by NaturallyChelsea via NaturallyCurly.com
Oh, to be newbie again! I can only imagine the things that I would have done differently. I can remember only too well the many, many hairstyles that were spoiled from not having a good curly hair care routine at night. Going to bed without means of protecting your style just means waking up to disappointment from the remnants of yesterday’s beautiful style suddenly a flat, lifeless look or just a plain hot mess. A more seasoned natural will have more than a few tips for maintaining curly hair overnight up her sleeve.
This post is for all the curlies out there who just want to sleep in and not spend an hour in front of the mirror in the morning redoing a style that was perfect the day before. It is possible, there is a way and now you can master it with these tips for maintaining curly hair overnight covering the most common styles.
Preserve a Wash and Go – Option 1
The first popular method involves keeping the curls moist so that they do not dry in an awkward position while you sleep. Remember those days waking up to flat hair on one side and smooshed curls? Well, no longer! All you will need for this method of preservation is a spray bottle and a shower cap.
Lightly spritz your hair with water then cover it with a shower cap.
Once you’re finished, put on your satin bonnet or scarf and hop into bed.
The slight moisture and your body heat create a green house effect, helping to keep your curls moist so you can simply fluff and go come morning.
 |
|
StyleNook user Alia.Varzea |
Preserve a Wash and Go – Option 2
Another way to preserve a wash and go is to plait the hair. I know it sounds weird to plait your hair when trying to maintain the curl, but loosely plaiting the hair helps to not only get rid of first day crunchy hair, but it also helps to stretch it to get rid of the Jherri curl look. And because it’s done loosely, the curl pattern will be left undisturbed.
Grab large random sections of hair and braid it loosely remembering to leave the ends (an inch or two) undone to preserve the curl at the end. Use ouchless headbands to secure the braid if it begins to become undone.
Put on your satin scarf or bonnet and tuck yourself in for the night.
 |
|
StyleNook user Latee14 |
Preserve a Twist or Braid-Out
Second day hair for a twist or braid out seems to be somewhat of a myth or only enjoyed by a select lucky few.
Keeping in mind that the style may never look as defined, frizz free and gorgeous as day one, it is indeed possible to preserve it and get at least two days from a set with the right curly hair care methods!
Begin by applying pomade or gel to your hairline and tie a scarf around it. This will help to keep your edges down so come the next morning, there will be no battle to get them to behave and no need to pull out your hairline’s arch nemesis, the bristle brush.
You can then either loosely twist the hair in large sections or pineapple it. In order to pineapple the hair, bend at the waist and gather your hair at the very top of your head.
Secure it loosely with a satin scrunchy. Ensure that you do not tie your hair too tightly as it will leave a dent in it that will be difficult to remove in the morning. Put on your satin bonnet and hit the sack.
And, voila! Your twist or braid out is ready for day two!
Press and Curl Maintenance
Grab each curl, and going in the same direction that it was formed, loosely begin to wrap it around your finger. When you have reached your scalp, grab a bobby pin and pin the wrapped curl to your scalp. Continue to do this until all your hair is done.
The following morning remove the pins and style your curls as desired.
 |
|
StyleNook user kismet1 |
Straight Hair Maintenance
Grab a wide-toothed comb and boar bristle brush (the boar bristles are less damaging to your hair). Part your hair from the center of your forehead going back till the center of your head.
Using your wide-toothed comb, begin to wrap your hair starting from the part going in either direction. Use the brush to smooth your hair down as you go along and continue to brush and or comb until your hair lies smoothly against your head.
Once done with wrapping, put on your satin scarf. Do not forget to wrap even the small hairs at the hairline to prevent them from reverting.
Tips: To really prevent reversion while you shower, opt for a shopping bag instead. Small shower caps simply don’t do a good enough job of keeping the humidity of the shower out and aren’t big enough to cover your entire hairline in the front and back. So grab a plastic shopping bag and tie it on your head. Then pull the front and back down to ensure that every last hair is tucked away.
Above all else, remember to cover your hair at night. The cotton fibers can leach the moisture out and create friction causing frizz. Also, wrapping your hair can help to keep it in position, especially for updos. For those of you who want to reserve the right to maintain your sexiest even while you get your REM, then opt for a satin pillowcase instead. Satin will help eliminate friction to keep your hair looking its best. With these tips for maintaining curly hair overnight in a variety of styles, wake up beautiful and refreshed!
So, until next time: love, peace, and curly haired bliss!
What’s your current night time routine?
I do Hollywood Star Olive oil with some coconut oil on lightly spritzed hair before bed and it helps some with maintaining moisture.
I also noticed I am less tender headed when I moisturize regularly. Could my tender headedness just be dry scalp after all? Anyone experienced this?
I was so happy for this post because I'll usually re-braid my hair every single night. But recently I've just been tying it up with the satin scrunchy. I've made it to day two without having to re-braid my hair!!
I never heard of sleeping with a shower cap to preserve hair styles before. I slept with them while doing an overnight DC or henna treatment and it was not very comfortable to say the least. Maybe its because I have a lot of hair – I don't know. Putting my hair up in a pineapple works best for me for wash-n-go styles.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for this information…learning what to do with my hair at night has become a challenge since my BC in September.
