Haircare routine tips!

[Snorman]

Hi guys!
I'm having trouble finding a good haircare routine..
I've tried a lot, but can't find anything I'm satisfied with..
Right now;
I wash 2 times a week, trying to reach once a week.
It's really hard though. I washed on Mondays before, and even if i didn't NEED to wash in for the weekend, I always like to feel newly showered and fresh when I go out or when I meet my friends.
Problem is I have rehearsals for a musical every Saturday+ Sunday, with a lot of dancing and crawling around on the floor in a super dirty dance room (It's not as gross as it sounds, but it's not vacuumed very often, and people spend very many hours there every day).
So I shower Friday, to feel fresh for the last day of the working week and the weekend, and then I look as if I haven't showered in one week at Saturday evening..
I also workout almost everyday, so I have to use dry shampoo on the second or third day after washing, so by the end of the work week my hair is really course and frizzy..

Is it better to wash more often, or to have it frizzy and weird for a few days?
Should I use my dry shampoo or just wash it?

Right now I'm trying to find other wash days. I'm gonna wash either tomorrow or Wednesday. I just have a problem with getting the two wash days spread out over the week. Either it's one on Monday and one on Friday/Saturday, and then it's too close to Monday.
Or it's Wednesday and Sunday. But then Sunday is too close to Wednesday... BAH! It's so hard.

I know this post doesn't make much sense right now, but I hope you can give me some tips on some of the questions anyway.

[lapushka]

Is it better to wash more often, or to have it frizzy and weird for a few days?
Should I use my dry shampoo or just wash it?

Wash twice a week, because it seems that you can't possibly stretch to once a week. Also, you don't have to limit yourself to the week. Just wash every say 3 to 4 days, or 2 to 3 days, and if that switches up the week, then no matter. So for example, you wash Monday, then Thursday, then Sunday, then Wednesday, Saturday, and so on. No matter what you do. Just a suggestion.

[Madora]

Use shampoo when you wash. You might try to dilute it since you're washing twice a week. Stay away from the dry shampoo stuff.

[swearnsue]

I just want to second what lapushka and madora posted.

I think stretching washes is overrated for some of us. When I was younger my F/ii hair would need to be washed at least every other day. So you are young and physically active, so wash your hair when you need to and enjoy it! Have fun!

[sarahthegemini]

If washing less = weird and frizzy hair then honestly I would just wash more. But ...


Use shampoo when you wash. You might try to dilute it since you're washing twice a week. Stay away from the dry shampoo stuff.

There's nothing wrong with dry shampoo.

[ichosethis]

There's nothing wrong with dry shampoo.

For me there's a lot wrong with (some) dry shampoos. It depends on what's being used. If it's the commercial in a can stuff there might be damaging chemicals. I've tried out a mousse and a spray on dry shampoo and in both instances I ended up washing my hair to get rid of the chemical smells of the stuff and now I wonder if it could have been damaging my hair at the same time. I'm really sensitive to certain odors and I can't stand hairspray or those stupid store bought ones. Now I use a cornstarch and cocoa powder mix and don't have to worry.

[lapushka]

Stay away from the dry shampoo stuff.

At least if you're saying stuff like this, say *why*. I never read, *anywhere* that dry shampoo is damaging. You can't just go around saying stuff like that without backing it up.

[excentricat]

Wash your hair when it's dirty, not when the calendar says. Do you mostly keep it up? at least for rehearsals, that might help.

[MadeiraD]

Orris root makes an excellent natural dry shampoo.

Have you tried co washing?

[Madora]

At least if you're saying stuff like this, say *why*. I never read, *anywhere* that dry shampoo is damaging. You can't just go around saying stuff like that without backing it up.

[COLOR="#FF0000"]From "George Michael's Secrets for Beautiful Hair", page 58:

"The so-called dry shampoos clean the hair by the use of friction. If you spray or powder your hair with one of these products (or even use the old-fashioned remedy of cornstarch) and simply leave it on, your hair will not get clean. When these products are applied to oily hair, for example, they absorb oils the same way a blotter does, but your hair is still dirty. It takes rigorous motions to remove the "shampoo" and these are not good routines for long hair. In addition, such products aren't very effective cleansers, and the powders dull the hair."

