Fox In Flats | Why you don’t need the ‘poo | Navigating Motherhood in Style.

Why you don’t need the ‘poo

How often do you shampoo your hair? Everyday? Every other day? Whenever you’re having a shower that’s not interrupted by little voices, tiny baby squawks, or your partner asking where you put the remote?

Before I had my boys, I was a shampoo-a-day kinda gal. It had never occurred to me do to otherwise, and my fine lank hair seemed to need it for the extra body the ‘poo provided. Plus I loved that freshly-washed smell. Yet post-kids, my daily hair wash became a thing of the past. Hair was hastily pulled into a messy pony or bun post-shower, and I discovered a Dry Shampoo that gave a similar freshness but without the hassle.

Turns out, it can be great for the condition of your hair and scalp to leave it unwashed for periods of time, especially if you have coloured hair. Stevie Corthine, owner of eponymous hair salon Stevie English, explained:

“Even with amazing shampoos, the brighter your colour, the quicker the fade.”

So how frequently should we be washing our hair?

“It’s still really a personal thing,” said Stevie. “If you go to the gym everyday and sweat, I’m going to say everyday. But otherwise, we recommend shampooing, then maybe detoxing for a couple of days, and then a hydrating shampoo before conditioning and/or treatment.”

With a little forethought, you can avoid my Messy-Ponytail-Shambles-Of-2005, and look polished even when you’re skipping the ‘poo.”

Stevie’s top tips for shampoo-free hair days.

Always start with a great hair foundation product like Atonic from O&M.
A dry shampoo is great between washes, and talcum powder on the scalp to soak up oils is a good trick, too.
A serum will keep frizzy hair at bay – try Frizzy Logic from O&M.

To style, Stevie advises: ‘”Start off with a blowdry, the second day maybe try a braid, and the third day whack in a few clips and accessories.” This Quick Clip Hair Trick is straight off the catwalk.

For more hairstyle ideas for dirty hair days, check out:

9 hot hairstyles for when your hair is totally dirty

7 sneaky shortcuts for hair in a hurry

Top 10 fast favourite hairstyles

The Fox in Flats HAIR TIPS folder – chock full of quick, easy ideas.

How often do you shampoo your hair?

What’s your go-to, in-between-washes, hair-do?

And when was the last time you had an uninterrupted shower?

Sharing is Foxy!

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http://tamsinhowse.com/blog/ Tamsin Howse

I wash my hair every 2-4 days. Right now I haven’t washed it since Saturday. I’ll probably wash it tomorrow, then getting it dyed Thursday, which I’ll then not wash (got to keep that salon blow dry) for… hmmm… until Sunday probably? I’m training my hair to last longer and longer between washes as, being a false red head, my dye fades FAST.
Belinda

Wash mine everyday – no way I can leave it as it would look awful for work! I have such thin and lank hair that I must style it everyday! I also have a thing about hair that smells – I am so sensitive and can smell unwashed hair a mile off!
http://themummyautobiography.com/ Miss Pink

I try to do it once a week but since starting at the gym I’ve had to add another wash mid week. Basically as soon as I sweat my hair turns to shit and feels really gross and stiff, but if I’m going again that night or the next morning and it’s another intense class then I don’t see the point in washing it to go to the gym so I usually braid my hair for the gym or slick it right up.
This being said I do use a treatment instead of a conditioner once a week.
I have a lot of friends who wash daily or every second day. I’ve tried to explain that it’s stripping their hair and doing damage.

I should also add I have baby fine long hair. My hairdresser comments often about how it’s the finest hair she’s ever seen. I think it’s about having a few hairstyles up your sleeve.
Happiness

I confess that i only wash my hair once a week – I have really thick straight hair, that is going more and more grey, which makes it quite frizzy. I use natural shampoo and conditioner, and put some morroccan oil on while its drying, but other than that i just have a few up hairstyles for work, and anytime I comment that my hair’s due for a wash people just tell me that it looks great and you can’t tell. I guess it depends so much on your hair type. I find the messy pony tails, knots and braids work well for me towards the end of the week. I do feel lucky that my hair is easy to look after…although now i may worry that my hair smells??? I’ve never heard of that before….am guessing some products would accumulate and do that…or smoke etc?
- FoxInFlats
  
  You are lucky to not need to wash it so frequently. Seems that thicker hair looks better for longer between washes. Lucky you!
Chrissie

For people who wash their hair less frequently, do you get your hair wet in between, or keep it dry? I find that if I let it get wet in the shower without washing it, it goes super oily afterwards. I’m thinking that I could wash it less frequently if I kept it dry with a shower cap (preferably an adorable vintage-style one, because cuteness is important, y’know?)
- FoxInFlats
  
  Good question! I keep mine dry between washes, but not sure what the experts would say. I figure all that dry shampoo would go gunky if wet?
  - Chrissie
    
    Oh darn… guess I have to go shopping! I haven’t tried dry shampoo yet, my hair is ridiculously fussy about products, but I should be able to go at least one-two days with no washing if I don’t get it wet or get all sweaty.
- http://tamsinhowse.com/blog/ Tamsin Howse
  
  My hairdresser’s advice is: Wash it, blow dry it, brush it, then don’t touch it at all until you next wash it (don’t get wet, brush, nothing)
http://twitter.com/ShesSonic Sonia // She’s Sonic

I am totally going to gross everyone out with this confession, but here goes anyway – at the moment, I’m washing my hair once a week. Yep. Once. There’s a good reason for this, I promise. I have no bathroom thanks to being in the middle of a renovation/extension. Plus I have A LOT of hair. Loads of it. So once a week I treat myself to a salon wash (they shampoo it 3 times) and blowdry. I get a good 3-4 days of “hair down” days, and then transfer to my fail safe hairstyle – the high ponytail – for the last few days.
…come to think of it, maybe I shouldn’t have shared that…!
- FoxInFlats
  
  Are you kidding? I’m jealous! If I could get away with that with my hair, I would.
  
  That said I am On day 3 of not washing my hair. On holidays and been rushing around visiting people so dry shampoo has been my friend.
  
  Your hair rules! X
  - http://tamsinhowse.com/blog/ Tamsin Howse
    
    I’m jealous too!! Mostly because you get it washed at a salon once a week! Your hair must look amazing ALL THE TIME
Robyn @ Out of Ours

I wash every-other-day. I have fine, thin dead straight hair and if I don’t wash every other day it just looks greasy/oily. By the second day it’s usually up in way form or another – pony tail, bulldog clip or half French-braid. I was an everyday washer before kids so going an extra day between was hard at first. I’m aiming for every 3 days so might give the dry wash a go to get there.
- FoxInFlats
  
  Your hair sounds a bit like mine. I just went 3 days without shampoo and using dry shampoo it was great. Well worth a try for hair like ours
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Mel

Thanks for these tips. I only wash my hair on Thursdays and Sundays or however that happens to work out. If requirements change due to gym or swimming, I just adapt as needed.

I got into that routine because of the days I am at work but I jumped off the every-second-day bandwagon when I was 30. I just got sick of the endless blowdrying and thought I’d try an experiment. I went to every three days then every four. My hair doesn’t actually get greasy at all although it did at first.

My hair is fine and wavy and I’ve been colouring it for years. I think this pattern of shampooing works for me, particularly now that I’m older.

It is well worth persisting with this to see how your hair adapts. I can recommend it!