Let's say you've got an oily scalp (most women feel they do, even if they don't in comparison to others) and you absolutely have to wash your hair every day. In fact, you know you do because that one time when you were camping and couldn't wash your locks, you could see the grease accumulating as early as the first no-shower day. You felt so gross. And since then, you've scheduled a daily wash, condition, blow dry, and style. Besides, isn't it the right thing to do to wash out all of that product from your previous styling session as soon as possible? If all of this sounds familiar to you, you're not alone.
Many assume hair "health" is important like body health. When we talk about hair health, we're really talking about how to take care of it so it looks its best with minimal effort. Hair is already dead, so it's okay to leave in that gel, hairspray, or dry shampoo for more than 24 hours. It' s not going to hurt you, or your hair. What does "hurt" it, so that it can't look its best? Over-washing. When you wash your hair every day in an effort to stave off greasiness, you're actually telling your scalp to produce more oil. Shampoo and water dry out your scalp, your body reacts instinctively to the dryness by producing wetness, or oil. Is there a way to train your hair to produce less oil, thereby reducing all of that styling time and need for products? Yep. It takes between two and six weeks, but it's totally worth the effort. Here's how.
You'll need dry shampoo, a shower cap, hair accessories to put your hair up with — and patience. Start during a period of time when you know that parties and first dates are going to be at a minimum. Pick any day of the week to wash your hair and style it as usual. The following day, shower and put that cap on your head to avoid getting yo ur hair wet. Don't wash your locks. Instead, put up the front section of hair with bobby pins. Consider giving it a tease so it sits slightly on top of your scalp, avoiding the absorption of oil. It'll make you feel less "dirty." The following day, repeat the process, but this time use dry shampoo to absorb excess oil and if it makes you feel better, use a headband, ponytail, or other updo to pull your hair out of your face and out of mind. The third day, feel free to wash your mane. But when you do so, avoid putting conditioner anywhere but the lengths and ends of your hair. Feel free to wash it twice, for a good clean. Repeat the process with two days in between washing for a week or two. You'll see an improvement, but if you really want to go all the way for optimum results, read on.
Following your first efforts, your hair will start to produce less oil. On weeks three and four, go three days in between washing using t he methods above. Continue to put your hair up in between washing. Move on to four days in between washing. While most stylists will suggest getting into a routine of three washes per week, some say once per week should be the max. And some others take this idea to a whole new level, going weeks in between washes. But beware, if you have dandruff-prone scalp, more than one week will be too long. Ultimately, it's up to you how long you want to extend your training session and thereby extend the days you can comfortably go in between washes. But one thing is for sure, ditching the daily wash is an absolute must for any woman either on a time or financial budget. Your hair will shine naturally on its own and have more staying power for styling as oil helps it to stay put. You can reduce the amount of shampoo and conditioner you buy as well as hairspray, leave-in treatments, gel, and shine serum. Less styling also means less damage from blow drying and straightenin g, increasing shine naturally. When it comes to "healthy" hair, less is more!
image: IMAXtree
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