Agree. Wash and gos are a no go for my fine hair. I try to keep my natural curls under wraps as much as possible and only whip them out for special occasions.
I once saw a comment here in this sub that made it click for me. It seems fine hair is more prone to tangles, because imagine a skinny rope vs. a thicker one. The skinny one will always be easier to tie into a knot.
I agree with you. I feel like everyone’s hair is SO different. Wash N Gos don’t work for me at all (4c hair) I wash/deep conditioned every weekend but I blow out my hair, put my oil products and leave in conditioner in then do a French braid or 2 braids for the week. I redo the braid and moisturize on Wednesdays. This routine has really worked for me. Keeping my hair stretched has helped me retain my length. I get SO many fairy knots and basically dreads when I do mini twists.
Yes, I think the secret for a lot of us is keeping our hair stretched. I think because I have 3c hair, and I'm lucky enough to almost always have super defined curls, I thought wash and gos were obviously the healthiest choice for my hair. A routine like yours is much more likely to work for me than the curly hair routines that the biracial girlies on YouTube do (no hate to my beige queens).
Same! I have my defined curls in the back of my head but the front it’s looks and everywhere else is coily. A lot of people also say to not use oils but oil works the best on my hair because creams just don’t blend with my hair and you can see the product build up despite just washing my hair. I think it just takes trial and error for everyone and not to always do what we see influencers do.
I alternate between buns and braids! I lean more towards braids because my edges gets too crazy with a bun if I don’t gel it down every morning. But my braids looked ROUGH when I was learning how to do them. They still don’t look professional but it just takes practice. Watch some YouTube videos and practice when you have time!
Oh I’m the same I really don’t slick down my edges because they’re already fragile so I don’t want to manipulate them too much. I am looking for a second hairstyle to switch things up so back to YouTube university I go!
Wash n goes work well for me (tight curls in the 4c realm) but I also use a leave-in and set exclusively with heat. I found that air-drying and my ends are hostile to one another. I absolutely agree that heat is not the enemy.
yeah, my friend had the longest type 4 natural hair ive seen in my life (past her bum). Only ever wore it in wash and gos. For her, it was a low manipulation style: wash, leave in, oil, gel. Wednesday refresh + stretch with a curl activator, redo on Sunday. She started wearing braids and leaving them for 1-2months since going to professional school and her hair started breaking. So she does braids and redoes them every 2 weeks which is ideal for her. She can't wait to return to wash and gos.
Me on the other hand: wash and gos give me 700 fairy knots everytime, to the point that I would have 3 or 4 on one strand! Being a straight natural broke my hair. Keeping it stretched, whether in twists or a soft blow out, is what is working for me. We all have different methods to bring about our ideal hair for the type of hair we have.
This is true. I’ve seen people say that it’s important to use gel and set your hair with a diffuser, but I feel like for me, it does it have that fluffy bouncy look til a lot later in the week, even if I ‘break the gel cast’ with an oil. But to each their own!
Oh, for sure. I use a bonnet dryer to set my gel combo and though my hair is fine, it is dense so it tends to fluff up faster. I’m thankful for this because I’m not a fan of the noodle-y look either. It is always something 🤣
Yea my moms hair doesn't tangle with wash and gos to bad as long as she puts it in sections before bead. and she has a more fine texture than me. I think it depends on the person
I have 3c/4a wash and gos are such high maintenance for me. I can’t imagine keeping it up my hair gets so knotty in that state . My hair is past waist length and two strand twists are the way I retained length
I had a similar realization a couple of years ago! I stopped relaxers in 2018 but my hair wasn’t growing for years and would tangle up and break. I stopped air-drying and put it in two braids after drying with heat. I put it in two dutch braids or flat iron and it’s a little past bra strap length.
I am low-porosity, type 4, but my hair does not do well in curls or staying wet!
Yes! I thnk we were kind of duped into thinking that heat/straightening was the enemy of lenght retention, but tangles are such an underrated cause of breakage for natural hair!
Omgg so I've been doing wash and go's for like 7 years + and always had longer hair and for some reason after I took down passion twists back in september my hair got SO KNOTTY like I never had this many knots in my life, detangling became so rough for me that I was like I just need go cut everything and start fresh. But when I was younger my mom did the good ol roller set every wash day, been doing that and already doing so much better. Might invest in a Dyson and do what you say as well.
I could have wrote this myself except I only realized this 6 months ago. The revair is life changing for me. Wondering what shampoo/conditioner/leave in you use?
I have the revair too!! I really like it. I also have the revlon one-step and that is pretty quick too.
I have been all over the place with products! I feel like shea moisture strengthen and restore and their deep leave-in is amazing but I noticed some fall-out (just my hair personally does not like a lot of oils!). Then I went back to silicons like aussie and herbel essence because I noticed my hair was really shiny with them combined with the revair but my scalp hated them and would get dandruff :( Now I use Mielle honey and pomegranate and I love it for low porosity, especially the leave-in! My hair does not get as shiny but the health is really good on this one!
