I really need to be a person who doesn't was my hair everyday. Help me!

[madderose]

I am 36 and for as long as I can remember I have showered every morning and washed and blow dried my hair. It is thick, long bob, in good condition but looks oily at the roots after a day.

My circumstances have changed recently and I have a v long commute to work, and I really need to save time on a morning. But how do I do it?

I could wash the night before and blow dry, but then if I leave my hair loose at night it will be frazzled when I wake up. If I tie it up it then has a kink- is there some kind of bobble I need to avoid that?

What about dry shampoo? It makes my hair look powdery? Am I doing it wrong??

If I sleep on it it also has a weird fluffy and unruly texture in the morning- I just prefer the slippery smooth texture when it's been washed and blow dried I suppose.

I'm terrible at anything like french plaits stuff like that, even tho I have watched a million you tube tutorials. I cant even do a nice pony tail.

So I need your help, where am I going wrong? Do I really just need to get up at 5.30 to wash and blow dry?

What clarifying shampoos do you all use? I struggle to find them, so end up with vosene! I only use it every few weeks, but I love, no need, hair products in my life so I do need to eliminate the build up. Is there something less harsh perhaps?

@LionessRoar

In regards to straighteners, I’m the same as you in that I don’t like the poker straight look as I find it too severe. My straighteners died a few weeks ago and I bought a straightening brush from Amazon instead for around £20. I love it, so much more natural looking than straighteners. It straightens and smooths frizz so hair looks straight but not poker straight or flat. Just makes my wavy hair look like it’s naturally straight, rather than looking like I’ve straightened it within an inch of its life. Super quick to use too

Can you link to the brush you bought please?

Dry shampoo definitely. Can get an extra day out of my hair with it whereas every other day washing is required otherwise.

@LionessRoar

In regards to straighteners, I’m the same as you in that I don’t like the poker straight look as I find it too severe. My straighteners died a few weeks ago and I bought a straightening brush from Amazon instead for around £20. I love it, so much more natural looking than straighteners. It straightens and smooths frizz so hair looks straight but not poker straight or flat. Just makes my wavy hair look like it’s naturally straight, rather than looking like I’ve straightened it within an inch of its life. Super quick to use too

Mine looks like that with GHDs anyway. If it goes poker straight it soon develops a wave in it.

I've just started washing every four days instead of daily because I had rainbow hair done in August and wanted to keep it as long as I could. Hair is now much better between washes :)

My hairdresser advised dry shampoo through roots, shower cap while I shower, then blast it with cool air from the hairdryer (if not coloured you can get away with hot) and a brush to blow all the product through & out. Works a treat!

I'm 6 months in to only washing my hair once a week and my hair is still awful.
As soon as I'm back at the office I'll be back to washing as often as it needs. It's still greasy every day and I resort to dry shampoo if I know someone will see me that day.
I'd love to know how long it's going to take so that I don't need to go through so much dry shampoo!

@Rina66 I love the Ouai clarifying shampoo. Pricey, but worth it! It smells gorgeous too.
I used to wash mine every day and have got it down to 3x per week (on the days I run, as it gets all sweaty). I did it by switching to milder shampoo, so either the Ouai or Living Proof PHD, and using Klorane dry shampoo when it needs it.

Thank you @schmalex I’ve just ordered it from ASOS 😉 Love how their shampoos are for thick hair, fine hair etc - that’s interesting, rather than dry, normal, greasy. I also ordered the rose hair and body oil and was very tempted by the leave in conditioner but I’ll start with those 2. Thanks for the recommendation.

I do also think this depends a lot on your hair type. I have to wash my hair everyday to combat 1) grease and 2) the fact that it sticks up and lies really weird and flat / kinky and straightening doesn't do a bloody thing other than amplifies the grease, even with dry shampoo. I've gave up.

To be honest, I find that washing my hair is often quicker (and more successful) than trying to fix it/make it look presentable on a non-wash day. And even if I manage a half decent fix, it looks dreadful by lunch time!

You need straighteners. I wash and dry and straighten with cloud 9's. My hair stays exactly the same for 2 days between washes.

Dry shampoo put it on at night before bed. Remove any excess with a dry flannel and wipe it out.

Good to know @Graciebobcat, never tried GHDs as the price put me off.
@blueskys72 I’m hoping this link works... www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B083K491Z3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?psc=1&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&ie=UTF8

@Biancadelrioisback honestly? It’s probably not going to get much better than it is now.

I broke my leg and spent six months in a cast - showering/hair washing was a mission so I thought it would be an ideal time to train my hair not to need to be washed everyday.

I can now wash it every other but it needs dry shampoo the second day really else it’s flat by lunch time.

I honestly think you either have hair that can go a week between washes or you don’t.

@madderose At uni I lived with a girl who only washed her hair once a week - she had the most beautiful volumised hair but it took her 3 hours on wash day and at least half hour every week day to restyle (she had naturally really curly hair and wore it straight is why she only washed it once’s a week, it took a lot of heat abuse )

On the other hand I can be up, showered, rough dried hair and finished with Revlon One Step, full face of makeup and dressed and out the door in half an hour - with boob length hair as well.

If I was you I’d grow your hair a bit longer and look at time saving tools, you’ll spend almost as much time trying to fix a day old style as you will just washing it.

If I was you I’d grow your hair a bit longer and look at time saving tools, you’ll spend almost as much time trying to fix a day old style as you will just washing it.

Very true, sadly. I have tried to reduce time spent on makeup, to make my morning routine a bit quicker. Also, if I try to put my hair up, to save washing, it just exposes the roots, which are always the worst bits!