Tips for washing your hair less

November 21, 2021

Every morning, especially during the week, my to-do list includes having a calm morning and slowly getting myself ready for the day – it truly makes me a better person.

You know what doesn’t make me feel calm in the morning? Waking up early to wash + blow dry +style my hair. The struggle is real.

This is definitely one of the reasons why I trained my hair to be able to go several days between washes, but it’s not the main reason…

The main reason is……hair growth!

Yes, for most people, washing hair less does aid with keeping hair healthier and growing faster.

Why?

The oils that your scalp naturally produces are very beneficial to keeping your scalp healthy and when they are distributed through the strands of your hair (through brushing), they also help keep the lengths of your hair healthy. [Once again, this is the case for most people!]

I have noticed major improvement in my hair since I began washing it less often and I definitely do enjoy my faster morning routine!

So I’ve noted some of my key steps which explain how I’m able to go 4-5 days between washes. I’ve broken them down into categories: daily styling tips for those in-between days, key things to remember when taking showers on non-hair wash days, and wash day tips.

Daily styling tips for those in-between days:

• Have an arsenal of hair styles that are easy and that you love

I can often be spotted wearing different hair styles at different points in the week. (a.k.a. based off of the list below, you’ll almost always be able to tell what “day” my hair is on hahaha!) Here is a rough breakdown of how it goes:

Day 1: Wash day – I wash + blow dry my hair and wear it down

Day 2: I only brush it once in the morning and wear it down

Day 3: Half-up hair style day

Day 4: Braid or ponytail

Day 5: Bun or washday

Why don’t I let my hair air dry on wash day?

For a few reasons –the first being that I typically wash my hair on a weekday, so I blow dry it to dry my hair faster as I'm on my way out the door to work. The second reason is that my hair is naturally frizzy and has these weird waves in it. Although I love wearing the natural look, on days 2 +, I look pretty disheveled with frizzy hair… but if I blow dry it straight on day 1, it remains straight the rest of the week (making it easier for me :) )

• Quality over quantity when it comes to hair products

It’s important to find products that work well with your specific hair type, but it’s also crucial to not overdo it. Too much product leads to product build-up which leads to hair getting weighed down + oily much faster.  

• Soft scrunchies over tight elastics

It’s known that tight elastics can cause damage to your hair, but the reason it won’t help your hair thrive longer between washes is because of kinks! Tighter hair elastics tend to leave kinks in our hair….which means that you either need to keep wearing your hair in a similar style to hide the kink or you need to use hot tools to get it out – which includes adding more product to your hair!

Not only is a soft scrunchie better for the health of your hair, but they also don’t leave any kinks, making less work for you.

• Use a silk pillowcase.

Hahaha here I go again raving about silk pillow cases, but they truly are amazing! Silk pillowcases do much more than just protect your hair from frizz and breakage. By doing so, they help to preserve your hair style from the day.

This means that you’ll have less re-styling to do the next morning!

Also, finding a good protective hair style to keep your hair in while sleeping can be vital to helping your hair style survive overnight.

I usually sleep with a very high loose pony tail (practically at the top of my head). This keeps my hair away from underneath me and I don’t damage my hair while tossing& turning at night. If you have longer hair, putting your hair in a very loose braid/French braid is a great way to protect it while you sleep.

• Have a good dry shampoo handy

I very rarely use dry shampoo; however, I love having one handy for those days where I really need it. Dry shampoos are especially helpful after a workout to bring my hair back to life.

Tip: if you’re someone who is on the go often or who likes to refresh their hair at the gym, buy a travel-sized bottle of dry shampoo and stick it in your purse/workout bag. This way, dry shampoo will always be there to rescue you!

Key things to remember when taking showers on non-hair wash days:

• Always pull your hair up with a clip on in a scrunchie‍

I always go for a loose top knot at the very top of my head to keep my hair from getting wet.  

If you really want to be serious about not getting ANY water on your hair, get a shower cap. They make some pretty cute ones these day hahaha!  

I tried using a shower cap for a little bit, but it honestly wasn’t for me. It took up space in my drawers and was an additional step in my daily routine (I’m lazy, I know!).  I personally find that putting my hair up with a scrunchie or hair clip works just great.

Yes, there will be a little moisture that will inevitably get onto your scalp + hair in the shower, so if it is a real bother to you, a shower cap is the way to go :)

• Try your best to keep your hair out of the water

This goes along with the first tip, but in addition to putting your hair up, try you best not to subconsciously get your hair wet – even the back of your neck!

If you have a detachable shower head, use it to wash your body while avoiding your scalp.

‍Wash day tips:

• Shampoo twice, especially if you’re scalp training

This step has helped me a ton. Doing this makes sure that your scalp is extra clean (a.k.a. most of the natural oils + build up have been washed away) and, therefore, it will take longer for your scalp to become oily. 

• Allow your hair to air dry for 15-20 mins before heat styling

I always make sure my hair is a little bit dry before using my blow drier. If your hair has already began to dry a little, you won’t need to use as much heat on it to get it dry and your scalp won’t sweat as much.

What? Sweat?

Have you ever noticed that after you’re don’t blow drying all your hair you feel like you’ve had an arm workout and maybe broke a small sweat? Yep, your scalp starts to sweat with all that heat to!

The drier your hair is before blow drying, the less time you spend in the heat.

• Find a good leave in conditioner with built-in heat protectant

Remember when I said quality over quantity? I only use one product in my hair after the shower to ensure that I don’t have product build-up early on in my “hair schedule.”The product I use is a spray leave-in conditioner with heat protectant. It does everything I need it to do – detangles my hair, keeps it moisturized and keeps it protected from heat.

The most important thing to remember is that, like any other change, switching up your hair routine will take some adjusting to and patience! Hair is a tricky thing hahaha.

But take it from me, I went from knowing absolutely nothing about hair care to being able to help my hair grow and remain healthy (I even like it enough to leave the house without brushing it some days – lol oops!) So be patient and take it slow, your hair will thank you!

Would you like a blog post dedicated to how I scalp trained my hair? (How I went from washing it almost every day to being able to easily go 4-5 days between washes). Please comment below to let me know! 

Do you like this type of blog post? Let me know how you feel using the new emojis!

Know yourself, know your body & until next time!

Mags

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