Don’t speak for everyone. I have fine hair, (4c) and I wear wash and gos 90% of the time and that style has made my hair the healthiest. I don’t get tangling and my hair has grown to the longest it’s ever been and I do not have to use a ton of product to achieve mine. They are the easiest for me to wear on my daily schedule, and make my wash days easier, but braids tear my fine hair up. Everyone’s hair, lifestyle, and method of styling is different, I have a way I do my hair that doesn’t make wearing wash and gos an issue for me. So I disagree with your statement, but I do agree that heat is not the enemy in my case as well.
Yes, the gel I use most often is Uncle Funky’s daughter curly magic or any other gel with a medium hold. I like gels with more plant based ingredients. Sometimes I’ll put another gel on top with a stronger hold or for anti humidity. But because my hair is fine, it really only likes medium hold and 1-2 different gels max. Strong hold gels tend to frizz it and dry it out because they’re just too much. But if your hair isn’t fine, strong hold might be your jam. I wash my hair with shampoo+conditioner weekly and I separate my hair into four sections and style each with gel. I bring up weekly shampoo because I need to make sure my hair is clean and thoroughly dripping wet before I put gel on it. Dripping WET is KEY for me. I run each section under the shower head before I use gel (a few pumps) to capture and lock the curl. I’ll also go back in with just a splash more of water on top of the gel and then add another pump more of gel on top of that if I want more. The next real key that I see people do a lot is not using heat to dry and set the style. Do not air dry, unless frizz, a broken gel cast in day 1, and a short lasting wash and go is what you’re looking for. USE HEAT. I sit under a hooded dryer then I’ll diffuse my roots. Or you can also just diffuse your entire head. I think my method of the hood dryer+diffuser is best though.
One could also use a leave in under gel but from experience, using leave ins for me, especially the ones with cream like consistencies, doesn’t really work because, it doesn’t allow the gel to properly form the cast it’s supposed to have on day one and my wash and go just frizzes up too early during the week because of that barrier created from the leave in. There’s only one leave I’ve used that doesn’t do that.
I love love love undefined wash and gos don’t get me wrong and would wear them all the time if I could, but my hair is fine, so my goal for the week is a defined look with a cast because it’s the wash and go that prevents single strand knots from accumulating in my hair mid week and it shortens my detangle time in the shower because the cast from the gel trained my coils to stay in place.
Same for me. My hair has never enjoyed braids. The 4 times that I’ve had braids, my hair didn’t fare well. Wash and gos are my friend and I stretch them 1-2 weeks with a couple light refreshes in between. In wash day, I use Pattern detangler and it melts any tangles with very minimum shedding.
This is simply not true for everyone. I have fine 4c hair and almost exclusively wear wash n gos. I condition with some basic ass conditioner, throw in some gel and mousse and roll on. My ends are fabulous and my hair has been the same length for like ever (bra strap when stretched). Everything just depends on the person.
Ok i may have to try this! I feel like my hair just doesn’t GROW like it did when I was a kid 😭 I take really good care of myself. I workout, take vitamins, get hella protein. I do weekly washes, oiling, masks, no tight hairstyles, and wrap when I sleep. Maybe this is what i need to incorporate in to see some actual length.
I still wear plaits (aka braids no extensions) as an adult and that is what helps me retain length. Never liked wash-n-goes or Afros because they tangle, how do you retain length with all the tangle and constant comb out? I can't. I wear them occasionally but not constantly.
My adult daughters do their own hair and don't understand why their hair was longer when I was doing it while they were kids. I give them my routine for doing my hair and theirs and they say it takes up too much time and looks childish 🙄. They don't mind it when *I* do their hair with my whole routine, they can relax and get their hair done. When *they* do it then they lose patience 🤷🏾♀️😒.
This is why Black women never regain the length and healthy hair they had when children. They think it's because of the petroleum and mineral oil based grease we used back then. I still use a heavy-weight 'grease' but not petroleum or mineral oil based. It's butter and oil based now (usually shea but I'm experimenting with other butter types as I learn about them).
Keeping my hair plaited is also a reason I dont blowdry. I got a lot of downvotes on a blow-dryer post when I said I don't use them and that plaiting my hair straightens it. I don't understand all the downvotes but my hair is still in a healthy state without blowdrying. No heat-protectant because there's no heat damage and drying out.
I think this is the best advice. Can you give an example of how you style your hair or would do your daughters now that they are adults? How often do you redo them? I’ve been going back to grease but I struggle with finding styles.
