odd suject..washing hair (or not) - your views

[genie]

when i was using shampoo, i found that if i didnt use conditioner my hair would be textured tangled and dry, it was nessary to condition in be handleable. so i would use a conditioner. I have tried out a variety of shampoos and conditioners and they all effected my hair dramatically.causing all types of condition hair, which i didnt feel was good.
i had heard that not washing hair with chemicals after a term of greasyness would bring your natural hair back to life, where it would self cleanse and look after itself.
i thought ide give it a go..
..i have brushed, washed with hot water and scrubbed my hair for 6 months now. not using shampoo i expected my hair to be knotted and dry, but its very well conditioned, has a healthy shine, doesnt smell and i do not have to worry about the gallons of shampoo and conditioner that i flush down the sink every year.i read somewhere it took 8 years for chemicals of 1 bottle to dissolve.

I have found that i must brush my hair well twice a day, which is very important to clean it. For me personally, this has worked, although i do know some people, where because of their hair type (or their job) this just doesnt work!
i got a bottle of water with tea tree in it - i use it to freshen my hair up and the living room and furniture!!

i must say if my hair had got to a completly minging stage i would have aborted this experiment!!
this weekend i am off to the sunrise festival in somerset (uk) no hair washing and camping for 5 days!! - we shall soon see!!

an interesting debate..

[magnuscanis]

When I used to have long hair, about 12 years ago, I once tried the no-wash thing (I was a student at the time). I think I managed about 3 weeks before the itching became unbearable and I started washing it again.

Actually, I'm thinking about growing my hair again. It's a lot more work to look after long hair, but it's also a lot more fun.

- Magnus

[Millymollymandy]

Actually, I'm thinking about growing my hair again. It's a lot more work to look after long hair, but it's also a lot more fun.
- Magnus

Is it? I'm letting my hair grow just because I wanted a change plus be able to wear hats without destroying my barnet.

I went through a stage where it tickled my neck constantly.

Now it just annoys me because I can't see properly because when I bend down there is hair everywhere; outside in the wind it blows into my eyes which hurts, and again I can't see properly with it blowing all over the place.

Still I'm not giving in yet, but it is really annoying having all this hair everywhere (it would still be considered short hair but it is the longest I've had in 20 years!).

[wulf]

Actually, I'm thinking about growing my hair again. It's a lot more work to look after long hair, but it's also a lot more fun.

Go for it!

Wulf (Magnus's hirstute eldest brother)

[Nikki]

i have brushed, washed with hot water and scrubbed my hair for 6 months now. not using shampoo i expected my hair to be knotted and dry, but its very well conditioned, has a healthy shine, doesnt smell and i do not have to worry about the gallons of shampoo and conditioner that i flush down the sink every year.

Hey Genie, your own experience has inspired me to give it a go - when we move to our land that is. I love the idea of using nothing at all but water.

[the.fee.fairy]

Hair - that's my thing!!

Right:

What you're looking for is known as WO (Water Only) Washing.
There's a great link on Long Hair Community here:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/sho ... hp?t=50999

Basically, its not as easy as leaving your hair, or rinsing it. It takes more effort. All that oil at the roots needs to be distributed through the lengths and the ends of the hair (if its short, then you're in for an easy ride!).

Before washing:

Tip the head upside down and massage the scalp as if you were shampooing. Do this for roughly a minute or two.
Then pull gently at the roots, distributing the oil from the scalp through the first 2 inches or so of hair. Carry this on for about 2 mins.
Then stroke your hands through from the roots to the tips, distributing more oil as you go (i've got waist-length hair, so i'm imagining it on me!).

Washing:

Get in the shower and rinse through with warm water (not hot!!) carry on the massagin as before washing.

Then rinse with water as cold as you can stand it (this is a vanity rinse - it lays down the cuticles and makes your hair shiny).

Then twist the hair into a turbie (these do a hell of a lot less damage than normal towls).

When you're dressed, or until a lot of the excess water has come out of the hair, take out of the turbie towel and (if you have long hair - Bra Strap Length and beyond) put a drop or so of jojoba oil (or coconut, or sweet almond) on the ends to look after them.

LEAVE TO DRY - this can take hours.

Then brush through gently, preferably with a Boar Bristle Brush - these distribute the oils even more. Some people can't use them (they make my hair incredibly static!!) So use a brush that is comfortable for you to use, and does not scratch or dig your head, and does not snag your hair.

Studies (on LHC) show:
The first 6 weeks are the worst, then it evens out.
Then, at week 9, it goes back to being bad for a while, then evens out again.

I read elsewhere that for 2 weeks, it will be greasy (i prefer oily myself - it sounds nicer!!) then, it will be dry for 2 weeks (use that oil on the ends and lengths during this time!!!) then greasy again, then it will even out.

Brush from the tips - i mean, unknot from the tips really, otherwise it'd be backcombing, which is not going to help your tresses!

I think that's it!

For those growing their hair, LHC (www.Longhaircommunity.com) is an absolutely marvellous resource full of hints and tips and recipes and lots of great stuff on growing hair. I love it, i've been growing mine for about 18 months. i still have another year to go until i reach my first destination i think. I'd love to go WO, but i also love dyeing it purple too much...

