Cube mk2 and WIR

[Happymama]

Blimey -

 

I'll go through ...

 

Firstly, I notice that those of you who've taken the step to drop shampoo seem to all be happy or better with the result. This tells a story ...

 

KateB - It's probably the shampoooing that's making your hair so greasy, and now you're in a vicious cycle. I can't promise it will work, of course, but it's free to try and if it fixes the problem it's benefits all the way! I don't know about bicarb - I can't find a reference. I think it's alkaline, which is the opposite of vinegar, and soap is basically alkaline too.

 

Ginette, I've shoulder length thick hair and used 250mls in a litre jug of warm water. You can use as much or as little as you like. Please note, I don't use it any more, only for the beginning couple of months until my scalp settled down. DH is using the last bottle of white vinegar I bought to sterilise his diving kit!

 

Purplehen, the three weeks before your highlights will work wonders anyway, and you'll have to have it shampood to wash the bleach out (the things we do to our hair!) and it might look horribly dry after, but you'll still be three weeks down the line and look fab for your 30'th. Then you go on ...

 

Go for it!

 

Right then, lets have a list of those who are in:

 

Nicola Howarth

Linda

Ginette

Chicken on a Mission

 

Anyone else?

[Lesley]

....and if anyone with short hair does go through with it, then they can let me know how it goes.

[Cate in NZ]

I'm really tempted, but too much of a coward still, I'm watching with huge interest though

[myles]

I'am watching with great interest too. I've been wanting to do this for years but my hairdresser was against it, she said my hair would get smelly . Another question, how is it for long hair ie bottom lenght, Iam worried about it getting too dry. Will it take a long time for the natural oils to get to the ends or can i continue to condition the bottoms

 

Anne

[Louise]

I'm tempted too but I may have to wait until I am off work for a couple of weeks to start it and get the worst out of the way I can just see what people would think if I was making up a vinegar solution to take into the shower with me

[Happymama]

I'am watching with great interest too. I've been wanting to do this for years but my hairdresser was against it, she said my hair would get smelly . Another question, how is it for long hair ie bottom lenght, Iam worried about it getting too dry. Will it take a long time for the natural oils to get to the ends or can i continue to condition the bottoms

 

Anne

 

It does, a bit, for the first couple of weeks, unless you rinse it out as frequently as you find necessary. Long hair is dry if you use shampoo, for sure. Don't worry about it getting drier, it won't and yes, you can use condtioner if it makes you feel happier.

 

 

I'm tempted too but I may have to wait until I am off work for a couple of weeks to start it and get the worst out of the way Rolling Eyes I can just see what people would think if I was making up a vinegar solution to take into the shower with me Shocked Laughing

 

Try making up a little bottle of the solution, and pour/spray it on half way through your shower, and rinse off. At the worst, you'll look mysterious, not silly. And if anyone asks, say you use the vinegar to make your hair shiny. Misguideds have for years done this to remove the last traces of soap and natural oils from their hair to make it so squeaky it hurts.

[Nicola H]

My hair looks fine today and i was out in the rain for 2 hours last night at Emily's riding party...............My hair is shoulder length and i don't ever tie it back, I haven't told anybody in the family not even hubby and he hasn't commented mind you he doesn't even know when i have had it cut......... It doesn't smell of anything not even horses after last night i am really pleased my scalp is not as dry so i am sticking with it, and will rinse it tomorrow..............Come on girls it isn't that bad at all, my hair feels and looks just the same.

[PurpleHen]

OK - count me in

 

*nips back to beginning of topic to check on vinegar details*

[Cate in NZ]

Well.... I haven't washed it today, not that I'm committed to this or anything... it won't take much to make me back out, but hubby's away for 2 weeks, and I'm off work this week..... back on Monday though, and I'm not going in with manky looking hair . Also my Mum's making one of her rare visits this saturday, and she notices a speck of dust from 100 paces. You'd better believe that she'd notice, and have to comment if I was looking greasy-haired and unkempt.

So, Mrs half-hearted here is kind of giving it a go, but I do expect to chicken out before Mum's royal visit

Am I allowed to rinse it every day.... and is plain water OK sometimes, or does it have to be vinegar each time *looking worried* used up all my vinegar yesterday on the windows

[Aylana]

This topic is really interesting! My hair is long and fine and tends to be greasy at the top and dry and frizzy at the bottom and it looks awful. I really want to give this a go and see what it does for my hair. I have a wedding in a week and a halfs time and am planning to get my hair cut before then too, but I will start straight after that. (I can't miss out on the wash before the haircut as they give you an Indian head massage as they shampoo which is the best part!)

[The Dogmother]

I've been following this with interest, and wondering how I would fare. Like Kate A and Lesley, I have to be immaculately groomed at work, and can't afford to look greasy, and I hate to feel manky. I have to wash my hair (which is very thick) every other day at the moment, and suffer from an itchy scalp, which I know is down to my shampoo.

