Water-Only discovery...

[katfemme89]

This might be well-known to everyone else on the thread, but it is news to me...

I did my first Water-Only wash tonight (I think it will go really well as my scalp is well-trained, I can go 2 weeks between washes and still not get noticeably oily) and before I did, I considered my hair basically straight/frizzy. Well after the WO wash, I have pretty little S-waves all over, and they're staying defined as my hair dries! It's so cool!!! I've never been able to get my waves to define nicely, no matter what product I use. Apparently my own sebum does the trick! I guess nature knows best!

Anyone else have these great results with WO?

[Thinthondiel]

Sadly, no... my hair was a lot straighter when I was doing WO than when I use shampoo. I think my sebum just acted as a kind of product that weighed my hair down and stretched out my waves when I brushed it.

[katfemme89]

Sadly, no... my hair was a lot straighter when I was doing WO than when I use shampoo. I think my sebum just acted as a kind of product that weighed my hair down and stretched out my waves when I brushed it.

Do you still do WO? If not, why?

[Suze2012]

Do you still do WO? If not, why?


I suspect not..probably for the reason posted - plus it's written in past tense.

If something suits your hair and you like it you would naturally continue with it until you hit an issue.

If something doesn't suit your hair and you don't like it you would stop.

[Milui Elenath]

My hair is different on WO not curlier per say, I will try to explain it. Without cones and conditioner my hair is a bit wavier after a WO wash, not quite 1b but not 1a :) but then it settles back to 1a again after a few days of sebum. I think for me the sebum helps to weight my hair but WO removes a little too much.

I think you will have a very easy transition (none) with WO like I did. I used only natural shampoos and only once a week before going WO and that was when I realised I didn't even need to have washed as often as that.

[DancingQueen]

I don't WO, in my routine. But sometimes, when I have been swimming, I do a WO to avoid using shampoo. My hair is already 2c, but somehow, is seems even more curly/defined after a WO. :)

[kidari]

I've been tinkering with WO but I do my own thing and not follow anything strictly. I wash every other day alternating a WO with a CO with a heavy oiling that I wash out with shampoo. I find that my hair has a lot of body and it looks more "styled" all on it's own without much effort or anything added to it. Normally I would use oils or wax/pomades, or dry shampoo to achieve the texture I want but I get this exact look I'm going for when I skip shampoo for as long as possible. Also, the best discovery of all is that my hair is wavier when I avoid shampoo. Who knew that shampoo would make my hair flatter and straighter?! If I choose to do heat-free curls, avoiding shampoo gives me incredible curl that doesn't come out- even when I oil heavily before shampooing the curls stay until the oil is washed out of my hair. I did try to go without shampoo for more than one week and it was really bad. About 2 inches down from my roots my hair looked like it was stuck to my head and the middle to the ends was all dry and frizzy. I clarified and did an SMT. I'm not sure if it was a combination of my oils building up and buildup from the cones I use.

[mariazelie]

How does WO work on fine, tangly hair? I am afraid to try it if it will end in a disaster of mat and tangles.

[StephanieP3]

I've tried WO before but I just don't have the patience to deal with my hair being oily so often. I do love doing CO often. :)

[Milui Elenath]

How does WO work on fine, tangly hair? I am afraid to try it if it will end in a disaster of mat and tangles.

I have fine tangly hair and WO works as good as anything else in regards to tangles. I am careful detangling the ends but honestly it's not the fineness it's the dryness/moisture of my hair. I think that dry/oiliness is the main difference in WO and your hairs condition.

For me the lack of moisture in my ends and the fact that I have very little sebum and a fair length for it to travel makes dealing with the ends a bit frustrating at times but I persist because the rest of my hair is happy, however, the rest of my hair is also in better condition and eventually I hope the ends will be too as I grow and trim.

[gnome82]

Yep, I got my curls back with water only washes, my hair is so shiny and strong, I love it :puppy:

[mariazelie]

I have fine tangly hair and WO works as good as anything else in regards to tangles. I am careful detangling the ends but honestly it's not the fineness it's the dryness/moisture of my hair. I think that dry/oiliness is the main difference in WO and your hairs condition.

