Warm boot recommendations please

[Sheilaz]

Is it because of your very late night last night, Sheila?!

Yes.

I'm so sorry Ginette, could you post again about your lovely hair and about not needing to take bottles of shampoo on holiday, and I'll try not to reply?

I drink my tea with milk neat, Gina, so it was just the lack of sleep/worry/brain cells.

By the way, my hair has been great (for me, I mean) since baking powder on Weds. I'll rinse it tomorrow, but it's still OK.

Please chat amongst yourselves to cover up my deep at losing Ginette's posting. Sorry, sorry, sorry!

[Guest]

Don't worry Sheila! I thought it was you and I know you had a very worrying night. It was the blue typeface which gave you away!

 

My hair doesn't look so good today, but it'll have to wait until Monday Sorry hair!

[Sheilaz]

Thanks, Ginette, good thing you're so kind, shall I stop worrying now?

You could also tell it was me, presumably, by the bottles I'd be packing; bicarb, vinegar & oatmeal.

[Guest]

Stop worrying Sheila!

 

Actually my hair doesn't look too bad, it justs needs brushing more frequently. I think it will easily last until Monday.

[Happymama]

Ginette - don't give up - you're almost there! It does begin to get better after the worse bit (of course) and slowly at first but suddenly the sun comes out and you wonder what all the fuss was about. And you can be assured that it'll NEVER be that bad again.

 

I went through just the same thing, and know just how you feel.

 

Sheila - you're converted! Well DONE!

[Sheilaz]

Thanks, Happymama, I'm so pleased and grateful that you started this topic.

Today I had family round who I haven't seen since Christmas. But, I confidently showered beforehand with just a half measure of bicarb, just on the top, and felt quite happy about it.

Perhaps the results are showing well for me already because it was in such a poor, dry, tangled state beforehand.

I haven't told anyone except Charlot. Her 1st reaction was ugh, gross, you're not washing, so I dismissed that, and she hadn't noticed it looking worse.

It now looks better, I can even face meeting Omleteers!

[Louise]

Well I had my parents in at the weekend and my mother never mentioned my hair at all and if it was looking scraggy she would have done

 

It is 4 weeks today and I had to do the bicarb on Friday last week as it was feeling greasy and wow within seconds it was squeaking again like you Sheila I can't see me going back to shampoo I am saving a fortune

 

Once I am stable with it I will start telling people I think

 

Only down side to the bicarb is the salty taste if you get it in your mouth

[Aylana]

3 weeks today and I'm still going strong! Although I'm back at work today after a week and a half off so I'm not sure if I will get some funny looks when I go in as I'm a bit greasy. I'm not too fussed though, I'm going to the gym after work and my hair always looks better after a rinse under their power showers!!!!!

[Guest]

My hair is still very greasy. The vinegar didn't do anything for it, it's just like the second week. I did oatmeal today which has helped but it still doesn't look clean! I'm going to do bicarb again on Friday.

 

I am concerned though that bicarb might dry my hair out a bit like shampoo does, so I don't want to do it too often. But having had a taste (yuk!) of what it does, I want it again! That will be 8 days apart. Do you think that's long enough?

 

Anne - we haven't heard from you for ages. How are you getting on?

[Sheilaz]

Excellent news, Aylana & Louise. Yes, Ginette, I was thinking about Anne today too, perhaps busy over the hols.

Well, turns out that yes, I'm converted, but my hair varies a lot still. After the wonderful bicarb trick, it's been a bit down again. It's the rinsing that I dread. So, I used a half measure baking powder, (avoiding the dry length) and prob. should have not done so! Very fly away, no wow factor this time, and skin feels a bit sensitive. So, I'm very confused, perhaps I should have used vinegar. I know I shouldn't overdo either thing, but it's boring having just about OK hair.

I'm still positive in general though, I just need to learn how to get the best for my hair. I would collect rainwater, but then I'd have to heat it.

Yes, a mouthful of bicarb isn't pleasant. Ginette may prefer it to the vinegar! I managed to get the vinegar going away from my mouth, plus I like the taste, but the bicarb just went everywhere.

[Louise]

I think chemical free water must help Sheila as I am struggling less than some and my water is spring water (with a bit of dirt for good measure )

 

I loved the bicarb trick but am going to try to do it as little as possible as it does take the oils right off

 

I will be in crunch week 5 next week and am off work so I will report back the week after

[Guest]

Ginette - don't give up - you're almost there!

Sheila - you're converted! Well DONE!

 

I have been feeling a bit miffed about this! I'm not giving up! I am seeing it through the full 3 months and will review the situation then. Apart from the first few days when I felt very nervous, I have never even thought of stopping. I have only worried about finding a way of coping when my hair looked too awful. I don't know what I said that made HappyMama think I was tempted to stop, but I'm not!

 

After the oatmeal yesterday, my hair is feeling better today. I am wondering if I feel brave enough just to rinse in water tomorrow. I haven't done that at all, ever! The vinegar doesn't seem to work when your hair is determined to be greasy. As my weekend is unusually free and easy, I might push myself to try it, depending how my hair is in the morning. I'm sorry the bicarb didn't give you such a thrill this time Sheila, I'm forewarned!

