*Slippery When Wet*

The #hairslugging hashtag has amassed over 7 million TikTok views, and like its big sister – skin slugging – it is the latest Korean trend taking beauty blogs by storm.

If you’re not familiar with either of the ~sluggings~, let’s rewind a little. Skin slugging became huge on Reddit in 2021, and involves slathering your skin in petroleum jelly (i.e. Vaseline) as the final step of your night-time routine. For donkey years it has been popular in the K-beauty community where moisture is the holy grail of all skincare, and slugging essentially locks in that moisture to lock in hydration and prevent water loss.

@moniquemrapier you will never go back 🥺 say goodbye to split ends 👏🏼 comment any questions!💗 #hair #hairtok #hairhacks #haircare #hairtips #hairdamage ♬ Eenie Meenie (Radio Version) - Sean Kingston & Justin Bieber

Hair slugging became popular in 2022 as a segue from skin slugging, except instead of slathering your skin with petroleum jelly, you slather your mane with oil. At the core of it, hair slugging is just leaving in an overnight treatment, but that wouldn’t go viral, would it? 

How to slug like a pro:

1. It is recommended to wash hair with a clarifying shampoo to ensure that you start with a clean canvas and to let the oil penetrate deeper into the hair follicle. You then want to dry it to at least 85 per cent before starting the slugging process.
2. Take your leave-in treatment, oil or hair mask and apply it throughout the hair. You will want to be more generous on the ends. Use a wide-tooth comb to distribute the product as evenly as possible.
3. To really get into the slug theme, as the trend suggests, wrap hair up in a cotton sock and use a scrunchie to secure. BUT (and there is a but) the secret to this hair hack is the wrapping as this is where the moisture is locked in and where the magic happens. Swap the sock for a silk wrap as this will minimise friction, frizz and split ends.
4. It is recommended to wash the product out the next day with lukewarm water, followed by cold (if you dare) as this will close the cuticles and seal moisture into the strands.

@abbeyyung #hairslugging #slugging #hairhacks #haircarehacks #sleephairstyles ♬ Toxic x Pony - ALTÉGO

Tips:

• If you have hair on the fine side, use a product that won’t weigh down hair as much, like an oil rather than a mask.
• If you have thicker, more coarse hair, gently massage the product into your scalp with your hands to help penetrate the hair.

• There is no rule of thumb for how often you should slug, it is dependent on your hair type, texture and length, however, most experts advise on slugging about once a week. Slugging too much will strip your hair of natural oils, which will cause more damage.

@na.namiicho Honestly I was pretty impressed after brushing it out 😲 #hairslugging #slugging #sluggingmethod #hairdamage #overnighthair ♬ Love You So - The King Khan & BBQ Show