Return of the Curls!

After wearing my hair straight for 2 weeks, then the cornrowed up on the side with mini-twist do, I missed my curls and couldn't wait to go back to rocking my Wash N Go.

I have been rocking a Wash N Go now for a solid week and my curls are looking better and better. Take note, a Wash N Go is not a protective style. Wash N Gos, Twist-Outs and Braid-Outs are considered low manipulation styles.

Low manipulation styles are styles that require little to no manipulation to style. You do not have to apply heat, brushes or combs to manipulate your hair. When you reduce the amount of manipulation you do to your hair, you reduce the amount of breakage.

 

The Wash N Go or sometimes referred to as Wet N Wear styling is when you define the natural curl pattern you have when your hair is wet with a product or gel. There are many methods used to achieve the Wash N Go style. You would definitely have to play around to find the right method for your hair type, especially if you have more a tighter curl pattern like me.

 

We all have a curl pattern. Some tighter, some loose, some zig zag, some more of an s-curl pattern. A Wash N Go does not make your hair curly, nor with it change your curl pattern. A Wash N Go only defines and holds together your natural curl pattern. So the expectations of your Wash N Go results need to be realistic.

 

                                 Freshly washed hair with no product. My Natural Curl Pattern

 

 

   Q. What is your favorite hair style?
  A.  The Wash N Go.

 

At First the  Wash N Go was challenging for me to say the least. At one point, I had convinced myself that maybe the Wash N Go just wasn't for me. I had tried several techniques, each attempt ending with a frizzy mess. Soon enough I realized my two mistakes. Mistake One, my hair was not moisturized enough. In order for me to achieve the Wash N Go, as I desired, my hair has to be super moisturize to combat the frizz. Mistake Two, over manipulation. The Wash N Go is a true low manipulation style, too much or obsessive manipulation will promote frizz. When doing a Wash N Go, avoid touching you hair at all until it dries.

 

The downside of wearing a Wash N Go is the shrinkage. If you are looking to show off your length, the Wash N Go is not for you. There are ways you can stretch out length to your Wash N Go. Banding your hair has been proven to work great. The shrinkage is not a problem for me, it actually helps see length retention. Once you have been wearing Wash N Gos for a while, you get use to seeing your hair shrunken. When you try a more stretched style, you see a noticeable difference.

 

 

The benefits of wearing a Wash N Go is the ability to keep your hair moisturized at all times. We all know by now, moisturized hair is healthy hair, happy hair, and thriving hair. The more you wear a Wash N Go, the more hydrated your hair becomes and the less products you have to use to define your curls.

 

 

                                

 

 

 

My Wash N Go Routine.

 

1. Start with wet hair. I personally like to start with fresh out the shower hair.

 

2. Apply a leave in and seal in the moisture. After applying conditioner to my wet hair, I use my homemade oil mixture to seal in the moisture.

 

3. Section your hair. I usually section off 4 or 5 sections of my hair with clips. When sectioning your hair, be sure to part your hair in the way you want it to lay before styling. Trying to part your hair after will lead to over manipulation and frizz.

 

4. Starting with back section (you can start with any section) apply styler of choice to each strand of hair allowing your curls to clump. My styler of choice would be my homemade Shea butter mix with Eco Styler Gel Or Shea Moisture's Curl Enhance Smoothie and Eco Styler Gel. For a more define result, I would suggest any Wash N Go Method.

 

           A. Raking Method. Simply rake the product in small sections your hair using your finger tips.

            B. Shingle Method. Shingling the product down your hair shaft clump by clump or curl by      curl. Picking a small piece of hair, smoothing down products with the tips of your finger.

            C. Praying Method. Using the prayer hand motion to rub your hands down your hair, rubbing the product down to clump your hair.

 

5. Once each section is complete, feel free to add clips or pins to push your hair out your face, but do not touch. Let your hair dry. Touching or playing with your curls will lead to a friz feast. All that hard work for nothing. Set it and Forget it!

 

Air drying will prove to be time consuming yet recommended for best results. Using a diffuser is ideal, but I  prefer to let my hair  air dry 50-70% before using a diffuser.

 

 

 

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Most people can make their Wash N Go last up to a week by pineappling up their hair at night and spritzing their hair in the morning to refresh, then shake out. I am not one of those people. My Wash N Gos usually last 2 days at the most. When I decide to go to Wash N Go styling, I go in with the mindset of hydrating my hair. I use that time to wet my hair in the shower on a day to day basis or every other day.
So I'm constantly redoing my Wash N Go. Constantly switching my products and methods, still in search of the perfect method for me.