The Archives: The Merged NW/SO/WO Thread

**Milui Elenath** · January 23rd, 2011, 06:04 AM

Originally Posted by moonbeam

Question. Is it imperative that I buy a BBB? I have never found one that was stiff and with long enough bristles to get through my hair. I have also had static issues with BBB's. I don't want to shell out the money for a Mason Pearson.

The brush that I am using now is a Denman D5 which I love, but I am wondering if it will move the sebum down my hair properly or as well as a BBB.

I have no idea about the Denman D5 but I was WO 10months without a BBB. (I am allergic to boar bristle) I mostly use my fingers and a wide tooth comb. On occassion when I wanted smoothness I was using a plastic scalp brush. I'm now using a bamboo brush to manouvre oil.

Originally Posted by Kivamaki

Hey everyone. I'm on week 2 or 3 on water only wash. And I rinse my hair probably about every 5 days I'd say. And today I got out of the shower and my hair is really..heavy. It's clumpy, heavy, will barely move, feels like it's so rough that it'll break if i try and comb it or detangle it.

Anyone know what to do to solve this?

I never really had the waxy block but preening seems to have helped other people in this thread. Also with your next rinse try the warm/cold/ warm water to move the sebum along.

Originally Posted by azhie

snip
I have some questions about scritching and preening. I've been reading these posts and I got the idea that they are important steps for the WO method. I usually massage my scalp harder before I wash, and do nothing in between. I only finger comb to detangle, and I don't brush or anything because my hair breaks easily.

Yesterday, I tried scritching for the first time. It felt good, but afterwards, my scalp started to itch terribly, and lots of flakes appeared! The itching stopped after half an hour, but I'm not sure what to do with the flakes. Is washing the only way to get rid of them? Should I be scritching more often?

Also, after scritching and massaging, my fingertips were only slightly greasy... how do I preen with that?

I hope my questions make sense... I'm still not quite sure what sebum feels or looks like, just going by the descriptions here.

I have to confess I only scritch just before I wash my hair. I do it very lightly with a fine tooth comb. The more I leave my scalp alone the happier it is. The rest of the time I massage and or preen only when my scalp is either too oily or (more likely) the ends are feeling too dry. With flakes sometimes I was able to brush them out or preen them out other times washing was the only way. I don't get them any more and that is my favourite thing about WO.

My own update is that I am still struggling with dry ends and have come to realise that my scalp is never going to produce enough sebum to reach and protect the ends in it's current state. I love WO for my scalp and I really believe I can make it work for me eventually but I really need something else to help the ends. So I'm trialling the coconut oil/shampoo once a fortnight with WO on the other week. If I feel like I don't need to I will stretch washes or return WO. I feel really positive about this - my ends were really getting me down they were beyond straw and I was starting to see breakage (rather than just splits

)

ETA - Also I forgot something funny - only long term WO and prob SO will probably understand. I had not used shampoo for soo long that I had forgotten how to use it - for a few moments- and then I forgot to be careful not to get it in my eyes. OW!

**Noula** · January 23rd, 2011, 06:08 AM

Originally Posted by Una

Yes, I have no fly-aways, but my hair looks thoroughly wet with oil (gross, I know).

My big question is: does the grease and 'slick' look ever really go away?

I have read over most of this thread, and I can't seem to find a definitive answer to this question. It seems that WO hair is always going to be quite flat...is that right?

For me it stopped getting oily after about a month, maybe a couple of weeks longer (and I washed every 3-4 days in the beginning). I always wore it up anyway so didn't pay all that much attention. I never thought it looked greasy though, just oily or wet. And is it *really* all that gross to have oil on your hair (assuming it's not motor oil but sebum :P) as long as it's clean?

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it can go away, but of course I can't guarantee that it will for you. Oh, and I don't think my hair is any more or less flat than it was when I was using shampoos.

**Milui Elenath** · January 23rd, 2011, 06:10 AM

Originally Posted by Una

snip

Yes, I have no fly-aways, but my hair looks thoroughly wet with oil (gross, I know).

