by Cassandre of CassandreBeccai.com (pictured above)
If you’re anything like half the naturals in the US, you’ve got some kind of a night time routine that may or may not consist of spraying on some glycerin mix, re-plaiting your hair and wrapping it up in the $3 polyes- urrr…I mean satin scarf you bought at your local beauty supply store.
There are countless ways to prep your natural hair for bed, but not all will yield the most length retention. Some routines can require too much manipulation and compromise the integrity of the oldest sections of your hair; your ends. Other routines are not involved enough, so dryness and breakage ensues.
Through trial and error, I’ve learned the best nighttime routine for my hair helps with both moisture and most of all length retention. So without further ado, here are 3 nighttime routine tips that will get you to that length goal a little faster:
1. Spritz Don’t Touch
The idea here is to moisturize your hair without handling it too much. While this may not be the best choice for you if you want to keep a defined style for several days, I recommending spritzing afro-textured hair with a water, oil and glycerin mix right before bed. I know some people like to use hair milk every night and lay on strand by strand and I think that works well to keep your hair moisturized, but may contribute to more breakage than necessary. You can follow up with a spray oil if you’d like more help sealing it all in.
2. Pineapple Head
Rather than do plaits or twists every single night, I opt to pineapple my hair. Not only will you be able to retain defined styles such as twist outs, you will minimize manipulation, which typically equals less breakage at the ends.
3. Throw On A Scarf
I’m sure you’ve heard this one many times before and I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir here, but for those who really don’t know- throw on that satin scarf or bonnet before you hit the pillow. If that’s too much, consider a satin pillowcase. You’ll find your hair does an overall better job at staying moisturized which is one of the biggest keys to growing out your hair.
What are some of your night time routine tips for retaining length?
