The concept of slugging has well and truly entered the mainstream beauty consciousness. Hailing from Korea, the protective skincare technique involves sealing your nighttime skincare with a topical occlusive product, such as Vaseline (petroleum jelly), Nivea cold cream, or Aquaphor. The practice is designed to lock in moisture and prevent transepidermal water loss, promoting a healthy skin barrier.
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What is hair slugging?
Ostensibly inspired by skincare slugging, hair slugging has now entered the fray. Adopting the same concept as skin slugging, hair slugging involves loading your hair up with a rich hydrating or moisturising leave-in treatment — typically a hair mask or oil — prior to going to bed in order to seal moisture into the hair. The hair is then tucked into a sock overnight for protection, before being washed out the following day.
Although hair slugging has gone viral in the beauty community of late, elements of the technique have been practised for centuries in both Black and South Asian cultures. Black women have long worn protective silk scarves or wraps to bed, while the Ayurvedic practice of hair oiling has been a mainstay in Indian households for centuries.
What does hair slugging do?
The main premise of hair slugging is to boost moisture levels. Thus, hair slugging is most beneficial for those with dry, frizzy, or damaged hair, however, those with fine or normal hair types can also benefit from the practice. For those who find leave-in treatments or hair oils end up weighing the hair down, slugging can be a helpful alternative as the product is washed out the next morning.
What are the best hair slugging treatments to use?
Those with thick, curly, coarse or dry hair will benefit from the use of an intensely nourishing hair mask or cream, or a rich oil. Meanwhile, those with fine hair will respond best to a lightweight oil or serum treatment.
How to hair slug
Apply your chosen treatment from the roots to the end of your hair – for severely dry or damaged hair, apply a hair oil followed by a hair mask.
Ditch the sock favoured by TikTokers and opt to plait your hair and place it in a silk wrap, or simply use a silk pillowcase instead. The next morning, wash out the treatment using your standard haircare routine.
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Words by AR Staff
Feature image courtesy of Isabel Snyder
