So Out It's In: Unwashed Hair

Most female morning routines usually go something like this: brush teeth, take shower, wash hair, dry hair, style hair. Mine goes something like this: brush teeth, put on shower cap, take shower. You'll notice that's three steps I'm leaving out, with a net loss of two. The minutes I save not washing my hair everyday leaves me time to enjoy the front page of the newspaper, watch a little of The Today Show, and indulge my over-eating habits at breakfast with homemade egg sandwiches, fresh fruit and a few bites of ice cream from the freezer. My unwashed hair and I always leave the apartment well-rested, briefed on the day's news, and full-bellied. So out it's in: dirty hair.

There are reasons I don't wash my hair daily, and they're not all related to saving time and energy. But before I delve into those, a little history: I discovered the beauty of dirty hair when I was 17, arguably the greasiest time in any adolescent's life. I was on an Outward Bound sailing course for thirty days without modern conveniences like toilets, sinks, showers, and soap. For the first week I was more concerned with how my hair was going to look than with charting the day's course (I still say those rocks came out of nowhere) but by the second week, I was sailing the boat with one hand and flirtatiously running my fingers through my hair with the other. The dirt had settled. Neptune was smiling. My hair never looked better.

I have very fine, curly hair that has always been in need of a little volume. The curl-to-fine-follicle ratio is such that the weight of it all pulls my hair down and forms a plateau. It's flat on the top but extends outwards in curly walls of a hard-to-manage mess. (An ex-boyfriend of mine once compared it to Samuel Adams' coif. We broke up two months later.)

For 16 years I had accepted this genetic betrayal as my legacy, but a few weeks away from the shampoo showed me that a little dirt and a little grease gives me way more volume than a wash, a condition, and a mousse. And I've never looked back.

Since the trip I've washed my hair about twice a week. And that's only because sometimes I like to straighten it (which necessitates a wash, condition, and blow-dry) and other times because I'm feeling extra tired, and washing my hair wakes me up a bit. Nothing like cold water pounding the scalp to get the eyes open. Even if I go to the gym and have a sweaty workout, I don't stray from the routine. The more sweat, the more volume. Week at the beach? Wonderful! Salt does wonders for skin, scalp, and hair.

If you're concerned about smell, there are great hair deodorizers and mists that leave hair smelling fresh and clean. I've got one from Bath and Body Works that's terrific. If grease is your fear, dissolve it with a hair powder spray that creates instant fullness, enhances color, and adds grip. This centuries-old technique was used by fashionistas in Paris, Parliament members in the UK, and Native Americans. I think Marie Antoinette and Sacagawea expressed it best when they said, "Hair powder is bananas. I die." Wait, maybe that was Rachel Zoe, but regardless, hair powder is a transformative product that is now a necessary addition to all mirrored-cupboards nationwide. I use it even after a wash to get a little grit back in that I just rinsed out. Love that volume.

It takes a while to get used to dirty hair, and the hardest part may just be breaking the routine of washing it. It's not for everyone, but I sure as heck endorse the dirty head. And the saved time.

Sammy Adams, eat your heart out.

Follow Lindsay Mannering on Twitter: www.twitter.com/LindsayVirginia

Comments

[JScott]

Depends on the hair you have and it's length.
I need to do it regularly but I use a mild shampoo. Once I heard a barber say you should not use Prell, it's like using Comet cleanser on your hair.

[angry expat]

1. In the US there is a deeply-rooted phobia of our natural body odors, which are essential to many of life's functions, including finding a mate. Perfume and deodorant mask the way a person truly smells and can lead to a partner mismatch and an unhappy union. In other societies people don't absolutely FREAK OUT over a bit of b.o. There's a time and a place for everything. In this culture of the unnatural, the fear of smelling "bad" is so strong that many people won't even take the time to consider why things are this way.

2. Black people CANNOT and MUST NOT wash our hair every day as it strips the hair of natural oils and water dries out skin and hair as it evaporates.

[donorman]

My 16 yrs old son must be one of hippest cats at school.

[MadOzbo]

Let's just put it this way...
If you look like you sleep under a bridge, people will assume you sleep under a bridge.

You won't find many (if any) successful people looking like something from a dumpster, with greasy, stinky (Those deoderants don't make the stink go away, they just cover it up ~ poorly), filthy looking hair, making big business deals, attracting powerful and successful contacts, and enjoying the company of attractive, intelligent people.

You lay with dogs, you get up with fleas.
Appearances count.
Dirty hair, like dirty bodies stink. They just don't notice it, because their olfactory nerves tune out the smell after awhile.

People who believe in deliberate filth are the ones you loathe to stand behind in the check out line...Ick.

[sophieozz]

If you live in a polluted urban environment or have occasion to sweat a lot, you've got to shampoo more regularly. I've been downwind of someone's "hairstink" on too many occasions.

[Marlyn]

Why not give up showers too?

[BRlongview]

Yeah i totally agree! i'm a guy and i stopped washing my hair because i'm growing it out... I still rinse it, in the shower, but i only use shampoo once a week. And after that i put oil back into it (olive oil--use sparingly), cause it gets poofy otherwise. I love the look, it's piecey and heavy but still soft, so you can run your hands through it. ;) but it still takes some attention. plus, I think it's easier for guys to pull it off, cause we're "supposed" to look carefree and grungy sometimes. This kind of thing is ideal for guys and girls with "mid length" hair... about 4-6 inches long... otherwise, yyeah... shorter hair requires gel or cream, and longer hair requires... well... who knows... mine's never been that long. We'll see in a few months. ;)

But you have to "be" that person, it's a tough line to walk, acting professional in a button-down and black polished shoes... and then a mop of dirty hair on top, but it sure is sexy at home! :)

[alieninvader]

I started washing my hair every other day about a year ago. At first it didn't look as good on the second day, but after a while it adjusted. Now it looks best on the second day and sometimes I can go a third. Yes, I do work out, and sweat makes it full and manageable. My hairdresser even attested to that. One reason for my change in routine is that my hair is now pretty long. What used to be 5 minutes of styling has now increased dramatically.

[obamadeus]

You don't wash it after exercising?

[hypnotoad72]

Odd. Every time I go out with unwashed hair, people think I'm unkept, deathly ill, toss quarters at me because they think I'm homeless...

Rather like how the teenie-boppers' current clothing style is to buy new clothes made to look grungy...

Let me guess: The clothing industry is gloom and doom about GLOBAL MARKET CRASH AND WE'S ALL GONNA DIE(tm) so they want all the Gen-Y muppets to get used to looking like beggars?

[rini]

What if you work out and sweat a lot when you do....every day??

I gotta wash my hair. At least I don't blow dry it. I just put it back and go.

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

Nope. Sorry. Definitely out.

[wm1066]

If you do this you need to get a really fine comb to comb the particles and grease out of your hair, something like the combs they use to delouse dogs works.