[lapushka]

[COLOR="#FF0000"]From "George Michael's Secrets for Beautiful Hair", page 58:

"The so-called dry shampoos clean the hair by the use of friction. If you spray or powder your hair with one of these products (or even use the old-fashioned remedy of cornstarch) and simply leave it on, your hair will not get clean. When these products are applied to oily hair, for example, they absorb oils the same way a blotter does, but your hair is still dirty. It takes rigorous motions to remove the "shampoo" and these are not good routines for long hair. In addition, such products aren't very effective cleansers, and the powders dull the hair."

Yes, but how many years ago was that written. And how much different are dry shampoos now? I don't see anyone applying dry shampoo use "rigorous motions". They just lift the roots, spray it in, wait for it to soak in, then brush through!

[sarahthegemini]

[COLOR="#FF0000"]From "George Michael's Secrets for Beautiful Hair", page 58:

"The so-called dry shampoos clean the hair by the use of friction. If you spray or powder your hair with one of these products (or even use the old-fashioned remedy of cornstarch) and simply leave it on, your hair will not get clean. When these products are applied to oily hair, for example, they absorb oils the same way a blotter does, but your hair is still dirty. It takes rigorous motions to remove the "shampoo" and these are not good routines for long hair. In addition, such products aren't very effective cleansers, and the powders dull the hair."

Dry shampoo isn't supposed to be used for effective cleansing of the hair, the purpose of it is to cover up greasyness until a proper wash can be carried out. And I've never experienced dullness. I don't understand the part about needing vigorous motions to remove the product - are you referring to removing the excess? I just wipe with a soft washcloth. Or are you referring to actually removing the dry shampoo via a proper wash? Co and a bit of massage works wonders. Nothing vigorous about it.

[MadeiraD]

I believe they mostly work by absorption nowadays

[Mythago]

I have to agree with Swearnsue and say to just go with what feels best for your hair, rather than trying to stick with a set amount per week. My hair is very similar to yours and I work out daily as well. I have to wash mine every other day or else I'm a greasy mess. Don't stress yourself out about it :)

[Marika]

I used to use dry shampoo (to hide 2nd day greasies, not to stretch washes) but my hair got so dry and I started to notice some breakage :( I mean the hair near my scalp and it definitely wasn't new growth. So I stopped using it and wash my hair every 2-3 days (like I did with dry shampoo too). Sometimes I dilute my shampoo or use sles-free. I personally think that clean scalp is one of the main keys to long hair. So wash when you need it. My hair got to tbl+ washing every other day with normal full-strength shampoo.

[BambooBeauty]

I just want to chime in and say I hate dry shampoo lol. It doesn't seem to work for me so I personally rather just wash my hair then use a dry shampoo. I tried stretching washes and it didn't really seem to work for me but my routine has changed now and I'm in love with it. After trying to stretch washes my hair always looked bad and greasy so I went back to washing every other day which I didn't want to do. So now what I do is wash then my next wash is a co wash then my next wash is a shampoo...so say I wash with shampoo Monday then I co wash Wednesday then shampoo Friday co wash Sunday, shampoo Tuesday...so on and so on. It's been working great for me. Maybe you could give co washing a try on days your hair looks a bit greasy.

[Snorman]

WOW! Never thought I would get so much response!
Thank you guys sooo much! :D
I will try to wash more often then, and not on specific days! :)

My problem right now is that I don't really feel like washing it BEFORE a workout, but often comes home too late to wash right after a workout.
And since I'm working out every day, there's a bit of a problem...:P I'll try different thing for a few weeks, to see what works best! :)


Aaaand on the Dry Shampoo subject; I use homemade of baking soda, cornstarch and water.
I don't use it to get my hair clean, just to hide away the grease. It only works for a day, then I need to shower it, because of the texture it gives my hair. It looks clean, but it feels dirty as hell! :P