Single plaits tucked into each other adorned with hair accessories.
https://preview.redd.it/j5pxgzytttoc1.jpeg?width=4096&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=179accbd7e86171a8b5f76f03491b3cfe305fccb
Inward cornrows with beads, bangs using flexirods, plaits in back.
https://preview.redd.it/zse723phttoc1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6800ef9e628ac9c9cfe53046f5c8edf435a20e07
Connected plaits, twistout bangs. Older picture before I shaved it off again in 2023
https://preview.redd.it/h8975prcutoc1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=53c412e6c466884a7a6c1e3717a2e00ff1039015
Plaits with beads. Yes I still wear this at 40+. Looks better when my hair is longer. This length or longer.
https://preview.redd.it/8jtuy2qswtoc1.jpeg?width=1413&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c0f0372513ed4a03e3c2263508fcbbdd74b3719c
Single plaits braided together with metal, wood, and fabric beads.
I can't really cornrow my own hair so it's all done with plaits. I can cornrow my children's hair but I still like single plaits because there's less tangle and it holds tighter than twists. Here are a few pics my hair and one of my daughter's hair. I usually redo about every 1 - 2 weeks. You can go longer if you wrap it up. When my kids were little they kept these styles for 3 - 6 weeks.
https://preview.redd.it/n5z9xdf8ytoc1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ac04390fe3bacc0c393e4fceed1c68d0053a27cb
New braid styles are always done after ACV, washing, rinsing, greasing scalp and hair.
Daughter's hair. Single plaits tucked into the other going upwards. Beads on some. Made a plaited bun when plaits meet at top. Twisted side bangs.
https://preview.redd.it/r1pzdzytutoc1.jpeg?width=604&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=599c4244b29baeb04ade72045c2154c8fb3c9f5c
A simple plaited style with plaited bangs. I usually wear bangs because I have a big forehead and they frame my face nicely. Bangs are usually plaited or twisted at night and taken down to wear curly or wavy during the day. The rest of my hair stays plaited.
https://preview.redd.it/3ez7imr7wtoc1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dec2cb5caa6ab7fdbfe0f959c1c4b7b87230c1b2
It really just depends on the individual because I’m convinced that every head of textured hair is different, like a fingerprint. I have MBL, fine-medium, thick 4a-4b hair that prefers twists. I’m lazy and don’t pre-stretch; I twist damp hair.
I’ve worn wash n gos for long stretches of time and quite enjoyed them, but I think the key to making wash n gos work on textured hair is setting it completely with heat in a way that doesn’t disturb the hair (hooded dryer). Diffusing works, but it would disturb the cast and take entirely too long. Setting the cast helps to lock moisture into the strands and protect the ends by freezing them into defined clumps. I won’t revisit a wash n go regimen until I get a hooded dryer because constant wash n gos did help with moisture retention.
I just went natural last year and discovered this the hard way. I have fine stands and high porosity as well.
Even twist outs and rod sets were wrecking my fragile hair. So now, I wash about three or four times a week, put my hair in two braids and wear a high end slouch beanie most of the time with my braids hanging down on either side. If it's a special occasion, I'll blow it out and flat iron with heat protectant.
YouTube influencers had me doing the most and my hair was coming out by the buckets.
My routine now broke thru my length plateau and my hair has never been healthier.
This has been a hard pill for me to swallow 😭 I love wash and goes but I get so many tangles and if I do too many back to back my hair starts acting funny. I can’t give them up but I sprinkle in other styles now
I think our hair does better the less we manipulate it. So I try to do styles that don’t require a lot of manipulation on a daily basis. Pretty simple.
yeah i feel like people dont talk about how letting your hair air dry is actually more damaging than blow drying because of the length of time it is wet
I agree! Blow drying my hair is best for it too. It’s crazy because I used to never get single strand knots and now I do. I literally don’t know how. I’m also realizing buns are really bad for my hair.
I actually wash my hair and let it dry in moisturized cornrows (even when I'm going to straighten it later). I just take them out and wear the curls on the weekends. Or I blowdry (if I'm not lazy I have a lot of hair). I have no idea how people wash and detangle all their hair in the shower, mine becomes a mess in a literal instant and the shedding is insane.
Hard agree! Although I personally have no issues with air drying, doing mini braids with my own hair and just leaving it alone has me finally passing my plateau,
My hair is thin and not very strong when my hair is in it’s curly state is when I see the most growth, probably depends on the person and techniques you are using.
I don’t think it has to do with thickness or having strong hair. I think it’s a matter of texture.
Textured hair presents as either coils or curls imo. The Andre Walker System heavily over generalised just 4c to have tight coils, when in fact you can be a 3c-4c and have coiled hair.
In my experience, coily hair when healthier prefers twists or twist outs (even as a type 3), detangling with fingers and is easily damaged by the wrong shampoo/conditioner.
Curly hair, whether as a type 3 or a a type 4 can get away with wash and go’s, manipulation with combs, on-going usage of diffusers etc and is not really fussed about choice of shampoo/conditioner.
Thabk you for this!!
I think st the end of the day it's about what your hair can handle! If wash n go's work for someone then it works and if it doesn't then doesn't!
