Any advice to prepare myself for stretching washes?

[shikara]

I currently wash two times a week and would like to stretch it to once a week. If you have helpful hints or things to look out for and how you dealt with any problems that came up, I would sure like to hear from you!!!

[jojo]

I used to wash daily and have just managed to stretch for 3 days. I just got a fringe put in so it helps for me just to wash my fringe and bun the rest; though I am not suggesting you cut a fringe in!

Dry shampoos are quite good too. Just bun your hair, it will go greasy at first but once its got used to being washed less it will adjust. I am aiming for 4 days this week, then building it up to just once a week. My hair does feel better for it!

I am also looking at diluting my conditioner and relying on my BBB to distribute the sebum to my ends; this also helps!

[Madora]

I brush my hair every day with a 100% pure boar bristle brush.
The brush is cleaned every other day.

I also usually wear something on my head (I have a circulatory problem that is alleviated by wearing a scarf indoors).

Hair washing happens once a month..and I've being doing it this way for years.

[|Xei]

I'd recommend using dry shampoo for when your hair starts feeling/looking super greasy. There are many things you can use as dry shampoo if you wish to save money, or just don't want to purchase actual dry shampoo. Corn starch, cocoa powder, baby powder, and rice flour are some of the common ones. If you have dark hair, don't worry about using corn starch. Just massage it in well, and you will not be able to spot any whiteness. I have dark hair, and I do fine with a white dry shampoo.

[sharicat]

I use Baptise dry shampoo spray or the powder. Both work well but are pricey as they don't last long - totally going to try corn starch :)

[alwayssmiling]

Could you CO on your second wash. Or maybe try a scalp only wash? Dry shampoo is a great one off rescue but used too often it can make my hair feel a bit waxy and coated.

[pepperminttea]

I used to wash my hair every other day, now it's every 5-7 days. Dry shampoos do help a lot if you're transitioning; I use cocoa powder since I never manage to get every bit of cornstarch out, and the cocoa powder shows up a lot less on my hair colour. Wearing scarves can help too if you feel like you're having a really bad roots day (there's some great tying instructions here (http://www.tznius.com/cgi-bin/tying.pl) and here (http://www.youtube.com/user/TheStyleUnderground)). Go with baby steps; stretch by one day, until your scalp's adjusted, then one more day, etc.

Incidentally, I find stretching washes a lot easier in winter than summer, since with summer comes sweat. :p So if you're finding it a right battle, you could put it off until the autumn, or try scalp washes (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=85) to give your length a break.

[cobden 28]

If you want to keep your hair clean but not necessarily apply shampoo, then just rinse your hair under clear running water in the shower. That will get rid of any dust that may be in your hair.

Works for me!

[Wavelin]

My experience is that the scalp eventually relaxes and stops producing as much sebum. For bad hair days french braids and tight buns done with a bbb works good for me. Good luck!

[Phexlyn]

I'll be watching this thread! I'd love to stretch my washes further (currently twice a week), but I can't use a BBB. I've tried, and it just shreds my fine strands. I find it really hard to stretch washes when you have to appear clean and tidy for work because oily hair shows on me really badly.

Best of luck to everyone who's aiming for the same goal! :flower:

[florenonite]

Brushing before bed, dry shampoo, rinsing, etc. are all good things to do. Be warned, though, that you might just not be able to stretch your washes. Many people can and do so quite successfully, others simply can't because no matter how often they wash their hair their scalps produce the same amount of oil.

Another thing to think about is that your hair will look 'dirty' during the transition stage. Chances are, though, unless you're currently waiting till your hair really needs washed as is, what you think of as 'dirty' will be satisfactory. Also try to stretch it one day at a time, so if you're currently washing every three days, switch to every four for a few weeks.

[Firefox7275]

Batiste dry shampoo in the hairline, wipe off the excess with a soft towel. I have used it on the crown too, but TBH by the point that is dirty the lengths need conditioning. I suspect removing sulphates from the equation helps as they certainly make my face oily within an hour.

[bunzfan]

I used to wash my hair every other day, now it's every 5-7 days. Dry shampoos do help a lot if you're transitioning; I use cocoa powder since I never manage to get every bit of cornstarch out, and the cocoa powder shows up a lot less on my hair colour. Wearing scarves can help too if you feel like you're having a really bad roots day (there's some great tying instructions here (http://www.tznius.com/cgi-bin/tying.pl) and here (http://www.youtube.com/user/TheStyleUnderground)). Go with baby steps; stretch by one day, until your scalp's adjusted, then one more day, etc.

Incidentally, I find stretching washes a lot easier in winter than summer, since with summer comes sweat. :p So if you're finding it a right battle, you could put it off until the autumn, or try scalp washes (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=85) to give your length a break.

Thanks for the link on scalp washes i was wondering how you would do it, i guess this would work to for CO.