Have you ever heard of “pineappling” your hair? Pineapples are not generally associated with your hair, but the term is just a funny way to describe a technique that protects your curls while you sleep. If you have naturally curly hair, this method may be a lifesaver for you! This technique can help you preserve your curls for days on end, without needing to wash your hair and style it again every single day.
It is fairly common for women with naturally curly hair to feel that their hair offers limited style options. However, thankfully, this is most definitely not the case. There are plenty of style options out there for naturally curly hair and you must do what works for your hair and preferred style. It may take a few experiments to see what works best for your hair type and personal style, but once you find a technique and style that works for you, stick with it.
When the pineapple method is done correctly, it creates gorgeous, defined curls that have been boosted with how it was worn overnight. When your hair has been secured into a pineapple, the pile of curls resembles – you guessed it – a pineapple!
Let us explain how to pineapple your hair and recommend some of our Keranique products that will help keep your curly hair manageable and protected. We will also discuss the benefits of pineappling your natural curls overnight. Knowing how to protect your curly hair when you sleep can often be a challenge, so let us recommend one of the most popular ways to wear your hair to bed to prevent flattened, frizzy curls.
What is The Pineapple Method?
So, what is a pineapple when referring to your hair? Pineapple is a technique for how to wear your naturally curly hair to sleep to protect it. The pineapple method is a hair styling technique that is the process of tying a loose, high ponytail on the very top of your head to protect your hair. This style arranges your hair to look just like a pineapple, which is where the phrase came from.
But what are the benefits of the pineapple method for naturally curly hair? The benefits are simple. A pineapple will arrange your hair in such a way that it will protect it while you sleep. People with curly hair who do not pineapple will often wake up with frizzy hair due to the friction caused by the pillowcase.
As the technique involves loosely tying your hair up and out of the way, you generally will not flatten your curls during sleep. This results in frizz-free and knot-free curly hair to wake up too, to help style it the way you like. Since your hair is styled upon the top of your head, as you toss and turn during the night only the back and sides will be affected and touch your pillow as you lay down in bed. This is a major win!
How to Do the Pineapple Method on Naturally Curly Hair
How to Pineapple in 4 Easy Steps
You should pineapple your hair right before you go to sleep at night. As you are creating a very loose ponytail high on your head, this needs to be done at the last minute to prevent any excess slippage. It may feel a little loose at first, but it should stay put how it needs. You may notice some slippage, but your hair will still be protected overnight. A little slippage is normal and as long as the majority of your hair is secured, the technique will still work.
1. First, you need to prep your hair for the pineapple technique. Prep your hair by spritzing it with some Keranique Marula Oil Hair Mist. Our hair mist will add some moisture and shine to your curls while improving your hair’s overall manageability for easy styling. Your hair will also become soft and frizz-free.
2. To get your hair in a high-enough ponytail, bend forward and gather all of your hair at the top of your head. You can then take your scrunchie and slip it on. Alternatively, use a spiral elastic to wrap once around your ponytail, or as loosely as possible. By tying your high ponytail loosely, it will prevent any dents or creases forming during the night.
Optional: If you wish, you could clip the ends of the pineapple to your head for additional security. Alternatively, you could opt for creating a loose bun by not pulling through the ends of your hair. Find a way and adapt the steps to the pineapple method that suits your hair best. It may take a few times, but you will soon get into the swing of it!
3. Once your hair has been secured into a high ponytail, let half of your curls fall down to the one side and the other half to the other side.
4. You could also wear a satin scarf, a soft bonnet, or additional protection if necessary.
Tip: Do not forget to sleep on satin or silk bedding!
What You Will Need:
To try the pineapple technique for yourself at home, you will need to use a loose ponytail holder. You may also opt to use some additional protective fabrics. Use the below list as a guide for what is needed to pineapple your hair.
To secure your loose ponytail, you should use a scrunchie, spiral elastic, or an alternative loose ponytail holder that works for your hair type. Whichever ponytail holder you decide to use, make sure that it has enough elasticity. However, you should not loop it around your hair more than once. Be careful when securing your ponytail to not pull it too tight, otherwise, it could create the dreaded “dent” or creases in your hair overnight.
A satin scrunchie is often the top choice because it helps to protect your curly hair against any breakage due to friction.
