Hair too short to pineapple?
Does that doom you washing it every day to keep it looking it’s best?
Of course not, silly.
What you need to do is unleash your inner Medusa.
No, not accepting wild child hair. I mean more by using medusa clipping your short curly hair while sleeping.
So could this technique be the game changer you’ve been looking for to protect your short curls overnight but couldn’t find?
With the added benefit of not needing a massive refresh in the morning?
Absolutely. It just might be the simple fix you need. And wouldn’t that be heavenly?
What Is Medusa Clipping
Medusa clipping is a protective sleeping style for short stranded curlies. You strategically clip sections of hair up and off your scalp using small jaw clips. It lets you avoid crushed or stretched out curls. Keeping your curl definition intact so you wake up to curls that need next to no refreshing.
Think of this way. It’s like pineappling only different. Basically it’s more like a modified pineapple only for those with shorter hair that can’t be pineappled. Make sense?
Both methods are used to keep your curls securely on the top of your head out of harm’s way.
Both work great to keep most from waking up to curls that are wreck beyond belief after being slept on.
Both give you second day curls that look almost as good, if not better, than freshly washed hair.
Sound too good to be true? Please! Mush on to find out more…
But first, if you have unruly curls we’ve got just the thing. You’ll find a treasure trove of tips, tricks, and tutorials on this site. Or just what you need for taking care of curly hair with a mind of it’s own.
Just click that link for all the fixes you could ever need for taming temperamental curls all listed in one place.
Now back to the help for sleeping with short curly hair you came here for.
How To Medusa Clip Hair Short Curly Hair
Now if you’ve only got time to watch one of the four videos below this is the one to watch.
Not to say you shouldn’t watch the rest. They share good ideas too. But this one lays it all for you in simple to follow step by step fashion. No products required.
What you need to know…
Clipping your hair up and away from your scalp will give you a ton of volume and curls that aren’t squished, flattened or frizzy. Meaning practically no refresh required.
Smaller clips are better than bigger. For sure better than just using one. You’ll likely need at least five if not more depending on how thick your curls are.
Failing to clip right can leave you with some seriously flat roots. Here’s what to do to avoid that.
Tip: You want the edge of the clip resting on your scalp, rather than clipped horizontally onto your scalp – if that makes any sense. Said another way have the spikes of your clips facing to the side rather than down towards your scalp.
The big idea is to lift the hair off your scalp – not pin it to your scalp.
Tip: If clips falling out is a concern sleep in a satin hair cap!
Work in sections. For most heads that’s four or five. Smaller sections are better than larger. Gives you more a more secure clip.
She leaves the bottom hair in the back unclipped.
Because clipping it will simply stretch and straighten that section of hair for one.
And two, being hair that lives under the top sections it’s not super critical it be perfect.
Tip: For more comfortable sleeping, get a feel for what part of your head will rest on the pillow with your fingers. Then avoid any clips there.
Next morning be prepared to be amazed at the volume when you let your mane down.
Now this important. Do nothing for the first 15-20 minutes after removing the clips. This will give your curls time to pop back into formation.
If they don’t quite make it a good fluffing can return them to their former bouncy voluminous state from the previous day.
Not bad, right?
Sleeping With Short Curly Hair – Take Two
Now this second video is from the YouTuber most credit with coming up with the Medusa clipping routine. Which as you know addressed the challenge of getting shorter curls up and outta the way while you sleep.
The video is available! You’ll just have to click on this link to watch it on YouTube.
Now this video does two things.
- First it talks about the importance of taking action to fix what ails your curls at night. That way you are preemptively attacking any issue(s) that otherwise may still be plaguing them in the morning.
- Then it shows how she does Medusa clipping and the products she uses – something the first video didn’t.
So when getting ready for bed quickly evaluate where your curls stand. Better to react at bedtime than waiting until the next morning. Cause by then it may be too late with too much to recover from to do without shampooing.
Same goes for moisture. If the ends are already looking parched break out the oil or whatever hydrating product works with your hair. As now is the perfect time to do a little TLC and quenching at bedtime.
Products To Use With Medusa Clipping Method
Time to reach for the leave in conditioner water mix, moisturizing spray, or if you prefer oil treatment?
- Applies by smoothing over her hair with her hands.
- She might lift sections and get some on the underside of each.
- Then she rope scrunches down (tighten your hand around a section, release, move your hand down and repeat for the entire length.)
