I’ve Tested Several Hair Washing Hacks, and Some of Them Actually Work
People with curly hair know how hard it can be to untangle your locks after a shower without pulling all your hair out. The roots can become quite greasy, but the tips look fragile and dry. Sometimes it seems like the only thing that can help is going to the beauty salon frequently.
My name is Maria, and, specially for CHEERY, I decided to test several hair washing life hacks that are supposed to make hair shiny and remove snarls. Some of them really work!
My hair struggles
My hair is thin and curly. I used to dye it, but the hair would quickly become dry, fragile, and it was almost impossible to brush it well. So, I decided to return to my natural color and stop using a hairdryer.
It didn’t help much. I still had snarls at the back. I either had to spend 20-30 minutes untangling my hair or cut out the snarls with scissors. I had to do something about it. So, I looked online and found a few tips from ordinary users and professionals that looked promising.
I decided to test some of the most popular tips first
A girl online recommended washing hair not the way we usually do, but vice versa, going from the back of the head to the forehead. So, I decided to do it in the sink. I thought it would be easier.
The guidance I found said to apply conditioner first, and then wash your hair with shampoo after.
I also learned that I should use less shampoo than I usually do. The amount should be around the size of two bottle caps in the palm of your hand. The foam shouldn’t cover your entire head, as that will only harm your hair.
I decided to dilute the shampoo in my palms with water because I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to wash my hair thoroughly if there wasn’t enough shampoo to spread around. It helped.
After that, I rinsed my hair well, trying to remove all the shampoo and conditioner. One of the recommendations was, “When you think you’ve rinsed your hair enough, spend as much time on rinsing again.” So, instead of 3-4 minutes, I kept my hair in the water for 7-8 minutes.
It turned out that drying hair in a towel wrap is not recommended, and rubbing it is discouraged as well. Both harm the hair.
So, I just patted my hair with a towel and let it dry. I covered my shoulders to prevent the water from going down my back.
The result was unexpected. When my hair was dry, it was easy to brush and there were no snarls. The curls were loose and wavy.
But one unpleasant effect was that my hair was fluffy like a dandelion. When I brushed it, it wanted to stand up. So, I thought I needed to try a different method.
I decided to check whether the water temperature has any effect on the result
First, I wet my hair with warm, almost hot water. In theory, it was supposed to open the cuticles and improve the effect of the shampoo and conditioner.
Again, I applied a little shampoo only on my scalp and started to massage it carefully from side to side.
It was hard to resist the urge to scrub my scalp and hair. It seemed the hair would remain greasy.
After that, I washed the shampoo off with cold, almost icy water. It wasn’t very pleasant, and I was happy I was doing it in the sink, and not the shower. If I had to shower in such cold water, I wouldn’t be able to stand it for too long.
This time, I liked the result more. The hair was still a bit fluffy, but seemed heavier. The curls disappeared after I was finished brushing. I didn’t really need to brush too much because the locks already looked quite natural.
And there were no snarls on the back. My hair looked very healthy and shiny!
The results: how these hacks helped me
After the experiment, I started using way less shampoo and my hair became greasy only 3 or 4 days after washing, instead of getting greasy the very next day as it used to.
Washing my hair in cold water makes it look more shiny. I have also stopped rubbing my hair hard when washing, so my locks don’t get tangled and are easy to brush. So, some of these tips turned out to be really effective!
What hair washing tips do you have? Share them in the comment section below!