Photographed by Winnie Au.
Like most women with curly hair, I suffered for most of my life never knowing if my next-day hair would be full and fabulous, or fall short and frizz up. I came to understand this A.M. uncertainty as a fact of life, a problem that couldn't be solved — something that was refreshing on the good days, and annoying on the bad (the latter of which there were many, many more of).
When I first stumbled across the pineapple method on the Naturally Curly CurlTalk boards, the rants and raves about how well it worked seem too good to be true. After all, an easy solution to a curly hair problem is rare indeed. But, you're supposed to give everything a go at least once, right? Turns out, pineappling not only helps to create second-day curls, but I actually prefer the volume and even the worn-in look that my curls have after using the method.
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Since discovering it, I've pineappled for school pictures, graduations, interviews and weddings. If there is an important event in my life, you can rest assured that my hair will be in a pineapple shape the night before, silk scarf included. The genius of the method is its predictability, a luxury often only afforded to those with straighter strands. Pineappling seems to be the golden ticket for frizz-free second-day curls, all in less than five minutes.
Known colloquially as "pineappling" by curly-haired women who often use the method, the goal is to create frizz-free second-day hair that doesn't need to be rewashed or reset. When done properly, the method is nearly always effective, giving you increased volume and generally looser curls for second-day wear.
The idea is easy: Put your hair in a high ponytail before bed, so high that it looks like a pineapple when you pull it through the hair tie. Tie a scrunchie or a rubber band loosely around the base of the ponytail. You can choose to pull your hair all the way through so that the ends hang, or if your ends are damaged, leave them within the tie instead of pulling them out for more of a protective style. After that, simply lay your pineappled head down to bed.
To really decrease frizz even further, be sure to sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase, or tie a silk or satin scarf around your curls before you go to bed. Cotton in general sucks moisture out of your hair, and curly hair is already pretty dry. And, as we all know, dry hair leads to frizz.
For anyone with wavy, curly or coily hair, this method can be a lifesaver, pushing back your wash day and giving you more time to focus on, you know, anything else! But don’t take my word for it. For a hair care method that only takes a hair tie and five minutes (if that!), there is zero reason not to give it a try! Here, your five-step guide.
Step 1: Grab a scrunchie or hair tie.
Step 2: Flip your head over so that all of your hair falls in front of your face.
Step 3: Lightly pull your hair to the top of your head and loosely secure. If you have shorter hair and can't pull it all the way to the top, section your hair off into multiple ponytails and be sure to follow step 4.
Step 4: (Optional but recommended): Tie a satin or silk scarf around your curls and then simply go to sleep.
Step 5: For after morning care, take your hair down, flip it upside down and using either a leave-in conditioner or an oil (rose, jojoba, or coconut), tousle it out of shape using your hands and coating your hair with the product. Leave-in conditioner or an oil will help to seal in moisture, further reducing frizz. If necessary, you can also use watered-down gel to reshape curls that may have fallen out. Like this post? There's more. Get tons of beauty tips, tutorials, and news on the Refinery29 Beauty Facebook page!
Step 2: Flip your head over so that all of your hair falls in front of your face.
Step 3: Lightly pull your hair to the top of your head and loosely secure. If you have shorter hair and can't pull it all the way to the top, section your hair off into multiple ponytails and be sure to follow step 4.
Step 4: (Optional but recommended): Tie a satin or silk scarf around your curls and then simply go to sleep.
Step 5: For after morning care, take your hair down, flip it upside down and using either a leave-in conditioner or an oil (rose, jojoba, or coconut), tousle it out of shape using your hands and coating your hair with the product. Leave-in conditioner or an oil will help to seal in moisture, further reducing frizz. If necessary, you can also use watered-down gel to reshape curls that may have fallen out. Like this post? There's more. Get tons of beauty tips, tutorials, and news on the Refinery29 Beauty Facebook page!
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