Wash And Go, To Grow And To Dazzle 2020 Challenge

[ckisland]

Yesterday was a shampoo and DC wash day. I used Harm Me Knot and Babassu DC. I only finger detangled and DC'd for 1 hr. I applied MJ Leave-in Condish and Coily Custard in 4 sections on barely damp hair. Every time I use my beloved combo, I'm like why isn't this the only combo I use !! My hair is so soft and defined!

Side note: Why are type 4s so light handed with product on Youtube? I've seen so many type 4s apply styling products like they bite . They also seem to not believe in the power of sectioning or really working in product. Also the shrinkage complaints!! Ma'am, your SL hair should shrink up to at least your ears! Calm down! Ladies are out here being hip length with wash n'gos that sit on their shoulders unless they're stretched.

 

[Rocky91]

I love the “What the Kink” channel on YouTube so much—she primarily does wash and goes. Her simplicity and common sense approach are so inspiring.

Plus, she just has a cool personality. This is one of the first videos I watched from her:

 

[Rocky91]

I put in some jumbo box braids out of boredom and now I’m already over them
I will leave them alone for at least a week to make it worth my time (almost 2 hours, most of that time is spent parting the hair neatly). Can’t wait to get back to my wash and go.

 

[Bette Davis Eyes]

In my head I’m motivated to do my hair but when I get home it’s all over.
I have to run around tomorrow after work and then go in early on Thursday. Luckily I’m off Friday.
I gotta get it together cause these two buns looking sad. It was so hot at work on Sunday I had to put it up in a tucked bun and it’s been that way every since except for when I refresh in the morning.

 

[LavenderMint]

@GettingKinky since my sister always speaks highly of banding- which I gave up a while ago- I tried it again. I've found that I can’t band aggressively the first night because my hair is still so soft, even if it’s dry, that I end up with weird lumps. So, when I put on the satin scrunchy I literally just put it on bigger sections, no doub. That helped a lot and the following nights I can double wrap them.

@ckisland Since doing wng exclusively I get ssk far less than I did when I was manipulating my hair into twists and braids on the weekly. Splits (I had a big problem with mid-shaft splits) have decreased significantly since my last trim as well.
Finger detangling... I prefer it to using brushes because after brushing- even with the MOST conditioner- my hair poofs unbelievably. Maybe I’m doing it wrong (and honestly I might be lol). I alternate between the Felicia Leatherwood brush & Kazmaleje’s paddle comb but I find my fingers work best for going back over a section to take out any hair that tried to stay cuddled up with its buddies.

I know I said that I was going to try washing my hair once a week, but I'm just can't go back !! I was talking to my sis, and she said that she thinks that my hair seems to have grown faster in the past month or so that I've been doing 2-3 wash days a week . So Imma try out doing my hair every other to every 2 days since that's the mood I seem to be in.

I'll shampoo and DC once a week, but I need to figure out my detangling sweet spot. Either I need to use my brush when I DC and finger detangle at every other wash, or I'll need to detangle with my brush like every other wash.

My main concerns are: ssks and prolonged detangling days when I do use my brush. Is finger detangling effective enough to keep ssks from building up? What do y'all think?

 

[Rocky91]

I only need 1 more product to complete my lineup and then I will challenge myself to a no-buy for 3 months. At least that is my intention

I really need a good swimming shampoo. The one I’ve been using (Ion) is just soo harsh. I’m going to try Paul Mitchell Shampoo Three or Ultra Swim and see if they work.

Side note: I wish the professional stylists would talk more about swimming haircare. I think I’ve been doing quite decent, but I would like to hear some insight from a real cosmetologist.

 

[toaster]

@Rocky91 do you follow your swimming shampoo with a more moisturizing shampoo?

If not, that might make the swimming shampoo feel less harsh as opposed to going straight in with conditioner.

Doing a double shampoo has really changed my hair for the better.

 

[Rocky91]

@Rocky91 do you follow your swimming shampoo with a more moisturizing shampoo?

If not, that might make the swimming shampoo feel less harsh as opposed to going straight in with conditioner.

Doing a double shampoo has really changed my hair for the better.

Yes, I always follow with my Redken shampoo and it definitely flattens that cuticle back out quite a bit to prepare for conditioning, but I still feel that initial shampoo is just too harsh.

Essentially, I want to give the Redken shampoo less work to do in getting the hair back to normal, lol..if that’s even possible with these swimming shampoo formulations.

 

[ckisland]

@LavenderMint Whenever I would try using a denman brush, my hair would poof so badly!! The top of my hair would look right, but the entire back would turn into poodle floff ! I don't have that issue at all with my Felicia Leatherwood though.