Otherwise don’t scrunch those shortish curls at night. You’re not trying to make your hair look all fluffy and voluminous now. You’re just trying to get moisture on your curls for a little overnight TLC.
Her Medusa Clipping Technique
Clip as many sections as you need to to get all the curls up and out of the way.
Medusa clipping gives you more points of contact. With each jaw clip creating a little pineappling affect all its own.
And note that, unlike the first video, she clipped up the bit of hair at the nape of her neck. She even offers some suggestions for how to know when and when not to invite that lower bit of hair to the Medusa party.
Tip: For easier sleeping maybe instead of a claw clip use a bobby pin for that hair hanging out at the bottom in the back. Will be much more comfortable I assure you.
Reminder: This approach is perfect for those with finer, thinner curly hair.
You excited to try this tonight yet or what?
How To Sleep With Short Curls – Take Three
This next video shows how she approaches medusa clipping. Very similar to the others. Then she shows her 2 minute refresh routine the next morning. And it’s literally 2 minutes at the most.
Be sure you watch to see how things turned. You may be surprised.
For your convenience….
timestamp clipping 1:06
timestamp refreshing 3:22
Rookie Mistake: I don’t feel she clipped the jaw clips in right. Remember you want the claws going to the side, NOT downwards toward the scalp. The idea again is to clip the hair up off the scalp not down to the scalp.
As the previous videos suggested, she took the clips out and gave the curls time to catch their breath.
Then here’s her refreshing routine:
- Fluff. Fluff. Fluff. Give the freshly unclipped roots a good fluff starting at the nape of your neck and working your way up. An easy way to get a volume revival going, no?
- Flip from Side to Side: More volume revitalization
- Apply Oil: To cut down on the frizz she lightly smooths a bit of oil over the curls
Finally let’s wrap up with a look at
How To Refresh Short Curly Hair Without Washing
We captured her take on how to do Medusa clipping for sleeping with curls in a previous post. Click that link if you want to find out about how to preserve curls overnight and more.
But real quick she basically sectioned her hair into five or six parts. She use a tiny claw clip to secure each on the very top of her head.
Think of it this way.
With pineappling you’re using a satin scrunchy to hold the hair all gathered on top of your hair at one point. With medusa clipping you’re securing the curls off your scalp at multiple points around the top of your head.
Same difference, no?
How To Refresh Medusa Clipped Curly Hair After Sleeping On It
Okay so what’s a look at sleeping with curly hair without at least a detailed shout out to refreshing?
And yeah. This post isn’t about refreshing. But you may have to do some – at least a little. Or not. So we will bring up a few highlights so you know what to do. Didn’t want to leave you hanging.
But say you want to know more about all that refreshing. Well we got you covered, curl sister, with our in-depth take on how to refresh curly hair. You may especially like what to do with second day curls that fail. Cause all is not lost.
Our recently updated article that answers the question “How do you refresh curls after sleeping?” is only a click away.
Anyway, she too emphasizes that after taking out the little clippies the most important thing to do is to walk away. Give you hair some space.
Oh and this is not the time to panic. Things will likely improve – dramatically.
Yes you can shake it out a bit if you can’t help yourself. To help it to chill out, unwind and ease back into as much of its former Day 1 self as it can.
Then, and again, as the Beatles would say … let it be.
Like 15-20 minutes to find itself.
No touching. No product. No nothing because your hair may surprise you and not need much if any kind of styling boost.
Oh and about that underneath hair. It’s smart to temper your expectations for what you’re going to get from those bits at the nape of your neck in the morning.
Even with product don’t expect that section to spring back to it curly best like it was when Day 1 fresh. It won’t.
Remember too it’s your underneath hair. So it doesn’t have to be all the great.
More it’s you don’t want it to look hideous. If it doesn’t that’s a win. Okay?
Now the lucky ones will need to do little more than add some moisture back to their coils.
But if takes some product spritz it on your hands.
Then smooth and scrunch for a little hydration boost.
Tip: For some it’s smart to use a leave in conditioners that will add some keratin to your strands. If your curls love protein this might not be a bad thing to consider. It might just supercharge the shine and bounce your next day curls have on display. Just a thought
So there you go. That’s how to refresh short curly hair without washing in a nutshell.
If these Medusa clipping videos left you hungry for more you’ll likely find it on our curly hair board on Pinterest. Be sure to follow us so you don’t miss out.
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