Has Anyone Changed Their Mind About Wash and Go's?

[mscocoface]

I don't think I will be donning this style this summer or anytime soon. It is just too much work to transition it into a style or comb it out when I am done with it.

 

[NikStarrr]

I've just revisited wash-n-gos (avi). Now that my hair has gotten to a length to where I don't mind the shrinkage, I think this will be a staple during the summer. I still prefer stretched styles, i.e. braidouts, twistouts--but the wash-n-go will definitely be a nice "in-between" style. I'm cutting out what was my usual inbetween style which was a wet bun, because I've noticed that I have a lot more shorter hairs around my hairline. I think the tension of pulling it back has caused that.

 

[NikStarrr]

Also, OP--I wouldn't call what you're doing a wash-n-go either. It's closer to "shingling".

 

[BillsBackerz67]

Wash n goes only in moderation this summer. They give me bad single strand knots that IMO are way worse than split ends.

 

[Vshanell]

I didn't know there were different versions of the wng? I call anything where you're wearing you natural curl (meaning wet your hair apply product and let it dry) a wash n' go no matter how the product is applied. This is new to me. I had to re-read the original post several times to try to figure out what is so different about hers *scratches head*.

ETA....so i went back and read her process again. She applies moisturizer, a leave in, brushes it through then applies a little gel to the edges. I dunno but that's my text book definition of a wash n' go, lol. Anyway, that's pretty much the same thing I do to mine.

 

[Vshanell]

Wash n goes only in moderation this summer. They give me bad single strand knots that IMO are way worse than split ends.

I think ssk's are just as bad as splits as well. I read a article years ago that had pics basically demonstrating how the knot rubs against itself over time and it wears and tears the hair in that area.

I really wish i could find that article.

 

[NikStarrr]

I'm the opposite. I don't think SSKs are that bad. I don't get a whole lot of them, but when I do see them, I leave them. Hasn't affected my hair while straight, hasn't affected my styling when in braidouts/twistouts. I, even just as a test, pulled on a strand of hair that had a SSK to see how easy it would break at the knot, and I had to pull REALLY hard for it to break, like really. So for me, it's not really a concern. I think it's one of those things that some can become over-obsessed with and then do too much trying to deal them (i.e. excessive cutting, etc.). With curly hair, some SSKs are inevitable, stressing about something that is inevitable is kind of silly.

Me personally, I went natural for style, but also for some type of "liberation"--but as far as liberation goes, I'm seeing naturals are becoming more uptight than their relaxed counterparts. Can't straighten because you're scared of heat damage, can't wash-n-go because of fear of SSKs, etc., to the point some naturals don't ever wear their hair "out" period. What's the fun in that? haha I wear my hair how I feel, and deal with it, and I've had no issues with length retention or health.

 

[mrsjohnson75]

Your hair is GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Lola Laughs]

I'm the opposite. I don't think SSKs are that bad. I don't get a whole lot of them, but when I do see them, I leave them. Hasn't affected my hair while straight, hasn't affected my styling when in braidouts/twistouts. I, even just as a test, pulled on a strand of hair that had a SSK to see how easy it would break at the knot, and I had to pull REALLY hard for it to break, like really. So for me, it's not really a concern. I think it's one of those things that some can become over-obsessed with and then do too much trying to deal them (i.e. excessive cutting, etc.). With curly hair, some SSKs are inevitable, stressing about something that is inevitable is kind of silly.

Me personally, I went natural for style, but also for some type of "liberation"--but as far as liberation goes, I'm seeing naturals are becoming more uptight than their relaxed counterparts. Can't straighten because you're scared of heat damage, can't wash-n-go because of fear of SSKs, etc., to the point some naturals don't ever wear their hair "out" period. What's the fun in that? haha I wear my hair how I feel, and deal with it, and I've had no issues with length retention or health.

Thanks, NikStar, I needed that @ the bolded. I'm starting to obsess about SSKs and just need to chill out.

 

[Janet']

First off--OP love your hair!! Thank you for this thread, as I am grappling with this very issue. I love WNGs and did them for years (literally washed, threw in some condition and KIM) without any SSKs.

Then in the last year I started getting "fancy" with it--washed, detangled with wide comb, applied condish, detangled more with the denman, added more product, etc---non-stop SSKs.

So I've gone back to just plain old WNG, with just finger combing/detangling, and like magic--no more SSKs! For me, I believe that wearing my hair "loose" is not the culprit, but the excessive and sometimes unnecessary combing that causes SSKs.