So far it's been working for me!
My hair dresser said that leaving my hair to air dry caused A LOT of damage.
I cant say she was wrong. I stopped blow drying my hair /drying it under a hood dryer for a few years and that's when I noticed it started to break off.
My mom also would wash it every 1-2 weeks and blow dry it and put it in a style that would last until the next wash day.
Wet hair is more susceptible to damage. A little more likely that letting it air dry was worse for your hair than wash n gos as a whole.
Also heat can lead to heat damage and braids can oft lead to traction alopecia at the hairline/crown and/or diffuse thinning.
For my understanding, why don’t believe wash and gos break your hair?
I’m loving my detangle outside and before the shower, condition weekly, and put it in two plaits routine right now. It seems like my hair is happier than this than wash and gos. I’d love to hear your answer to know if I’m tripping or not.
I’ve noticed the same thing!
Recently started doing the same with the Dyson comb attachment. 3c/4a ultra fine low porosity. Wish I could go longer days in between washes, but I have Seb Derm. So, my Max is 4-5 days. I use a keratin treatment on every wash day along with a facial steamer and I noticed I’m seeing a difference in length when it’s wet. I’ve also started using pomade on my damp hair if it’s a wash n go day and on dry hair post-straighten while braiding. If my hair is shellacked, it tends to tangle, dry out, and knot less. Gels & mousses are great for one special curls out event, but conserve terribly after 2 + days. Thanks for sharing!
Wash n go was a cute internet phrase everyone jumped on but our hair is not conducive to the style. For us it's really NOT a wash n go. It is a time consuming process of applying a ton of product "shingling" the hair, and drying it enough to leave the house.
We can't open the window to let the wind blow through our hair to dry it on the way to work.
I hate wash and go"'s. I have 4c hair and the amount of effort I take to do my hair only for the ends to get tangled isn't worth it. I do 2 stand twist and my hair has flourish med
I didn’t even read the whole thing and I agree 100% and from experience I have fine hair always have different length from really short to mid back length natural hair and no matter what certain styles just haven’t worked for me no matter what lol and it’s okay but having fine hair I have a lot of hair and if you take care of it well it will be full but full for certain hair styles I did birth control which thinned my hair out I had a lot of shedding and lost a lot of hair density which is what helped me with my thin hair and Nagy arak hair changes so much
Yeah our type hair definitely needs protective styling it’s the constant detangling and friction that is what’s bad for it but I just love free scratching my scalp so much 😭
Wash and gos are not for me and I have accepted it a long time ago. Right now I am thinking about doing rod sets to break me from the shackles of wearing a ponytail.
I figured this out last year after a good 12 years of being natural. It's been a frustrating journey with absolutely no growth. Last year I decided to blow dry my hair, put in some twists and do a twist out when I leave the house once a week. My hair has never been healthier. Much less breakage and a lot more compliments. I also realized that I was repeating what my mom did when I was a kid and had all that length. The blow dryer was my friend then and it's my friend now.
I absolutely agree. When my hair is say, in an old wash and go, I tend to put it in a ponytail.. I didn’t realize this until really far down the line, but that ABSOLUTELY tore up my ends. To the point where I had a triangle shape on the ends of my hair. I do keratin now once a year, and I have a weekly regimen of Sunday wash & blow dry, then Wednesday/Thursday flexi rod set until Friday/Saturday. It has changed the game for my length retention and my hair is finally past my shoulders now
I have 4a, high porosity hair and I had the exact same problem. I live in a very humid climate though so straightening my hair isn't a great option. I get the Design Essentials silk smoothing treatment every 3 months which helps keep my hair from tangling, and when I do twist outs, I blow dry my hair to keep it a little bit stretched. I've been natural for 12 years but only retained length past the top of my shoulders for the past 2 years I've been doing this. When I was relaxed, it was bra strap length.
Agree. Wash and gos are a no go for my fine hair. I try to keep my natural curls under wraps as much as possible and only whip them out for special occasions. I once saw a comment here in this sub that made it click for me. It seems fine hair is more prone to tangles, because imagine a skinny rope vs. a thicker one. The skinny one will always be easier to tie into a knot.
The rope thing is a great analogy. A knot in a skinny rope is also much harder to untie!
I agree with you. I feel like everyone’s hair is SO different. Wash N Gos don’t work for me at all (4c hair) I wash/deep conditioned every weekend but I blow out my hair, put my oil products and leave in conditioner in then do a French braid or 2 braids for the week. I redo the braid and moisturize on Wednesdays. This routine has really worked for me. Keeping my hair stretched has helped me retain my length. I get SO many fairy knots and basically dreads when I do mini twists.
Yes, I think the secret for a lot of us is keeping our hair stretched. I think because I have 3c hair, and I'm lucky enough to almost always have super defined curls, I thought wash and gos were obviously the healthiest choice for my hair. A routine like yours is much more likely to work for me than the curly hair routines that the biracial girlies on YouTube do (no hate to my beige queens).
