Help your hair survive the night

Every woman wants healthy hair whether their hair is long or short. The way you handle your hair will determine how healthy it stays.

This means you should ensure your hair is nurtured well from dawn to dawn. Many women don't consider their hair much when they retire to bed. In fact, many women have a beauty routine before they sleep, but their hair is never part of that routine.

As you sleep at night, you tend to toss and turn and this affects your hair because your cuticles are roughed up when you rub your hair on the pillowcases. If you want to wake up with your hairdo still intact and gorgeous, you will need to make night-time a restorative part of your haircare routine. Here is what to do:

• Your bed should be healthy hair ready. You most likely have cotton pillowcases; replace them with silk, which are much gentler on your hair. The fibres in silk allow your hair to gently glide over the fabric. Silk also prevents hair from tangling for those who do not wrap their hair at night.

• You should also cover your hair with a silk or satin scarf to keep your hair safe and protected.

• Moisturise your hair before you sleep. There are many leave-in hair treatments meant for home use and you could get one of these to nourish your hair during night-time, then you don't have to wash your hair in the morning.

• It is also advisable to apply a little oil to your hair ends before you sleep since the ends of the hair are normally drier than the roots. Olive oil or even coconut oil work best. Oiling the ends offers some extra moisture to your hair and keep them looking smooth and shiny.

• For women with long hair, or even long weaves, it is advisable to tie it back into a loose ponytail. This stops your hair from getting roughed up and tangled as you sleep. Use a soft hair tie like a soft scarf or bandana if you do the ponytail to prevent your hair from tearing. You could also braid or twist your long hair to prevent tangles.

• It is also important to brush through the hair before you sleep to remove tangles. This routine is a must especially for long-haired women. However late or exhausted you are before you retire, spare a few minutes to brush your hair.

Use a wide tooth comb and gently brush from the roots to the ends to distribute the natural oil from your scalp throughout the rest of your hair.