If you have coloured or damaged hair, it’s best to avoid washing it as much as possible. For me, I’ve managed to avoid washing my hair for up to two weeks (yeah, you read that right). If odour is your concern, there are also ways to freshen it up without the water or soap. And don’t worry, all of these tips are cost friendly. Like you, I am also the average income consumer who doesn’t have a lot to dish on super expensive products or hair treatments.
These tips or hair hacks are in order from the cleanest your hair is to the dirtiest, so start prior to your hair washing cycle.
1. Train your scalp
By this, I mean get used to not washing hair everyday. If you already wash it everyday, I will guarantee you, you’ll hate the first week or two of not washing your hair because it will get really greasy since your hair is so used to being stripped of moisture from all the shampoo and overcompensating by producing more oil. Over time, your hair will be less and less oily, I promise. I can speak from experience because my routine used to be to wash my hair everyday, but now I can survive up to two weeks without washing it.
2. Use a scalp treatment
Washing hair is pretty therapeutic for me sometimes because it really lets me scrub and get rid of all the dandruff and build up. I am someone who suffers from a lot of dandruff, so holding off on washing my hair can be difficult sometimes. If you also suffer from a dandruff prone scalp, use a scalp treatment either multiple times prior to beginning this journey or simple every time you wash. If you have coloured hair, try to find a natural remedy because dandruff shampoos tend to strip your hair of the dye!
3. Only condition the shaft and ends
This can be a no brainer to some, but when washing hair, avoid conditioning your scalp. Your scalp will already product oils naturally, so there’s no need to add even more moisture there to make it more oily quicker.
4. Don’t touch your hair
This is self explanatory. Your skin has oils, so if you touch your hair a lot, it will transfer the oils onto your hair and obviously make it greasy. If you don’t want to be washing hair a lot, don’t touch it.
5. Avoid excessive hair products
When I say hair products, I’m referring to gels, creams, hairsprays, and some oils depending on your hair texture. The less in your hair, the better. I find that when avoiding washing hair, if I don’t have that stuff in it, it feels a lot less dirty and crusty. It’s also not very appealing thinking about the products getting on my pillow case and then having my face rub all over it at night.
6. Use a board bristle brush
I have one shown in the video, but these brushes help with distributing hair from the roots to the shaft and ends. They are not meant for detangling, so don’t expect that. For those with dry hair, it’s really good to use because your hair feels much healthier after the natural oils are brought down. It also helps with avoiding scalp buildup from oil since you’re spreading it around. I tend to use my brush in my hair whenever I’m watching stuff, in a loading screen for a game, or just have nothing better to do.
7. Wash your pillow cases and shower caps
Shower caps are nice for avoiding washing hair or getting your hair wet in the shower. However, if you’re re-using them like I am, it’s best to wash it during your hair washing cycle as well because if you feel the inside, you will find that it does get oily from touching your hair everyday in showers. As for pillow cases, they too carry oil, but not just that, your face is resting in the dirt and oil build up every night. For the sake of your face and skin, wash your pillow case or switch it out every few days.
8. Avoid dry shampoo until you really need it
Every says dry shampoo is a game changer, and it really is. I love my Batiste dry shampoo. However, using too much can lead to a lot of scalp buildup and can weigh your hair down. Try to only use it when your hair really needs it.
9. Let your dry shampoo sit for a few minutes
This is a common mistake a lot of people make, and even I made the first few times I used it: let the dry shampoo sit. Let it sit to really soak in all the excess oils. I like to just spray it on my roots, do my makeup, and deal with it after. Ruffle it in your hair after to get rid of any excess white dry shampoo residue.
10. Tease or curl for more volume
I usually don’t tease my hair unless it’s for a special occasion because it can be damaging, but if you really need that volume from all the oil weight, try teasing your hair to give the illusion that your hair is fresh, styled, and not weighed down by oil. You can also trick people by curling your hair and breaking up the curls to fluff your hair up. Avoiding washing hair is pretty easy if your hair doesn’t look dirty.
11. Hide the oil
Yes, yes, it is possible. I also do this a lot. Hide your oily roots with headbands, glasses, scarves, etc. In the summer, I usually wear sunglasses on the top of my head since I don’t look too good with headbands or scarves. You can rock fashionable glasses, look fabulous, and no one would ever know. Just don’t take it off!
12. Style it to hide it
Similar to #10 for how to avoid washing hair, try different hairstyles to hide the grease. I find that a very loose and messy bun at the top of your hair does a pretty good job because the main attracting is the shaft of your hair, which isn’t as bad as the roots, and it’s chic. Another option is to add braids to distract the eyes of other people. And if it’s really bad and you’re near the very end of your cycle, you can try one of those slicked-back or wet looks where you’re supposed to have oily or moist hair.
13. Working out… oh boy
Adding physical activity to trying to avoid washing hair is never easy. If you have straight hair, you can work out in braids and when you’re done, take it out to have waves that give you volume (#10). If your hair is curly try different braided styles near the scalp to hide where oils normally come out when you work out. And last resort, stick to less strenuous activities or just don’t work out until your cycle is over.
Have anymore tips? Let me know in the comments!
Interested in more hair posts? Check these out:
- How I Got Purple Balayage and Ombre Hair
- How I Got Teal Balayage Hair | Halo Hair Studio Review
- Getting My Ombre Hair done at Koi Hair Studio
- 6 Thick Hair Hacks to Save your Sanity
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