Sleep is the best; who doesn’t love it? It refreshes the mind and rejuvenates the body. Yet, it’s also good at messing your hair up. Worse, our everyday compound our hair issues. Yikes.
We know the importance of hair, no matter the length, colour or curl pattern. With that in mind, here’s a quick guide to keeping your locks safe while getting some beauty sleep.
Crack Down on Breakage
Hair is prone to tangles, messes, and problems, including breakage. Hair breakage happens when hair strands separate because the overlapping scales in hair have fallen apart. These scales overlap and hold individual strands together; without them, even a gentle pull can cut hair strands in half.
This tip may seem counterintuitive, but brushing your hair gently before sleeping strengthens individual strands. Brushes detangle and spread natural oils from the roots of your hair to the very tips. Generally, that’s something you’d want.
Brushing won’t take long and depends on your hair type; nevertheless, once you feel you have already brushed all your hair, you may stop and go on to sleep.
A quick note on brushes: experts recommend using natural, not plastic, bristles. Boar brushes usually have these natural bristles that effectively smoothen your hair.
Curly-haired folks, only brush your hair when wet because dry brushing leads to frizz-mania.
Dry Your Hair Before Bed
Raise your hand if you ever slept with wet hair! At one point or another, everyone has gone to sleep with hair of varying dampness. What you might not realise is that this isn’t good for your hair.
Wet hair can weaken strands and cause damage when exposed to friction. What does everyone do when sleeping? Moving around on the bed results in—you guessed it, friction!
For protection, you may air dry your hair instead. Or you can try showering earlier in the evening if you prefer to wash it at night. About an hour or two before bed may be enough.
Instead of a towel, you may rub your hair with a soft T-shirt or microfibre towel since it will be more forgiving on hair strands than a standard towel. You may also use a blow dryer when pressed for time, but remember to apply a heat protectant; otherwise, say hello to dry hair.
Decrease Heat Styling
Speaking of blow dryers, some women love to try out various hairstyles. They use flat irons and dryers, which produce heat. Heat, as stylists know, is another threat to your tresses since it burns strands. To protect your hair use other means OR go with protective hairstyles that are both pretty and functional!
On the topic of hairstyles, if you’ve got long hair, you might want to consider a loose updo for bed instead of a top knot to reduce breakage and frizziness. Simple styles, such as a loose bun, may help with messy hair in the morning. They may also reduce hair loss, damage, and split ends.
Treat Your Hair with a Silk Pillowcase
Without water weakening your hair, friction can still cause damage. Strands can get caught up under your head or back. Then, when you toss and turn, the strands are stretched almost to the breaking point. The following day, you may wake up with breakage. Cotton pillowcases themselves are abrasive that also rub against your hair.
Consider investing in the Ecosa Silk Pillowcase to reduce friction on your hair. The world knows silk for its smoothness, and when used for your pillow, you may have a more comfortable experience. Your hair will thank you too!
As a bonus, silk can also keep your hair frizz-free. Your beautiful hair today may still be your beautiful hair tomorrow.
Cover Up with Satin or Use a Scrunchie
For even more protection, you can opt for a satin or silk scarf. The scarf serves as another layer to keep your hair damage and tangle-free. Match it with any of the previously mentioned hairstyles and a silk pillowcase, and you may secure your hair with the highest level of safety.
If silk is out of your budget, you may use a fabric or satin scrunchie instead. Scrunchies hold hair strands back like hair ties but not as tight. With a minimal pull, scrunchies serve as gentle and more affordable alternatives.
Be Intentional with Hair Care
By now, it may be clear that hair protection begins before bed as much as during sleep. In fact, your hair care routine is crucial. During a shower, the choice of conditioner matters, for example. For extra care and repair, look for hydrating and repairing overnight treatments.
How you clean your mane during bathtimes also matters. For starters, coconut oil shampoo can keep your hair follicles strong and healthy. You can also try applying hair masks to mitigate the harsh effects of a blow dry sesh.
You can also choose a more straightforward approach and get a sleep cap.
Speaking of great products, another option is serums or treatments with argan oil. Argan oil has properties such as antioxidants, vitamin E, and fatty acids. They soften your hair and give them hydration, helping repair dryness while encouraging hair growth.
Healthy Hair for Every Morning
Breakage, damage, split ends, dryness, and many other issues can attack hair, but with the guidelines set above, you may protect your hair, keep its shine, and encourage lushness. After that, you may sleep without worrying about your hair.
And remember that not all breakage is treatable, and if your split ends are out of control, then it’s probably time for a haircut!