Washing hair without getting the rest of you wet?

[picklepie]

My hair is hip length, and I've been washing my hair about every week or so. The last few months I've been having some (maybe?) chemical sensitivities start, with hives and other skin reactions. The hair products I've used in the past (CO conditioners, shampoo bars, clarifying shampoos, non-SLS/sulphate shampoos) ALL make the skin on my body, mostly my trunk and legs, react in some way. Argh!

I've gone WO on the rest of my body for now, but I'm not wanting to take on the WO routine for my hair. It's just too time-intensive for me right now. Dry shampoo does NOT work with my tangle-prone 3a hair.

So im thinking about the old-fashioned sink wash, but not sure how to go about it. Our bathroom sink is very shallow, the kitchen sink is deeper but narrower-- but I have trouble figuring out an angle that will work to get all this hair in there at once without removing my head. How did people used to do this? Does anyone here do it regularly and have some tips?

Thank you!

[Ferngear]

Garden hose over a wash tub? Might be cold this time of year. Oh! One of those spray-nozzle extentions that screw onto a shower head (like for washing your dog) and do it over the bath tub!

[Ferngear]

... Handheld, that's what it's called.

[winship2]

I almost always wash my hair upside down over the side of the tub with a handheld hose. (I have an old-fashioned faucet that doesn't have one of those nice handheld options, so I just use a cheap rubber hose attachment.) Just make sure you comb your hair carefully first standing up, then bent over so that the hair is all aligned pointing towards the floor of the tub before you get it wet. I prefer washing my hair this way because I can control the wash well (i.e. a truly cold rinse) and I don't have the body breakouts I think my shampoo and conditioner were giving me. I am sorry about the chemical sensitivity you've been having, and I hope this method helps you.

[pixldust]

I also always wash my hair with my head over the side of the bath. I'm in the probably 2% of the first world that doesn't have a shower, so I have no other option :D But I would still use this method regardless.

[picklepie]

Great! Yes! Now that it's been pointed out, it's the obvious solution-- but truly it never occurred to me! Thank you!! And thank you for the tips on aligning hair the right direction, as I imagine the tangling if I'd tried it without that step... :)

[Enrapture]

I have washed my hair over bathtub all my life with a handheld. It always seems weird to me washing hair while standing. I have tried to do it a couple of times, but I always end up wetting all bathroom. :D

[Halliday]

Whenever I did it over the tub or sink, my hair tangled massively. So I have no choice but to do it in the shower.

[Carolyn]

I can't wash my hair bending over the side of the tub. It's way to painful for me to endure. When I need to wash my hair and not the rest of me I am forced to do the dishes and use the kitchen sink. It's much easier and less painful than bending over the side of the bathtub. I run the risk of lots of tangles washing this way of course. My best solution is to flip my hair forward so it's hanging in front of my face and then I detangle and brush it before sticking my head in the sink and getting it wet. It doesn't prevent all tangles but it's better than not brushing it forward. I hardly have any tangles at all when I wash my hair standing in a shower or sitting in the bathtub and using my hand held shower thingie.

[Panth]

It's quite easy to do in the sink if you have reasonable flexibility and mobility. It's much easier to do in the kitchen sink, as that's a bigger sink.

Basically, fill the sink with hot water. Split the hair in half and bring each half over each shoulder. Then, bend at the waist and gently lean until your hair is in the water (this method will introduce the least amount of tangles into the hair as you bend over). Use either a mug/jug to pour water over your head or use one of those shower heads you can plug onto your taps.

I tended to use 4-5 sinks-worth of water:
1st: Wet my hair, apply shampoo to scalp, massage to get foam, rinse hair using mug to pour sink water over the head until no more big bubbles come off.
2nd: Rinse hair again, using mug to apply sink water to head and swishing length in sink. Then, rinse mug and put a big dollop of conditioner into it, dilute a little with warm water and put your length into the mug. Soak your length in the mug of dilute conditioner for a few minutes. Then, take it out and rinse your hair using mug / swishing in sink.
3rd: Rinse hair using mug / swishing in sink.
4th: Rinse again.
5th: (Rinse again if necessary).

Provided you don't wear, e.g. turtleneck jumpers, you can complete this fully clothed, though you may get water splashed about a bit particularly if you're not practiced.

You can do a similar thing using a shower head (either installed, or the sort you plug into your taps) and leaning over the bath. That, in my experience, gives more space and more ability to, e.g. comb the conditioner through, but also gets a lot more water splashed about. Or maybe I'm just inept with a shower head...

[CremeTron]

I prefer to wash my hair in shower as my hair flows back and does not tangle too much but I get spots sometimes from the conditioner on my skin.

Many people say they do the hair then let the conditioner sit while they do other shower stuff but I cannot do this as I need to wash my body after the conditioner has run over my skin.

For a while I found even shower gel was not completely clearing the conditioner away and so I use a bar of soap on my shoulders etc.

I may try over the bath in future, hopefully my hair does not tangle too much.. I do hate standing under running water for 30 minutes while I comb through my hair and then that wet hair dripping down me while I dry my body and get dressed. I find I have to put products into soaking wet hair so I always have to enjoy the dripping while I dress ergh!

