Did you know that you can severely damage your hair while you sleep? To prevent it from becoming dry and brittle overnight, we’ve compiled a few tips for you.
While we strive to maintain our beauty routine every evening for a radiant complexion, our hair often gets neglected. We then wonder why it looks brittle and unhealthy.
The reason isn’t just the use of hot curling irons, straighteners, and blow dryers during the day but also what we do (or don’t do) to our hair at night.
During our nightly beauty sleep, our body not only recovers from the daily stresses but also stimulates hair growth. During sleep, our body releases the hormone melatonin, which makes us tired and stimulates the hair follicles. To promote this process, we must integrate hair care into our nightly beauty routine and avoid these six mistakes.
The Air is Too Dry
Our hair reacts to changes in the climate. That’s why it’s wavier on humid days. This also means that our hair becomes dry in a dry environment. If you have a running heater in your bedroom, the dry air can strip moisture from your hair, making it excessively dry. If you don’t want to turn off your heater, a humidifier can help.
You’re Using the Wrong Pillowcase
How you sleep matters. If you sleep on any random pillowcase, you risk damaging your hair in the long run. Cotton is a no-go because it pulls moisture from your hair, causing it to dry out and become frizzy. Silk, on the other hand, is antistatic and causes less friction, making your hair look healthier in the morning. Additionally, you should wash your pillowcase at least once a week to avoid transferring dust or germs. Scalp infections can damage hair follicles and lead to hair loss.
You Sleep with Styling Products in Your Hair
Gels and hairsprays keep our hairstyle in place. However, they don’t belong in bed: styling products dry out our hair if left in for too long. Since damaged hair breaks faster than healthy hair, you should wash it before going to bed. Plus, these products leave residues on your pillowcase, which can end up on your face and cause skin problems and rashes.
Wet Hair Has No Place in Bed
Sleeping with wet hair increases the risk of breakage. Why? Wet hair is particularly delicate and prone to split ends. Each strand of hair consists of interconnected chains held together by chemical bonds. These bonds can be temporarily broken by water, making the hair more fragile. Moving around while sleeping can then easily cause the ends to split.
You Sleep with the Wrong Hairstyle
Though it might seem counterintuitive, we need to tie our hair up before sleeping to prevent it from tangling. Ideally, we should tie it loosely into a topknot to avoid sleeping directly on it. To prevent hair breakage and creases, use a loose scrunchie or a spiral hair tie without a metal clasp – so individual strands don’t get caught and break. If you want to wake up with curly hair, braid it loosely. If neither option works for you, drape your hair over the pillow.
You Don’t Utilize the Time Properly
Regular treatments are essential for long hair. However, we often lack the time to include them in our care routine. Depending on how stressed your hair is, 15 minutes is hardly enough. Since we have nothing better to do while sleeping, apply a nourishing mask twice a month before bed and let it work overnight. This way, your hair gets intensely moisturized and repaired. Wearing a shower cap to bed prevents messes and allows the product to absorb better.
