The Archives: The Merged NW/SO/WO Thread

[Spinny]

My favorite BBB is actually from the body shop, it's the best i've ever used and I DEFINITELY recommend it

Thanks for the recommendation, I will check it out!

[paleogirl]

So I had an interview today and COed last night. I was disappointed that I needed to but I couldn't risk any hair inconsistancies. My hair looks great and feels ok but am ready to WO again. The moisture stays in my hair better with WO. And I like the feel of it being softer with WO. I am going to try to go until wednesday with no washes. So far I have only gone 48 hours. We shall see. Now I have to start again with spreading out my oil. sigh!

[Coan-Teen]

Thanks! I haven't washed it yet. How many times did you wash, once and it removed all the sebum?

Maybe I'll just have to take it whatever way it wants to be. Naked and curly or happy but (only) wavy. The reason is that normally I am a slow grower and it's winter here and yet my hair grows like crazy now. It is happy.

Yup, I washed once with a very tiny amount of shampoo and it took all of my sebum out. I also have a different hair type so yours may not react the same way, but for me it didn't take very much. You might want to try dilute shampoo first to see if your hair likes it.

I have shampooed once more since then and the second time yielded a better result, but I think that was more because of my care in where I washed. I essentially tried a scalp only to get a little root lift for easier wearing down and that was okay. My hair didn't seem to mind it as much so that might be something to try.

If you do decide to shampoo let us know how it goes.

[PolarCathy]

Yup, I washed once with a very tiny amount of shampoo and it took all of my sebum out. I also have a different hair type so yours may not react the same way, but for me it didn't take very much. You might want to try dilute shampoo first to see if your hair likes it.

I have shampooed once more since then and the second time yielded a better result, but I think that was more because of my care in where I washed. I essentially tried a scalp only to get a little root lift for easier wearing down and that was okay. My hair didn't seem to mind it as much so that might be something to try.

If you do decide to shampoo let us know how it goes.

I have changed my mind. Here is what happened yesterday. I met some friends I haven't seen for two months* or so and they commented on my "huge" growth and I quote "my supershiny hair" "lately". When I used to shampoo it's true that it was curly but I can't recall a single comment or compliment on my hair from those years. And now I am being stopped in the supermarket (Hey, we are in Sweden! Nobody stops others in supermarkets to ask them about what shampoo or products they use! In fact nobody stops anybody to ask anything..) and all of my friends want me to wear my hair down (which I rarely do) and things like that which convinced me probably this is really the way to go. I gain much more than what I give up.

*While I have been water-only for almost a year now, two (three) months ago I had a (major) setback when I traveled home for three weeks and there the water (and fog and pollution and God knows what else) completely f***d up my routine, and my hair. It took some time to re-balance things.

[Vervaine]

Hello all, I have been a loyal lurker for some time now, but I need to post for some support. I have been WO (with the occasional egg wash when my hair gets waxy/sticky) for around 9 weeks. It was going really well. Not yet perfect, but getting there, and I loved the feel of my "real"hair.

But then I brought a tragedy upon myself. I was having a terrible day, and decided that dying my hair to get rid of the 2 inch roots would make me feel better. I'm a dark bottle blonde, and while I had read that honey and cinnamon can lighten hair, I was too impatient to sit around for 8 hours with a swimcap on. So I used chemical box dye. The second it touched my poor hair, it locked itself into what I can only describe as plasticky Barbie hair! I freaked out, but was already committed at that point, so I let it sit. I got in the shower to rinse, and it wouldn't come out! I though tor sure my hair was melting! It felt awful! I tried putting coconut oil in it to remove the dye, but it just slid off the surface, so in a moment of desperation, I soaked my hair in normal ol' cone conditioner. It got the dye out, but the second it touched my scalp my hair started falling out in clumps!

I don't have bald spots or anything, but I feel like between the loss of my beloved and hard-earned sebum, and the massive shed, my hair is noticeably thinner. It feels so fragile! Never, ever, ever again with the chemicals. No way. Sorry for the long post, I just need to hear from understanding people.

[Coan-Teen]

...my "huge" growth and I quote "my supershiny hair" "lately".

Those are wonderful compliments! I too really liked the shine my hair has when it's WO but I think I may convert back to intermittent scalp only shampooing. I had kind of the opposite experience where the first time I shampooed my husband told me how good my hair looked that day, and he wanted to touch it which hasn't happened since I went WO. And I love having my hair touched. I hadn't even realized I was missing it.

I think I'm going to start shampooing if I plan to wear my hair down, so maybe once a week or so. Guess that means I'm not a purist anymore. Haha.

I'm so glad you realized how gorgeous your hair is with WO. Your signature has some fantastic shine.