@toaster What's the benefit of double shampooing? Do you use 2 different types of shampoos? I'm intrigued

 

[toaster]

@LavenderMint Whenever I would try using a denman brush, my hair would poof so badly!! The top of my hair would look right, but the entire back would turn into poodle floff ! I don't have that issue at all with my Felicia Leatherwood though.

@toaster What's the benefit of double shampooing? Do you use 2 different types of shampoos? I'm intrigued

I think double shampooing helps ensure my hair and scalp are actually clean. The first shampoo removes most of the product and the second shampoo/lather thoroughly cleanses.

Depending on how my hair feels, I might use a more clarifying shampoo followed by a moisturizing shampoo. Otherwise I just double cleanse with the same, all purpose shampoo.

 

[faithVA]

@Rocky91 do you follow your swimming shampoo with a more moisturizing shampoo?

If not, that might make the swimming shampoo feel less harsh as opposed to going straight in with conditioner.

Doing a double shampoo has really changed my hair for the better.

Switching to a double shampoo with 2 different shampoos has been the game changer for me. My hair is totally different. I used to have 1 shampoo and a multitude of different products. Now I have a multitude of shampoos and only 1 of everything else. Who knew I had it backwards.

 

[GettingKinky]

@Rocky91 aeleise of blackgirlcurls used to be a swimmer. She said she washed her hair every day after practice, but only used a swimmer’s shampoo as needed.

 

[Rocky91]

@Rocky91 aeleise of blackgirlcurls used to be a swimmer. She said she washed her hair every day after practice, but only used a swimmer’s shampoo as needed.

Thank you for this! I felt guilty the other day when I skipped using it, so it’s good to know that it’s probably okay to not use it every single time.

 

[faithVA]

So I redid my set today. If I sprayed it with the Uncle Funky's spray I might have made it longer. It still looked OK but it felt drier than I like.

I was going to rinse and condition as I have heard the A's say. But I could tell that I had a layer of product on my hair. And with my hair being low porosity it was going to be a fail trying to add conditioner and gel on top of that. So I did a very light shampoo with my hair color shampoo since it is very gentle. I think that is going to be key for me. I'm not going to be able to cowash or rinse and restyle.

I also need to go ahead and set 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours aside just to CCS since I really don't know what I'm doing. Giving myself that extra time could give me time to apply and evaluate.

Today after rinsing out the conditioner, I put my hair up into 7 sections. I took the shower head and thoroughly wet a section at a time. Then I started with 2 pumps for each section. I worked it in and then split the section to smooth it. I added more water and then more gel and repeated randomly. It was definitely better. Out of the shower I added the Jello Shot. I don't really have any particular technique for applying this. I just took a handful and spread it through the section and smoothed and fluffed.

I'm guessing I still need more water. My hair looked like it would hang for about 3 minutes and then I could see it rising.

For Next Time
I will use a nozzle bottle to add water to each section.
I will start with 4 pumps for each section.
I will smooth gel on the underside of a section.

It looks better in person to me. Maybe I need one of those phone lights.

 

[toaster]

@faithVA your hair has really grown. I can tell by how much more the sides and front hang down!

I also have to set more time aside to CCS than the “1 hour” but I try not to feel bad about it. We’re learning a new technique and won’t get it perfect in 2 seconds. It takes time.

 

[faithVA]

@faithVA your hair has really grown. I can tell by how much more the sides and front hang down!

I also have to set more time aside to CCS than the “1 hour” but I try not to feel bad about it. We’re learning a new technique and won’t get it perfect in 2 seconds. It takes time.

It has grown. Thank you for noticing. I will take my length pics in August and it should be reaching my chin. The front has grown but the back has really grown. But since my curls are so tight it is hard to tell.

This weekend I will put in the 1 hour to 1 1/2 hour. Maybe if I can get 5 days out of it, I will feel like it is a good investment of time.

 

[ckisland]

@faithVA Your hair is on the grow for real . With my most recent wash, I tried the rinse and condition thing and my hair was so much harder to detangle . I have low porosity hair too, so I'm going to explore this double shampoo situation/ shampooing more in general.

 

[fluffyforever]

So far I learned:

-if I want a quick 20 min wash n go with definition that lasts multiple days, I can do a quick CCS in the shower and use a strong hold gel like eco styler.

-if I want a quick wash n go with a lighter gel like UFD, I can get good looking hair with a quick CCS in the shower, but the definition won’t be as popping and the style won’t last through the night.

- if I want to do a longer CCS process (45 min -1 hour) but get popping hair that lasts multiple days using a lighter gel like UFD only, I need to style outside of the shower.