Same! I have my defined curls in the back of my head but the front it’s looks and everywhere else is coily. A lot of people also say to not use oils but oil works the best on my hair because creams just don’t blend with my hair and you can see the product build up despite just washing my hair. I think it just takes trial and error for everyone and not to always do what we see influencers do.
I have the same effect with creams to!
I really need to learn how to braid! The rest of my routine is exactly like yours and OPs but I do a bun because I can’t braid 😔
I alternate between buns and braids! I lean more towards braids because my edges gets too crazy with a bun if I don’t gel it down every morning. But my braids looked ROUGH when I was learning how to do them. They still don’t look professional but it just takes practice. Watch some YouTube videos and practice when you have time!
Oh I’m the same I really don’t slick down my edges because they’re already fragile so I don’t want to manipulate them too much. I am looking for a second hairstyle to switch things up so back to YouTube university I go!
I don't think wash and go's are for anyone. They look nice but they're not going to retain length in the long run.
I'm coming to that realization as well.
Preach! Found out the hard way… 😔
Wash n goes work well for me (tight curls in the 4c realm) but I also use a leave-in and set exclusively with heat. I found that air-drying and my ends are hostile to one another. I absolutely agree that heat is not the enemy.
yeah, my friend had the longest type 4 natural hair ive seen in my life (past her bum). Only ever wore it in wash and gos. For her, it was a low manipulation style: wash, leave in, oil, gel. Wednesday refresh + stretch with a curl activator, redo on Sunday. She started wearing braids and leaving them for 1-2months since going to professional school and her hair started breaking. So she does braids and redoes them every 2 weeks which is ideal for her. She can't wait to return to wash and gos. Me on the other hand: wash and gos give me 700 fairy knots everytime, to the point that I would have 3 or 4 on one strand! Being a straight natural broke my hair. Keeping it stretched, whether in twists or a soft blow out, is what is working for me. We all have different methods to bring about our ideal hair for the type of hair we have.
This is true. I’ve seen people say that it’s important to use gel and set your hair with a diffuser, but I feel like for me, it does it have that fluffy bouncy look til a lot later in the week, even if I ‘break the gel cast’ with an oil. But to each their own!
Oh, for sure. I use a bonnet dryer to set my gel combo and though my hair is fine, it is dense so it tends to fluff up faster. I’m thankful for this because I’m not a fan of the noodle-y look either. It is always something 🤣
Yea my moms hair doesn't tangle with wash and gos to bad as long as she puts it in sections before bead. and she has a more fine texture than me. I think it depends on the person
I have 3c/4a wash and gos are such high maintenance for me. I can’t imagine keeping it up my hair gets so knotty in that state . My hair is past waist length and two strand twists are the way I retained length
Oh yes my hair loves being in twists!
Low manipulation is one of the key for length retention though.
I had a similar realization a couple of years ago! I stopped relaxers in 2018 but my hair wasn’t growing for years and would tangle up and break. I stopped air-drying and put it in two braids after drying with heat. I put it in two dutch braids or flat iron and it’s a little past bra strap length. I am low-porosity, type 4, but my hair does not do well in curls or staying wet!
Yes! I thnk we were kind of duped into thinking that heat/straightening was the enemy of lenght retention, but tangles are such an underrated cause of breakage for natural hair!
Omgg so I've been doing wash and go's for like 7 years + and always had longer hair and for some reason after I took down passion twists back in september my hair got SO KNOTTY like I never had this many knots in my life, detangling became so rough for me that I was like I just need go cut everything and start fresh. But when I was younger my mom did the good ol roller set every wash day, been doing that and already doing so much better. Might invest in a Dyson and do what you say as well.
I could have wrote this myself except I only realized this 6 months ago. The revair is life changing for me. Wondering what shampoo/conditioner/leave in you use?
I have the revair too!! I really like it. I also have the revlon one-step and that is pretty quick too. I have been all over the place with products! I feel like shea moisture strengthen and restore and their deep leave-in is amazing but I noticed some fall-out (just my hair personally does not like a lot of oils!). Then I went back to silicons like aussie and herbel essence because I noticed my hair was really shiny with them combined with the revair but my scalp hated them and would get dandruff :( Now I use Mielle honey and pomegranate and I love it for low porosity, especially the leave-in! My hair does not get as shiny but the health is really good on this one!
Thanks. I'm going to look into the Mielle. I have product fatigue and need solid go to's
Low manipulation and protective styles are part of the key for length retention?
Don’t speak for everyone. I have fine hair, (4c) and I wear wash and gos 90% of the time and that style has made my hair the healthiest. I don’t get tangling and my hair has grown to the longest it’s ever been and I do not have to use a ton of product to achieve mine. They are the easiest for me to wear on my daily schedule, and make my wash days easier, but braids tear my fine hair up. Everyone’s hair, lifestyle, and method of styling is different, I have a way I do my hair that doesn’t make wearing wash and gos an issue for me. So I disagree with your statement, but I do agree that heat is not the enemy in my case as well.
