As my previous post stated, I have always blown my hair straight. After a recent visit to my stylist, I've decided to try letting my hair dry to its very curly state. I've been reading that some naturally curly women don't shampoo their hair often, or in some cases, not at all.

Do any of you not shampoo or shampoo minimally?? Just lookin for some input. THANKS!!

I don't shampoo at all.

It really takes some adjusting.. I think the most important thing is to gradually transition from shampoo to shampoo-free, should you decide to go shampoo-free. It's not the absolute requirement for healthy hair, either. Most people do fine with a shampoo that is simply gentler than usual.

This was my transition, in a nutshell:

• Shampoo, Conditioner
• Diluted shampoo, Conditioner
• Lightly condition with Suave, Diluted shampoo, Conditioner
• Lightly condition with Suave, Diluted shampoo and conditioner mixture, Conditioner
• Diluted shampoo and conditioner, Light conditioner, Normal conditioner
• Diluted conditioner, Light conditioner, Normal conditioner

Here is the http://talk.hairboutique.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=39339&PN=1 - thread directory  and an explanation of http://anaissatin.freespaces.com/cleansingmethods.html - washing methods

Hope this helps
Anais

Nope. Despite all mine and my stylist's (along with others in the past)best efforts, air drying just results in frizzy, crazy hair. We've tried every imaginable gel, cream, spray, you name it.

When they use a diffuser, I get great curls. They aren't frizzy and turn out very uniform. When I try to use the diffuser, it ends up frizzy and the curls are extremly inconsistent, as with air drying.

Thanks for your tips!! The thing that keeps getting me is this. My stylist put two squirts (or whatever) of the Tigi Curls Rock in my hair and dried it, it looked great. When I tried using the same amount (and even less the next time) all the curls were hard as a rock, stiff and had that 'wet look.'

Maybe it's too wet when I try to dry? WHen you get out of the shower, do you just blot your hair?

THANKS!!

I also read several articles on not shampooing, but the whole idea of the transition to this type of maintenance and the smell "Ugh!".. .it is totally not appealing.

Anyway, curly hair tends to be dry and moisture is an important factor. I wash every other day and I use the Purology line for my long thick curly hair. I air dry and use Curl Rock and a styling gel. As my stylist said, healthly hair (even with my long curly hair) dries fast.

1. Don't by cheapo junk products from the store. Since salon products like Purology are concentrated, my shampoo and conditioner bottles have lasted over six months.
2. Do not use anything metal in your hair (snags and pulls)
3. If you choose to dry your hair, do not it all the way through (big hair and big frizz)
4. Since you have curly hair, do not dry it upside down (big hair)
5. Never brush your hair with a hair brush, it will ruin your curly hair (curly hair is fragile).
6. Use a wide tooth comb to comb in your conditioner.
7. Gently bound your hair up or drape it over your pillow to prevent tangle (easier to restyle in the morning) for sleeping.

There are a lot of things you can find on the internet about long curly hair from the extreme (not washing your hair) to something more reasonable. So take it all with a grain of salt, but most definitely look for a stylist that knows how to work with curly hair.

Good luck!