create tight spirals until hair coils around itself, says LaVar. Secure the individual twists with a large hairpin.

4. Blow-dry hair using a diffuser until it's mostly dry.

AM Touch-Up
Lightly mist hands with shine spray and separate your corkscrews. For definition around the face, place front pieces in pin curls. Keep pins in while doing makeup and release before leaving home.

WAKE UP WITH ... BEACHY WAVES

Works for: Straight, wavy or curly hair

Key Product: Antifrizz Lotion
Try: Lea Journo La Forme Styling Lotion, $28; leajourno.com (available in June).

PM Prep
1. Apply a frizz-busting styling lotion from roots to tips of damp hair if your hair is textured, or from midshaft to ends if it's straight, says stylist Adir Abergel.

2. Blow-dry your roots using a diffuser while lightly lifting the hair with your fingers to add height. "Unlike a direct blast of hot air, which will flatten your hair, diffused air actually creates more body," says Abergel. Make sure hair is completely dry.

3. Gather hair high at the back of your head and twist counter-clockwise into a bun. Poke a large hairpin through the bun's center to secure it without leaving an indentation.

AM Touch-Up
Shake loose the bun and curl a few front pieces for a nice finish. (Shoulder-length hair needs a 3/4-inch iron; longer hair, 1 1/4-inch.) Rub a drop of shine serum between hands and pat onto hair.

GOT SHORT HAIR? TRY THIS!

  • At night, mist heat-protective spray onto damp hair to boost shine and texture before drying. Run a 1-inch flatiron through hair to nix waves or frizz, creating a blank slate.

  • If you have fine hair and there's some length on top, comb it up on top of your head -- toward your hairline -- and secure in a high ponytail. "This will lift your roots overnight, giving you fullness the next day," says stylist Sally Hershberger. (If your hair has built-in body, skip this.)

  • As you sleep, your scalp's natural oils will moisturize your hair, and the movement of your head on your pillow will create the right amount of texture.

  • If cowlicks kick in overnight, flatten them with your iron in the morning.

  • Ruffle the hair with your hands and finger-style with spray wax until you reach your desired style.

--Jolene Edgar

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