If you want a little extra protection, you may also want to wrap your ponytail in a satin scarf or bonnet. You could also purchase a satin pillowcase, which is said to help protect hair and keep it shiny and knot-free. Cotton bedding will typically create knots in curly hair due to the friction it causes. Whereas satin bedding will help prevent knots from forming. As an alternative, you could also opt to sleep on silk bedding as it offers the same protection as satin.
If you find that using a scrunchie or spiral elastic leaves dents and creases in your hair type, you may want to just use a satin scarf or bonnet without any hair tie. This is especially helpful for shorter hair that is difficult to tie up.
We recommend prepping your hair with the pineapple technique just before you go to sleep at night. This is because you are creating a very loose ponytail, which may slip if you wear it throughout the day. Moreover, even though this method is quite messy and can lead to your hair slipping, pineappling will still offer good protection while you sleep.
Ways to Wear the Pineapple During the Day
If you have ever looked at your gorgeous curls and wished you could keep them looking perfect every day, you may have just found your new favorite hairstyle. If you think the pineapple is limited to wearing just in bed, then think again! While the pineapple is a technique used to preserve your curls during the night, it can also be a stunning hairstyle too. Extend the life of the pineapple and rock it during the day.
Here are some ways to wear the pineapple as a hairstyle in its own glory.
Pineapple Updo
If you have fallen in love with how the pineapple looks, why not accessorize it with your favorite scarf? Use a satin or silk scarf for protection against frizz and knots.
Braided Pineapple
If you want to add another layer to your pineapple hairstyle, there is one easy way to refresh your look. Turn your hair into an Insta-worthy style by braiding some sections and securing them up into your high ponytail.
Add Some Fake Bangs
If you have always wanted to try out bangs and wondered if they would suit you, this is the perfect hairstyle to test them out. With a pineapple updo, fake bangs are easily added to your style. To achieve this look, all you need to do is section off some hair at the front of your head. Once sectioned off, secure the rest of your hair into a loose, high ponytail. Then to finish, bring the hair forward to create bangs.
What You Should Avoid When Pineappling Curly Hair
Now that we have learned how easy it is to pineapple hair and know the simple steps to achieve defined curls, knowing what you should avoid is just as important. Largely, the pineapple method is pretty hard to mess up, but here are a few pointers for how to avoid a poor result. If you do not secure the pineapple correctly, it may cause some dents or creases in your curls. A poorly executed pineapple may even result in flattened, undefined curls.
Here is our quick guide on what not to do:
1. When you tie your hair up into a high, loose ponytail, you need to make sure that you have not secured it too tight. The aim and purpose here are to loosely secure your hair into a pineapple to prevent any indentations or flatness in the morning. We want bouncy, fuller curls!
2. We also do not recommend that you use cotton hair ties. While cotton hair ties are the most popular types, if you use these for curly hair and to secure your pineapple this will most likely cause dents that we want to avoid.
3. Do not prep your hair and follow any of the pineapple method steps if you have recently washed your hair. Your hair must be completely dry before you even attempt at doing the pineapple method. If you did do this while your hair is still wet, then this would likely cause your hair to mat or be creased.
4. Do not pull on your hair too much when removing your hair ties. While you may want to do some light styling after releasing, you should allow your hair to naturally fall.
5. Lastly, if you do choose to use a satin bonnet to add extra protection to your hair while you sleep, do not sleep with it covering the ends of your hair. If you cover the ends of your hair, this may cause friction and dryness. Curly hair can often naturally struggle with dryness and not properly protecting your hair in bed may cause it to get worse.
How to Release the Pineapple
We briefly touched on how to release the pineapple above, but we will now delve deeper into how it is best to remove your loose hair ties.
So, what do you do in the morning to ensure your hair looks amazing? You cannot just rip it out of the scrunchie and expect miracles. Your hair may need to lightly style your hair before you can get going with your hair. Taking down the pineapple is just as important as putting it up. You will soon figure out a routine that works best for you and your hair type because let’s face it everyone’s hair is different.
To successfully release the pineapple without causing any frizz, remove the scrunchie or hair tie of choice and shake your hair out from side to side. But remember when releasing to not pull your hair out too much, allow your hair to fall naturally in the fresh air. To complete, refresh your hair with Keranique Thickening & Texturizing Mousse. This mousse will protect your natural curls from tangles and breakages while maintaining the volume of your fuller hair.
There is a Pineapple Method for Every Hair Length
For medium hair and long hair, the pineapple technique is extremely easy. The pineapple technique was made for medium to long hair. Simply follow the steps above on how to prep and secure your hair into a pineapple. But for short hair, the technique gets a little bit more complicated. However, it does not mean that it is too difficult or impossible to achieve. To successfully put your shorter hair into a loose ponytail, there are some simple adjustments to be made.
