by Jamila of For the Fabulous and Frugal
I’ve tried several night-time routines (namely the the pineapple and the multipineapple), which leave me with horribly awkward stretched strands in a weird mushroom explosion shape. See for yourself:
Lately I’ve come across several videos of other curlies’ nighttime routines…and many of them take so long and are so intricate that they resemble my actual styling sessions.
Here’s what I do to maintain my hair at night:
-Spritz my entire head with water
-Loosely twist my hair using big sections of hair (about 10)
-(Bantu knot my twists if I want a curlier look)
-Don a satin bonnet
-Sleep!
-Loosely twist my hair using big sections of hair (about 10)
-(Bantu knot my twists if I want a curlier look)
-Don a satin bonnet
-Sleep!
It takes me abouut 10 minutes total. On some nights, I’ll gently detangle my hair using a wide-tooth comb, which adds about 5 minutes to my prepping time.
How long does it take you to prep your hair at night?
I have 3b/ 3c curls and at night I spray with water, add a homemade Shea butter mix with coconut oil, vitamin e and olive oil. Pull into a loose ponytail, don a bonnet and go to sleep. Takes 5 minutes max! In the morning my curls are still beautiful.
I just go to sleep ( with no satin scarf or pillow case)
I'm about 5 years into my natural hair. In the beginning, my nighttime routine was pretty horrendous. But I lived in CA, so the non-humid weather helped a bit. In the beginning I had to do twists pretty regularly (every night), with curlers on the end.
I stumbled across the solution without ever knowing it was a "twist and curl". I just needed a way to handle my natural hair and my relaxed hair together. I've blocked out how long this took.
After I finally cut off all of the relaxed hair (I never did a BC), I was able to just do twists. When I had a stylist cut my hair, then the coils, kinks and curls were enough to just do WNGs, but I used that Miss Jessie's silk stretch cream (not the chemical silkener). I just smooshed it on and it worked amazingly. At night I just slept with a satin cap on. Pulling it back into a loose ponytail helped to cut down on morning frizz, but I'd just re-wet it anyway and smoosh again with the MJ stuff.
I did that until I moved back to the East Coast. I tried to do the same thing here, but it didn't work. Suddenly the products didn't work the same. So weird.
So, I did 2 strand twists for a while and at night, I'd just use a satin bonnet. But I'd always have to re-wet my hair or let it get kinda wet in the morning again for most of the curls to bounce back… but that really didn't work well.
I also had to switch to Kinky Curly products almost exclusively – just to control the frizz and prevent shrinkage… but I hate the crunchiness on day one. Day 2 is nice and soft, but the shrinkage and poofage is too much. And my beef with Kinky Curly stuff is that you cannot mix it with moisturizers that have oil, etc… I always get huge white pills where the oil and Kinky Curly stuff don't mix. It's like flour pellets in gravy. Yuck.
So, I recently tried the twist out again and did about 6 or 7 fat twists the night before – no moisturizer or anything – and put it up in my satin cap. It took me about 5 minutes to twist it all up. Gorgeous hair on the next day. I can't quite believe it.
I plan to try to expand this a little – maybe spritz with leave in conditioner and add a little coconut oil and see how that works. I think also maybe some aloe vera gel for a little more hold… I probably need some kind of shea-aloe-vera-coconut-oil concoction to use at night. I also use argan oil when I do the twists and when I take them out.
I kinda wish someone had clued me in on nighttime rituals when I first went natural… I should have been doing a better nighttime routine all along. My hair would be much longer and healthier than it is now. It's almost to my shoulders in its natural form, but it totally would have been much longer had I done a better job at night of taking care of it.
And I would have looked cuter in the morning, lol.
i have just started to wear my hair natural.. its been unpermed for over a year… i am twisting every 2-3 days with shea moisture or water…to complicate matters i am thinning in the front and on top… any suggestions for styles and products to cover front and top and nighttime routines… my hair is not long of thick.. i wear the twist outs because i don't like the look of the short twists
I am a year natural so i have a little length.I spitz my hair with water and moisturizer my hair.flat twist or braid my hair into two braids put my hair bonnet and done.In the morning i take down the braids and have a wave style.
I am 1 yeear 6 months natural. At night I just either use my satin pillowcase and don'ttie up if i am really tired and can't locate my silk or satin scarf .if i tie it up, i use some she amoisture rub it in my hands and then omn myhair and then spray water on my hair, massage my scalp and check for any knots etc.., then tie it up, in the morning a little more water on my KKCC and off i go.
