WO Journey w/ pics

[Ravenwaves 88]

Well I've decided to go WO. I did just buy Coconut Oil to try out but then got to thinking that the first way I should go is the one that takes no product before I buy all of these others. So it's been about a week with only one wash WO.

I've decided to share with pics.

Pic from before I started
http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss334/Ravenwaves88/Sep09.jpg

Pics from today 1 week later with only 1 wash just yesterday.

Just taken down from work no flash.
http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss334/Ravenwaves88/DSCF2268.jpg

W/flash.
http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss334/Ravenwaves88/DSCF2269.jpg

BBB no flash.
http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss334/Ravenwaves88/DSCF2273.jpg

BBB w/flash.
http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss334/Ravenwaves88/DSCF2270.jpg

I plan to take lots more pics and I'll probably have lots of questions too. I'm really excited about this experiment!

Anyone know if a slightly itchy scalp is normal?

[KaasKnot]

I'm sebum-only (water-only, but without the water :rolling:), and yeah, slight itchiness is pretty normal. Basically it's sebum build-up against your scalp, and it'll settle down when you transition. Until that glorious day however, scritching helps a lot.

Also, Snowy's Massage Technique really cut down on the itchies, for me.

[Ravenwaves 88]

I'm sebum-only (water-only, but without the water :rolling:), and yeah, slight itchiness is pretty normal. Basically it's sebum build-up against your scalp, and it'll settle down when you transition. Until that glorious day however, scritching helps a lot.

Also, Snowy's Massage Technique really cut down on the itchies, for me.

Scritching...hmmm. I'll have to see if I can find that definition in here. I've never heard of Sebum only. I do massage before and during wash. Also after combing and brushing.

Thanks for the tip!:D

[Susana]

I tried it, both Sebum Only (it means you do not rinse with water....or anything unless you get caught in the rain) and WO, but unfortunately neither worked for me. However there are two threads here (one for each) where advice I am sure is readily available. I did not experience itchiness at all which was great (although it is common adn totally normal), but I did experience extreme greasiness that just never stopped and waxy feeling (probably from the hard water). Good luck, if you have questions I hope I can help. I found this article particularly encouraging while I tried to go NW/SO (no water sebum only):

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-394226/Could-survive-shampoo.html

[Aditi]

WO is not meant for me as i live in dusty climate so, but i just stopped by to say that you have gorgeous waves :)

[Ravenwaves 88]

WO is not meant for me as i live in dusty climate so, but i just stopped by to say that you have gorgeous waves :)

Thank you. No one has ever said that to me before. What a wonderful compliment. I love this place!

[KaasKnot]

This is the most awesome forum, isn't it?

Scritching is lightly scratching at your scalp, either with your fingernails or a comb, to loosen up the layers of sebum. Lightly, mind you, you don't want to tear the skin and invite infection. shudder:

It might help just a little to also preen your hair before you shower, like right after you massage. That's where you use your fingers to pull sebum down the hair shaft, sort of how a duck preens its feathers by running its beak down them. You get your fingers greasy against your scalp and run them down your hairs, paying special attention to the ends, which always seem to be a shade dry. Do just a little bit at a time, you can't get your whole head in one sitting, but it helps move the sebum a bit quicker.

Sebum only is pretty cool. I have hard, hard water where I live, and when I tried WO I got calcium build-up on my hair (not cool). Twice a day I use my hands, combs and bbb to clean out my hair, and I put it up in a bun before I hit the shower. It has a rougher transition than WO does, however.

Sorry, long post.

[Medievalmaniac]

I'm really impressed with what a difference there is in your hair from the first picture to the WO - after shots! Wow. I can't WO, I have to use a clarifying and sulfate-free shampoo because the water here is TERRIBLE, really hard and full of build-up minerals. But I've gotten my washes down to twice a week, and I have noticed a HUGE difference in how my hair feels in the past week or so...it's just so soft and silky! I'm glad you are liking it here - it really is an extraordinary forum!! I have learned SO much.

[whiteisle]

I'm entertaining the idea of trying WO again. I'd be interested in watching your journey. :)

[JamieLeigh]

Your hair is very lovely, and there is a big difference in your waves after a week of WO. I think it looks shinier, too, even without the flash. That's a very impressive change! Good luck with your experiment; keep us informed on how it goes. :flower:

[maxzeen]

wow what a difference in your hair. your hair looks gorgeous and shiny :)

[marikamt]

huge difference in the waves!!!!! is it me or does it look longer in the after?? I know it is not possible in a week, but it appears longer.......

I think our hair is somewhat similar so I will be watching your journey..... good luck!

[Ravenwaves 88]

huge difference in the waves!!!!! is it me or does it look longer in the after?? I know it is not possible in a week, but it appears longer.......

I think our hair is somewhat similar so I will be watching your journey..... good luck!

I think you are right marikamt. I agree because when my hair is S&C washed it dries very fluffy. Now that it's weighed down with the sebum it probably does look like I gained an inch.

I will try to take pics once a week to keep everyone visually updated. I know I always love pics!:eek:

[Bellalalala]

Come check us out in the official WO thread, there's a whole bunch of people who have recently started WO, and about 50 pages of thread history of people who have done it before.

