Damage from braiding?

[BelleBot]

I wear my hair in a braid to bed to stop it tangling and hopefully protect it. I also wrap a scarf round my head when I'm sleeping alone, though my partner isn't too keen if he's staying over.

Though everytime I wake up I have loads of ends poking out of my braid which look horrible and have all dramatically split over night or so it seems! Is the braid causing this damage? As the same happens if I wear my hair in a braid during the day.

However if I wear my hair loose to bed or during the day I don't seem to get the same number of magically appearing splits.
Obviously an updo is my best bet to protect it, but braids are so much easier at night.

Any ideas? Is this all in my head, or could the braiding be causing additional friction damage?

[Felix_D]

I have no experience with braids, but it always seemed to me that the hairs from the 3 different ropes would rub against each other when the braid moved around? It seems like either a) oil it up pre-braid so the strands slide against each other, b) put it up nice and tight so there's no rubbing or c) let it down, so they can freely move around.

Just imagining the scales on hair rubbing back and forth against each other gives me the heebie-jeebies.

[BelleBot]

Yeh, that's what I was thinking. It's fine if my hair is heavily oiled, but I don't want to do that every night. Everytime I braid I just feel miserable as I can see more and more splits forming. It's such a pretty and practical hairstyle, but I fear it's killing my hair.

[enfys]

Computer ate my reply. Argh.

What I was trying to say was that I think it's more like the effect of S&Ding where you twist the hairs so shorter ones stick out and splits are visible.

I don't think braiding causes the splits but I think it highlights them.

[countryhopper]

I think that no one hair style can be good for everyone.

If your hair splits with braids, maybe try loose buns? or sock curls (my current favorite!)

You could also try satin pillowcases...

[berr]

It's a good time to do S&D. I always figured the hair that was escaping was damaged before I put it in the braid. I also do the sleep tail where I use no-bump bands in about 5 different locations down my tail. Something always sticks out. I need to do a good tight braid and then S & D in the morning. It's been too long.

[Monkey962]

A braid is (sadly) pretty much all I can do. However, would you describe the appearance of your braid after you wake up as 'wooly'? Even the best braids with lots of oil can fall apart over time. That is, the shorter hairs start to come loose and poke out of the braid. The only damage that I get from braiding is where I put the elastic, which changes from day to day, so it's not that bad.

[loralie]

I think it may have to do with the paintbrush end rubbing while you sleep. Your hair doesn't have much escape room so if the end of the braid gets pushed up against something rough or sheets or wall or rubbed around, you're going to get splits.

That's why I usually just bun high on my head and tuck the ends in.

Last night though, I tried something different- because my hair is APLish, my braids are still pretty short. I laid down and pulled my hair up over my pillow, and braided straight up from my head starting high up... the braid basically stuck straight up! I think if your hair is longer you could tuck it up under your pillow or something.

I toss and turn like crazy so sleep hair is always a struggle.

[Anje]

I suspect that it's just previously-damaged ends sticking out of the braid, unless the braid then gets a bunch of friction (sleeping on top of it, catching on a brick wall, catching it between your back and a chair, etc.). The braid tie can cause damage to some hair, though, so be careful with how you secure your braids, and try to make sure you don't kink any hairs. When I manage to kink one backward with the braid elastic, it's usually done for.

I do think fuzzy braids are a great S&D tool, since the split ends seem to pop out so nicely, just begging you to cut them.

[Gumball]

Braids could potentially cause splits to become visible like S&Ding. Possible damage can be caused by the three main strands rubbing against each other, but really anything you do to your hair, down or up, will have hair rubbing against itself. Also remember that your hair grows at various speeds during their cycle, with different follicles at different points. This means that you will always have hair at various lengths, so when you braid your hair some of the shorter ones that terminate before the tassel have time to wriggle free and stick out (chia-braid status here). It's potentially damage, but it is also potentially just hair that wasn't long enough to go down the remainder of the braid.

ETA: I have curly hair, so my hair actively tries to stick out from whatever I'm doing. Those shorter hairs curl, too, so they love escaping over time unless I happen to be doing an oiling or used aloe gel to try to keep them in line. That's one of the big causes of a halo, too.

[Sweetness]

what is your scarf made of ? synthetic or natural fibers such as 100 % pure silk ?
how often do you trim / dust / S& D ??

