How about washing hair in a braid?

[Linnea]

Hi guys! :) It's been a while since I've been writing here. I've been lurking a lot thought.

Yesterday I went swimming to a swimming hall. I've moved to the capital city last autumn. Here in capital region are swimming halls which use ozon instead of chlorine to keep the pools clean. It was an interesting expirience, the water didn't stink with chorine, it actually felt different from clorine water. Besides it's needless to say, it's way better to the hair, I think, it's better to the skin, chlorine itches and make you (me at least, don't know about you :lol:) smell with it for a couple of days afterwards no matter how hard you are trying to wash it out. Oh, I could get to the point:

I allways wear my hair in a braid when swimming. Yesterday I washed the hair without taking it out from braid. The braid was loose enoght from swimming, so it was easy to get to the scalp even at the "root" of the braid. I shampooed onle the scalp area not the braid. Rinsed the shampoo and then conditioned the braid area. Then rinsed again. I rinsed it well, lifted the braid and got to the scalp "behind" the braid, so I guess it's was rinsed well enough, no itches or flakes today. I've done this before, it's not the first time. The reasons are: 1) if I'm in hurry 2) you don't need to detangle after wash, just loosen the braid, this reduse the amount of shedding hair in shower and after 3) I think especially if you tilt your neck foward while rinsing the shampoo out, the rinsing out shampoo won't even touch the braid, at least not much.

So, please give me your opinions. Does anyone else do that? Do you think it could have some negative side effects on hair?

[Curlsgirl]

I have never done this but mine would be a mess by the time I took it down probably. I think it would be fine if your hair does okay that way. I would just make sure to condition it like normal and perhaps not do that every time.

[DelynofRhondda]

Oh yes, I've washed my hair while plaited, many times. It works great with my hair texture. In fact, it was a hair-stylist who recommnded it, to protect the length.

When I lived in Florida and swam daily, this was the only way to keep from having a tangled, knotted mess on my hands. Between pools and the Gulf, I spent a lot of time in and out of the water!

Glad you mentioned this. I'd forgotten and will have to try it again, now that my hair is longer.

[twilight]

hm, it sounds like a good idea!

i wonder if it might not cause breakage though, to tilt your head forward while the shower is weighing and pushing the hair against the direction of the braid? that's the only part i'm iffy about.

it seems like as long as you rinsed really well (even tilted back) you probably wouldn't have any issues with shampoo not coming out of the braid.

[Katze]

Well, it wouldn't work for me, since 1) I swim in a chlorinated pool, and 2) my braids get tighter, slip down, and become very tangled at the end (so I swim in a silicone cap).

But it sounds like you don't really need the shampoo to get on the length after washing (no chlorine) and your hair doesn't get badly tangled if it's left in a braid, so why not?

At least you can try it, being careful to look out for extra damage/tangles, and let us know what you discover!

[Gothic Lolita]

I've tried this too, unfortunately with a Frensh Braid.It was a mess and I couldn't let my hair dry braided and tried to unbraid while wet. The result was hair that was even more tangeled than usual.
But, I like the idea. I'll try the loose English Braid version next time. Would be worth it when I need less conditioner!

[Jeep Girl]

ooooh! I am so going to have to try this tent camping! And at Nascar - our camper has the "world's smallest shower". :cheese:

[berr]

I think my hair may be too wispy to look neat after something like this. But I sure would love to be able to wash and go without re-braiding.

[Mebo]

I do this nearly every other time I wash. I do wash in the shower and tilt my head back. I don't unbraid until it's dry the next morning. No tangles, and I do condition the length of the braid.

Works for me!

[Carolyn]

I'd be scared to try it. I'm afraid I'd have a dreadlocked braid.

[Teazel]

I think it would work for me... I will have to try it and see. Scalp-washes with my hair in a plait tend to create quite a lot of tangling, so I'm not sure.... Maybe conditioning the plaited length would help with that.

An interesting thought, Linnea! :thumbsup:

[MadPirateBippy]

I'll have to give this a try- I'm looking for ways to spend less time washing my length. I'm too busy to spend my usual 20 minutes on CO.

[Linnea]

Glad to see so many responses. :) And nice to notice that some people are doing it also. By tilting the head forward I meant just a tiny little bit, not much, like you're standing in bad poisture (wonder in this is a correct word) just like nodding a little. About the assumed damage: believe me my hair is coarse like very "hairy" hair, not sleek and silky (have had some serious allover volume issues thougth lately, but that's the whole different story) but still doesn't tangle a bit in the process. The braid is simple English one not French (how do you manage to get your fingers to the scalp?), and it's loose enough so I don't feel any pulling. I also targeting the scalp skin only when washing, so at least would like to believe that's gentle enough.

I'm beeing honest by telling you, the braid prevents the hair from tangling (hmm spelling) and reduses the shedding hair to literally ziro during the shower and after for me at least. Of course the hair is different on each head, so I don't quiestion your experiences.

Katze: Congratulations on your new family member! :flower:

[blue_nant]

Heck Yeah!
And for those of you in cold climates (or just cold houses), it allows a shampoo w/o a bath or shower.


hm, it sounds like a good idea!

i wonder if it might not cause breakage though, to tilt your head forward while the shower is weighing and pushing the hair against the direction of the braid? that's the only part i'm iffy about.

it seems like as long as you rinsed really well (even tilted back) you probably wouldn't have any issues with shampoo not coming out of the braid.

I wash in the sink when I wash with a braid. Not much gravity or force of water on it.


Glad to see so many responses. ... The braid is simple English one not French (how do you manage to get your fingers to the scalp?)

Not all of us have hair so thick we can't get through it and the result is dang good! (also, I always lead in from the scalp edge. Having nails helps, as I use them to "cut" in to form those section.)

I love braid washes, since the length isn't the part that needs washing, it's always the scalp and those first few inches.