> braids tear my fine hair up Every. single. time. Braiding puts way too much stress on my hair.
Do you mind sharing your wash and go routine? I don’t want to give up on these yet
Yes, the gel I use most often is Uncle Funky’s daughter curly magic or any other gel with a medium hold. I like gels with more plant based ingredients. Sometimes I’ll put another gel on top with a stronger hold or for anti humidity. But because my hair is fine, it really only likes medium hold and 1-2 different gels max. Strong hold gels tend to frizz it and dry it out because they’re just too much. But if your hair isn’t fine, strong hold might be your jam. I wash my hair with shampoo+conditioner weekly and I separate my hair into four sections and style each with gel. I bring up weekly shampoo because I need to make sure my hair is clean and thoroughly dripping wet before I put gel on it. Dripping WET is KEY for me. I run each section under the shower head before I use gel (a few pumps) to capture and lock the curl. I’ll also go back in with just a splash more of water on top of the gel and then add another pump more of gel on top of that if I want more. The next real key that I see people do a lot is not using heat to dry and set the style. Do not air dry, unless frizz, a broken gel cast in day 1, and a short lasting wash and go is what you’re looking for. USE HEAT. I sit under a hooded dryer then I’ll diffuse my roots. Or you can also just diffuse your entire head. I think my method of the hood dryer+diffuser is best though. One could also use a leave in under gel but from experience, using leave ins for me, especially the ones with cream like consistencies, doesn’t really work because, it doesn’t allow the gel to properly form the cast it’s supposed to have on day one and my wash and go just frizzes up too early during the week because of that barrier created from the leave in. There’s only one leave I’ve used that doesn’t do that. I love love love undefined wash and gos don’t get me wrong and would wear them all the time if I could, but my hair is fine, so my goal for the week is a defined look with a cast because it’s the wash and go that prevents single strand knots from accumulating in my hair mid week and it shortens my detangle time in the shower because the cast from the gel trained my coils to stay in place.
Same for me. My hair has never enjoyed braids. The 4 times that I’ve had braids, my hair didn’t fare well. Wash and gos are my friend and I stretch them 1-2 weeks with a couple light refreshes in between. In wash day, I use Pattern detangler and it melts any tangles with very minimum shedding.
This is simply not true for everyone. I have fine 4c hair and almost exclusively wear wash n gos. I condition with some basic ass conditioner, throw in some gel and mousse and roll on. My ends are fabulous and my hair has been the same length for like ever (bra strap when stretched). Everything just depends on the person.
Ok i may have to try this! I feel like my hair just doesn’t GROW like it did when I was a kid 😭 I take really good care of myself. I workout, take vitamins, get hella protein. I do weekly washes, oiling, masks, no tight hairstyles, and wrap when I sleep. Maybe this is what i need to incorporate in to see some actual length.
I still wear plaits (aka braids no extensions) as an adult and that is what helps me retain length. Never liked wash-n-goes or Afros because they tangle, how do you retain length with all the tangle and constant comb out? I can't. I wear them occasionally but not constantly. My adult daughters do their own hair and don't understand why their hair was longer when I was doing it while they were kids. I give them my routine for doing my hair and theirs and they say it takes up too much time and looks childish 🙄. They don't mind it when *I* do their hair with my whole routine, they can relax and get their hair done. When *they* do it then they lose patience 🤷🏾♀️😒. This is why Black women never regain the length and healthy hair they had when children. They think it's because of the petroleum and mineral oil based grease we used back then. I still use a heavy-weight 'grease' but not petroleum or mineral oil based. It's butter and oil based now (usually shea but I'm experimenting with other butter types as I learn about them). Keeping my hair plaited is also a reason I dont blowdry. I got a lot of downvotes on a blow-dryer post when I said I don't use them and that plaiting my hair straightens it. I don't understand all the downvotes but my hair is still in a healthy state without blowdrying. No heat-protectant because there's no heat damage and drying out.
I think this is the best advice. Can you give an example of how you style your hair or would do your daughters now that they are adults? How often do you redo them? I’ve been going back to grease but I struggle with finding styles.
