Hair Problems, Going No Poo
I admit I haven't written a thing because I've been depressed for a while. Yes, there's a pandemic going on. Social unrest is just around the corner and our city is currently on curfew. I'm not too well informed about the matter, so I try to read up on it as much as I can, donate where I think my money would work the most in my community, and overall just educate myself.
But no, that's not what is currently driving my current worry (although those mentioned above are things that I talk about every day with the family) – it's the health of my hair. I am absolutely distressed about how many strands I'm losing in the shower, so much so that I'm starting to slightly detest washing my head. The past week, I've gone to my doctor and opened up the dialogue about it, only to be met by “stick to one shampoo” and “your thyroid test last year was okay” responses that did nothing to calm my frazzled nerves.
The thing is, I love my hair. I remember writing a personal essay in an English class back in college about it, was so passionate about writing my whole ordeal about loving it the way it is, and got a score of A+ on it (if I find it, I'll post it here). There was a time that I was asked what was the one feature I loved most about my face and I blank pointed out that the hair on my head was the greatest thing ever.
That is how much I love it.
My hair isn't commercial-worthy (although my parents used to say that it was when I was younger, all shiny and straight) but it's black and it's absolutely thick. It's mostly straight, but it does this little wave and curl at the bottom that looks really nice when I grow it out. It's unique in its own way, precisely because it's neither super straight nor super wavy. In fact, a friend used to say that he could point me out in a sea of people just by looking at my hair – and I take that as a serious compliment
Selfie of me while wandering about in a park, Taiwan 2019
That's how my hair looked like precisely a year ago, and as far as I remember that's how it also looked like up until a month ago. I have the same length of hair now but it's lying limp against my head, absolutely dry and frizzy. I can't really stand the sight of it on some days if I were to be honest and that's what makes me sad.
If I were to blame something, it might have been my over-enthusiasm to try switching to bar shampoos, specifically the one I got a month or so ago and just recently threw out, but I'm still not entirely sure. For now, I've given up on shampoos and will be trying to go “no 'poo” for the rest of quarantine, in an attempt to at least grow some hair back and make it stronger.
I've actually tried just washing my hair with water in the past and got as far as a month, but I've come up with a strategy this time, after scouring the internet for advice and articles. Here's what my game plan is going to look like:
Sunday – Water + Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse Monday – Water Tuesday – Honey Shampoo Wednesday – Water Thursday – Honey Shampoo Friday – Water Saturday – Honey Shampoo
Saw a few recipes for both the Honey Shampoo and ACV Rinse, but I feel like tweaking it down a bit. In fact, I've tried doing the ACV Rinse last Sunday, and no, the smell DOES stay in your hair until a few washes later. It's Tuesday now and I can still faintly smell it. I joked to my partner on Monday about the whole experience of pouring vinegar down my scalp, but in all honesty, I was embarrassed to give him the heads up that hey, yes, my head might stink a little.
I've also resurrected my old Boar Bristle Brush to help me redistribute oils and try to save myself from the embarrassment of having dandruff throughout this ordeal. Seriously, that is the one thing that makes me hesitant about all this – dandruff and oily scalps are inevitable in the so-called transition period. No way around it.
I'm hopeful I can still turn this around and have a head full of thick hair again. My doctor says I'm too young to have thinning hair due to hereditary reasons, and I completely agree. I might not have been paying much attention to my hair care recently, but I'm really praying it's not too late!
21/100
I'm currently doing a challenge called “100 Days to Offload” – you can join in the fun too by visiting https://100daystooffload.com
If you have any advice on No Poo or if you've attempted to do it long ago, I would really love to hear your story and recommendations! Send them here – I would be absolutely thrilled to hear from you!