I really appreciate this post. Great advice, esp for WnG.
Wow This was really helpful! I've been natural 19 years & I wish I had known about this earlier.
It's so funny that you posted this because I was just thinking about how reasons why my second day hair never looks right. I am going to try a few of these tips and see how they work. I learned one from iknowlee on youtube last night. Now I just learned a few more. Can you say AWESOME!
www.insideawomansmind-ladyhart.blogspot.com
Wow these are good tips. I'm going to try tip #1 for wash and goes because the pineapple doesn't do much for me. I don't think the braids will work though I've tried that and lose all the curl.
www.lenasblend.blogpost.com
Anonymous@11:51. Try a Stay Put satin bonnet. I think you can get them for 3 dollars at Walgreens first. My only suggestion is to wash it before use as it left some dye stains on her pillow.
The "greenhouse effect" tip only leaves my hair a hot mess in the morning! I'll pass on that tip! LOL!
My main hairstyles are braid-outs and buns (sock buns and cinnabuns).
For braid-outs, I smooth some castor oil on my edges, tie my Stay-On Satin Pocket Bonnet and go to bed. I don't re-braid unless humididty or rain has altered my Afro's apperance. I don't re-moisturize unless my ends feel dry. If I re-moisturized, I do it my adding leave-in conditioner to dry hair. I get 4-5 day hair like this–after that I bun until wash day.
For buns, I spritz and/or reapply gel and tie with a satin scarf. I don't take down my bun every night–too much manipulation for my tightly coiled hair.
P.S. I have almost armpit length, super tightly coiled hair.
had a long jheri curl back in the day, so I can see how overnighting with a plastic bag would be effective at preserving a wash-n-go. I just don't know if I can go back to sleeping in a plastic bag. Probably sends a stronger message than a ratty long flannel gown or complaining of a headache before you and your significant other turn in. Not hot. Hubby has travelled this natural road with me for twenty years and has loved me from bald to TWA to waist length and back again. I guess I think back to Autumn's post a while back when her husband offered her an ultimatum regarding her hair. I think he was an ass, but I do think both husband and wife share responsibility for maintaining the spark in their relationship. In my opinion, going to bed with a plastic shopping bag on your head is a definite spark killer. I don't care how awesome your hair looks the next day, i have a feeling that your SO might be having flashbacks to how you looked when he opened his eyes that morning and the first thing he saw was his lady with a target sack turban.
Oh yeah…and her head doesn't stay on her pillow at night either..so a satin pillow case won't matter.
Mom of a 5 yr old girl.
What I would love to know is a nighttime routine for a little girl.
My daughter is 5 and as all 5 year olds sleep…every square inch of the bed…her twists are poking every geographical direction known and unknown to mankind.
And I'm afraid of using a tied wrap (kids' heads are smaller than adults) on her head because I don't want it to be caught around her neck during the night.
Anyone with any ideas?
After lightly spritizing/moisturizing my hair, I recently started sleeping with a plastic cap underneath my satin bonnet. It was a tip from one of Naptural85's videos. I can't believe what a difference it makes in moisture retention. I highly recommend it!
Will definitely try to first tip to preserve my wash and go. I was spritzing with water, but not putting a plastic cap on under the satin bonnet…such a 'duh' moment, lol. I am washing and dc'g today (or tomorrow since I'm feeling quite lazy) but will try this and see how it works. Tip #2 to preserve my twist outs never works for me. My hair is not long enough to pull into one big 'pineapple' so I have to section it into several small ones. The ends usually look so dry the next morning. Maybe I'm doing something wrong.
nah, these methods don't work for me. I must re-briad/twist my hair or try and sleep with my head face down =( (nap wise I can do it..)
to preserve my press n curl I sleep in satin rollers very comfortable and curls fall nicely sometimes the curls are too tight but falls into nice loose curls throughout the day
My hair has been straight for 3 weeks, very simple finger seperate your hair in two and add flexi rods (big blue/red for super straight) or (purple/orange for layered day long curls).
PINEAPPLE !
When I press my hair I put rollers in at night for curl but to avoid sleeping on them (I hate that) my beautician recommended pulling the hair into a high, loose ponytail (like a pineapple) and putting the rollers in it. So, you don't sleep on the rollers and the curls fall perfectly 🙂
Learning to accept my 4b hair texture as it is means I do very little to it at night. No more spending hours retwisting just to maintain a twistout…
Currently I put it in anywhere between 10-16 loose twists (which I may or may not moisturize beforehand depending on how it feels) and tie them up in a satin scarf. The next morning I take them down and it is what it is (it frizz what it frizz). Freedom is a beautiful thing…
Both satin bonnet and pillowcase, that's it. I have a TWA now! Though I am thinking about adding a "homemade solution" to "feed" my hair overnight. peace
I appreciate this post
what can i say? don't do an awful lot, yes satin pillow, maybe a drop of jojoba oil now and again a drop of avocado oil, all produit natural no preservatives whatsoever, ever! and yes hat with satin lining very impotante! after wash coconut oil then shea butter, plait for the night and voila beautiful braid out in morning. and for hair inspiration listen to and look at pics of esparanza spalding 🙂