A headrest for a dental chair that provides both the desirable support to a patient's head as well as avoiding damage to hairstyling is disclosed. The invention provides a U-shaped headrest that allows for comfortable resting of a patient's head on the headrest. The U-shape may be subject to a variety of mechanical changes, for example, making an opening bigger or. smaller, or changes in the angle of the headrest itself so that it better fits the counter of a patient's head. Such changes may be made through manual, pneumatic, or electrical control, or combinations thereof.