7 of the Best Things You Can do For Your Hair OVERNIGHT

The saying, “get your beauty sleep” is no joke, says Mario Russo, owner & lead stylist of Salon Mario Russo in Boston. The industry veteran of over 30 years shares that some of the best beauty tricks can be done while you’re sleeping. Sure, getting the suggested 8 hours of sleep can help with unwanted dark circles and baggy eyelids, but your coif can also benefit from overnight styling and tips. Mario has shared with us his favorite advice, which he gives to clients who are looking for an easy way to get ahead of their morning routine while also catching a few zzz’s. TIP #1 - Go to Bed with DRY Hair: Water in your hair cuticle makes it more susceptible to splits and breakage as you toss and turn during the night. Wet hair equals fragile hair! If you shower before bed and don’t have time to dry it, use a cotton t-shirt (which is less abrasive than a towel), wrap hair and keep it tucked in a turban-like creation until morning. TIP # 2 - Repair Hair and Apply a Leave-In Treatment: Utilizing a leave-in conditioning treatment before bed, either a salon-professional product or natural coconut oil, allows the moisture to seep into hair for a longer, uninterrupted time, which in turn, leaves your hair super hydrated and smooth the next day! For an added moisturizing benefit, wrap conditioned hair in a shower cap or silk scarf before hitting the hay. This will also help to save your pillowcases/sheets from getting damaged by the hair treatment. TIP #3 - Brush it Out Before Bed: Using a brush with natural bristles, brush hair out before bed. Yes, Marsha Brady-style! Using your brush, start at the roots and move down to the ends of your hair. This will help to transfer the natural oils from your scalp throughout your hair shaft, giving hair an added dose of hydration. Additionally, if you’ve used a lot of products on your locks during the day, this will help to break them up on your scalp as well as on your strands, so that build up won’t occur. TIP #4 - Keep it Straight by Wrapping it! If you just spent money on a salon blow-dry or time in the bathroom straightening your curly locks, don’t let bedtime ruin your sleek style! Use the wrapping technique with bobby pins to keep hair smooth and straight. Starting at the top of your head, use a brush to begin arranging hair around the head and pinning it down. Essentially, you are wrapping hair in a circle pattern around the head to keep it in its straight condition. TIP #5 - Top Knot It: Bring out your scrunchies and top knot your freshly washed and dried hair. As you blow-dry hair before bed, use a volumizing product on the root and once it’s almost dry, apply a texturizing spray throughout. Loosely pull dried hair upward and into a soft topknot. The height will give you an extra boost of volume as you sleep as well as ensure that your locks will maintain tangle-free for your early wake-up call. TIP # 6 - Lights Off, Humidifier On: Whether you are cranking up your house’s heat in the winter or you live in a dry climate, adding extra moisture to the air using a humidifier can help to keep both your skin and locks hydrated. Moisturized hair sees less frizz and breakage and more shine. Turn the lights off and the humidifier on! TIP # 7 - Switch to a Silk Pillowcase: In order to extend the life of your hairstyle or blow-dry as well as keep damage and breakage at bay, opt for a silk or Egyptian cotton pillowcase. Flannel or cotton sheets cause more friction on hair and over time, will create damage.