How to Wash Your Hair Less With Hair Training

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The ultimate hair hack is learning how to use hair training! Washing your hair less often while reaping the healthy benefits will change your hair routine for good.

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What is hair training?

Hair training takes time (and patience), but it is SO worth it!  At first, I didn’t know it was even an option to train your hair to last longer between washings.  I thought washing hair needed to occur daily.  Maybe every other day if you were feeling rebellious.  I had no idea there was another way!  Now, I can go weeks… yes WEEKS… without washing my hair! 

What are the benefits of hair training?

Not only did hair training free up my time, it has benefited me in many other areas that I didn’t expect.  Just to name a few:

1. It saves me time every day that I’m not washing or waiting for my hair to dry
2. It saves money on shampoo & conditioner
3. My hair gets more breaks from toxins and perfumes that are in shampoo & conditioner
4. My hair looks healthier & has more volume
5. My hair grows faster
6. I don’t need to get my hair trimmed as often

Did you know that in the Victorian ages, it was common to wash your hair ONCE A MONTH?  Can you imagine all the time you’d save if you only washed your hair once every 30 days??? Years ago, I would’ve been grossed out and horrified at the thought.  After experiencing the benefits of hair training, I will never go back.

Why is hair training difficult?

Training your hair can seem difficult at first.  It’s hard to break the habit that we’ve been doing for years!  Mentally, we feel like we NEED to wash our hair.  Visually, if we see a bit of shine, our instinct is to start heating up the shower.  We have to force ourselves to break this cycle and trust the process.  (We might even benefit from a Hair Washing Anonymous support group…)

When you go longer between washing your hair, oil (deemed as “grease”) is unavoidable.  My hair used to start to shine (and not in a good way) within 24 hours after washing it.  It’s a dead-giveaway that your hair isn’t washed.  We start to feel like a walking PSA, announcing to the world that we’re neglecting our hygiene.  But don’t fear, there are tricks to hide that grease!  The world will be none the wiser to your little secret.

The Importance of Hair Brushing

First, brush your hair!  This might already be a part of your daily routine, but it wasn’t a part of mine.  I have wavy hair, so I don’t typically brush my hair because it seems to flatten it out and give it a wild, staticky look.  I definitely avoided brushing my roots for fear that it would amplify the grease.  But to my surprise, I learned that brushing the oil from your roots to your tips is healthy for your hair!  I couldn’t believe it.  I was given the green light to go to town on my hair with a brush.

I can tell a huge difference in my hair health now.  I’m brushing from root to tip & it seems to give my tips the moisture they need while eliminating the oily look at my roots.  Refinery 29 suggests using a real boar bristle brush for the best results.  I’m not that fancy, so I just use my $14 Lily England brush & it seems to do the trick.

What are the benefits of dry shampoo?

Dry shampoo has been my loyal friend for years now.  I can’t believe I ever lived without it!  It has been the biggest factor in hair training for me. It allows you to give your hair a clean look without washing it. It basically soaks up any oil & masks any odor your hair might have.

The beginning of my journey started like this: instead of washing my hair on day 2, I would dry shampoo my hair.  And slowly,  but surely, I was using dry shampoo instead of washing on days 3 & 4…. And then I could use dry shampoo instead of washing on days 5 & 6.  Now I don’t even have to use dry shampoo until day 6 after washing my hair!  I just wash, live my life for 5 days, and then BAM… add a little dry shampoo.

Which dry shampoo is the best?

When I first started using dry shampoo, I quickly learned that Dove Dry Shampoo was cost-effective, smelled great, & looked the most natural on my hair.  The only issue was, my scalp would get itchy after using it for a few days in a row.  Then, I’d be forced to wash my hair to alleviate the dry, itchy scalp.

Later, I how to make an all-natural dry shampoo powder that changed everything. It’s made from minimal & natural ingredients like arrowroot powder. (Find the recipe in my free e-book!) Although the bottle is tiny, it actually lasts me 3x longer than a bottle of Dove dry shampoo!

My hair looks clean & my scalp feels healthy from making the switch.  It has allowed for me to push my washing day out to DAY 14! That’s right, I can now go 14 days without washing my hair & I don’t experience an itchy scalp. 

How to style hair during hair training?

While you’re training your hair and trying to prolong your washing day, utilize hairstyles!  The messy bun doesn’t just get it’s name for the messy look – it also conceals your messy, unwashed hair 😉

Braids, headscarves, & hair bands can also go a long way while you’re training your hair.  You’ll look stylish without letting others know that you skipped a washing!

What hair products to use when washing hair?

Hair washing day is like a sacred holiday in my house.  I enjoy a nice long shower as I lather and rinse with a vengeance.  Not really… I just make sure to utilize the right product, which is leave-in conditioner. 

Another reason I’ve been able to push my hair washing to day 14 is because my hair stays hydrated with volume from the leave-in conditioner.  I prefer to use Paul Mitchell’s Original Conditioner, but I’ve had success with other brands as well.  

The key is to put the leave-in conditioner on your hair while you’re in the shower.  I shampoo like normal & then add the leave-in conditioner to my hair.  I make sure to finger brush the conditioner through ALL of my hair (root to tips) & then leave it in (hence the name).  Don’t rinse the conditioner out!  Just get out of the shower and dry your hair like normal.  Ta-da!  You’ll have moisturized hair with nice volume for days upon days.

How to Start Hair Training

If you want to train your hair, start out slow.  For the next few weeks, push your hair washing day out by one day & replace it with a quick dry shampoo instead.  Then, push your washing day out by two days for a few weeks, so on and so forth.  Eventually you’ll start to notice that your hair doesn’t need the dry shampoo as quickly and you’ll get into a groove of pushing your hair washing days out further.  Regardless, just be patient and give it time.  I promise, it’ll be worth it!

Example Schedule:
Day 1: Wash hair
Day 2: Dry shampoo
Day 3: Wash hair
Day 4: Dry shampoo
(Repeat)

In a few weeks, push it out a day…
Day 1: Wash hair
Day 2: Dry shampoo
Day 3: Dry shampoo
(Repeat)

In a few more weeks, push it out another day…
Day 1: Wash hair
Day 2: Relax
Day 3: Dry shampoo
Day 4: Dry shampoo
(Repeat)

My Current Hair Training Schedule:

Day 1: Wash hair – Wield the power of leave-in conditioner

Day 2-5: RELAX

Day 6: Whip out the dry shampoo (if needed)

Day 7-13: Utilize fun hairstyles & use dry shampoo 

Day 14: RINSE & REPEAT 😉

Hair Training Overview

Hair training doesn’t happen overnight.  You’ll slowly, but surely, push your hair washing day out until you reach the length that works best for you.  For several years, I would just go 4-5 days between washings.  It worked best with my schedule.  When I decided I needed more of a break, I incorporated the tips above to push it out even further.  Who knows, 14 days might just be a pit stop for me until I decide to push it even more.  No matter what happens, I’m going to continue to enjoy the freedom of hair training!

Now that you have more time on your hands from less hair washing – check out my post about the benefits of adding sketching into your daily routine to improve your overall health.

If you’re looking for other ways to simplify your beauty and hygiene routines, check out:

How to Stop Using Deodorant

5 Easy Ways to Switch to Clean Beauty

Body Butter With Tallow & Shea Butter

Ways To Boost Your Mood Naturally At Home

Best Sea Salt Spray Recipe That Wont Dry Out Hair

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