If you think that the only way to cause hair damage is through bleaching or excessive heat styling, think again. The way you care for your hair while you sleep can have an effect on the appearance and health of your hair too 一 so it’s important to consider what to do (and what not to do) while sleeping on your strands. You can consider it an extension of your hair care routine.
Whether you’re braiding your hair to get waves, nourishing damaged hair, or trying to preserve the look of a sleek blowout, there are steps you can take to ensure that your strands stay in place throughout the night. Read on as we share our favorite pre-sleep hair care tips and product recommendations so that you can preserve the look and feel of your hair while you get real sleep — no sitting up on propped pillows here.
- Detangle Your Hair Before Bed
One of the simplest ways to protect your hair at night is by brushing your strands thoroughly. This will help detangle your hair and evenly distribute its natural oils from the roots to ends. Those with natural hair should use a wide-tooth comb to remove knots and tangles on damp hair, which will help prevent breakage.
Editor’s tip: After detangling your hair, create a few loose braids or twists to keep the hair in place throughout the night. This will help you avoid any tangles that can form overnight from tossing and turning.
- Apply a Nourishing Hair Treatment
Hair treatments are often touted for their moisturizing benefits, and using one as a leave-in product at night is an effective way to give your hair some love while you sleep.
- Use a Lightweight Hair Serum
Managing frizz and flyaways can be frustrating, and these annoyances can occur as we sleep due to friction as hair rubs against our pillowcase. To help minimize the amount of frizz you wake up with, try applying a hair serum on your hair before heading to bed.
Tip: We also recommend using a hair cap or wrapping your hair with a silk or satin scarf at night to shield the hair from friction against your pillowcase.
- Sleep on a Satin or Silk Pillowcase
Speaking of your pillowcase, it’s true that pillowcases made from cotton tend to be rougher on the hair and can cause breakage. Switching to a satin or silk pillowcase can help to keep your hairstyle from getting tangled while you toss and turn since they’re smoother than other fabrics. Plus, sleeping on silk adds a luxurious element to your nighttime routine.
- Don’t Sleep with Wet Hair
Sleeping with wet hair can cause hair breakage and lead to damage because the hair is most fragile when it’s wet. If you must wash your hair right before bed, use a heat protectant, and give your hair a quick blow-dry before you go to sleep.
- Choose Braids Over Heat
It’s no secret that heat-styling can cause breakage and split ends. And if you’re going for a wavy or curly look, you can often achieve it while you sleep 一 no hot tools required.
You can create a heatless hairstyle by braiding your hair before bed and letting it set overnight. It’s one of the most popular protective hairstyles to wear to sleep — just don’t make the braids too tight (braids that are too tight can pull on your roots and cause damage).
- Give Yourself a Scalp Massage
There’s no denying that one of the best parts of going to the salon is when your hairstylist massages your scalp, and you can recreate that relaxing feeling before bedtime with a quick scalp massage.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, doing so stimulates blood flow to your hair follicles — which keeps the scalp healthy and aids in producing thicker strands. A quick scalp massage can also be relaxing and can help lull you into a deep sleep.
Via: Lorealparisusa.com
