We’ve all heard the tricks of the trade that are supposed to keep our locks from having a bad hair day, but what if the key to having healthy hair is protecting it at night?
Let’s get to the root of the matter and discuss the steps you can take to protect your hair at night, because it is quite possible that your hair is being damaged just as much in your sleep as it is during the day.
To attain the healthy hair you desire, follow these tips while you sleep!
1. Be sure your hair is dry before you hit the hay.
Dry hair usually gets a bad rap, but hair is weakest when it is wet. Tossing and turning on wet hair creates friction and is one of the leading causes of hair breakage and damage.
If you can, you would do your hair an even greater favor by dumping your blow dryer and allowing your hair to dry naturally.
2. Use scrunchies instead of elastic bands when you put your hair up.
If you must wear your hair in a bun or ponytail at night, replace the tight elastic bands you have with soft scrunchies to keep your hair in place.
Because elastic hair bands pull so tightly on your roots, they can cause unnecessary damage and even hair loss.
On the other hand, scrunchies provide a secure but loose hold, and you won’t inevitably yank out any hair when you remove it in the morning.
3. Wear a sleeping cap to protect your tresses.
You’re more likely to wake up with bed head and tangles if you leave your hair loose at night. Tangles cause you to have to brush your hair longer and more often.
That excessive brushing can lead to an increased number of strands breaking and falling out. To prevent that extra damage and friction, loosely twist your hair into a night cap. It will keep your hair in place and guard it from knots and further damage.
4. Style your hair into a loose braid and sleep on it.
If you are opposed to sleeping with a sleep sack on your head, you can opt to put your hair in a braid instead. Be sure to braid your hair loosely so that the braid does not tug too tightly on your roots.
Another benefit of braiding your hair before you go to sleep is that you probably will not need to style it the following morning. Just gently undo your braid to reveal gorgeous curls that need neither heat nor washing to be styled.
5. Apply a leave-in moisturizing treatment or oil before you rest your head.
Because the friction caused by tossing and turning in your sleep can cause your hair to become brittle and dry, you should apply a leave-in conditioner or an oil to your ends to keep them from splitting. Coconut oil and argan oil are great for moisturizing and can be easily washed away during your morning shower.
We all know that it’s best to apply a moisturizer to our skin at night so that it can have plenty of time to absorb and work its magic, so it makes sense that the same would hold true for our hair as well.
6. Sleep on a silky pillow case to reduce friction.
Another trick that will help to prevent hair breakage and frizz is to replace your cotton pillow case with a silk pillow case. The silk allows your hair to slide smoothly over your pillow each time you roll over rather than be caught as it would on a cotton pillow case.
7. Gently massage your head before bed.
A head massage provides stimulation to the scalp that increases blood flow to your strands and allows the hair growth and regrowth process to function optimally.
Head massages also help the natural oils of your hair to be more evenly distributed around your scalp. Additionally, a massage before bed can improve your sleep quality, which will also increase hair growth and health.
8. Brush your hair before you go to bed.
Brushing your hair is another way to disperse the natural oils from your scalp to the dryer ends of your hair. Also like massaging, brushing stimulates the scalp to promote hair growth. Perhaps the greatest benefit of brushing your hair before you go to bed is that you rid your hair of the tangles you accumulated throughout the day and prevent them from getting worse throughout the night.
Be sure to brush your hair from the ends to the roots. You should also brush your hair after you have massaged your head since the massage could cause some minor tangling.
9. Nix your morning wash and apply a dry shampoo to your roots at night.
Many people complain that most of their hair loss occurs when they shower. Prep your hair at night and protect yourself from unnecessary hair loss by using a dry shampoo in the evenings.
You simply spray or rub the dry shampoo into your scalp. You won’t need to wash or blow dry your hair in the morning, and you will prevent the damage that you can incur from overly washing and styling your hair daily.
10. Get plenty of beauty rest if you want to attain beautiful hair.
Lastly, our bodies function their best when we have plenty of rest. Getting adequate sleep is essential to have healthy hair, but most Americans don’t get enough of it.
Try to go to bed a little earlier each night and aim to get about eight hours of sleep. Your hair will thank you.
With just a few simple tweaks to your bedtime, hair care, and styling routines, you can protect your hair and encourage healthy hair growth throughout the night.
Try any one or all of these tips to protect your hair while you sleep. Once you have put them into practice, your newly healthy hair is only a hair’s breadth away!