Yes Lola,

If it ain't broke, you know the rest!

I voted that wash and gos have always worked for me. I have thick, strong coarse strands though. I agree that wash and gos can wreack havoc on some hair types.

CelinaStarr,

Your hair is fabulous!!!

Yes, I love wash and go's. I have been wearing them more often since my hair is a lot longer. They work pretty well for me.

I'm glad you like them too...your hair looks super cute in your siggy!

Very pretty OP!! I love wash n goes!!

Thanks so much!

I didn't know there were different versions of the wng? I call anything where you're wearing you natural curl (meaning wet your hair apply product and let it dry) a wash n' go no matter how the product is applied. This is new to me. I had to re-read the original post several times to try to figure out what is so different about hers *scratches head*.

ETA....so i went back and read her process again. She applies moisturizer, a leave in, brushes it through then applies a little gel to the edges. I dunno but that's my text book definition of a wash n' go, lol. Anyway, that's pretty much the same thing I do to mine.

Pokahontas,

I'm a lil confused too...whether I'm doing a Wash and Go or a rollerset, or whatever, I have to pre-detangle. Also, I thought shingling involved adding some type of curling product and slowly working the product through from root to tip to "define" the curl

All I am doing is using a denman-type brush to get out any major tangles (the leave-in conditioner is a moisturizer and a curl definer, I suppose)- I add the gel just on the edges of my hair so that the front will be tame- but maybe that is shingling...so then, what is a Wash and Go?

Your hair is GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks!!!

 

[mscocoface]

I also think because hair is different your wash n gos will be also.

OP wash n go looks much different than mine. There is no comparision.

See below.

BIG DIFFERENCE!!

This is just half of my hair in a wash n go. For me this is the only way I will do a wash n go. If I tried this on my whole head I would have an afro so thick and shrunken I would need CSI, NCIS, Law and Order and Human Target Christopher Chance to come in and help me comb this back out.

Shrinkage for some of us plays a huge part in how we style our hair because combing depending on the style will be a large factor as well as knots.

As the saying goes what works for one may not work for another.

 

[Diva_Esq]

Your hair looks beautiful! I've been thinking about giving Mixed Chicks another try! I love wash n gos!

 

[CocoGlow]

I just recently learned my lesson the hard way that Wash n Go's are very detrimental to MY hair!

I did Wash n Go's for 2 weeks straight and wore my hair in a puff … so cute … but when I say I've never seen so many single strand/multi-strand knots in my life I mean it!!I lost a LOT of hair unnecessarily.

I have been very vigilant about wearing only stretched styles for so long mainly b/c the natural 4B veterans made this a golden rule … but curiosity got to me … I wanted to be carefree like all the naturals who rave about Wash n Go's … Who wants to spend all that time sectioning & keeping the hair stretched during the wash/styling process all the time? I needed to see for MYSELF ... How bad could it possibly be?

Well I can say … after going through this experience, I do not see Wash n Go's in my future EVER again!

Here's my theory, straight & simple: I truly believe that those w/ a looser curl pattern and/or hair that naturally forms defined/separated curls/coils have the type of hair that can withstand Wash n Go's w/ minimal damage ... honestly how many 4B's do you know w/ long healthy hair that actually rave about Wash n Go's? Now compare that to how many 3B/3C's you know w/ long healthy hair that rave about Wash n Go's?

Like MsCocoFace...My dense 4B tight coils love to interweave & intertwine & the fine strands easily form knots and LOTS of them ... so allowing them to dry in that shrunken state is asking for trouble! So I don't believe that EVERYONE needs to avoid Wash n Go's like the plague ... even if you see someone w/ a texture that seems similar to your hair, only trial & error can reveal whether or not YOU should do them .. hopefully in the learning process you don't suffer too much damage

 

[glamazon386]

Wash and goes work fine for me. I just don't like to do them because I hate the way my hair looks with the shrinkage.

 

[Janet']

I also think because hair is different your wash n gos will be also.

OP wash n go looks much different than mine. There is no comparision.

See below.

BIG DIFFERENCE!!

This is just half of my hair in a wash n go. For me this is the only way I will do a wash n go. If I tried this on my whole head I would have an afro so thick and shrunken I would need CSI, NCIS, Law and Order and Human Target Christopher Chance to come in and help me comb this back out.