If you have a classic bob haircut, you should follow the first steps and gather your hair into a loose, high ponytail on the top of your head. However, after doing this you may find that you still have strands of hair falling down the back and sides of your head. The solution to remedy this is simple; use some bobby pins or a cloth headband to secure the stray hairs up onto the head.
For shorter pixie haircuts, the process is a bit easier. For truly short hair, simply cover your hair with a satin scarf or bonnet by itself. Satin will work at minimizing any frizz but remember you could also use silk as it works in the same way.
If your hair is curly but too short to put in a high ponytail, try simply sleeping on a satin pillowcase. While most hair lengths can be pineapple, if you are struggling then this may work for you. Sleeping on satin or silk pillowcases can help to reduce any creases in your hair and keep it styled and shiny for a longer period of time. Do not forget, the technique will not work too well if you go to bed with wet hair. Try to use the pineapple technique with dry hair always for a better look in the morning.
If you have an incredible length to your hair, then things will get a bit complicated for you. While long hair is easy to pineapple, extremely long hair may take some additional steps. The best way to follow the pineapple method that we recommend is to put your hair into a loose, messy bun. A messy bun may work better on your long hair than a messy ponytail. If any hair strands do become free, tuck these strands in so that your hair does not slip out overnight. Alternatively, you could also wrap any loose ends in a satin scarf or bonnet, to help keep your hair in place. But do not worry if some strands do become loose and fall out, some slippage is to be expected but should not ruin the overall look.
The Multi-Pineapple for Short Hair
Do you think your hair is far too short to pineapple? Think again! As we mentioned before, most hair lengths should be able to pineapple successfully. Sure, you may not be able to create a full, single ponytail, but you should be able to tie your hair up into multiple smaller ponytails across the head.
To do this multi-pineapple method, simply split your hair into multiple sections. The number of sections you will need for your hair type will depend on the thickness of your hair. You may need to multi-pineapple your hair for a few nights to find out what works best for your hair type. If you find that you have some creases or dents in the morning, try securing a few more ponytails.
Finish the multi-pineapple method by covering your hair with a satin scarf or bonnet before going to sleep. When you wake up, your curls should be bouncy and full of life with defined natural curls. However, before you are ready to get going you may need to do some light styling. Fluff your hair out, group the multiple sections back together, and shake it out. Then let the fresh air do the rest – perfect!
How to Boost Your Fuller, Curly Hair
Taking care of your curly hair is essential to keeping it looking healthy and bouncy. If you have curly hair, you will already be aware that taking care of it can be challenging at times. Whether you have loose curls or tight coils, curly hair is vastly different to take care of than straight or wavy hair. Curly hair presents its own set of challenges that can take years to learn how to navigate. Along with its own set of challenges, it is important to experiment with what works with your hair to help give the shape of your natural curls. You can boost your naturally curly hair with the hair care products that you use during hair wash days.
Due to the nature of curly hair, it is common for curls to be dryer than straight hair. Curly hair can also break more often during brushing and have unmanageable frizz. But with our team of hair care experts creating the best products for curly hair, there is no reason to struggle to look after your hair. Let us help you to maintain frizz-free, defined curls.
To help preserve your curls, use our Nourishing Keratin Conditioner and Scalp Nourishing Shampoo for Curly, Textured Hair. They will both work together to help nourish your curls while keeping your hair hydrated and reducing the risk of breakages. Due to the curls, curly hair is often dry because the scalp’s natural oils struggle to make its way down the length of the hair strands. Enhance your curls definition, control frizz, while renewing your hair’s softness with our scientifically formulated shampoo and conditioner.
Another great Keranique hair care product for defining your curls is our Volumizing Keratin Conditioner. It helps promote your hair’s natural body and volume while improving its all-round manageability. If you have uncontrollable curls, then this could help tame those spirals while improving hair strength!
Do you have curly hair? What do you think about the pineapple method for protecting curly hair while you sleep? Will you try it, or do you already do it religiously each night? If you are obsessed with finding new ways to wear your curly hair, you will love trying out this pineapple method. The pineapple method is perfect for anyone who wants frizz-free, defined curls.
If you enjoyed this article and learning about a new hair buzzword and technique, please SHARE it with all of your curly-haired friends and family.
Shop Keranique