Got a little hippie in ya?

Well, all of us girls should when it comes to one thing: Don't wash your hair everyday.

Does this picture below feature a woman whose hair you envy?


This, my friends, is what a couple of decades of daily washing does to your hair, especially when combined with blow-drying, curling, dyeing, CHI-ing and relaxing.

I always believed that even in this madcap world of wonder-creams and lunchtime Botox, there are two signs of age from which hardly any woman can really escape: zombie hands, and dry hair that is beyond rescue.

Your skin can be preserved very well with some simple moisturizing once a day, and wearing SPF every day, at least on your face. But our hair is so much more visible, more accountable for our overall look. We change our coifs depending on our moods, outfits, and agendas for the day. So our hair is subject to much more damage, and unlike the skin of our shoulders, our hair is fully visible to everyone, every day.

So what to do? Certainly we don't want to rock unintentional dreds, or do the Bronx-tastic slicked-back ponytail, which doesn't fool anyone.


Well, there are a few things we can do to hide a little extra oil, which are worth it for their shine-saving effect in the long run. I for one have a routine that is working pretty well. First, I shower at night after the gym. After the shower I moisturize, and brush out my hair. I let it air-dry overnight, and then straighten it with my CHI in the morning. Not only does it save time on my morning routine, but I only do one heat-damaging procedure a day instead of two. On the second day, I clean up by straightening again, and wash my hair again that night.

Here are some suggestions for making nondaily shampoos a success:
- If you absolutely MUST wash it, use only a little shampoo on the roots.
- Don't use too much product, especially on the roots and crown.
- If your hair looks a little darker at the end of the day, spritz some body spray on the roots and brush it out. The alcohol has a drying effect on the oil, and the body spray gives you a halo of soft fragrance.
- If your hair is fairly light, you can sprinkle and brush out some baby powder on your roots to hide oil. On dark hair (like mine) this can look a little ashy, so go easy on it.
- Or put some astringent on a cotton ball and rub it on your roots near your face. This cleans up oil too.



And some styling tips:
- The good ol' wide headband is a great distraction from and hider of oil roots.
- Try beachy waves: dampen your hair, brush it, then apply a tiny bit of texturizing cream, or spray a curl-enhancing spray.
- You can do an updo also, and one with waves and curls looks romantic and distracts from roots. Just avoid wispies in the front - those will be touched by your hands and face so much that they'll only showcase dirty roots.
- Pin back a small section of hair from the front and secure with bobby pins.
- Throw on a statement necklace or chandelier earrings. They'll (at least temporarily) distract viewers from a multitude of sins, like oily roots, untweezed eyebrows and acne.

One note on waterless shampoos: I've read many reviews for dry shampoos and the like, which promise to lift oil from hair without washing, just by spraying and brushing out. I've read mixed reviews which include awesome results, along with a nasty smell, clogged nozzles and high prices. The one that seemed best was Bumble & Bumble's Dry Shampoo, which comes in different colors for blondes, brunettes and redheads. But I personally haven't tried this, so I wouldn't recommend it.

Honestly girls, try some of these ideas. You'll save money and time, and the shine and bounce that comes from healthy, hydrated hair. Let me know how it works out!