Is easier to go no shampoo with short hair compared to long hair?

HECK YES! No bones about it. Short hair (a bob or shorter) transitions so much easier. You don’t need to worry about distributing the sebum, or making sure your ends don’t go dry. The day I got a pixie cut heralded 2 lovely years that required ZERO thoughts about hair. These days my hair is long and I have to brush it and add oil to it and things. No dramas at all as I am loving my long hair, but it takes more thought. Transitioning with short hair is also a completely breeze.

Are certain hair types easier to go no shampoo with?

Yep. The coarser and thicker the hair, the easier it is. The finer the hair the harder. It can be done. (I am a fine headed person myself) but it takes more gumption.

I also beleive that diet, as much as anything, impacts the ease of going no shampoo. it would be easier not to beleive this, but the food we eat can help or hinder the state of our hair. Here are some ideas for Best Food For Healthy Hair.

What is the hardest thing about no shampoo?

That initial stage the “transition” between shampoo and no shampoo. It can be a real challenge but in my opinion it is so worth it.

What is the best thing about no shampoo?

Ah, freedom from hair washing! For me, anyway. I used to be locked into a every-other-day-habit. I had to use an array of products to get it to look how I wanted it. These days I feel really relaxed about my hair and don’t think about it much at all. Well, apart from when writing an entire website about it! HA!

Other people have other best things though. Curing skin and scalp problems- some as serious as eczema. Discovering GREAT natural hair. Saving money.

How long does it take for your hair to stop being greasy?

This is the billion dollar no shampoo question! If only I could look at your hair and give you an answer. Actually, I possibly could! The transition from shampoo to no shampoo can take one week or six months.

For me it went in stages. It seemed to get less greasy at about 4 months, but for every months after that my hair got better and better. About 18 months in I felt like my hair was a different head of hair than I had begun with. It was fuller and healthier and shinier.

If you go cold turkey (using nothing but brushing) transitioning takes less time but is REALLY full on. On the other end of the spectrum you can use all the healthy shampoo alternatives out there every other day and your hair will probably look marvellous the whole time but it will stretch out your transition to a few months.

It truly depends on what kind of hair you have and how hardcore you want to go.

It feels like there is too much sebum on my hair – do I just keep trying different washes?

Yeah. A common part of transition is sebum overload. Such a bummer. Your hair just keeps producing that stuff- give it a break, you’ve been confusing it for 2 decades by stripping the sebum off every day! Haha.

Different washes can get rid of sebum to differing degrees. Baking soda gets rid of it well. Rye flour also.

If it is feeling heavy and waxy it might also be a product of your water supply. Please read Washing Hair With Water Only to learn about hard water wax and how to sort it out!

Can I put sugar and random ingredients on my hair?

The name of the No Shampoo game is EXPERIMENTATION! Sugar is one way of getting rid of build up so good work for figuring that out! Honestly, I put stuff on my hair all the time to see what it will do. If you can eat it – stick it on your hair and tell me what happens!

What are the best tips for tangles?

I think preventative is the best way! I slick on a bit of argan oil or jojoba oil every couple of days. For children you might want to do this everyday, if they are up for it. It simply stops tangles getting hold.

Tangles often occur when the shingles on your hair shaft are not laying flat because you have used something alkaline on them (say, your water or baking soda) – ACV is a really important step for the baking soda routine as it smooths out your shingles! Make sure you are using shampoo alternatives that are either ph balanced or have a ph balancing step to them.

For major knots I use egg yolk mixed with one table spoon of acv and one teaspoon of maple syrup and one teaspoon of olive oil. I leave it on and pull a comb through it. You might need another egg yolk to sit on the mixture to make sure you get all the oil out after.

If hair is constantly knotty consider doing a fortnightly oil treatment.

How do hairdressers respond to No Shampoo Hair?

This completely depends on your hairdresser, however I recommend the following: