CHALLENGE: How to Stop Washing Your Hair So Much!

How often do you wash your hair?  Are you one of those people who lather up every day or every other day?  I’ve got some life-changing tips for you on how to stretch your time between shampoos, saving you oodles of time, money and most importantly, your hair!

How to Stop Washing Your Hair so Frequently

Believe it or not, one of the questions I am most asked is, “how do you go so long between hair washings?”  When I tell friends that I washed my hair 5 days ago, their jaws literally drop.  Their reply is always to the tune of “oh, I could never do that, my hair gets so greasy, I have to wash every day.” Well, guess what ladies, YOU DON’T.  Shocking right?   My hair gets greasy too but I’ve trained my scalp to not produce so much oil by prolonging washings.  I knew that I had to make a change after getting extensions from the Extensionist.   It really isn’t that hard to achieve if you just give it a try!

Do you know how much damage you are doing to your hair every time you wash?  Especially when you blow dry, straighten or curl your hair afterwards.  That heat is killing your ends!  Your scalp is working overtime to replenish the natural oil that you wash every day which is why your scalp is oily.  So let’s change that.  I promise you can!  Here is how to stop washing your hair so frequently:

Outfit Details:

A-Line Skirt in Grey (belt included) / Wrap Knit Sweater in Teal /

Step 1: STOP WASHING!

Seriously, friends, this is the key.  You are no different than everyone else, you actually do not need to wash your hair several times a week. Once or twice per week is all you need.  The secret is that you need to TRAIN your scalp to get used to less frequent washings.  As I just mentioned, every time you wash your hair, you strip away the natural oils that your body produces, which causes your body to work harder to replenish them.  So take baby steps.  Prolong your normal washing cycle by one day to start.  After a time, you can stretch that out to add another day.  Fight every urge you have to give in and just give it a chance!

Step 2: Change the way you wash your hair.

Do you put conditioner on your roots?  Well if you do, put the brakes on that quick! You should only be conditioning the ends of your locks, never the root.  This adds unnecessary build-up on your scalp, causing you to feel the need to wash more frequently.  Try a CLEAR shampoo, not a cream shampoo.  Another trick that I use is I condition first, then shampoo using TRESemmé Beauty Full Shampoo and Conditioner.  It helps to leave your hair bouncy instead of flat and weighed down. Try a clarifying shampoo like Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo once a week to help wash away product build up.

Step 3: Dry Shampoo

The best thing to happen since sliced bread.  The “holy” dry shampoo has revolutionized my daily hair routine.  It works by absorbing oil from your hair and making it look refreshed and recently washed. It also adds texture and volume to locks that have fallen flat. I have pretty thin hair because it is so long, I struggle to get it from looking so flat. Dry shampoo is key! Try my favourite: Batiste for blondes or this one for dark hair colours.

Step 4: Wear a Shower Cap

Don’t fret, it’s not a new fashion trend. But moisture can cause your styled strands to go limp or go frizzy. This may make you want to wash and style more frequently. An easy fix is to pop on a plastic cap before entering the shower or bathtub. This will shield your hair from water and keep it looking fresh.

Step 5: Don’t touch!

Although running your fingers through your hair may stimulate sex appeal, but it’s also making it dirty (no pun intended). The dirt and oil from your fingers are being deposited into your locks. How to stop yourself from doing this? Try curling your hair and finishing with hairspray. I find that I play with my hair way more when it’s straight and without product than when it’s neatly curled.

If you’re washing because you’re lacking volume then style your hair add more!  Curls, hairspray and dry shampoo works wonders for this.  You can add in extra curls when needed without having to start over and re-wash.

Step 6: Try an updo!

Wearing your hair up in a braid or bun is actually easier to style when your hair has product and oil build-up.  It has more texture to work with, especially after adding a little bit of that dry shampoo.  Updos will definitely buy you another day of not washing… sometimes two.  Need some style inspiration?  Check out some of my YouTube videos for easy braids tutorials!

You will notice that when you start prolonging washings, your hair will seem oily.  It will take time before your scalp adjusts to the change of routine. But it will happen!  When I was younger, I washed my hair every day or every other day.  Since getting my extensions last year, I wanted to make styling my hair last longer. So I gradually increased the number of days between washings.

Convinced you can give it a try? I believe in you!  Just remember that the changes are gradual but you will notice a difference if you stick with it.  Don’t give up!  It will save you oodles of time if you’re only washing and styling a couple times a week.  Let me know in the comments how you make out!

Love,

Kiki