Poo-less hair: troubleshooting

I have been keeping my hair clean without the use of shampoo for about nine months now.  Soon after, I described the basic idea behind poo-less hair and my initial report. I was very excited: my hair became stronger, thicker, held its shape better and for the first time in my life since early childhood I was dandruff-free. As a result, I decided to grow my hair long.  This was significant as I had given up on the idea of long hair years ago, because it was just too fine and brittle and refused to get better despite all the salon products.

A few months later, I started doubting myself as things took a turn for the worse.  The primary symptom: it just didn't look or feel clean. I began getting itchy scalp again and did not like the limp oily dirty hair I saw in the mirror. Because I was doing something so "weird", I began questioning my premises. Thankfully, I had the sense to stop engaging in self-doubt (hardly ever productive) and started experimenting.

My main discovery was, getting the long thick hair I had developed clean, required more than getting it wet. Discarding shampoos, conditioners and the lengthy process of applying them was liberating. After a while, I got into the habit of sticking my head under the running shower and jumping out. This was not working and I created a hair cleaning routine I would like to share today.

1. Get your hair thoroughly wet. The more hair, the more time this will take.
2. Scrub, scratch and massage the hair.  We go through this automatically when applying shampoo. Without it, it's easy to forget.
3. Repeat the process several separate times over the course of the shower, allowing water to soak in-between.
4. Occasionally, baking soda is great for removing impurities.  I get some on the palm of my hand, then on my fingertips and massage it into the scalp, rinsing immediately. This will also remove any smells, such as chlorine.
5. End the shower with cold water.  Sounds scary? You'll be amazed at how wonderful your body feels after the shock. Not you?  Fine. Don't subject your whole body to it - just the hair. That doesn't even feel cold, particularly in a hot steamy bathroom at the end of a shower.
6. Towel-dry your hair thoroughly, massaging vigorously. You want the scalp to get nourishment from a rush of blood caused by the vigorous rubbing.
7. After toweling off the rest of your body, come back to the hair.  Thick hair absorbs more water. By the time you get back to it, it's wet all over again!
8. Brush several times, flipping hair in different directions.
9. Run hands through the drying hair, flip it, brush it again over the course of the morning.  (You are running around getting dressed and making coffee anyway - just stop by the vanity mirror 2-3 times to brush it again.) The purpose here is to prevent hair from drying flat. The result is beautiful voluminous hair like I personally have never seen on my head.
10. Go back to your shower and look at the drain. No hair! Surprised? I know I was.

Another tip: find a good hairstylist who cuts with your natural hair in mind.  Explain that you do not use hair products and need a haircut that complements your natural style. If at that point they ask you to look at the book - run. The stylist needs to respond immediately with ideas. You'll be happier if you ask that he does not style your hair at the end, but has you wait till it air-dries. Then you'll be able to see what it looks like.  A hairstylist that suggests that or responds positively is the right person.  As your hair gets thicker as a result of eliminating soap, it will be harder and harder to control where it goes. So haircut really begins to matter.

And a few points of interest. Women in Uzbekistan wear their hair in dozens of braids. I think, forty is standard.The ability to have full braids is vital to a woman's beauty. All of them wash hair with sour milk.  My father was evacuated from Leningrad as a boy and spent two years there.  He said, their hair was the fullest and most beautiful he had ever seen on a woman - but it wreaked of buttermilk!  If you want to try this approach without the nasty smell, use baking soda afterward - and you are in great shape!

My grandmother washed her hair in egg. I personally never tried it and it doesn't sound appealing. But who knows - may be there is something to it.

A vinegar solutions is great for eliminating dandruff-causing bacteria. Don't forget that baking soda if you spend time with humans!

My mother used to try to get my hair healthier with henna. I am not sure it worked, but henna is a natural hair dye if you think you look good as a redhead. It will not damage your hair, but give it a golden tint.