If you have curly hair, you’re likely all too familiar with the frustration that comes with going to bed with gorgeous ringlets and waking up with flattened, frizzy strands. Fortunately, there’s a solution to this common haircare woe: the pineapple hair method. This easy protective style helps shield your curls from friction while you snooze, minimizes frizz, and helps protect against tangling and breakage. And it’s a technique that works well for all curl types, from loose 2C curls to tight 4C coils. To learn more about pineapple hairstyle, keep scrolling. We’ll walk you through the technique and answer some common questions about the pineapple hair method, below.
What Is the Pineapple Hair Method?
Hair pineappling is a technique that involves gathering your curls and coils into a loose ponytail at the very front of your head before going to sleep. This protective style—so named for its resemblance to the topmost portion of a pineapple fruit—pulls your curls forward so they fall over your face. Since most people sleep on their back or side, this helps shield your strands from unnecessary friction, snagging, and pulling while you snooze, thereby minimizing frizz and tangles come sunrise. Pineappling curly hair before bed is a great way to streamline your morning styling routine—in many cases, all you’ll need to do is remove the hair tie and loosely tousle your hair for gorgeous, bouncy-looking ringlets.
Good hair day by @darycetolliver.
What Are the Benefits of the Pineapple Hair Technique?
Pineappling your hair before bed can have several benefits for those with wavy, curly, and coily strands. The technique helps:
- Protect your curl pattern: Sleeping on your back or side puts consistent pressure on your head. This pressure can flatten curls or cause them to lose their definition. When you pineapple hair, however, you draw most of your lengths down to hang in front of your face. This helps protect your curls from pressure, allowing them to stay bouncy and springy for longer.
- Reduce tangling: If you toss and turn at night, sleeping with your hair down is a one-way ticket to knotted, tangled hair. Gathering your strands into a loose hair pineapple can help protect against tangling.
- Protect against hair breakage: Tossing and turning can also contribute to hair breakage, especially if you don’t protect your hair before hitting the sheets. To minimize breakage, gather your mane into a hair pineapple and loosely wrap it in a silk scarf. This slippery fabric glides easily over the hair without snagging—which means less risk of breakage.
- Minimize frizz and flyaways: Wearing your hair in a loose pony when you sleep is a great way to help minimize frizz and flyaways for those with curly hair. Again, this is because when you create a hair pineapple, your strands are exposed to less friction than they would be if you wore your hair down.
Good hair day by @t_wildflower.
Does Hair Pineappling Work For all Hair Lengths?
The pineapple hair method can work for various hair lengths, but the approach might need a few adjustments depending on how long or short your hair is.
For longer hair, the technique is straightforward—all you need to do is gather your curls, coils, or waves into a high, loose ponytail near the front of your head. If your hair is shorter or has a lot of layers, it may be easier to create several mini hair pineapples along the length of your head, securing each with a satin scrunchie or non-snagging hair clip.
Can you pineapple wet hair?
While pineapple hair is most effective on dry strands, it can be done on wet or damp hair, provided you take a few extra precautions. Wet hair is more fragile than dry strands, so it’s important to handle it gently. To avoid breakage, use a soft, absorbent microfiber towel or a T-shirt to remove excess water before pineappling. Then, gather your hair loosely at the crown using a gentle scrunchie or silk scarf. You can also use a leave-in treatment, like the Kérastase 8H Magic Night Hair Serum, to help hydrate your hair and protect against breakage while you sleep.
However, if you have time, it’s generally better to do the pineapple hair method on dry hair to prevent hair from drying in a squashed or misshapen way.
How To Pineapple Hair
Pineappling is super straightforward—all you need to nail the protective style is a hair tie and a few styling aids. Here’s how to pineapple hair for bed:
Step 1: Prep your hair
As mentioned above, it’s best to start with clean, dry hair when pineappling your hair. If you’re fresh out of the shower, apply a nourishing heat protectant, such as the Mizani 25 Miracle Milk Leave In Conditioner, then gently diffuse your curls until they’re dry. The Redken Hydrating Curl Cream is another great option to consider—it helps protect against temperatures up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and provides light hold for springy, frizz-free curls and coils.
Step 2: Gather your hair
Next, flip your head upside down and gently gather your hair into a loose ponytail at the top of your head, near the crown. Secure the ponytail with a silk or satin scrunchie and pull your curls forward so they fall over your face. Take care not to tie your hair tie too tightly, as doing so can create dents or put unnecessary tension on your scalp.
Step 3: Add extra protection (optional)
If you’re especially vulnerable to frizz—or simply want to ensure your hair is as protected as possible before you hit the sheets—consider wrapping your pineapple hairstyle in a silk or satin scarf. To do this, fold the scarf into a triangle, placing the longest side at the nape of your neck with the point facing forward. Then, wrap the two ends around your pineapple and tie them together at the front of your head near your hairline. Finally, tuck in the ends of the scarf to keep everything snug.
Sleeping on a silk or satin pillowcase can also help prevent unnecessary friction while you sleep, which can help curb frizz, flyaways, and breakage. From here, you can go ahead and crawl into bed.
Good hair day by @vals_bluetidalwave.
Step 4: Fluff and style
Now, for the fun part: witnessing the transformative power of the pineapple hair technique. In the morning, gently remove the scarf and scrunchie. Use your fingers to shake out your curls, then lightly mist a curl refresher spray, like Redken’s Refreshing Curl Mist, throughout your mane. Alternatively, use a lightweight oil to boost shine and definition—we’re big fans of the Mizani 25 Miracle Nourishing Hair Oil. Gently work your product of choice throughout your strands, then style your hair as desired.
Next Up: How To Refresh Curls: 6 Techniques To Try
Header photo credit: @bycarlamarcelle.
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