Shrinkage for some of us plays a huge part in how we style our hair because combing depending on the style will be a large factor as well as knots.

As the saying goes what works for one may not work for another.

VERY valid point!!!

 

[ingenious_mind]

Your hair is so pretty and I love the color! Wash and go's pretty much work for me. I do detangle with conditioner in the shower and basically do a similar method that you described. I also do them everyday because if I dont that's when my hair gets super dry, tangled and SSK start to form.

 

[Janet']

Your hair is so pretty and I love the color! Wash and go's pretty much work for me. I do detangle with conditioner in the shower and basically do a similar method that you described. I also do them everyday because if I dont that's when my hair gets super dry, tangled and SSK start to form.

Thank you so much! I am so glad that they work for you!

 

[BillsBackerz67]

I think ssk's are just as bad as splits as well. I read a article years ago that had pics basically demonstrating how the knot rubs against itself over time and it wears and tears the hair in that area.

I really wish i could find that article.

I read that article and for me that's what was happening to my hair. 5 or 6 single strand knots won't kill your hair, but the amount of hair that I have and more than half of it was laden with knots, its going to cause more damage than split ends. Plus I have some thin strands and then I have strands that are coarse and thick like cable wire. Its causes unnecessary friction when combing and they have a tendency to "pop" off and rip more than split ends do. At least with split ends I could get a sleek flat iron and not have rough ends that can't get straight. Plus with splits in my hair they don't travel up the shaft or get "worse" like some people report.

There were even some strands on my hair that had more than 5 knots on one single strand!

I don't want anyone to think that they can't do wng's because it causes more harm than good but I was wearing them for 2 years non stop with no other type of styles. That's why I said in moderation. Which for me would be about twice a week. My hair can tolerate heat and split ends, but knots? They make my ends look like they were singed with a blow torch

Now I wear my hair straight 90% of the time and I have only found 8 single strand knots since starting to regularly flat iron which was in october 09. and I think those were previous ones she missed when trimming my hair.

 

[BlondeByDesire]

I'm still trying to perfect and find the right product or combination thereof ... for my WnG's. I need more length and "hang time" for me to get the look I want. My curls don't separate individually.

 

[Sapphire_chic]

I have tried wash and gos and don't find ssks and knots to be a problem, what has made me decrease the amount I do them is my inconsistent results and what I just realised today, my horrible shruken shape.

What i actually need is a shape up from a good stylist, since that Isn'tt going to happen (for some time) wash and go's are out of the picture unfortunately.

 

[Michelle Obama fan]

My wash n go's are great for one day. Sleeping on them overnight with the satin scarf gives me matted helmet hair with no shape.

 

[Sasha299]

I love your hair. It's very pretty.

I love wash'n go's. I have a very limited amount of time and so they are my easiest style. I co wash using my fingers to detangle in the shower. Then put deep conditioner and glycering/aloe mix and I'm ready to go. If I don't feel like washing it the following day I just damp it with water and reapply my mix. If I want to detangle so I put in one I damp and apply deep conditioner. Does not even take me 5 minutes.

PS I bought my first flat iron a couple of years ago but don't know how to use it still and I never use blow dryers.

 

[hillytmj]

Your hair is so pretty!

I'm not natural but I have tried air drying which is my version of WNG, and like many of the natural sisters have stated, they are not for me due to all the knots and tangles. And like Pokahontas said, I think my ends get damaged that way.

I'm glad it works for you!

 

[danigurl18]

I love wash n gos!!

 

[Janet']

 

[MadisonK]

I love wash and go's, but i don't like the shortness of them on me. I usually do them 99% of the time. I have never gotten a SSK.

I think for a while i'm going to try rollersetting or blow dry/flat ironing my hair to get length. There's a big difference to me.

Wash N Go

Flat Iron

 

[MadisonK]

deleted.............

 

[silenttullip]

Wow u changed my mind OP, I thought wash and go meant u couldnt use a leave or brush u just had to wash condition and leave but now I understand and will try it more often

 

[mahogany66]

Ive been doing W&G's since I chopped in February. I use KCCC and KT and I apply it the way Teri applies her conditioner for her Tightly Curly Method. It takes a long time but the results are great and it lasts more than a week. I have a spray bottle with KT in it and I will smooth that on strands that may feel dry by the end of the week.

 

[Janet']

For me a wash and go means putting a leave in my hair and combing it through with a denman brush...which takes about 10 minutes...