Shampoo

In a few short years, I’ve gone from washing my hair every single day to betting how many days I can go without washing my hair.

bloggess wannabee back
who’s that girl?

I suppose I could call it a matter of health. Most hair stylists agree. It’s not healthy to wash your hair every day. (I’m speaking of women here. Men, wash at will.) Over washing can mean over drying, especially as we get older and our hair loses its natural moisture and shine.

Good grief. That sounds like a shampoo commercial.

What was once a luxurious cleansing ritual now results in tresses crisp as sun-dried straw. Not pretty. Plus it takes so long to blow dry. Once upon a time, I thought nothing of spending hours on hair and makeup. Today it’s different. Pardon me, but I need to wash and go.

You know, I think it all started with that child I have. My hair was voluminous and glowing when I was pregnant with him. A few sleep-deprived months after giving birth, my hair (and the rest of me) looked tired. I barely had a moment to shower, much less dry and style. Besides, who has time for hair when there’s a boy’s childhood to be lived? There are Legos to assemble, imaginary wars to fight, books to read. Alas, I succumbed to the inevitable. I got mommy hair.

I cut it short. Then shorter. Then shorter. Then I saw myself in a photo. Shocked back to my senses, the race was on. A race more grueling than any marathon. Many of you recognize this perilous trek. Cursed is the day you agreed to layers and bangs. Your psyche bears the scars of the race to grow out your hair.

Since crossing the finish line about four years ago, I’ve kept my hair long. Pinterest helps me cope with impulses. When I see a photo that inspires me to cut my hair like hers, I pin it instead. Then I can think about it before I act on it. Maybe I’ll cut my hair short again some day. For now, I’ve relinquished my daily shampoo in order to preserve some semblance of health on my head.

I have to wonder if all this dryness has to do with our environment. No, not global warming. I’m talking about humidity. My hair was raised in Southern humidity. Most of my time in the Midwest has been spent in the drenching, river town seasons of St. Louis. It’s only recently we moved to the arid prairie-land of Kansas. Even the snow is dry here. Surely that must take a toll on my hair.

bloggess wannabee
I am not the bloggess (as if there was any confusion about that)

One of my friends has her hair done at the salon each week. She swears by the blow out. Says she doesn’t have to do a thing between visits. My stylist suggested pricey keratin treatments to make my hair like silk. Moisturized, manageable, lustrous silk.

But I know stress shows up in my skin. Makes sense it would show up in my hair. Forget the humidity, the expensive treatments, the weekly blow outs.

What I need is a vacation.

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Matthew 10:30 NIV

Props to the 90s and Swedish bands. Beautiful Life by Ace of Base.

What do you and your hair need?

26 thoughts on “Shampoo”

  1. You crack me up. I am reading past blogs – sort of catching up… I skip around so I have gone from March for Life to finding a church to hair…

  3. OOOH. My hair needs a stylist. Someone who can cut curly hair in a way that it doesn’t get frizzy, yet doesn’t charge $60+ for a cut/blow (not including shampoo). Bonus points for not trying to cut me something that’s useless for me: something I can put in a ponytail for working out (or lab class; or when I run out of time and can’t wash my hair before rushing off somewhere), but something I can wear loose without looking like either a moron or a neurotic bottle brush.
    Also, a completely odor-free dye, which actually covers up gray. I hit my mom’s genes on starting to go gray around 16, but I’m thankfully not as fast as her: she was almost completely white by 24 or so. Yet, I refrain from dyeing, as my husband REALLY hates the lingering smell of peroxyde on my head.
    Ah…. a girl can dream, I guess… I may as well include Hawaii in those dreams.

  4. Aimee-

    Not surprisingly, I loved this post and am with you 100%… Ever since giving birth to my first child 11 years ago, I’ve been on the “every other day” plan, though it varies by season. (After those long days at the pool in the summer I need to wash off the chlorine, sweat, and sunscreen; in the winter I can go 3-4 days between showers, thanks to the great dry shampoo products and my ultimate dirty hair weapon, adorable Heidi-style braids. ;) I won’t, however, confess to the length of time I let pass between shaving my legs in the winter…Hey, if I can’t see it, it’s not there! LOL)

    And I too made the mistake not of getting a full “chop” (my dear husband would despair–he’s always had a thing for long locks), but of trying bangs (horrible decision) and layers (horrible decision). Takes FOREVER to grow out, and I am now happy to do get a trim about once a year (when I remember to). I love your hair long, and I hope you’ll post a pic from when you got out of the salon chair! :)

    Vivent les cheveux longs!

    1. Oui! Je suis d’accord avec Todd. Ne pas couper vos cheveux!

      Evy, my stylist here in Wichita, likes to give me Hollywood hair–a style I cannot possibly replicate at home. That’s what she was doing the day of these photos. When I looked up from my magazine and saw all the rolled locks, I thought of The Bloggess’ photo with her hair up in rollers.

  5. I try to bush hog my chin about once for every time I scrub the top of my head. Oh, and I get a lot of mileage from an instrument called “hat – fedora”.

    Ladies hair is important because it is important to ladies, and ladies are important to me. Indirect connection there.

  6. I wash my hair every other day, on the off days I use a dry shampoo and a texture spray to give it the fullness it needs. My hair is oily—I can go three days without washing but I hardly do that. I gave up washing my hair each day about six months ago and I can tell a huge difference, hardly any split ends. I also do not flat iron my hair. I use a round brush while drying to give it fullness and life.

  7. Love. So very true. I only wash every 3-4 days, and still – still! – I hate the blow drying. I have read in big cities there are blow dry bars; like you can go in and have your hair washed and dried anytime, for cheap. We do not have this in the rural Midwest but if we did…

    1. I think you’re right, Holly. My friend who does the weekly blow out lives in St. Louis. I think she goes to one of the “bars” rather than her normal stylist. “Big” cities also have nail salons a-plenty, something my nails and I miss, but that is another post :)

  9. I am laughing at the post today. I am out the door to the cattle feed yard by 6:00 every morning—my alarm goes off at 5:35 and I don’t get out of bed until about 5:50. Simple math shows how much time I take to do my hair each morning! My hair is long and straight–it has been since 9th grade. I threaten to cut it every once in a while, but my husband always talks me out of it.

    Interestingly enough, God blessed me with three daughters. Two of them are old enough now that they mess with hair and make-up. It’s fun to watch!

    Good luck with both your hair and Hawaii :)
    Anne

  11. I’ve been considering wigs for everyday – new color, style, length without the wash/dry/blowout, which I still do daily – my short locks require it if I’m to leave the house at all!!! There is no true answer for the hair dilemma – just keep buying into the products of promise, & maybe one will actually be the hair miracle we’re all waiting for! HA!!!

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