Day 38

[Louise]

Washing just in water does feel odd Ginnette but apart from one lot of bicarb that is all I have done I make sure I give my head a good rub with my fingers so all loose skin etc is rinsed out then I wait a few minutes like I would leave on conditioner and then have another good rub and rinse so I am following the same pattern as with shampoo

 

When I get out of the shower my hair even rubbed so much is more tangle free it does feel thicker and heavier with the oils and it drys much quicker

 

I found I have to use coloured towels on my hair though as the white one was getting a yellow tinge to it whichj must be the excess oils it is still there on the coloured one I just can't see it

[Guest]

Thanks Louise. I know it's really silly, but somehow I don't feel 'brave' enough to try just water! I know that I will be so disappointed if it's awful and if I have to do it again, it's such a waste of time!!!!

 

What do people think - if my hair (long and thick) is dirty, will water do any good or do I need to apply something else (vinegar etc)?

[Louise]

My hair is almost waist length when not tied back Ginette

 

I am struggling to get the oils to the end it feels thicker at the scalp which must be the oil but not unpleasantly greasy I wish it would travel further down to the dry ends

[Sheilaz]

We're 2 of a kind, Ginette. Neither of us will give up on something we're determined to do! I think the post just happened to be on my best day, and a not so good one for you. It struck me as odd too, but I know HM was in a rush. I've been nearer stopping than you, although that was when I felt so ill & just wanted one part of me to feel OK.

So, we're in this together!

I did the 2nd bicarb too quickly, less than a week.

The thing I find hardest is not having a sure way of feeling that my hair looks special. A rinse can make it look worse, but the usual reaction if going out or entertaining is "I'll just wash my hair first". I'm really having to think, "I won't wash my hair first!"

I don't know the best thing, Ginette, I don't even understand when my hair needs bicarb, and when it needs vinegar, or indeed neither. I do have to remember that my hair wasn't great to start with, so I shouldn't suddenly expect perfection!

I'd like to be at a stage where I don't need to think about it. But give up? Not us!

Louise, I think your hair must be well suited to this. It's great you're doing so well. I'm sure the adjectives that describe my hair just don't apply to yours.

Lank, greasy, lack lustre, scraggy, limp........

[Guest]

Sheila, I am SO GLAD we're doing this together. It helps such a lot because we both seem to have the same experiences. I think I have just got used to not having especially nice looking hair. If I need it to look OK, I just put it in a bun and because of the grease, it looks perfect!

I haven't forgotten that HappyMama said weeks 5-8 were the worst. We were lulled into a false sense of security and thought we had cracked it after just 2 weeks! (How stupid of us!) We're now heading for 6 weeks so another 2 weeks and we can really expect to see signs of improvement. Because the theory makes so much sense, I still believe my hair will look nice at the end. And we're about half way there!

 

My hair is almost waist length when not tied back Ginette

 

I am struggling to get the oils to the end it feels thicker at the scalp which must be the oil but not unpleasantly greasy I wish it would travel further down to the dry ends

I didn't realise your hair was that long Louise. It didn't look like that in your photo with HRH Princess Anne! How clever of you!

My ends are definitely better than they were. HappyMama said long hair takes longer than short hair and I think that is why. The lower the grease travels the nearer we are to the end. I think my grease is down to my shoulders now so I probably have another 6 inches to go! (I hasten to add that my hair does not look as horrendous as it sounds!)

[Sheilaz]

There's something about the word grease, isn't there! Lovely description.

[myles]

Hello All...yes we're still in . We've been away for easter and i must say my hair coped really well. All sandy and salty, whilst away i just rinsed with water, i forgot to pack my oatmeal and vinegar . On getting home i rinsed it with just a half teaspoon of bi carb solution and rinsed with lemon juice and my hairs great Not dry at all. I think its really important you use an acidic rinse (vinegar or lemon ) to rebalance your hair and try to give it a cold water rince to close the cuticles on the hair shafts. I don't know how many weeks i'm on but we're still going strong, i can't see us ever going back to poo

 

Anne and Peter

[Guest]

Good to hear from you Anne! Relief!

[Louise]

Cold water is a must for me too with wavy hair as well

 

I always tie my hair up high Ginette people usually are surprised at how long it is

 

I am finding I need to wash my hair in the evening rather than the morning to give it time to settle down before venturing out in public

[Sheilaz]

How inspiring, Anne, thanks for that. I'm pleased it's going so well.

I wish I felt I'd got to grips with the physics.

Vinegar cuts through grease, and leaves hair rinsed & shiny. Acidic.

Bicarb, takes out grease & dirt. Alkali.

Hard water here....lime...alkali.

Yep, I think I need the cold vinegar rinse!

Louise, I think that's a good point about rinsing in eve to look better the next morning. I just don't have the routine, I'm too tired in the evening, & love the refreshing wake up of a morning shower. Just a question of changing a habit I suppose. OK, will rinse tonight.

With a splash of vinegar.

[Louise]

I know the feeling Sheila I have to drag myself into the shower in the evening

[Guest]

Vinegar cuts through grease, and leaves hair rinsed & shiny.

It doesn't leave mine rinsed and shiny. Mine looks even greasier! What am I doing wrong?

[Sheilaz]

It was poetic licence. I think the theory is that the vinegar cuts through grease (think of cleaning windows). But it still looks lank.