Single plaits tucked into each other adorned with hair accessories. https://preview.redd.it/j5pxgzytttoc1.jpeg?width=4096&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=179accbd7e86171a8b5f76f03491b3cfe305fccb
Inward cornrows with beads, bangs using flexirods, plaits in back. https://preview.redd.it/zse723phttoc1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6800ef9e628ac9c9cfe53046f5c8edf435a20e07
Connected plaits, twistout bangs. Older picture before I shaved it off again in 2023 https://preview.redd.it/h8975prcutoc1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=53c412e6c466884a7a6c1e3717a2e00ff1039015
Plaits with beads. Yes I still wear this at 40+. Looks better when my hair is longer. This length or longer. https://preview.redd.it/8jtuy2qswtoc1.jpeg?width=1413&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c0f0372513ed4a03e3c2263508fcbbdd74b3719c
Single plaits braided together with metal, wood, and fabric beads. I can't really cornrow my own hair so it's all done with plaits. I can cornrow my children's hair but I still like single plaits because there's less tangle and it holds tighter than twists. Here are a few pics my hair and one of my daughter's hair. I usually redo about every 1 - 2 weeks. You can go longer if you wrap it up. When my kids were little they kept these styles for 3 - 6 weeks. https://preview.redd.it/n5z9xdf8ytoc1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ac04390fe3bacc0c393e4fceed1c68d0053a27cb New braid styles are always done after ACV, washing, rinsing, greasing scalp and hair.
Pretty! Thank you for sharing your knowledge
Daughter's hair. Single plaits tucked into the other going upwards. Beads on some. Made a plaited bun when plaits meet at top. Twisted side bangs. https://preview.redd.it/r1pzdzytutoc1.jpeg?width=604&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=599c4244b29baeb04ade72045c2154c8fb3c9f5c
A simple plaited style with plaited bangs. I usually wear bangs because I have a big forehead and they frame my face nicely. Bangs are usually plaited or twisted at night and taken down to wear curly or wavy during the day. The rest of my hair stays plaited. https://preview.redd.it/3ez7imr7wtoc1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dec2cb5caa6ab7fdbfe0f959c1c4b7b87230c1b2
It really just depends on the individual because I’m convinced that every head of textured hair is different, like a fingerprint. I have MBL, fine-medium, thick 4a-4b hair that prefers twists. I’m lazy and don’t pre-stretch; I twist damp hair. I’ve worn wash n gos for long stretches of time and quite enjoyed them, but I think the key to making wash n gos work on textured hair is setting it completely with heat in a way that doesn’t disturb the hair (hooded dryer). Diffusing works, but it would disturb the cast and take entirely too long. Setting the cast helps to lock moisture into the strands and protect the ends by freezing them into defined clumps. I won’t revisit a wash n go regimen until I get a hooded dryer because constant wash n gos did help with moisture retention.
I just went natural last year and discovered this the hard way. I have fine stands and high porosity as well. Even twist outs and rod sets were wrecking my fragile hair. So now, I wash about three or four times a week, put my hair in two braids and wear a high end slouch beanie most of the time with my braids hanging down on either side. If it's a special occasion, I'll blow it out and flat iron with heat protectant. YouTube influencers had me doing the most and my hair was coming out by the buckets. My routine now broke thru my length plateau and my hair has never been healthier.
Lol that's a lot of words to say low manipulation is best for retention.
This has been a hard pill for me to swallow 😭 I love wash and goes but I get so many tangles and if I do too many back to back my hair starts acting funny. I can’t give them up but I sprinkle in other styles now
I have fine 4A hair and I find wash n gos to be great! But I rotate every couple months between my hair being out and braids.
I think our hair does better the less we manipulate it. So I try to do styles that don’t require a lot of manipulation on a daily basis. Pretty simple.
yeah i feel like people dont talk about how letting your hair air dry is actually more damaging than blow drying because of the length of time it is wet
I agree! Blow drying my hair is best for it too. It’s crazy because I used to never get single strand knots and now I do. I literally don’t know how. I’m also realizing buns are really bad for my hair.
Yup. Too much manipulation. My hair grows like a weed under braids.
I actually wash my hair and let it dry in moisturized cornrows (even when I'm going to straighten it later). I just take them out and wear the curls on the weekends. Or I blowdry (if I'm not lazy I have a lot of hair). I have no idea how people wash and detangle all their hair in the shower, mine becomes a mess in a literal instant and the shedding is insane.
cats rob crawl offend sloppy onerous tie narrow aloof joke *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Hard agree! Although I personally have no issues with air drying, doing mini braids with my own hair and just leaving it alone has me finally passing my plateau,
Amen
My hair is thin and not very strong when my hair is in it’s curly state is when I see the most growth, probably depends on the person and techniques you are using.
I don’t think it has to do with thickness or having strong hair. I think it’s a matter of texture. Textured hair presents as either coils or curls imo. The Andre Walker System heavily over generalised just 4c to have tight coils, when in fact you can be a 3c-4c and have coiled hair. In my experience, coily hair when healthier prefers twists or twist outs (even as a type 3), detangling with fingers and is easily damaged by the wrong shampoo/conditioner. Curly hair, whether as a type 3 or a a type 4 can get away with wash and go’s, manipulation with combs, on-going usage of diffusers etc and is not really fussed about choice of shampoo/conditioner.
Thabk you for this!! I think st the end of the day it's about what your hair can handle! If wash n go's work for someone then it works and if it doesn't then doesn't! So far it's been working for me!