For me the lack of moisture in my ends and the fact that I have very little sebum and a fair length for it to travel makes dealing with the ends a bit frustrating at times but I persist because the rest of my hair is happy, however, the rest of my hair is also in better condition and eventually I hope the ends will be too as I grow and trim.
When you have time would you please give me an idea of how you do this? You seem to have hair something like mine. How exactly to start and when to do what? I am interested in this. I tried it last night with no conditioner and just used water, some hair spray in my hair and conditioner from the time I last shampooed. It was easy to comb out. I don't know how to get this going. I envision bad matting if I am not careful.

[Fairlight63]

I tried water only but it did not work for my hair. It made it dry & tangily. My hair does better with a cond. on it.
Maybe if I tried putting oil on it before or after it might help.

[MrsGuther]

My hair gets really tangly with water only. Glad it's working well for you though! :)

[TheWhiteRabbit]

My hair loves WO. I am not a purist when it comes to WO, I wash with egg and ACV once a week. My hair does not like S&C so I went with this. My hair feels very different from what it does when I use S&C too, which I like.

[katfemme89]

I've noticed that WO makes my hair feel coarser and thicker, which I like. Anyone else notice this?

[mariazelie]

I've noticed that WO makes my hair feel coarser and thicker, which I like. Anyone else notice this?
That is what I was hoping for, but not sure how to start this whole water only thing. I was concerned about the tangles and how do you feel like you get your scalp clean?

[TheWhiteRabbit]

I've noticed that WO makes my hair feel coarser and thicker, which I like. Anyone else notice this?

Thats what happens to my hair too. My hair is fine and thin but I dont have any problems with tangles. I just wait until it is dry and gently comb it out.

[Bianca]

Glad it works for you. I think WO is the only hair thing I have never tried. Currently CO, but do use shampoo once in while. Maybe one day I will give it a try, WO that is :D

[akilina]

I just tried WO for the first time today :)
So far...to my very surprise...my hair loves it!!
I also spent some time scrunching it afterwards as it dried and it gave me some really cool awesome waves and body and lots of volume! I love it!
Not sure if my hair will like this in the long term but I shall experiment for the rest of the week.
I do have slight issues with the tangling but I easily got past that with my wooden comb very gently. :)

[katfemme89]

That is what I was hoping for, but not sure how to start this whole water only thing. I was concerned about the tangles and how do you feel like you get your scalp clean?

Well what do you define as clean? If you mean stripped of its natural oil, then no, the water doesn't wash off the (healthy) oil from your scalp. But it does rinse off the dirt that sticks to the oil. If you have thin hair, this probably isn't for you. But my hair is thick and coarse, and my hair never looks oily. It's been two weeks since I've used shampoo and it still doesn't look "dirty". Because coarse hair is much, much harder to weigh down with oil.

What I did was just step in the shower, while your shower water is lukewarm (I only ever shower in lukewarm water, I can't stand hot, makes my skin dry and itchy and also bad for hair) and just let the water flow over your hair for like 30 seconds to a minute. Then, start massaging your scalp, making sure to gently lift up parts of your hair so that the water can rush over it. Massage, massage, massage, (gently) and then take a shower comb and GENTLY comb out your hair while the water is flowing over it (I find that the flowing water is like a natural detangler) and then "squeegee" your hair with your hands. This will help rinse out dirt. Then just wrap in a towel to dry. It's so easy! And my hair felt awesome and had beautiful waves in it!

Before WO:
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/s720x720/532998_3766021025276_1698383284_n.jpg

After WO:
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/s720x720/557507_3791461901282_1098576021_n.jpg

[afu]

With WO my hair got a lot straighted, I think it's because it is fine and weighed down easily. It never tangled which was great though. I stopped WO because my hair always felt flat and it made my colour much darker - i prefer my hair lighter with more volume

ETA: your hair looks wonderful in the photos :)

[katfemme89]

With WO my hair got a lot straighted, I think it's because it is fine and weighed down easily. It never tangled which was great though. I stopped WO because my hair always felt flat and it made my colour much darker - i prefer my hair lighter with more volume

ETA: your hair looks wonderful in the photos :)

Yes I have also noticed that my hair is much more weighed down (which is a great thing for me because my mane is usually pretty unruly lol) and the color is also darker, like you mentioned yours got.

And thank you!