Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Covering the Hair


Each night I cover my natural hair with a satin scarf and/or bonnet. I have been doing this for years---even during those relaxed times.

Is covering you natural hair with a satin bonnet/scarf really necessary? Honestly, I am not an expert on if this proccess is necessary or not. I do know that I cover my hair each and every night (even naptime) with a satin scarf/bonnet. However, I was recently talking to a fellow natural with a gorgeous head of hair (full, thick, long, etc.) and she said she never covers her hair at night and doesn't even sleep on a satin pillowcase. But, we have to find what works for us.

Why do we cover our hair with a satin bonnet? Hair should not rub against rough fibers such as cotton, wool, linen, etc. By rubbing against these rough fibers the hair becomes more prone to breakage. Simply put, I treat my hair like a baby. I am gentle with it and I don't feel it would benefit from rubbing against rough fibers each and every night for up to 8 hours.

How do I cover my hair each night? When my hair is in protective styles such as braids and twists I simply put the satin bonnet over my entire head. When I wear my hair in "out" styles such as twist-outs and braid-outs I have a process that I developed for covering my hair. I put my hair in 2 low ponytails using an ouchless band. I only wrap the band around my hair once to avoid pressure and tension. I then wrap the satin scarf over my hair. After the scarf has been put on I take the bands off my hair and I then put my satin bonnet over the remaining hair. Click {HERE} for a video of the process.

2 comments:

  1. I don't think it really is... However, I cover my hair to better preserve the style and to prevent lint from getting stuck in my hair.

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  2. Mangomadness, that is so true! Thanks for the insight!!

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