Many naturals make the mistake of taking care of their hair only during the day while forsaking it at night. If you are one such natural, then you need to start a nighttime routine.
What Is a Nighttime Routine?
As the term implies, a nighttime routine is a set of steps you take for your natural hair before going to bed. The major purpose of this is to keep your hair healthy. And you know what, healthy hair makes a happy natural. Here are some of its benefits:
1. It Keeps Your Hair Hydrated
A nighttime routine helps to lock in moisture in your hair all night long. Dry and brittle hair leads to hair breakage, split ends and hair damage in the long run. However, when your hair is hydrated all night long, there is little chance of this happening.
2. It Reduces Dryness on Your Scalp
Massaging your scalp with scalp oil at night can help solve dryness and itching problems. This can then result in an overall healthy scalp.
3. A No-Heat Method of Straightening Hair
A nighttime routine where you put your hair in braids or twists can help straighten it out the next day without heat. For natural hair, professionals always advise that heat is used as sparingly as possible to straighten. This is because it can damage the hair.
4. It Protects Your Hair
Wrapping/covering your hair in a silk or satin scarf/bonnet at night helps to protect it from hair breakage. Hair breakage can be caused by friction from rubbing your hair against your cotton pillowcase.
5. It Makes It Easier to Style
Brushing your hair at night can help to get rid of knots and tangles. Thus, it becomes easier to style in the morning.
6. It Helps For Defined Curls
If you want to rock defined curls the next day, then apply some curl cream to your hair at night. Put your hair in twists and dry it with your hair dryer. In the morning, you’ll be amazed at the curls popping all over your mane.
With these benefits listed out, you can’t afford to skip a nighttime routine.
In this video, Millenia Black Girl shares how she does her bedtime routine:
Note: When creating a nighttime routine, personalize it based on your hair type and hair needs. If you have low porosity hair, you may want to try the greenhouse effect once a week at night. Also, if you’re dealing with hair breakage, you may want to take more time than usual, gently combing your hair. This will help to reduce breakage. With that being said, here are some of the best nighttime natural hair routines:
Nighttime Routine For Damaged Hair
Damaged hair is hair that is weak, dull and constantly breaking. It takes patience, time and some consistent tender loving care like a nighttime routine to repair it. Here is a step-by-step nighttime routine for damaged hair:
1. Moisturize
First, dampen your hair by spraying some water over it. Then apply your leave-in conditioner or moisturizer to the hair. After that, apply a few drops of hair oil to seal the moisture. You can put your hair in sections as it makes it much easier to work with. Ensure you apply just as much moisture along the hair shafts and hair roots to the tips. The moisture will prevent your hair from drying out at night.
2. Comb
Use a wide-tooth comb and gently comb out the knots or tangles in the moisturized hair section by section.
3. Put in twists or braids
After this, put each section into twists or braids. This will keep them from getting tangled up or matted as you sleep.
4. Use your satin scarf
Finally, wrap/cover your hair with a satin/silk scarf/bonnet. This will: Ensure your hair retains moisture. Secondly, keep your hair from breakage caused by friction from your cotton pillowcase.
5. Do the Greenhouse Effect Once A Week
The greenhouse effect helps your hair retain moisture which is necessary to combat damage. It involves: First of all, spritzing your hair with water. Secondly, apply natural hair oil all over your hair. Thirdly, cover your hair with a plastic/shower cap. Finally, you wrap it up in a head tie. Leave overnight and take off the next morning.
Nighttime Routine For Dry Hair
If you have been battling dry brittle hair, then try this routine to help you out. It involves:
1. Moisturize
First of all, spritz your hair with water. Then apply hair butter or leave-in conditioner to your hair. You should do this by working on your hair section by section. This will ensure moisture gets to every part of your hair. Finally, lock the moisture in with natural hair oil like coconut oil, olive oil, or jojoba oil.
2. Protect the Moisture
In this step, you will wrap or cover your hair with a silk/satin scarf/bonnet. This keeps your hair moisturized even as you sleep.
3. Use a Hair Mask Once Weekly
A hair mask will help to provide intense penetrative moisture to your hair shafts. It also helps to restore your hair’s strength and elasticity. You can purchase a hair mask from the hair section of a store.
Here is Glow With Paige’s nighttime routine for dry brittle hair:
Nighttime Routine for Dry and Itchy Scalp
1. Moisturize
Unlike the previous routines where you focused on getting moisture in your hair, here, you focus on your scalp. Some people like to spritz their scalp before moisturizing but some people don’t. Whichever one it is for you, simply ensure you apply a lightweight scalp oil on your scalp. If you’re battling itching too, apply an anti-itch scalp oil. This will help relieve the itching and keep your scalp from drying out.
2. Massage the Scalp
With your fingers and oil, massage your scalp with your fingers for at least 5 minutes. This helps your blood to flow and promotes healthy hair growth.
Conclusion
So, that’s it, guys. These nighttime routines are sure to help you in your journey to healthier hair. Now, remember, consistency is key so you have to keep doing it. However, if you’re not getting your desired results, then you can consult a professional.