- although brushing doesn’t give me definition, brushing to detangle does not ruin definition either. after the conditioner is rinsed out and gel is applied- my coils come back. However, I don’t need to brush every time I CCS. My hair isn’t that tangled even with only finger detangling most days.

- UFD can provide great hold on my hair if I use it a certain way. On warm wet hair i have to over apply gel per section until the astringent feeling is gone, then I slide my hands down the section and squeeze off the excess gel and water, which also helps a lot with drying time.

- I prefer a quarter size dollop of leave in (for my entire head) under UFD compared to no leave in. It makes my hair feel nice and that amount does not ruin definition.

- using a blow dryer for 10-20 seconds really helps reawaken coils from bed head and keep definition. Then I only have fluff a bit with my hands.

 

[faithVA]

@faithVA Your hair is on the grow for real . With my most recent wash, I tried the rinse and condition thing and my hair was so much harder to detangle . I have low porosity hair too, so I'm going to explore this double shampoo situation/ shampooing more in general.

My hair is easy to detangle but that may be because of the shampoo. As soon as I put conditioner in my hair, my hair just straightens out. Not sure why. My stylist noticed it too.

As far as the shampoo, here is the background for what to potentially have in your arsenal. I can't remember the term for it now (blah)

A clarifying shampoo to use approximately every 3 months. Some use it more often based on what they use on their hair, swimming or the hair is just acting funny.

An almost clarifying shampoo. I use TGIN. Suggested maybe 1x a month or as needed.

An all purpose shampoo. Depending on your hair this can be your weekly shampoo or as desired.

Moisturizing shampoo. This is the one I always finish with no matter which one I use first.

Can also have a cleansing conditioner (not a conditioner) and use this in place of the all purpose or cleansing.

My routine is for my 1st wash
I clarify a week before I do my color which is every 2 to 3 months.
I may use the almost clarifying once a month.
I use the all purpose all other times.

My 2nd wash is always my moisturizing shampoo.

Shampooing with 2 different shampoos has been the game changer for me. My hair was always brittle and dry before no matter how I conditioned and did other things.

Until I bought all of them I really didn't understand the difference. But now I know they are clearly different and can tell as soon as they hit my hair. Voila!

Hope that helps.

 

[fluffyforever]

Here are some hair pics of the texture I’m working with. I’m on second day hair.

I think I’m going to try to stretch out my wash days. I enjoy doing CCS everyday like Anthony Dickey says, but then I read/ heard somewhere while looking into blackgirlcurls that too much water too often can damage the cortex??? I wish I saved a screenshot of that comment. They didn’t say exactly what is too much water and what is too frequently. Did anyone else hear about this?

 

[Mapleoats]

To anyone who uses earth tones gel... did yours change color? I’ve used it maybe twice and I just noticed the color looks different than I remember. It doesn’t smell funny but I’m not sure if I should be concerned or not

 

[ckisland]

Here are some hair pics of the texture I’m working with. I’m on second day hair.

I think I’m going to try to stretch out my wash days. I enjoy doing CCS everyday like Anthony Dickey says, but then I read/ heard somewhere while looking into blackgirlcurls that too much water too often can damage the cortex??? I wish I saved a screenshot of that comment. They didn’t say exactly what is too much water and what is too frequently. Did anyone else hear about this?

View attachment 472797View attachment 472795View attachment 472793View attachment 472799

They're probably both talking about hygral fatigue. I definitely experienced this the times I've attempted daily wash n'gos. The idea is that daily swelling (water going into hair strands) and contracting (as water leaves strands) damages the hair shaft over time. I think that this is more of a curly hair problem because plenty of straight-haired people wash their hair daily with no issue. Oh! Just had a thought . The problem is probably water+conditioner (hygral fatigue + over conditioning). The people (non-blacks) that I knew who washed their hair daily either only used shampoo and only used conditioner under special circumstances. So far putting a day in between washes seems to be working out fine for me.

 

[Rocky91]

@faithVA and @fluffyforever both you have such beautiful hair.

I love how every single head of coils is unique, it’s one of the coolest things about wash-and-go styling.

 

[VictoriousBrownFlower]

@faithVA and @fluffyforever both you have such beautiful hair.

I love how every single head of coils is unique, it’s one of the coolest things about wash-and-go styling.

i always say natural hair is like finger prints. no one head of hair is the same.

 

[faithVA]

@faithVA and @fluffyforever both you have such beautiful hair.

I love how every single head of coils is unique, it’s one of the coolest things about wash-and-go styling.

Thank you @Rocky91. All the hair in here is beautiful. That is why it has always been one of my most favorite threads. I hung out in here even when wash and go wasn't a possibility for me.