I hate my night time routine!!! It's been six months since my last relaxer an so far besides braids a roller set is the only style that works for me. 1 hour min i have to roll every night 🙁
Right now I'm wearing a wash and go, so at night I just put my hair bonnet on. In the morning I fluff my hair with my fingers, mist my hair with water and then put on oils to seal in the moisture.
Can someone clue me in, what is pineapple or pineappling?
My hair is still in the awkward stage. I moisturize every night. Some nights I spritz,cover with a steam cap and satin bonnet and knock off.
I've just moved to a much colder climate, and it's super dry.. I swear I've lost my curl.. any suggesting to try at night? I still do the pinapple… still hoping, I put a light mix of Shea in, I add some avocado once a week and co-po.. I don't know what else to do, it was a 3B, ,it's not even a 3.. I'm devastated, I'm mixed POC and I just thought this never would happen, a year ago, I was considering a relaxer. Wow. Is it menopause?
It takes me about 5 to 10 minutes to spritz my hair and detangle into 3 to 4 twists. If I am feeling tired, I pull my hair up into a ponytail.
I love the wash and go – I add a shower cap and bonnet, which keeps it moist and spray and shake in the am! When I wear a puff or twist out puff I just add a bonnet and fluff in the am. I had learned the trick to retwisting is to flat twist while watching tv or listening to music…seem to go by very fast!
That's exactly what I do. But we have to try different processes before we learn
I mainly wear a wash and go. I normally put scarf on my hair and then i put a bonnet on top of it. I notice this keeps my hair from looking smash in back. I go to bed and wake up take the scarf and bonnet off. I use my fingers to get my hair Iike i want it and go! Quick and easy.
I only do WNG & my hair is too long to use a bonnet or I will get the crazy look as pictured above. I simply sleep with my hair as is & spritz the smushed areas with water, shake and go. Works wonderfully! I posted the link below on another article and check out MahonganyCurls – her hair is gorgeous. Keepin it Simple!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDnD-pjVm3U&feature=channel_video_title
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Haha! Yea that pineapple thing just doesn't work for me either. I find if I spritz with water & apply some type of moisturizing cream, and twist & then tie down with a satin G Wrap, I'm good to go! The G Wrap saved my life, y'all. The only thing to not fall off my big head! 😛 www.ghairwrap.com
For the WNG (which I'm wearing right now; to hell with winter) I either put on a satin bonnet or scarf or just lay my head down on my satin pillowcase. Of course my hair is smushed in the morning but since I'm rerinsing it in the shower it's no biggie. Shrinkage is what it is…
For twistouts or braidouts I will either make 4-8 pineapples (which are really mini-puffs) or I'll spritz, seal, comb out, and put in approximately 10-16 twists or plaits. This usually takes a maximum of 20 minutes total. I refuse to spend more time than that on my hair at night and whatever definition I get in the morning is WHAT I GET. And I'm only working with about 7 inches so it's not like I have super-long hair here.
It takes me all of 2 seconds. I wear 1 protective style for 5-6 days of the week and if my hair seems a little thirsty I just spray some (diluted) Oyin Juices and Berries, scarf or bonnet that thang up, and then outtie I'm 5000.
P.S. – The reason I dilute Juices and Berries is because the pH is at an acidic 3, which can compromise the structure of hair and deteoriate it from the inside out. In a seperate bottle I mix Juices and Berries and water, until the pH is between 4 and 5. In essence, that means that I make it 10,000 times less acidic than it was originally.
Ms FFF, girl I hear you, I don't have time for a drawn out routine! Now regarding pineappling, I use Goody's silky knit scrunchies (they come six in a pack), Grab a section of hair, wrap a scrunchie around 1 time, if your hair has any thickness you won't need to wrap twice, 2 in the front, 2 in the back and 1 top, center back. I have 4a&b and my hair is curly and the next morning, gently take scrunchies out, hop in shower and let the steam bring hair together and after shower, just fluff into place!
I'm a WNGer and I just put on a satin bonnet, which is getting too small now. I do this 99% of the time.
When I do a twistout/braidout, I have to retwist every night and that takes me an hour! I'm basicially restyling with a butter and a spray (water or leave in spritz) on dry hair. I wish I could do some decent flattwist!!! I can't wait for my hair to get longer so I can do 10 chunky twists/braids in 15-20 minutes!
I usually wear my hair in its naturally shrunken state. My hair is like double your length, so pineappling (2 ponies) was working in the summer when I was using my crunchy conditioner. Also works for me on twisted hair.