[PolarCathy]

Hello all, I have been a loyal lurker for some time now, but I need to post for some support. (...) I used chemical box dye. The second it touched my poor hair, it locked itself into what I can only describe as plasticky Barbie hair! (...) my hair is noticeably thinner. It feels so fragile! Never, ever, ever again with the chemicals.

Hi! I am very sorry to hear about that. Other than "I am very sorry" (and I am) IDK how I could "support you" though. Maybe one idea. Use cold water for a while if you can, it contracts the scalp tissues (the small muscles confining the hair roots). It won't save your strands if they are really damaged (dead?) but may save the ones which are about to fall out but are indecisive yet. I used to shed a lot and it was the cold water which reduced my shedding to virtually zero. (But I hadn't bleached or dyed my hair so I had no chemical damage.) Other than that, you could just leave it alone for a few weeks even if it gets ugly looking, maybe it recovers better then. I would just rinse it but I definitely wouldn't use any products or heat for some time. I wouldn't even brush it I think (I have no idea what your hair quality/hair type is, and you have no photo uploaded).

I am a big questionmark through: when I tried WO the second time years ago, I was like ten weeks into it and still not transitioned and then once I tried to dye my hair to black (my hair is very dark brown). It didn't take the dye at all. I did not wash it before because I had no idea. But it was fully coated and "impregnated". Same thing now, if I really wanted to shampoo it I think I'd have to do it at least three times, I don't think that one shampooing would take any of my sebum out it's so much impregnated. I can't understand how this could happen to you? Sebum should have protected your hair to some extent... (??)

Coan-Teen: "Your signature has some fantastic shine." -- thank you

[Vervaine]

Its just nice to be around people who understand, even if there's nothing to be done about it. My friends and family haven't been terribly keen on my whole WO thing. I really appreciate the suggestion of using cold water though, I'll try that, and I've definitely been keeping it up in a protective hairstyle.

I imagine it did stop some of the hardcore damage, but the peroxide in the dye was just too harsh for it in the end. I really didn't expect it to all get stripped out either. Maybe I wasn't as close to being transitioned as I thought? I'm kind of a slow sebum producer, so even though the length was coated, maybe it hadn't yet soaked all the way in?

The state of my hair, though dry, straw-like, and a bit more split, is not terrible. I'm still shedding, but it has slowed down. I'm one of those lucky people with "hair of steel" that can withstand far more processing than it deserves. I haven't really figured out my hairtype yet, but I would guess in thickness I'm normally a ii/iii, and the texture is ever so slightly waved. I'll change my profile and post a pic as soon as I am able.

Right now I guess I just have to wait and see, though the 'cone-slick coating on my hair is disgusting and just killing me, I'm definitely not going to try anything to strip it out.

Do you think it would be okay to oil it for a little moisture?

[PolarCathy]

The state of my hair, though dry, straw-like, and a bit more split, is not terrible. I'm still shedding, but it has slowed down. I'm one of those lucky people with "hair of steel" that can withstand far more processing than it deserves. (...) though the 'cone-slick coating on my hair is disgusting and just killing me, I'm definitely not going to try anything to strip it out.

Do you think it would be okay to oil it for a little moisture?

I am sure others will comment on your story soon too. Here is what I wold do.

1) I would go and seek for professional advice first, really. A good hairdresser can see how damaged it has become and can suggest things. I am a structural engineer blessed (?) with an very resistant and wirey hair myself so I am not a reliable source, especially not when it comes to chemical damage, because I have no personal experience with that. I have abused my hair physically but not so much chemically over the years. But I still have an opinion, or rather, there are the things that helped me with my wirey hair before going WO.*
2) Since you said that you used a cone conditioner, I *assume* it has coated your hair now enough so that WO will be hard to follow. The sebum won't soak up into the hairschaft as long as it's coated by the cones. It would sit on the top making it look and feel limp and sticky.
3) I agree with that you shouldn't try to strip the cones right now.
4) Moisture can never be bad but I think most of the oil you put on your hair now won't soak in for the same reason. I guess you will just have to try, it's like pudding..
5) I would give up on WO for a while and go CO only -with a cone-free CO. ( I never did CO only, but I think it's gentler that shampoo.) Or, I would wash my hair only with egg yolks and stuff like that for a while which can also repair hair because of the protein. For example *I would smash 1 ripe avocado, add 1 egg yolk and a little honey (you said you are blonde so you can), mix it in the blender until completely homogenous, rub it in the hair and scalp, leave it on for a few hours and wash it out wih lukewarm/cold water only or maybe CO. It should repair your hair nicely. I would do this like once a week and wold re-evaluate in a few weeks.


Edit: typing from an iPad sorry for the typos.

[Spinny]

Has anybody else had dandruff issues while transitioning to WO? I use a BBB to try to get rid of the flakes, but it only seems to stir up even more.