[ArienEllariel]

My hair tangles less when I braid it and like others have stated, it's much like the effect of S & D. Your hair is being bent all directions in a braid so any shorter hairs will more than likely stick out. The only damage I could see a braid doing would be from where you repeatedly put the elastic. My hair has improved since switching to braiding at night. I have nary a tangle when I take it out in the morning so in general that is my first choice when sleeping. I recently discovered a high bun held with a scrunchy that I like almost as well. You might try that instead and see if anything changes?

[BelleBot]

I S&D every night, especially just after I've braided it so all the sticking out ends are clean cut and not split. I roll the ends up over a silk ribbon and tie it off so there's no elastic to snag or compress the hair. And my sleep braids are done upside down so they stay above my head, not hanging down my back. I do toss and turn a lot, I'm certainly not a restful sleeper.
However when I wake up in the morning all the poking out ends that were clean cut have split. Which is horrible. I could understand a handful I'd perhaps missed or not cut all the damage off, but there are hundreds!

I wish I could sleep with it in a bun every night under my scarf, but it's not practical when I sleep in the same bed as my boyfriend. Not sure what to do.

Plus I can't find silk or satin pillows anywhere unless I buy a set, but they never have single bed sets so it'd be a waste having sheets I can't use.

[Capybara]

I actually sometimes leave my braid in when doing S&D. The splits stick out and are easier to see (:

There is the possibility that the braid itself is causing damage, especially if you braid tightly. But it also may just be highlighting splits that are already present.

Hope this gets better :flower:

[Isilme]

Instead of getting pillowcases you could go to a fabric store and get a large sheet of satin fabric. That way you can drape it over the pillow and over that little nasty ;) bit between the pillow and the bed frame where the braid always get trapped.
There's actually not all that much of your hair that rests on the actual pillowcase.

[jaine]

I S&D every night, especially just after I've braided it so all the sticking out ends are clean cut and not split. I roll the ends up over a silk ribbon and tie it off so there's no elastic to snag or compress the hair. And my sleep braids are done upside down so they stay above my head, not hanging down my back. I do toss and turn a lot, I'm certainly not a restful sleeper.
However when I wake up in the morning all the poking out ends that were clean cut have split. Which is horrible. I could understand a handful I'd perhaps missed or not cut all the damage off, but there are hundreds!

I wish I could sleep with it in a bun every night under my scarf, but it's not practical when I sleep in the same bed as my boyfriend. Not sure what to do.

Plus I can't find silk or satin pillows anywhere unless I buy a set, but they never have single bed sets so it'd be a waste having sheets I can't use.

Plan B: get that boyfriend in line! Why does he have a say in what your hair looks like while he's sleeping? :)
(PS I'm kidding! ... no, actually I'm not kidding ;) just kidding...)

[joiekimochi]

Maybe...it's your scissors that's causing the splits? Since you mentioned that the trimmed ends are the ones that are split?

[Ksenia]

I tend to do my S&D in the morning with my nighttime braid still in. I used to think that the braid might be causing the splits too, but then I started doing S&D almost every single morning for about two weeks, and since then I might find a couple splits in the morning. It's entirely possible that you just have more split ends than you think, and the braiding overnight makes them stick out.
Joiekimochi makes a good point - proper scissors are essential, bad quality ones will just smush the end of the hair which can actually cause it to split. I have these awesome little ones that have micro-serrations on the blade to direct the hair properly so that you get a clean snip.

[yellowchariot]

I braid just about every night to sleep in, for about 7 months now, my hair has never been damaged or split ends occur due to braiding :shrug:

[StephanieB]

I S&D every night, especially just after I've braided it so all the sticking out ends are clean cut and not split.


Plus I can't find silk or satin pillows anywhere unless I buy a set, but they never have single bed sets so it'd be a waste having sheets I can't use.
Is $8.99 plus (I think $2.99 s&h) for a pillowcase?
A single satin pillowcase, no extra sheets nor waste for you.
Sally's for a satin pillowcase (http://www.sallybeauty.com/pillowcase/BETTYD13,default,pd.html).


I also think that you might be damaging your hair with blunt scissors blades.

I sew a lot, and I have several pairs of shears for that onnly, and a few more pairs of embroidery scissors for hand embroidery, and one good pair of kithen shears - all of which NOBODY may use, and I only use them for those express purposes. All of 'my' pairs of scissors are marked with colored duct tape, and everyone knows those are off-limits - no matter what. There is a good reason for this: For the purposes (esp sewing and hand embroidery), I've designated these for, it is absolutely necessary to have razor-sharp scissors that are designed/meant for their individual purposes. (ie - each kind of scissors is designed for it's particular purpose - specific length handles or blades, angles or straight, etc - and so-called all-purpose are, much like the proverbial jack-of-all-trades who is master-of-none, not-good-for-anything purpose, really.

