Background:
I used to take showers every night in high school before I settled down to do my homework or go to bed. When I came to college, I quite frankly didn’t want to shower because communal showers are gross!
What Happened?
Coming to college, I have been so busy doing so many things that there is very little time when it is convenient for me to shower. I no longer have a rhythm of showering and then going to bed because every day is different in college.
I try to work out in the morning, and then I have to shower afterwards because I am sweaty. However, I also go my whole day walking from class to class so that by the end of the day I need to shower again. For the first couple of weeks, I would shower in the morning and evening — eventually my hair became rough and was suffering severe damage from so much shampoo and hot water.
The Change:
As it becomes colder outside, I like to shower less because my skin becomes really dry and rough if I shower more frequently. I have always heard that it is good to give your hair a break, but I would never do that in high school because it was normal to shampoo and condition every evening.
The Situation:
Last week I had a busy week of going to the gym early in the morning and then having things to do all throughout the day and evening. It was also freezing cold weather outside. I did not want to shower after the gym because then my hair would be wet and essentially freeze when I walked outside for class, so I would just rinse off in the shower and not wash my hair. This cycle of not wanting to wash my hair after the gym continued the whole week until Saturday. Also, during this week I did not shower at night either, (unless to wash off,) because I do not like to go to bed with wet hair...such a dilemma!
Reflection:
I did not feel gross for not showering after the gym because I would sweat too much around my head/hair anyways… so what was the point of washing it?
I had this mindset for almost a week and while it was happening I was not thinking too much about it. I just had no desire to wash my hair.
What I Noticed:
Throughout the week, my hair was smooth and soft because I was protecting its natural oils by not washing my hair. I did notice by day 5 that my hair did get greasy, but nothing too bad that a headband and some dry shampoo couldn’t fix! I also noticed that since I did not use shampoo and conditioner, my showers were a lot shorter, (because I was only washing off,) and in turn there was not a surplus of chemicals and product going down the drain from me showering. I was able to save time and protect the environment!
I really liked not washing my hair every day, because it really did encourage my hair to restore itself and make itself smooth and soft. I think it was extreme to not wash my hair with water for a whole week; next time I take a break from washing my hair every day, I will at least rinse it in the shower to allow debris or dirt to wash away without drying my hair out.
Bottom Line:
I think everyone should try to thoroughly wash their hair at least every other day — this promotes a certain level of sustainability for the environment but also protects your beautiful hair from damage and overexposure.
I will be limiting the amount of time I wash my hair now because of this experience — and you should too!
Want to give this hair experience a shot? Check out this list of the best dry shampoos on the market in the link below– you don’t have to feel dirty and uncomfortable!