* It all started when my most recent trip to the hair salon turned into every girls' worst nightmare. I naturally have ashy light brown hair and have highlighted it blonde since I was 16. It was just another month in my life where my roots had gotten to the point just beyond chic and closer to, "Damn! that girl really needs to do her roots." It may just be me but at 26 years old, I'm still searching for a colorist that can put blonde highlights in easy to lighten hair without a laundry list of mistakes. I made a foolish decision and switched colorists at the salon I frequent; always on the prowl for a competent colorist, and boy am I sorry I did. This woman, lets call her: B*tch who destroyed my hair and livelihood, decided it would be appropriate to not only put bleach on my roots but also on the length of my hair that was already blonde. I asked her whether or not that was a good idea and she assured me she knew what she was doing and not to worry. Fast forward to washing the bleach out of my hair in the sink, toweling it dry and beginning to comb it out and all hell breaks loose. At this stage after any highlights I've ever gotten I ask to comb out my own hair because it's easier on everyone involved. It's also especially nice not to have the hair ripped out of my head by an aggressive comb handler. I began gently combing my hair from the bottom up; like always. The amount of hair that was getting stuck in the comb and falling all over the floor was not normal by any means. Yes, there is going to be some hair loss after any dye job but this was not some. I started feeling an increasing sense of panic when it just wouldn't stop. I knew something was terribly wrong when I couldn't hold back tears because touching the length of my hair, in any way, resulted in stringy strands of what felt like white thread to fall and fall. I couldn't even believe it was my hair because its texture was so unlike hair to me. The b*tch who destroyed my hair and livelihood knew all the right things to say, like: "Are you taking medication?", "It's fine, this is normal; this just happens in the sink so you don't see it.", and my personal favorite: "It's not falling from the scalp, see!" as she yanks on it. I wasn't on any medication but I certainly could have used some to help keep me from punching her in the face or better yet, kicking her in the uterus. The next few days were solemn to say the least. I avoided touching my hair at all costs and left it alone as long as I could. Unfortunately, I had to leave the house and lead a normal life which meant washing, brushing and styling whatever it was I had left. Days had gone by and the amount of breakage with each stroke of a paddle brush, wide tooth comb or otherwise was heartbreaking. I was constantly holding back tears while feeling so angry with this woman at the same time. My friends and family said it wasn't noticeable and that hair grows back, blah, blah, blah; but I could feel the difference. I shifted my focus from sulking and being miserable to doing what I could to strengthen and salvage my precious locks. I tried using an egg yolk, avocado and almond oil concoction as a mask. (you might want to let your cleaning lady know what you've been up to because it will splatter all over your shower and when it dries, it turns brown.) After rinsing out the mask I really didn't want to shampoo away everything I had just done. I could stay home the following day so I skipped the shampooing. Honestly, I can't really say if that mask did my hair any good but it definitely gave me a little confidence and a lot of hope. I was being extra cautious with my hair. My next shower I thought using shampoo would dry out my already decimated ends and I couldn't afford to risk it, so I stopped shampooing altogether. My hair is very fine and naturally a little wavy, but I have a lot of it which makes up for the fact that it's so fine. Before this mess, I was washing my hair everyday, to every other day, and using dry shampoo in-between because my hair would get oily super fast. I was convinced if I stopped using shampoo I would be oilier than ever and that there was no way I could get away with it. I decided to try it anyway, not really knowing what to expect. I started using my favorite deep conditioner (see below) as shampoo, massaging it into my scalp the same way, leaving it on as long as possible and rinsing it out thoroughly while giving my scalp another good scrub. (Using hot water is key.)
I am that girl who loves her long hair, cuts it rarely and when she does, asks the hairdresser to take off as little as possible. I am an advertisers' dream with enough argan oil, leave in conditioner and moisturizing shampoo to fill a medium size kiddie pool. I can barely put into words the change that my hair has undergone in such a short period of time since abandoning the idea that shampoo is necessary! It's not oily at all! I am no longer a slave to my hair, toting around aerosol cans of dry shampoo and mini baby powders in my purse. It's full of body and I can go days without washing it without it looking like an oil slick; something I only used to dream could be possible. Part of me was in shock— How could this be? I was raised on shampoo! A shower wasn't a shower without it and no one I knew abstained from it. I kept waiting for disaster to strike, for my hair to return to its previously oily self on a day when I needed it to be perfect— it hasn't happened! I will say, part of me does miss the squeaky clean feeling you get after lathering up with your favorite shampoo; but I ultimately realized it was the lathering agent sodium laureth sulfate that was causing any and all of my problems! Having fine, chemically treated hair that needs to be washed every other day due to oily roots is a recipe for split ends and breakage. Now that my hair is no longer being exposed to industrial strength sulfates (like those found in dish washing soap) My scalp is no longer over producing oil to make up for the ones it has been violently stripped of! I've been using shampoo for, oh only the majority of my life. I can't wait to see how else my hair improves now that I will no longer be subjecting it to harsh unnecessary sulfates. I hate to say it, but I am almost glad the b*tch who destroyed my hair did so. If she hadn't, I would still be using shampoo and under the spell whoever the genius is who decided to market it as an essential product. Take it from me, the girl who couldn't go a day without washing her hair, shampoo is a gimmick and doing your hair and wallet more harm than good! Give it a week and I promise you will be writing an article like this of your own. <3
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