I am the queen of wash and gos! Love ‘em and mainly because I’m a super lazy natural and find them to be easy, quick, and allow me to wet my hair more often.
I love wetting my hair in the shower and even back in the day when I was rocking the long box braids (not Beyoncé braids, Janet Jackson braids…I’m older than most of you!”> I would wet my hair and let them air-dry in the glorious but humid New Orleans weather. I’ve always wanted wash and go hair so now that I have it I can’t get enough of it!
OK, let’s get to the important part…
Tangles can cause your wash and go experience to be less inviting and more work than you bargained for if you don’t properly prepare and purposefully pick positive approaches.
DO co-wash over shampoo-wash
Co-washing was made for the wash and go divas. Granted, it’s great or needed for most curly girls to keep your hair properly hydrated and keeping the tangles at bay. The bottom line is shampoos do their job and they do it well…well, too well actually. They remove the dirt, toxins, and product buildup while also removing the natural oils we need in our strands to keep the elasticity so they don’t break. Shampoo will also get your hair squeaky clean and rough, and my hair tends to tangle more in that state. There is no lubrication, if you will.
Co-washing cleanses the hair but since it has conditioner as the base it’s more soothing to the strands and allows better manageability. More oils are left (or added”> and they are great for removing tangles like a boss.
DO be generous with the conditioner
Conditioner is your friend! Slather it on, be heavy-handed, and make that bottle your own! It’s time to be sloppy, messy, down-right silly with the conditioner as it will make detangling a breeze by allowing the knots to slide out with ease. The goal is to coat each strand of hair have a generous amount of conditioner so that they are less apt to break or tangle.
DO protect your hair at night
This should be done for whatever style you are rocking but for the wash and go, it’s imperative to keep that hair protected for the following reasons:
- It keeps your coils, curls, and waves from crushing, matting, or molding out of shape by the sheets or pillows.
- It will help in getting second or even third day hair.
- It keeps the tangles a bay. You will probably need more than just a satin bonnet in order for the style to lasts. Many curlies will also pineapple their hair or wear a low ponytail to stretch and secure your hair in place. Test a few ways out to see which yield better results for a 2nd or 3rd wash and go day.
DON’T disturb the curl when wet
A no-brainer or at least it should be but the more manipulation added to your wet hair the more it will frizz and the more tangles you can incur. Leave it be it until it’s at least 80% dry so the curl is not disturbed and tangles will be minimal. The more manipulation causes more tangles.