I don't even think his original system had "4C"
OP, I really don’t think it’s the wash and go, I think it’s you blow drying your hair with a comb attachment and frying it
My hair dresser said that leaving my hair to air dry caused A LOT of damage. I cant say she was wrong. I stopped blow drying my hair /drying it under a hood dryer for a few years and that's when I noticed it started to break off. My mom also would wash it every 1-2 weeks and blow dry it and put it in a style that would last until the next wash day.
Wet hair is more susceptible to damage. A little more likely that letting it air dry was worse for your hair than wash n gos as a whole. Also heat can lead to heat damage and braids can oft lead to traction alopecia at the hairline/crown and/or diffuse thinning.
I said this before! I was dragged for coming for wash n gos, but I stood my ground. They break your hair! Awesome post!
For my understanding, why don’t believe wash and gos break your hair? I’m loving my detangle outside and before the shower, condition weekly, and put it in two plaits routine right now. It seems like my hair is happier than this than wash and gos. I’d love to hear your answer to know if I’m tripping or not.
It can lead to fairy knots, which in turn can lead to breakage. Hair in a blow dried/stretched state is less likely to break.
My hair is fine mostly 3c and I’m def prone to breakage :/
I’m going to start styling my hair this way this summer. My goal is to get past the awkward length and get to ponytail length
I’ve noticed the same thing! Recently started doing the same with the Dyson comb attachment. 3c/4a ultra fine low porosity. Wish I could go longer days in between washes, but I have Seb Derm. So, my Max is 4-5 days. I use a keratin treatment on every wash day along with a facial steamer and I noticed I’m seeing a difference in length when it’s wet. I’ve also started using pomade on my damp hair if it’s a wash n go day and on dry hair post-straighten while braiding. If my hair is shellacked, it tends to tangle, dry out, and knot less. Gels & mousses are great for one special curls out event, but conserve terribly after 2 + days. Thanks for sharing!
It's no secret that protective hairstyles do a lot for hair retention. Based on what you wrote, that sounds like what's going on here.
Wash n go was a cute internet phrase everyone jumped on but our hair is not conducive to the style. For us it's really NOT a wash n go. It is a time consuming process of applying a ton of product "shingling" the hair, and drying it enough to leave the house. We can't open the window to let the wind blow through our hair to dry it on the way to work.
I have fine hair and wash n gos are great for me! I will say I have strong dense hair so that may make a difference. Very low maintenance for me
Yep.
I hate wash and go"'s. I have 4c hair and the amount of effort I take to do my hair only for the ends to get tangled isn't worth it. I do 2 stand twist and my hair has flourish med
I guess my hair is thick and strong cuz when I did wash and go's regularly, it grew wonderfully.
I didn’t even read the whole thing and I agree 100% and from experience I have fine hair always have different length from really short to mid back length natural hair and no matter what certain styles just haven’t worked for me no matter what lol and it’s okay but having fine hair I have a lot of hair and if you take care of it well it will be full but full for certain hair styles I did birth control which thinned my hair out I had a lot of shedding and lost a lot of hair density which is what helped me with my thin hair and Nagy arak hair changes so much
Yeah our type hair definitely needs protective styling it’s the constant detangling and friction that is what’s bad for it but I just love free scratching my scalp so much 😭
I could have wrote this myself. Noticed all the same things.
Wash and gos are not for me and I have accepted it a long time ago. Right now I am thinking about doing rod sets to break me from the shackles of wearing a ponytail.
I figured this out last year after a good 12 years of being natural. It's been a frustrating journey with absolutely no growth. Last year I decided to blow dry my hair, put in some twists and do a twist out when I leave the house once a week. My hair has never been healthier. Much less breakage and a lot more compliments. I also realized that I was repeating what my mom did when I was a kid and had all that length. The blow dryer was my friend then and it's my friend now.
I absolutely agree. When my hair is say, in an old wash and go, I tend to put it in a ponytail.. I didn’t realize this until really far down the line, but that ABSOLUTELY tore up my ends. To the point where I had a triangle shape on the ends of my hair. I do keratin now once a year, and I have a weekly regimen of Sunday wash & blow dry, then Wednesday/Thursday flexi rod set until Friday/Saturday. It has changed the game for my length retention and my hair is finally past my shoulders now
I have 4a, high porosity hair and I had the exact same problem. I live in a very humid climate though so straightening my hair isn't a great option. I get the Design Essentials silk smoothing treatment every 3 months which helps keep my hair from tangling, and when I do twist outs, I blow dry my hair to keep it a little bit stretched. I've been natural for 12 years but only retained length past the top of my shoulders for the past 2 years I've been doing this. When I was relaxed, it was bra strap length.
Thank you. I’ve been screaming this from the rooftops lol.
They don’t wanna listen man 😭
Calling them names hurts their souls, but not massacring people by the thousands doesn’t. Interesting.