What is hair slugging? Everything about the latest haircare trend

The hair slugging trend, wherein people are sleeping with leave-in conditioners, hair masks, and hair oils for extra-smooth hair in the morning, has taken over TikTok with 16 million views.

The origin of hair slugging began with K-beauty’s skincare trend of face slugging that claims to lock in moisture with petroleum-based products as the final step of a skincare regime. Apparently, fans of face slugging decided to take this trend forward and applied a similar technique to hair revealing stunning results.

Various TikTok beauty influencers have posted videos of their hair slugging experience, and the trend seems to work for people with extremely dry and brittle hair.

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Hair Slugging is the overnight hair treatment people are raving about

Hair slugging functions on the same basic formula as skin slugging. One has to apply an oil or conditioner all over the hair, covering it tightly with a sock, or wrap it overnight.

The heat under the wrap helps the applied product penetrate nicely into the scalp and hair cuticles. However, hair slugging is a fancy name given to a practice that has been passed on from generation to generation. Many women have used oil treatments to impart nourishment and moisture to their hair for centuries and a similar technique exists in Indian Ayurveda as well.

People can also use a blend of plant-based oils like coconut oil, grapeseed oil, and castor oil and apply it from root to tip, moving forward with the wrapping technique for slugging.

The slugging trend for hair is a great way to keep the tresses nourished, moisturized, and prevent breakage. The generous use of an oil or leave-in conditioner is important as it will lock in moisture and also cater to any specific hair concern.

So, how does one achieve efficient results with hair slugging?

• Start with freshly washed hair and coat them with a leave-in conditioner or oil of your choice from the root to tip.
• Ensure even product distribution. You can also rub the oil into the scalp for hair growth stimulation. However, people with oily scalps can refrain from using too much product on their scalp and rather use more product on the hair streaks.
• Take a sock and cover the hair’s end. Secure with a ponytail and keep this arrangement overnight.

One can also opt for a wrap or silk scarf which will prevent the leak of the product onto your pillow and also prevent snagging or pulling of hair.

Hair can be shampooed within two-three hours as well if one doesn’t want to slug overnight. However, the most important thing is to thoroughly cleanse the hair and scalp afterward as not doing so can lead to clogged pores and buildup in the scalp.

The hair should feel hydrated, bouncy, and healthy on the post-slug wash.

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The frequency of slugging the hair depends on the condition of the hair and the products used. Generally, one can practice slugging for the tresses every two to four weeks. While there are multiple beauty enthusiasts supporting the haircare trend, one can never know for sure unless they try.