Now that it's cold and dry and I'm on my soft conditioner, I need to switch back to doing a few loose braids (3-4). I lightly mist my hair with water and rub a tiny bit of hair butter on my hands to braid. Thanks for the reminder to fix this situation.
Always with a satin cap, even when I fall into bad without a pineapple or braid.
It takes me all of 5 minutes I pineapple with a large goody ouchless band, castor oil my edges, then que the scarf and bonnet wallah. I refuse to make 30 minute nightly routines specially when I wear my hair mostly flat twist n curls, drumroll 3 day plus hair and buns for my intern days. I'm in school full time so I have no time for fussy night routines except for my Saturday styling sessions.
I do my pineapples in sections. I found to have more than one and to get the rubber tie close to the root then wrap the hair around and pin down works for me. Not everyone can do one big pineapple unless your hair is really defined.
If I'm rocking a braid-out, I spritz with water amd/or moisturize (Shea Moisture 'Deep Treatment Masque' or 'Curl and Style Milk'), do 15 braids and wear my Stay On Satin Pocket Bonnet. This takes about 20 minutes.
For a bun/updo, I spritz, rea-apply gel (DIY flax seed gel) and tie a satin scarf. This takes 5 minutes.
Satin bonnets or pillowcases are a must!
Takes me 2 minutes. Apply Oyin hair dew to hair. Tie down with scarf – keeps twist in the right direction. Satin bonnet on top. Done. In morning, I fluff my twist out or braid out. Styles last me one week. Only style on Fridays or Saturdays.
My nightly routine depends on how lazy I'm feeling. On a good day I do ten plaits (moisturize-Hawaiian Silky, seal-Bee Mine, and bag-10 to 15 min). Then in the morning all I have to do is remist with water and fluff it out. When I don't braid at night and just throw it in a ponytail and bonnet, then I must do the nightly routine in the morning just to get out of the door without looking like Cousin It.
It takes me 5 seconds. I rub on some Shea Yogurt Moisturizer and put on a lock sock.
I'm new to this still and my hair is in an awkward length in some area. So it takes me 30-45 minutes to do my night routine!!! Can't wait until it all catches up to ONE length.
Well, I'm 40'sumpn and get power surges around 4:00am! Enough to wake me up! Satin scarf, pillow, or cap doesn't matter – I always end up with sweated out smushed hair.
I will be looking for the little "pillow" satin rollers or the wrap+snap+go rollers.
I usually just put a satin bonnet with my hair out. Sometimes I'll put my hair up in a few buns. I don't have a real problem with it. My hair will get flat in the back, but I can usually get away with finger combing my hair into a decent shape without water.
lmbo — i thought I was the only one for whom pineappling doesn't work! my hair ends up looking just like that first pic! I now either retwist [water to hydrate, oil to seal] or [because i'm paranoid that retwisting will cause too much damage], i bun and hope for the best.
30 seconds in twists: apply coconut oil, satin scarf secured with pins.
2 seconds with twist out: apply coconut oil, satin bonnet.
This article is right on time as I have been struggling for a more time effective method at night. I cut off the last bit of my permed ends in Sept after a one year transition. My twist outs have rarely lasted more than 2 days looking good. I tried the mini pineappling and got the smushed crazy look. I ended up retwisting every night by the third night. I think I will try the misting with water and then QB's MTCG for loose twists. The MTCG keeps my frizz at bay.
I usually do about 15 twists when styling my hair and take the out the next day. If i don't want to retwist every night I spritz a little bit of water on my hair and put on my satin bonnet. All I do in the morning is fluff my hair out with my moisturizer and my curls are still defined. I'm usually able to maintain a style for three days before having to twist again.
I have fine hair, so I MUST retwist (big, but not too big sections) every. single. night. It's the only thing that works.
I always try to keep it simple…..spray my hair with my conditioner water concoction, put some oil of my choice (coconut, castor or olive oil)on my ends twist in big twist, bantu knot or leave along and that's it normally 15 minutes.
Takes 30-45 minutes to moisten, seal and retwist or rebraid EVERY night because I can only get one-day hair. Gel doesn't work–I only end of with sticky, smashed/trashed hair if I use gel for twisting/braiding. I occasionally give myself a break by making an updo style out of the braids or twists the next day. Tried fewer braids/twists, but I don't get the definition with less than 10.