I definitely agree that coils and curls are soooo unique. And then add the color and the cuts and the styling. Black women in general make hair exotic.

 

[faithVA]

i always say natural hair is like finger prints. no one head of hair is the same.

It really is like that I am always in awe.

 

[faithVA]

Here are some hair pics of the texture I’m working with. I’m on second day hair.

I think I’m going to try to stretch out my wash days. I enjoy doing CCS everyday like Anthony Dickey says, but then I read/ heard somewhere while looking into blackgirlcurls that too much water too often can damage the cortex??? I wish I saved a screenshot of that comment. They didn’t say exactly what is too much water and what is too frequently. Did anyone else hear about this?

View attachment 472797View attachment 472795View attachment 472793View attachment 472799

I have heard of what you are mentioning. My hair is low porosity so I never worried about it too much. It takes a rainstorm to get my hair soaking wet so no overwetting here. I also know Dickey says that coiler hair needs water more often.

I think some ladies that have issue with too much water, also over condition their hair, leaving conditioner on hours at a time and overnight. I think it is more an issue with letting the hair stay wet for long periods of time versus the frequency of. People are baggying, sleeping with conditioner, etc.

Subject Change: Your coils are super small and cute. There is a youtuber that has really small coils like that. And your shrinkage is amazing.

 

[faithVA]

As my hair dries, I can tell I need to spend more time smoothing the top section of my hair. I will set my hair in the shower initially and then finish up out of the shower to do the extra smoothing.

 

[fluffyforever]

I have heard of what you are mentioning. My hair is low porosity so I never worried about it too much. It takes a rainstorm to get my hair soaking wet so no overwetting here. I also know Dickey says that coiler hair needs water more often.

I think some ladies that have issue with too much water, also over condition their hair, leaving conditioner on hours at a time and overnight. I think it is more an issue with letting the hair stay wet for long periods of time versus the frequency of. People are baggying, sleeping with conditioner, etc.

Subject Change: Your coils are super small and cute. There is a youtuber that has really small coils like that. And your shrinkage is amazing.

I sleep with conditioner once in a while. I’ll make sure not to do that or at least not too often.

And thank you, and everyone, for the compliments. I love seeing all your pics and reading your updates.


Before I got on this wash n go bandwagon I would go weeks without shampooing and deep conditioning. I didn’t even like to fully wet my hair because I never let my hair dry loose, but it was too much effort to twist or braid at night after a long day at work. I really neglected my hair and because it was so broken and tangled and I didn’t want to have to deal with it. So then a year ago I did a major chop to get rid of the damage and start fresh. However I didn’t change and my hair was still suffering, but just shorter. I was losing so much hair whenI touched it, I was always amazed I wasn’t bald yet.

I didn’t really start taking better care of my hair until a couple of weeks ago. Wash n goes are the first style that I feel I can pull off last minute without notice, and the CCS routine is so simple that I feel I can keep it up and avoid falling into negative patterns again with my hair care. My hair isn’t shedding or breaking as much as it used to. There’s a real difference in the appearance and feel of my hair in such a short amount of time. Y’all just don’t know, I’m a ride or die natural on principle so I accepted the struggle years ago, but it’s so much better having hydrated, strong healthy hair.

This thread has been golden for me and I’m thankful for all of the contributions.

 

[faithVA]

I sleep with conditioner once in a while. I’ll make sure not to do that or at least not too often.

And thank you, and everyone, for the compliments. I love seeing all your pics and reading your updates.


Before I got on this wash n go bandwagon I would go weeks without shampooing and deep conditioning. I didn’t even like to fully wet my hair because I never let my hair dry loose, but it was too much effort to twist or braid at night after a long day at work. I really neglected my hair and because it was so broken and tangled and I didn’t want to have to deal with it. So then a year ago I did a major chop to get rid of the damage and start fresh. However I didn’t change and my hair was still suffering, but just shorter. I was losing so much hair whenI touched it, I was always amazed I wasn’t bald yet.

I didn’t really start taking better care of my hair until a couple of weeks ago. Wash n goes are the first style that I feel I can pull off last minute without notice, and the CCS routine is so simple that I feel I can keep it up and avoid falling into negative patterns again with my hair care. My hair isn’t shedding or breaking as much as it used to. There’s a real difference in the appearance and feel of my hair in such a short amount of time. Y’all just don’t know, I’m a ride or die natural on principle so I accepted the struggle years ago, but it’s so much better having hydrated, strong healthy hair.

This thread has been golden for me and I’m thankful for all of the contributions.

I'm glad you have seen such progress in just a few weeks. I feel you will definitely see much improvement in the next few months.