It has been exactly a week since I last shampooed my hair.
WAIT!
Where are you going?
Don’t run away!!!
At least let me explain. And then I’ll tell you how it fits the title of this post (sort of).
It all began with my reading an innocent article about how some people don’t use shampoo. I must confess that I had never considered this possibility before. Some experts say that shampoo does more harm than good by stripping the hair and scalp of their oils, which are supposedly self-cleaning and naturally anti-viral. To counteract the damage of shampoo, we use conditioner, mousse, gel, hairspray, etc. etc. etc., and then need shampoo to get the gunk out again, and the cycle continues… But shampooing the oil out of it only causes the scalp to produce more and overcompensate. This is why our hair look “gross” after only a few days of not shampooing.
The idea behind going w/o shampoo (the “no ‘poo” route, as it is known in some Internet circles) is that eventually, after an adjustment period that can take days or weeks, depending on the individual, the hair can achieve its natural equilibrium again, looking healthier and happier than ever before.
SO…I’ve been going without shampoo, and it is, indeed, an adjustment period. Of course, you don’t need to take only my word for it. There are plenty of other resources out there , and I’m only too willing to show them to you. After some Internet research, it seems that a paste or solution of baking soda and water can be used as a sort-of cleanser (not every day—a couple times a week at most, I think), and once that is rinsed out, use apple cider vinegar on the ends of the hair as a natural conditioner. There’s also info about using raw eggs, olive oil, and even salt as occasional natural cleansers, but I haven’t tried any of these yet, though I can attest to the effectiveness of the soda. By Saturday evening, the oil in my hair was nearly beyond endurance. I made a paste of baking soda and water and let it sit in my roots for a few minutes before rinsing it out. It successfully brought the oil down to a bearable level, and my hair looked pretty great the next day—as in, I got compliments from people who didn’t know what I was doing. I think I’m still in the adjustment phase, however. So far I’ve styled it normally, I’ve hidden it under a headband-scarf, and I’ve also done the scrunching-up-the-hair-to-get-waves thing, but that ends up being slightly inappropriate for work. And by ‘inappropriate’ I of course mean ‘terrifying.’
There’s also the “Use less plastic!” and “Use only natural products!” motives for “No ‘Poo” but those aren’t priorities for me. Although I am a fan of recycling whenever possible. I think that conservation, recycling, and reducing waste is all part of our responsibility as Christians to be good stewards of the earth that God created. But as a die-hard free-market capitalist, I don’t think that any such behavior should come from government regulation. (Whoops, where did that soapbox come from???)
But even my mother, who is vehemently opposed to anything hippie-ish and believes that blue jeans and the Beatles directly contributed to the decline of Western civilization, was fascinated and rather supportive when I told her about this scheme. She said it made sense to her—and she’s in the medical field.
But WAIT! THERE’S MORE! Most of the “No ‘Poo” blogs and web sites will not tell you about another aspect of the experience, and this is where the post title comes in! Going without shampoo and observing the subsequent changes in my hair has also taught me something about vanity, prejudice, pride, and vulnerability.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m really vain about my hair, and it’s been a challenge to my pride to do something like this. I hate the fact that I’ve gone to work, or to church, or whatever, knowing that something is slightly off, that I don’t look the absolute best that I possibly could. And there’s a certain vulnerability to that, as well.
Guess what, girls! It’s okay not to look your best! Of course, looking good can often lead to feeling good, but you can’t always be at the top of your game, right? Knowing you don’t look 100% fabulous (only, say, 98%) can help you focus on other, more important things: like Jesus, and relationships that matter, and your job here on earth. At least, that’s how it worked for me. We are imperfect human beings. And I realized, wow, most other people don’t care! Now, I didn’t blast into my office this morning and shout that my hair hasn’t been shampooed in a week, but no one has said anything (though it’s a quiet office) or treated me like a leper. Lesson learned: No one is as concerned about how you look as you are.
I would definitely encourage any ladies reading this to give up something, even for a day, that brings out vain and prideful tendencies. Let yourself be a little vulnerable, and see what happens with your priorities. Observe where your focus goes, instead.
I’m also learning patience in getting through this very oily time, as my hair achieves equilibrium. Though when I make up my mind to do something, I’m usually pretty tenacious anyway.
So that’s what I’ve learned so far. I’m sure there are other, deeper life lessons to be learned from this, but I’m too tired to figure them out right now. I’ll post updates if I think they’re significant enough.
Notes From the Sisterhood of Perpetual Singleness 