[lapushka]

Try looking at this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwnlC12W8vk

[picklepie]

Panth, that's a great description. I was thinking about the spray nozzle in our bathtub, and how hard it is to turn on and off, and how I'd have to have it in one hand the whole time while I washed my hair with the other hand-- doable, but maybe not great. The mug/sink method sounds less fraught with peril!

[picklepie]

Panth, that's a great description. I was thinking about the spray nozzle in our bathtub, and how hard it is to turn on and off, and how I'd have to have it in one hand the whole time while I washed my hair with the other hand-- doable, but maybe not great. The mug/sink method sounds less fraught with peril!

[Halliday]

I prefer to wash my hair in shower as my hair flows back and does not tangle too much but I get spots sometimes from the conditioner on my skin.

Yep, I get spots from it as well; so annoying.

[Panth]

Panth, that's a great description. I was thinking about the spray nozzle in our bathtub, and how hard it is to turn on and off, and how I'd have to have it in one hand the whole time while I washed my hair with the other hand-- doable, but maybe not great. The mug/sink method sounds less fraught with peril!

I grew up in a semi-offgrid situation. That's how I washed my hair almost every time until I went to uni. For most of that time, my hair was between waist and TBL. I've since occasionally done it with classic+ hair. It works very well, even with very long hair.

The last rinse of water is usually pretty product-free, so you can re-use it to wash face/body if you like.

[CremeTron]

Yep, I get spots from it as well; so annoying.

Yep so so annoying!

[CremeTron]

Thanks, Lapushka for that video. I will definitely try that. this may encourage me to do deep treatments as well as I can be dressed while I have it on instead of waiting around in a towel.

[MINAKO]

chinese style! check out some videos on youtube, most of the longhaired ladies there wash upside down over a big bowl of water, pouring more water over their heads with a small bowl. if my hair was stick straight in a wet state i would totally do that all the time.

[meteor]

chinese style! check out some videos on youtube, most of the longhaired ladies there wash upside down over a big bowl of water, pouring more water over their heads with a small bowl. if my hair was stick straight in a wet state i would totally do that all the time.

I had to do that when I was out in the wild and let me tell ya: nothing felt better about coming back to civilization as having a shower with proper, strong pressure! :lol: Magic!
On the plus side, it's so uncomfortable that you'll think twice before washing hair... making it easy to stretch washes! :lol:

Seriously though, I think combination of bath-tub with a hand-held shower-head is your best bet, because you still get the benefits of water pressure - easier to lather and rinse off all product.
Alternatively, you could cover your skin with a barrier lotion (Aquaphor and Vaseline are good examples), while you are washing your hair with "offending" products.

I hate to be so negative about products... but if your skin responds so terribly to them, you really need to find non-offending alternatives. :( Even if you protect the rest of your skin from them, but your scalp is exposed to these products, it's no good at all.
You can look for neutral products and very simple formulations, or you can buy conditioner base and add some goodies to it, for example. Or you could use a "moisturizing" shampoo that you don't react to and use leave-ins instead of rinse-off products.

[CremeTron]

That is great advice, Meteor. My shoulders and chest are naturally oily and even moisturiser would encourage a spot or two but that is something to consider for sure.

[picklepie]

Great thoughts. That video was helpful! And I realize I wear my hair on the top of my head in a wide LWB pretty much constantly, so the upside-down part would be fine.

Yes, I would LOVE to find simple products I don't react to. The shampoo bar + vinegar is the least offender, so far. I am reluctant to start ordering and testing stuff, though, because the reaction spreads-- it's not just where the product touches my skin, it just grows from there and can trigger full-body hives. I think my scalp is protected by sebum, really, and that's why it doesn't react (as much). I'm going to try the Vaseline tip at some point, too. Good idea!

[dogzdinner]

weird...I always imagined everyone else just washed their hair in the shower! Personally I dont have a shower, or one of those hand held thingies so Ive always done mine leaning over the tub, with a bucket of hot water and a jug.

[picklepie]

I tried the handheld-sprayer technique tonight, bent over the bathtub. It was GREAT! My hair feels much cleaner, lighter, and no reaction from my skin. I had so much more control of where my conditioner went, and my hair seems to be drying faster than normal (because products were rinsed out more thoroughly?).

Only problem is controlling the sprayer. I'm right handed and it attaches on the left, and I kept accidentally spraying the whole bathroom with water. But I have faith that my technique will improve over time. Or I'll try the bucket/mug technique.

Thank you all!

[CremeTron]

I need the water pressure to rinse all products from my hair or else I would do mug and bucket as this is what my grandparents did.

I have missed washing my hair this week though as there did not seem to be a convenient time to wash! Normally in the shower I realise ok it is time to wash. Now I have to make time to do it. Hopefully this will be a good thing. I plan to ash next Thursday or Friday and I will report back how I got on.

Glad to hear it went well for you picklepie- apart from soaking the bathroom!!

[CremeTron]

Oops-a-daisy!! Double post

[lapushka]

I tried the handheld-sprayer technique tonight, bent over the bathtub. It was GREAT! My hair feels much cleaner, lighter, and no reaction from my skin. I had so much more control of where my conditioner went, and my hair seems to be drying faster than normal (because products were rinsed out more thoroughly?).

