When I was younger, my mother would take me to a beautician to get my hair done. It was like clockwork. Every two weeks, I would get a shampoo, deep conditioner, and a press and curl.

It always struck me how many times my beautician (Ms. Janice…may she rest in peace) would shampoo my hair. It was usually three soapy lathers, but when it came time to bathe my hair in conditioner she would always use a quarter size. Even then I felt like that amount was too little for all of my luscious curly, coily hair.

Now that I am older and more knowledgeable about healthy hair practices, I understand why my hair would not grow past APL back then. Curly, coily, and kinky hair needs more deep conditioner! A quarter size amount in most cases will simply not do.

A Waste

Fast forward to earlier this year. I noticed my hair didn’t seem very moisturized when I deep conditioned my hair for a few hours. Yes, I said a few hours. My hair texture can be dry. This is typical for those who have 3b – 4c hair textures. When I would rinse my hair in the shower after a few hours, I always felt like it was a waste of money. Waiting for the conditioner to soak into my thirsty tresses also felt like a waste of time.

So this year, I set out to do something radical. I would deep condition my curly, coily hair overnight! After all, I spent the majority of my “wash day” waiting for the conditioner to melt into my tresses. Why not kill two birds (sleeping + deep conditioning) with one stone.

My Routine

Here is how my routine goes. On Saturday night, I will gently detangle my dry hair with a wide tooth comb and cleanse it in the shower in sections. Still using sections, I slather my freshly washed hair with my favorite deep conditioner. It is important to make sure each strand is well coated. Then I two strand twist the section. Usually I end up with four large section.

To secure my hair at night, I wrap my entire head with two grocery bags, my scarf, and bonnet. This way no water drip out while I get my beauty rest. I also never use any hair clips, pins, etc. in my hair to prevent breakage. The next day I rinse off the deep conditioner with warm water while lightly detangling with my Tangle Teezer from ends to roots followed by a cold rinse. I then can style as usual.

My Thoughts?

I have always heard you should never deep condition your hair too much. I have often heard this statement by people whose hair won’t grow past their shoulders. Don’t get get me wrong, deep conditioning overnight is not for everyone. For example, if you have very straight or oily hair, then you shouldn’t deep condition overnight.  However, for those who have dry, fragile hair like me, give it a try. So far deep conditioning overnight has been a huge success! My hair feels moisturized and healthy (please above picture). I have noticed my retention rate has improved and my hair is almost touching BSL. If this technique changes for me or if I experience any setbacks, then I will update this post. HHG!

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