[adiapalic]

Well I've decided to go WO. I did just buy Coconut Oil to try out but then got to thinking that the first way I should go is the one that takes no product before I buy all of these others. So it's been about a week with only one wash WO.

I've decided to share with pics.

Pic from before I started
http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss334/Ravenwaves88/Sep09.jpg

Pics from today 1 week later with only 1 wash just yesterday.

Just taken down from work no flash.
http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss334/Ravenwaves88/DSCF2268.jpg

W/flash.
http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss334/Ravenwaves88/DSCF2269.jpg

BBB no flash.
http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss334/Ravenwaves88/DSCF2273.jpg

BBB w/flash.
http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss334/Ravenwaves88/DSCF2270.jpg

I plan to take lots more pics and I'll probably have lots of questions too. I'm really excited about this experiment!

Anyone know if a slightly itchy scalp is normal?

I see a huge difference--wow! Hope this continues working for you :D

[naselflee]

You've got such beautiful hair.:)
I wish I could do WO, but my scalp starts getting all scabby if I don't wash my hair after a week:(

[Dryalantha]

Wooah, if I could get more waves thanks to WO , I would!
The problem is, if I do WO, it's itches toooo much and scritching doesn't help :(.

Ravenwaves, does it help for you or what do you do if your head feels itchy?

[Ravenwaves 88]

Wooah, if I could get more waves thanks to WO , I would!
The problem is, if I do WO, it's itches toooo much and scritching doesn't help :(.

Ravenwaves, does it help for you or what do you do if your head feels itchy?

It has been itchy....but only sporadically throughout the day. I just lightly scritch with my nails while at work or with a pen under my bun. When I get home I use a comb. I'm hoping that this is just a scalp adjustment period. Now that I think about it.....today I've hardly scritched at all.

[Ravenwaves 88]

I know my thread doesn't have much action lately but I still want to keep showing my progress. Today I wore it down out of the house.

Day 15

http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss334/Ravenwaves88/18Sep09.jpg

[marikamt]

wow! I can't get over how great it looks... I have been scared to try it, but your hair looks really good!
Did you go thru an icky/ greasy stage?

One more question.... when you are WO, do you put anything else in your hair?

[Ravenwaves 88]

wow! I can't get over how great it looks... I have been scared to try it, but your hair looks really good!
Did you go thru an icky/ greasy stage?

One more question.... when you are WO, do you put anything else in your hair?

The first week was pretty icky(never like a helmet) but I was always a wash once a week person. I even just did conditioner not knowing that was a washing method too! That may have helped my transition although I'm not going to say I'm there yet. I don't want to jinx myself...lol. I actually told one of my co-workers and she was amazed. "Does your hair smell?" "No....just smell it" was my reply and she said it just smells like hair! LOL.

I do not put anything else in my hair. I seem to be able to work the sebum down pretty well and I don't need to. Alot of people have to find their own way. You have to start somewhere though so just give it a try!

[Bellalalala]

Careful, it can start smelling if you neglect to scritch your scalp.

Sebum isn't just oil, it's holocrine secretion, which means whole dead cells that were once filled with oil are secreted onto the scalp.
The dead cell bits are an excellent food source for bacteria, which grow like crazy and create a musty smell.

[Thinthondiel]

Careful, it can start smelling if you neglect to scritch your scalp.

Sebum isn't just oil, it's holocrine secretion, which means whole dead cells that were once filled with oil are secreted onto the scalp.
The dead cell bits are an excellent food source for bacteria, which grow like crazy and create a musty smell.

I don't think this is necessarily true for everyone. I don't scritch, and my scalp doesn't smell. It did for a while during my transition, but not anymore.

[Bellalalala]

This is true, it's not that it will, just that it can.

It will be especially common in people with dry, dandruffy, or normally scaly scalp because this is often a result of active bacteria in the first place.

For some, simple WO washes will suffice to eliminate enough surface scalp bacteria; whereas for others, the bacteria will build-up and become plaque-like.
This will definitely be more likely during transition, and OP is only in week 2, so I just wanted to draw her attention to the possibility.

My hair had very little transition, no smell at all, then all of a sudden after 7 weeks it smelled musty and I noticed that my scalp was scaly. That's when I remembered learning about sebaceous gland holocrine secretion in our unit on epithelial tissues.

[Feli]

Hi everyone. I've finally managed to upload a picture in my photo album. It was taken this morning - 8 weeks after starting WO. I rinsed without a vinegar rinse yesterday (we have really hard water). Don't think I'll be trying that again.

I'm still hoping that my sebum production will continue to lessen. My hair does still feel greasy, especially if I brush it with my BBB. Do you think it looks too greasy to wear down?

[Ravenwaves 88]

Hello all. Just checking in again with a pic. This is Day 20 for me. I hope these pics are as encouraging to you as they are to me. When I'm feeling my hair must look terrible....I take a pic and I am usually quite amazed. Keep up the good work my fellow H2Oers.

http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss334/Ravenwaves88/DSCF2282.jpg

[Dziip]

Hi ravenwaves ! How has your journey ended ? Has it, indeed or are you still water only ?

[patienceneeded]

Wow! Your hair looks lovely! I tried WO for about 5 weeks last summer and just was never very happy with my hair. I'm glad it works for you though!