Sleepless nights: Cotton or Silk?

Reader question on covering hair during sleeping.

I went to John Lewis to get a silk scarf and it cost £20!! (John Lewis is a department store in UK sort of like Macy's and that is $32). I haven't bought it yet because of the price but I began to wonder is there any real need for this spending? Is silk really that much better than cotton and will it really stay on my head when I sleep?

I am a convert to silk scarves. I did use to think it was gobbledegook (real English word) but forums have a way of making you try things out. I tried it once and I was sold..

I haven't found research directly to hair but I have found silk being used in treatment of eczema (very dry skin). The reasons cited for doing this are

1. Silk fabrics help to maintain the body temperature by reducing the excessive sweating and moisture loss ( Curr Probl Dermatol. , pg 127-143 , 2006)

2. Compared to cotton, silk fabrics are smoother and less irritating to skin (Pediatric Allergy & Immunology. 18(4):335-338, June 2007.

Cotton is a highly absorbent fabric and that is why people say it zaps moisture from hair - great for drying wet hair, but perhaps not so great for sleeping with. I would also quickly add that silk is not regarded as vegan as it is produced from silkworm.

For the purpose of keeping the scarf on the head, I have a neat trick based on my material science days. Use a head band outside the scarf and it won't move (one of those head bands that don't catch hair). It should have a rubber/silicone grip in the middle as this is the reason why the scarf won't move. It is all about friction and resistance which is why an ordinary head band may not do such a good job (don't worry I won't bore you with details:)).

I got my headband in Sainsbury's (maker is Scunci - I think they cost around £3-£5). The headband will eventually not look very nice but it will have done a fine job.

Do you use silk or cotton or nothing (wrist slap!)

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