Only problem is controlling the sprayer. I'm right handed and it attaches on the left, and I kept accidentally spraying the whole bathroom with water. But I have faith that my technique will improve over time. Or I'll try the bucket/mug technique.

Thank you all!

I'm so happy that worked for you!

[picklepie]

Me too! The hives have been so terrible. Another great side benefit of this method of washing us that I was able to do my first truly cold final rinse! I never had the grit for it in the shower, but it was no problem at all over the tub. Refreshing, even. Of course, maybe the benefits of the cold rinse are a myth? My hair seems a little shinier than normal as it dries....

[meteor]

Picklepie, I'm so happy the hand-held sprinkler over bathtub wash works for you! :D
Another plus of this method is that you can condition your hair over a longer period of time and then wash it all off without having to get wet twice or even once (it always annoys me to no end to have to take 2 showers if I do a deep conditioning treatment).

As for cold rinses, I'm not 100% sure how they work. I know that super-hot and super-cold water are both bad for hair, but cool-cold is supposed to help a bit with frizz reduction. For more on cold rinses, check out Science-y Hair Blog: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/01/do-cold-water-rinses-make-hair-shine.html
I like to wash hair in warm water, because it rinses oils and dirt out faster, but I prefer to rinse off conditioner with cool, because I want some conditioner left in and I want to avoid the frizz that happens with hot water.

And you can experiment with cool diluted vinegar rinses (or diluted vinegar mermaid soaks) now that you wash over a bathtub - a lot less risk to get it in your eyes (ouch!) or all over your body.

[jupiterinleo]

Another plus of this method is that you can condition your hair over a longer period of time and then wash it all off without having to get wet twice or even once (it always annoys me to no end to have to take 2 showers if I do a deep conditioning treatment).

In relation to this, I only just figured out a good method for deep conditioning in which I do not create a gigantic mess in my bathroom.
I put a dish tub in the kitchen sink and from there I wet my hair and apply the conditioner. That way I don't have to take 2 showers and I don't have to worry about hair getting down the drain.

[pixldust]

Picklepie, I'm so happy the hand-held sprinkler over bathtub wash works for you! :D
Another plus of this method is that you can condition your hair over a longer period of time and then wash it all off without having to get wet twice or even once (it always annoys me to no end to have to take 2 showers if I do a deep conditioning treatment).

As for cold rinses, I'm not 100% sure how they work. I know that super-hot and super-cold water are both bad for hair, but cool-cold is supposed to help a bit with frizz reduction. For more on cold rinses, check out Science-y Hair Blog: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/01/do-cold-water-rinses-make-hair-shine.html
I like to wash hair in warm water, because it rinses oils and dirt out faster, but I prefer to rinse off conditioner with cool, because I want some conditioner left in and I want to avoid the frizz that happens with hot water.

And you can experiment with cool diluted vinegar rinses (or diluted vinegar mermaid soaks) now that you wash over a bathtub - a lot less risk to get it in your eyes (ouch!) or all over your body.

Interesting point you made about cold rinses - I had no idea that really cold water wasn't good. I tend to rinse my conditioner off with straight-up cold water. Is it better to use lukewarm water for that?

[meteor]

^ I wish I knew, pixldust. :) That's why I posted a link to Science-y Hairblog's post on this, and I find it inconclusive but certainly very interesting. And I haven't seen any scientific research into the effects of cold water on hair. (If somebody knows, please do share :) )
I wouldn't use ice-cold water myself, but cool water is what I like to use for rinses I feel that ambient temperatures are safest for hair.

I found this interesting from http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/01/do-cold-water-rinses-make-hair-shine.html:
"Cold Water (roughly 45-50°F / 10°C): There is little difference in the hair between room temperature to cold water. Some hairs seemed to have a more dramatic swelling reaction in cold water than room temperature water. No hairs seemed to show a reduction in porosity which would be indicated by flatter-lying cuticles when viewed on the "edge" or by decreased swelling in water compared to room temperature water. "

[lapushka]

I personally don't use cold water, because my hair goes into a turbie straight after washing and squeegeeing it out. Then it gets combed and the LOC method is applied. I fear if cold water is used to "close" the cuticles, the products won't adhere as well. So... the water stays warm. IDK. :shrug:

[pixldust]

Now that I've actually read the article (should've done that first! :D), I think I'll stick to using warmish water. I can't stand hot water on my head because it makes my scalp feel tight and I did cold rinses purely because of the received wisdom of cold water making hair shinier. It's interesting to see that that may not be the case after all.

[picklepie]

Hmm, yes, interesting! I'll hold off on the cold rinses then, at least for now!

I'm really loving this method. I refined it further-- the bathtub spout is pretty high in our tub, and I'm pretty flexible, so I just stand in the tub and bend over to wet/rinse under the spout. Saves me spraying the whole bathtub, and makes it so a bath-plus-hair-wash can actually work-- I just do them sequentially. :)

You do have to be careful not to slip if you're rinsing off conditioner, though.