[Thomzo]

Then brush through gently, preferably with a Boar Bristle Brush - these distribute the oils even more. Some people can't use them (they make my hair incredibly static!!) So use a brush that is comfortable for you to use, and does not scratch or dig your head, and does not snag your hair.

Brush from the tips - i mean, unknot from the tips really, otherwise it'd be backcombing, which is not going to help your tresses!

Thanks, Fee. That is interesting.

I must point out though that if you have curly hair you should NEVER EVER brush it.

Curly hair tends to be drier because of it's structure. Brushing it causes too much static to build up and makes it go frizzy.

More importantly though, curly hair will by it's nature tangle very easily. Pulling a brush through it, no matter how gently, will pull at the curls and damage the roots. This is why many children start life with beautiful curls and end up with a frizzy birdsnest by the time they are in their twenties. It's caused by their mothers insisting on brushing their hair all the time. The best thing to do is to use a wide toothed comb but only on wet hair. Just carefully run your fingers through dry hair to detangle and restyle.

As Fee says, detangle from the ends. Hold a section of hair about six inches up from the bottom in one hand. Use a comb or the fingers of your other hand to gently ease the tangles out. Work up the hair in six inch lengths around the head.

Zoe

[the.fee.fairy]

oooh, yes,i forgot about curly hairs - mine is dead straight!!

Don't brush curlies!! Use a wide-toothed comb at the most!

[Karen_D]

Now it just annoys me because I can't see properly because when I bend down there is hair everywhere; outside in the wind it blows into my eyes which hurts, and again I can't see properly with it blowing all over the place.

Headscarves are very good for controlling hair that is too short to tie back but long enough to be getting on your nerves.

[red]

I must point out though that if you have curly hair you should NEVER EVER brush it.

I have very curly fine hair that is shoulder length (only its longer really, if you pull the corkscrews out) and I NEVER EVER brush or comb it. I finally worked out that the less I do to it, the better it looks and feels.
i do put my hands through it to stop dreds appearing!
When I was a teenager and more bothered with my looks, i fell into the habit of washing my hair every day, and then before long I HAD to wash it every day, and it still looked greasey. then one summer holiday, I stopped washing it and it sorted itself out. So I think stripping your hair of natural oils makes your scalp make more.
I now wash it abouth twice a week, and i just let it dry naturally.

I actually find having longer hair much easier than short hair, as you can always tie it out of the way etc, and it actually needs washing less often as the oils distribute themselves whereas short hair - it has not where to go!

[Christopher]

I wash mine every other day or when I remember - can't be arsed fluffing around with shampoo sometimes so it can be several days before I shampoo - it is definately much nicer for not having been shampooed.

Incidentially I also have limited my use of underarm deoderant - and guess what - that smelly underarm smell has diminished somewhat! Which makes me think that the manufacturers do put something in to make it sweat and smell, making you buy more and more.

now if I could get away with brushing teeth less....

ka kite
Christopher

[the.fee.fairy]

That's to do with the fact that a lot of deodorant is antiperspirant. Therefore, as soon as it stops working, your body works at getting rid of the toxins that it hasn't been able to release easily.

Whne i was at school, my friend's dad was working for cancer research, and he was working on providing scientific evidence for the link between anti perspirant deodorant and breast cancer. He knew there was a link there, because sweating is the body's way of getting rid of toxins, and he could see that the toxins weren't being allowed to leave.

Incidentally - on the hair side:

SLS (Sodium lauryl Sulfate) and SLES (Sodium laureth Sulfate) are irritants used as detergents in shampoo.

Anything ending with the word -cone is a silicone, and these coat your hair making it look shiny, but keeping moisture out, so if you want beutifully healthy hair, try ditching the -cones and see how you go. In my experience, it takes about 3 weeks of babying the hair and it looking a bit worse for wear, then it looks better than ever because moisture is getting in!

More hair tips in a couple of days - need to get back to work now!

edited to correct typos

[Milims]

Nev- how do you make your own shampoo? I'd love to learn!

When I worked in an office I washed my hair every day - I tended to run my hands thru it quite a lot (probably trying to tear it out!!) Now I don't have to be as well dressed for work - well you don't on a building site - so I tend to wash it about twice a week - once in the middle of the week to wash out the grime and then again at the end of the week. I am concerned tho about the effect that the lime/plaster dust has on my hair - I know that it makes my skin stingy, so it can't be too good!!

[the.fee.fairy]

Can you put anything in it to help protect from the lime/plaster dust?
maybe a layer of oil (it'll look slicked back if you tie it up) or gel at a push? Then give it a quick rinse when you get home - if its gel, or leave it for a few days if you use oil - it'll give it a good conditioning treatment too!

[genie]

What a result, my querys are being answered!!
My hair is still, happy, not itchy, flaky or dry (as mentioned above, i pull the oils to the end tips - )
anyway its working for me.

However, I have recently come across NEEM!!! and its amazing qualities!!

check out http://www.neemfoundation.org/

natures answer to everything!!

guys, if you havnt heard of neem, check it out and spread the word!!