You’ve probably heard of the concept of slugging- the process of sealing your skincare with an occlusive agent (often a petroleum based jelly) overnight. It’s a way to restore the skin barrier and add moisture to your skin. Hair slugging does essentially the same thing, except for your hair. The technique consists of loading up on hair oils or masks before bed and it’s having a serious moment on TikTok. But this practice isn’t new, in fact, it’s been around in many cultures for years. Want to know more about this hydrating hair trend? Here are our best tips and products for hair slugging.
What Is Hair Slugging?
Similar to skin slugging, hair slugging is a beauty technique that involves coating your hair in oil, leave-in conditioner, or a mask, wrapping it tightly with a sock or wrap, and letting it soak in while you sleep. The oils lock in moisture and the tight wrap increases the heat, helping the product penetrate the scalp skin and hair cuticle. The main point of hair slugging is hydrating the hair, helping to make your strands less frizzy and more resistant to breakage and damage. It can help restore your hair texture and improve the overall look and feel of your hair.
Hair slugging has been around in many cultures for years, especially Black and South Asian cultures. Just about any hair type can slug their hair. Curly hair needs lots of moisture to keep it hydrated and bouncy. If you have curly, dry, and brittle hair, hair slugging with heavier oils a couple times a week will provide deep hydration. If you have finer hair, you can use a lightweight oil to hair slug once a week, as heavier oils and masks can weigh it down.
6 Benefits of Hair Slugging
- Boosts your hair’s moisture
- Makes your hair less frizzy
- Helps prevent breakage
- Creates shinier hair
- Helps protect the hair from heat styling
- Improves your hair’s overall health and appearance
5 Best Hair Slugging Products
You can use pure oils such as coconut oil, castor, avocado oil, or grape seed oil for hair slugging, but here are some of the hair care products you can also use.
1. Kiehl’s Olive Fruit Oil Deeply Reparative Hair Mask- made with avocado, lemon, and olive fruit oil, this is a deeply nourishing mask for dry hair.
2. Pattern Beauty Leave-In Conditioner– formulated for curly, textured hair, this leave-in conditioner seals in moisture, and acts as a restorative treatment for curls and coils. It’s made with a blend of eight natural oils as well as biotin, aloe, and honey.
3. Olaplex No 7 Bonding Oil– a reparative styling oil that boosts shine and softness and protects from damage and frizz for sleek, healthy looking hair.
4. Kevin Murphy Hydrate Me Masque– blending vitamin C-rich kakadu plum for shine and elasticity, and loaded with seaweed extract for scalp hydration, this mask is ideal for thick, curly, or super dry hair.
5. Davine’s OI Oil– a lightweight, oil-based serum that’s gentle and nourishing for the hair. It will leave your hair shiny, hydrated, and protect it from the environment.
How to Slug Your Hair: 6 Tips & Tutorials
1. Choose Your Oil
Apply an oil, conditioner or hair mask to damp or dry hair. Oil glides through damp hair more easily and absorbs faster. It’s important to choose the right oil for your hair. Thicker hair can handle heavier oils but lightweight oils are best for fine to medium hair. Look for a hair oil that’s loaded with moisturizing, nourishing properties like one of the ones above.
2. Apply It Properly
Apply the oil generously on your ends. You can coat the entire length of your hair, but give your ends lots of love as they’re the oldest part of your hair, so usually have the most damage. Make sure to apply less oil near your scalp to prevent product build up and potential irritation. You don’t have to drench your hair in oil- a thin layer will do. Use your fingers to gently distribute the product through your hair. Since your hair is weaker when it’s soaked in oil, combing or brushing can cause more breakage.
3. Wrap Your Hair
Once you’ve applied the oil, it’s time to wrap your hair. You can use a sock, bonnet, cap, or scarf for this. Using a fabric like silk or satin will help the oil stay on your hair so that your strands reap the most benefits. Let it soak for up to eight hours. Many people will hair slug overnight while they sleep. You can also leave it on for a shorter time period if you wish. Even an hour or two will work well to hydrate.
4. Rinse it Out Thoroughly
Hair slugging can cause product buildup if not removed properly, which in turn can lead to breakouts along the hairline. A heavy layer of product combined with heat from the sock or wrap can clog the scalp’s skin pores and cause small, itchy pimples. Don’t leave the oil on for longer than eight hours and make sure to wash it out thoroughly. Shampoo and condition as usual and use a scalp scrub like the Innersense True Enlightenment Scalp Scrub to help prevent product buildup.
5. I Tried the Viral TikTok Hair Oil & Sock Hack For a Week | Hair Slugging Review | Sarah Meg
In this tutorial she talks about how she uses hair slugging for her damaged hair. She bleaches her hair, colours it, uses heat tools on it, and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. If you’re in the same boat, hair slugging could be just what you need to help nourish your hair. She uses the Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil as well as fuzzy, microfibre socks. She shows you how to hair slug and gives her honest review- it’s definitely one to check out!
6. Hair Oiling Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Hair | How to Properly Oil Hair for Hair Growth | Doro Cubillo
We love this tutorial because it talks about all the common mistakes people make when hair slugging or oiling their hair. While it may seem simple, certain mistakes can cause damage to your strands, so she shows you how to properly oil your hair, how to massage oils onto your scalp, how to properly rinse out the oils, and more. She recommends products like avocado oil, a scalp massager, and a deep conditioning heat cap.
Want to try hair slugging? These are the tips and products you need!
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