Braid Care
5 Ways to Protect Your Braids While You Sleep
3 min read
You can do everything right during the day and still watch your braids fray if your nighttime routine isn't protecting them. Cotton pillowcases, tight sleeping positions, and skipped moisture are the three biggest culprits — here's how to counter all of them.
1. Switch to Satin or Silk
Cotton fibers grab onto hair and pull moisture out as you move through the night. A satin bonnet, scarf, or pillowcase lets braids glide instead of catching, which is the single highest-impact change you can make.
2. Loosely Pineapple or Braid Down
Gathering long braids loosely at the crown (or into one or two big plaits) before bed reduces tangling and keeps them from getting crushed against the pillow in one repeated spot all night.
3. Moisturize Before Bed, Not After Waking
A light spritz of a leave-in braid spray or a small amount of oil on the scalp before sleep gives it time to absorb overnight, rather than sitting on top of hair that's about to be rubbed against fabric all night.
4. Don't Sleep in Tight Styles
A high, tight ponytail looks great during the day but sleeping in it concentrates tension on the same section of hairline for eight hours straight. Loosen up before bed, even if you tighten back up in the morning.
5. Keep a Travel-Size Kit by the Bed
Keeping your bonnet, a small oil bottle, and a soft-bristle brush on your nightstand removes the friction (pun intended) of the routine actually happening — the easier it is to reach for, the more consistently it gets done.
Written by the team at Irene's Hair Beauty in Baltimore, MD.