[SunshineHair]

When I started to braid my hair before I slept I too saw what you described on your hair. And before it I never braided. I think it is just what was there before and your now really paying attention to it!

[Anje]

Plus I can't find silk or satin pillows anywhere unless I buy a set, but they never have single bed sets so it'd be a waste having sheets I can't use.
Dharma Trading sells silk pillowcases. (http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1384272-AA.shtml?lnav=clothing.html) I haven't tried them yet myself (reference the tassel-munching kitty™), but I think it's one of the better prices around.

[TXbarbie]

If your hair is layered then the different layers will "poke" out of the braids - that's what mine do. Any hairstyle isn't exactly perfectly safe for hair - especially if you wear the same hairstyle often, you'll create damage just from the stress of twisting the hairs the same way, etc.

[deviantkitten]

This is why I started to wear a top knot to bed. I used to braid, but even with oil and a silk pillowcase, my ends would be wooly. For the top knot, I just do a bun on top of my head, then use a cpl of the little butterfly clips on the sides but high up close to my hairline. that way, the ends are tucked away from rubbing against each other. I have tried all kinds of pins to get my bun to stay this way, but they would always slip out overnight and poke me. The butterfly clips are the best things I have found. Whether this is technically better than braiding, I don't know, but in my opinion and from my experience, this is better for my hair than nighttime braiding

[enfys]

I tend to do my S&D in the morning with my nighttime braid still in. I used to think that the braid might be causing the splits too, but then I started doing S&D almost every single morning for about two weeks, and since then I might find a couple splits in the morning. It's entirely possible that you just have more split ends than you think, and the braiding overnight makes them stick out.


I'm inclined to agree with this. If you were to S&D in the morning I bet it would reduce quite rapidly. Everyone's braid will have more ends sticking out after a while, and the more ends that are sticking out the more likely it is that some of them will be split.

I bought a silk scarf about 1 metre square that I put over my pillow and I found it did naff all towards helping tangling..

[hmmm]

Plan B: get that boyfriend in line! Why does he have a say in what your hair looks like while he's sleeping? :)
(PS I'm kidding! ... no, actually I'm not kidding ;) just kidding...)

^ This! :D

[BelleBot]

My scissors are proper hairdressing shears, I have 3 pairs, all exclusively used by me and all very sharp. I don't have time to S&D in the mornings unfortunately (I'm not a morning person :p)

And the boyfriend has no say in how I wear my hair, it's more a question of not having the time/energy when we sleep together to put my hair up properly and fath about. Plus I don't think he'd appreciate me sleeping on his chest with hair sticks in my hair to poke him! Or me draping satin over him. I just want to cuddle and sleep, not think about sorting my hair.

I guess it's just when I do S&D every evening if I've had my hair up during the day I find less than 20 splits to trim. If it's been down all day, then I find slightly more. If it's been in a braid during the day or night I find probably over 200. It's that dramatic a change which makes me wonder. I know braids make the ends poke out and splits more visible, but it seems more than just that.:shrug:

[SpinDance]

I've been doing a high bun for sleeping the past few months with good results. I use a Flexi to hold it, as sticks slid out. I used to braid for bed, but the high bun seems to be doing a lot better, with much less fuzziness/rubbing.

It sounds like you may be seeing results of something that has damaged your hair in the past, maybe made it weaker, so it is now splitting a lot?

[Isilme]

If I remember it correctly you have bleached your hair to get it magenta and then you used some dye to make it was it red or dark brown? Maybe it's dye damage.

[Joette]

I have almost completely stopped braiding for bed. When I took the braid out I could hear the hairs breaking off where they'd glommed on during the night, especially in the tassle. No fun. So I sleep with a speed bump now, which isn't quite as comfortable, but is much kinder to my hair!

[hmmm]

Maybe a scrunchie bun would be more comfortable? I'm not sure if that's what you call it, but this is how it's done: put your hair in a pony tail without taking the last bit of hair out, so it's a loop... then take another tie and make the same sort of loop with the first one... and continue until it's a regular sized bun. I hope that makes sense.