Pineappling with a satin pillow case or bonnet works when my curls are stretched, via a twistout or braidout. But when its just my wash n go ( which I rarely ever do because I cant keep my hands out of my hair! lol I love my curls!) I would get way too much shrinkage and smush-age with just that. I'd have "pick your afro daddy" flat hair on one side if I tried to just pinapple on unstretched hair. 🙂
Most nights it takes me about 10-15 minutes of misting and twisting big chunks if I'm aiming for a frizz-free style the following day. If I'm not so worried about the frizzies or definition then I don't do much prep, just pull into a loose bun or pony, put my satin scarf on and hit the sack!
A co-worker of mine who is transitioning actually became a bit turned off when she realized the amount of styling and prep time natural hair may require. I convinced her that once she finds the right products and styles for her hair, styling and prepping will take less time and will be much easier…like second nature! It will be sooo worth it IMO.
Honestly??? I mean…HONESTLY??? I do nothing. Most nights I forget to even stick my satin scarf thingie majig on my head. If my hair is out and about and it's Day 2 going into Day 3, I'll stick 2 pigtails in sorta high. Sometimes. It's bad, I know…but I doubt I change anytime soon (and my hair doesn't seem to mind it).
it depends. On most nights I twist my hair in about 12-15 twists. Detangling each twist and sleep with a satin bonnet. Since I do this while watching tv, it takes me about an hour. If I'm lazy, I'll just rock a pineapple and go to sleep. However, if I do a pineapple, it takes MUCH longer in the morning (and most of the time I just end up with a boring bun). Although it takes longer, If I twist each night, I might actually have a cute style the next day and it won't take me as long in the morning.
Just a few seconds to tie on my bonnet. Longer if I have to go find said bonnet. LOL
It takes me about 2 minutes (for now). I wrap my twists and put on my bonnet.
Under 1 minute! Now that I use Terressentials hair wash, I dont need to do much, a mist of water,maybe a plastic cap (GHE), and satin scarf. I finally have low-maintenance natural hair-Whoo-Hoo!
It only takes me about 5 minutes to prep for bed. I take a quarter-sized amount of EVOO, spread it around my hairline, and add more oil to different spots on my head as needed. Then I put on my satin cap and I'm done.
I will eithter moisten and retwist or put the pineapple in and then remoisten using the praying hands method to reshape the pineapple
It takes me 5-10 minutes to prep for bed. I just spritz my hair with water, add my moisturizer or leave in, comb thru, and put it in 2 pigtails and tie my hair with a scarf.
I tried the pineapple routine when I wear a twist out and it never works, I normally wake up with mushed hair (lol) so I just tie it down and wear a ponytail the next morning.
My night routine takes about 3-5 minutes, depending on how sleepy I am. I have learned that my hair is "wavy" not really "curly", so I now know that it is very low maintenance! I was doing too much to my hair trying twist-outs, braid-outs and such…they just arent for me. So at night, I put on a little JBCO on my scalp, Sweet almond oil on my ends, and Blended Beauty Curl Styling lotion to my entire head, out it in one loose braid, and that's it! In the morning, I take the braid down, fluff and go. I will do that for two nights, on the third night I will co-wash, put it in one braid, wake up, fluff, and go! Surprisingly, I get a "Wash and Go" look from this one braid.
One year into my natural hair routine: I big chopped so I went from a 2 second-cover with satin bonnet routine to 30 mins – awkward length and re-twisting for my twist out styles. Now I typically retwist every other night and that takes about 15 mins (wet my hands and apply to section, add moisturizer and retwist about 13 twists total).
Usually about 20 mins.. I jus plait may hair after herbal spritz and seal with b&b grease.. undo in the am.. and out the door..
Sounds like my routine except I usually add some of Margurite's magic or healthy hair butter after the spritz. It used to take me longer and I do think it takes some time to get into a less time consuming routine. When you are new to this you tend to think you have to do all this stuff because you can't afford to wake up to a big head of mess. I can relate to some people who take a long time on their nightly routine.
Minin F.
I am transitioning as well (11 months post relaxer). I only have 2 routines that I use based upon how I'm wearing my hair each week. If I roller set, then I band my hair at night with scrunchies. If I am wearing a braid out, I re-braid it each night in about 7-8 cornrow/braids. For both routines I tie on a satin scarf and always sleep on a satin pillow case.
Those are the only styles that I can manage at this point, so they make my night routines pretty simple. It only takes me about about 10 minutes each night.
Takes me 1 second…..throw on a bonnet..LOL!
A natural/transitioning bedtime routine can be time consuming. I do miss my wrap and go-to-bed routine.
Now that Im 4 months post relaxer I wear a non setting lotion roller set. I put satin rollers in my hair every night to maintain my look 4 a week. Bantu knots were piece-y and flexi rods are uncomfortable to sleep in…