My big question is: does the grease and 'slick' look ever really go away?

I have read over most of this thread, and I can't seem to find a definitive answer to this question. It seems that WO hair is always going to be quite flat...is that right?

Sorry Una I missed this.

I have very dry hair so I never really got too oily but I believe it will get better for you. My hair at the scalp certainly adjusted from flat to smooth but with suppleness. I do know that it is about 8 weeks for transition. Hopefully those who experienced more oil will come along and tell you their experience.

ETA Well there you go Noula posted at the same time!

**fairy_ends_girl** · January 23rd, 2011, 07:05 AM

milui, my hair is curly, and dry..always for as long as I can remember and with this WO method and coconut oiling every night from ears down has made a huge difference in my hair texture. It lays flat now and is so shiny and soft. I've never experienced shiny soft hair in my lifetime. It has however, weighed down my curls and I am so pleased! It looks like I have straight hair. here is a pic from last night after I took out my braid ( I wear braid all the time now, day and night). My hair does feel and is weighed down from the coconut oil but I am so very pleased!

AFTER WO 5 DAYS WITH COCONUT OIL:

BEFORE WITH SHAMPOO/CONDISH:

SEE the HUGE difference??? Omgosh!!

**Milui Elenath** · January 23rd, 2011, 07:16 AM

That's a really great fairy_ends_girl it's wonderful when you find something that works.

I didn't have much luck with coconut oil prior to mixing it with the shampoo.

**fairy_ends_girl** · January 23rd, 2011, 07:25 AM

Sorry the pics are so huge everyone! I don't know why they are like that. I am so amazed after reading everyones posts and how everyones hair responds so different to different methods/products. I am really super excited that I finally found something that works and I hope it will keep working. I am glad this thread has resurfaced and am looking forward to hearing from some more long time WO gals and guys. I have not preened or brushed yet but am reading about it. The amazing thing is that I am hardly losing any hairs in shower! I counted yesterday and there were only 2 hairs in drain...day before like maybe 1 and it is just incredible because I always shed so much!! I want to shout from the rooftops " I LOVE WO"!!!! Woo-hoo!

**wrinkledamanda** · January 23rd, 2011, 10:30 AM

Thank you so much, frizzinator! Your response really did help, and I will work my way through the thread eventually. haha

I preened and scritched last night, and my hair feels pretty good today. And my head's not itchy from flakes! Thanks a lot!!!

**ooo** · January 23rd, 2011, 02:17 PM

Do you w/o-wash every night?

**dawnandxavier** · January 23rd, 2011, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by fairy_ends_girl

Sorry the pics are so huge everyone! I don't know why they are like that. I am so amazed after reading everyones posts and how everyones hair responds so different to different methods/products. I am really super excited that I finally found something that works and I hope it will keep working. I am glad this thread has resurfaced and am looking forward to hearing from some more long time WO gals and guys. I have not preened or brushed yet but am reading about it. The amazing thing is that I am hardly losing any hairs in shower! I counted yesterday and there were only 2 hairs in drain...day before like maybe 1 and it is just incredible because I always shed so much!! I want to shout from the rooftops " I LOVE WO"!!!! Woo-hoo!

Hi, you don't shampoo with the oil, you only but co in at night and wash out with water. do you need to really scrub your scalp and rinse awhile? Thanks for another curly. love your pics.

**fairy_ends_girl** · January 23rd, 2011, 06:51 PM

I WO wash every morning then put some coconut oil on ends and braid. At night before bed I coconut oil from ears down and rebraid my dry hair. I don't like to wash before bed because I don't like sleeping with wet hair. Since it's only been now 6 days I haven't had to preen or scritch yet and when I am washing I gently just move my hair around till its all wet. Today I did BBB from scalp to ears and it did feel good cause my head was a little itchy but I did not BBB my ends as they are to delicate right now. I do not have flakes yet but am keeping an eye open for them.