I've often wondered whether or not sleeping with your hair covered in plastic is good for growth. There are no scientific studies to explain whether or not it's a good idea but there are a lof of opinions on the matter. Here are some of them:
Pros
Cons
My personal take on baggying.
I think having a bag over your head overnight once a week will probably do no harm, however, I think if it's done daily it could impact hair growth due to the delivery of oxygen to the scalp. Like I say, there have been no scientific studies to explain whether or not it's good but for the moment it's not something I plan to do on the regular. Even when my hair is very oily it doesn't stain my sheets, it stays within the satin bonnet so this is not even a consideration for me. Wetting my hair and baggying for 30 minutes does the trick so I'm reluctant to do it overnight for fear that my hair will go rancid. I like the idea of baggying the ends only; I might add this to my regimen... Comments?
Your hair tips are the oldest section of hair and therefore the most vulnerable to breakage, split ends and fraying. To stop this from happening you need to give the tips extra moisture. Even when your hair is in braids or twists hydrate the ends at least every other day with a hair cream or a leave-in conditioner.
New growth is much less vulnerable to dryness because sebum (the oil naturally produced by the scalp) can travel part of the way up the hair shaft. In addition, new growth is stronger and more resistant and protected from the elements.
In contrast, hair ends are more exposed and the kinks, curls and coils of natural black hair make it difficult for sebum to travel all the way to the tips. Here are some solutions:
Although new growth is less vulnerable, I personally encourage my hair to grow by massaging our essential oil infused hair oil, Neno Natural's Hair Growth Stimulator, into the scalp. Even if you have braids with extra hair/mesh attached, treat the plaits as though they were your hair by spritzing daily and applying a leave-in condition conditioner, oil and cream regularly. Your ends will thank you by not breaking off! It's not complicated and it's not new. Baggying is covering your hair in a plastic bag or shower cap. There are two types of baggying:
What's the point of baggying? Moisture leading to:
Moist and hydrated hair is less prone to breaking; that's how it allows you to retain more length. Don't have a shower cap? No worries, just use an actual bag and hold it down using a hair band for the whole head or an elasticated band for the ponytail. Personally I do a full head baggy most mornings for 30 minutes or so. I've never done a ponytail baggy but I plan on trying it. What to do if you can't tie your hair in a ponytail: If your hair doesn't like being bunched up in one place either because it's too short or too thick, like mine, you can part it in four and baggy each plait or twist separately. Too much moisture can actually cause breakage so don't over do it! Do you baggy? What results (good or bad) have you seen with baggying? Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair. |
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By Heather Katsonga-Woodward
I was a natural hair blogger and mixtress living between London & Chicago from 2012 to 2017. I always thought I was 4C but some say 4B; images below - you decide! Heather xx Categories
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