When it comes to which type of durag to wear, there are a couple of options. Literally a couple. The two being “Poly” rags and “Silky” rags. If you ask most experienced wavers which type to use, they’re probably going to say “go with a silky”. Most wavers live and die by the thought that a silk durag is the best and ONLY option when it comes to developing better waves. But is it really that serious?
The whole point of wearing a durag is to lay down your hair and maintain your pattern. It’s kind of like a checkpoint in a video game. You rag up (save it) until it’s time to brush (play) again. So if all a durag is supposed to do is keep your hair laid down then why does the material of it matter so much?
The main reason that this matters so much in our opinion is keeping moisture locked into the hair. Silk and polyester can both probably hold your hair down just about the same, because they both serve the same base purpose (to lay your hair down). But they are two totally different materials, so they are going to be able to absorb moisture differently no matter what.
When it comes to locking in moisture and not waking up with all of your grease on your durag rather than your head, go with a silk durag. Silk will not eat up all of your moisturizer in the middle of the night, which means you will wake up with hydrated and shinier waves. That’s exactly why some wavers hair looks shinier than others after a fresh unrag.
But don’t get me wrong, poly durags are just as good. Just not as good in certain situations. Basically, it’s ok to wear a poly rag at any time of the day to keep your hair layed. In certain situations, like while working out or other physical activity, a poly rag is fine. But when it’s time to go to sleep, definitely throw on a silk. You’ll wake up spinning like a MF with extra shine.
Bottom line – yes, it’s that serious (if you’re that serious).