 

But I am a coward! I have my hair colour donw every 6 weeks (I am probably totally grey underneath!) and use straighteners on it on alternate days. I thought about starting it on holiday, but I use a protective oil on my hair in the sun and worry about getting it out without a shampoo.

 

I think I will see how you all get on before trying it myself, but I will try it on Rosie's hair; I always wash it with baby shampoo and then use some aromatherapy stuff to ward off lice before I comb it through to check for head bugs (some of the parents at school are less diligent and there are usually some going round!)

[Cinnamon]

Head lice - my pet hate

I am really diligant about my girls hair,but listened with horror when a Mum said to me "Oh yes,my daughter always has lice.We comb her through every Friday,but they just come back,so now wev'e given up & we just live with it."

So they are not combing her hair through properly,are they???

 

Then in the summer the same girl (who has thick long red hair) had her hair up & I was standing next to her & I could SEE the eggs in her hair where it was pulled up from her neck - lots of them

 

How are the rest of us supposed to stay on top of headlice when children are allowed to come into school literally crawling with them?

[The Dogmother]

My moan exactly Sarah!

 

I've stood outside Rosie's class in the mornings,a nd heard some slack-a**ed mum saying 'I can't be bothered to do her hair - she always has them'! I could've slapped her - I take great care to check Rosie's hair each time I wash it. She usually manages to stay bug free, but every now and then, there's a big, mature louse in there, obviously crawled off someone's head!

 

The school are very supportive of this moan, and have given them a great document about lice and how to deal with them; it was handed out at Rosie's old nursery, which had a zero tolerance policy on head lice - children were excluded until they were cleared up.

 

If anyone would like a copy of this document, please PM me with your email address.

 

GGGrrrrrr

[Sheilaz]

Totally agree you 2, it's such a pain, but because I nitcomb every week, it does mean that I often spot it on the day one comes home! People sometimes look accusingly at the longhaired children, but it's whether you nitcomb through or not that counts!

Which brings me to my main question.....I can't get a brush, let alone a comb, let alone a nitcomb, through my hair without tons of conditioner.

So, if I stopped shampoo, just used water (with occasional vinegar at first) how on earth would I brush my hair?

I'm thinking I could just use a leave in on the bit longer than shoulder length, but not near the head? Until the natural oils have time to catch up, so eventually I won't need it?

Is that right...I really can't brush from just water at the mo, it's long but tangly. But, presumably the point in giving up shampoo would also include conditioner?

I'm still on the fence....but really want to try, if you can advise on the tangles.

Well done Nicola, you & Happymama are inspiring us.

OK, I'm going to give it a go, I washed it Monday, so I'll count from then, but I'm not going to tell anyone outside forum.

By the way, if anyone is concerned about smell, or will miss the smell of shampoo, you could infuse some rosemary!

[chocchick]

I think I will see how you all get on before trying it myself, but I will try it on Rosie's hair

Brilliant Use Rosie as a guinea-pig I was wondering about trying on OH......

 

Is it a myth that lice only grow on clean hair? I never had to go through any of this as a child, maybe I was lucky (or had dirty enough hair ).

[Cate in NZ]

Head lice, urgh, I feel itchy just thinking about them

Daughter spent an entire school year sitting next to a child that was literally crawling..... and the school did nothing when I complained, beyond sending out letters to request all parents to check their childrens hair. I ended up checking her head on an alternate day, or thereabouts, basis, and frequently removed adult lice. This mother apparently did treat her child, but either didn't realise, or forgot, that the chemical shampoos only kill the lice not the unhatched eggs. So a couple of days later the eggs hatch, and off you go again Fine-combing and checking hair is still essential, even if you do go the chemical route.

I found tea tree oil was a great help though, I used a tea tree based shampoo and it really seemed to make a big difference, although daughter did complain about the smell We've not had lice for a long time now *crossed fingers*, but even now I check her hair and give her a head massage every Sunday evening, whilst she tells me about her week ahead at school, what she needs to take in, homework that's due and so on- it's become a bit of a family ritual

[The Dogmother]

Here's the stuff I use on Rosie's hair

 

Biz Niz

 

It's chemical free, makes combing a delight ( ) and repels lice. I comb her hair every other day when I wash it, so can pick up on invading bugs very quickly. My mate in Oz tells me that schools do spot checks in her area and exclude infested children until the problem is cleared - great incentive!

[Cinnamon]

Our school does not spot check,but does ask children to be kept off until they are clear.

This is due to the head Teacher getting lice a while back

 

I use a Tisserand oil called "Hair Wars" which is WONDERFUL.

Smells great,& as it is clear you can really easily see what is coming out on the comb.It also shampoos out easliy.leaving the hair soft & glossy

 

That plus my nitty gritty comb with the little grooves is working a treat.

The comb is so good it will even hoik out live lice from dry hair.

I will post a link if I can remember where I saved the details

[Guest]

Sheila and KateA - your feelings are very like mine! I really want to but . . .

I washed my hair on Monday too and I'm going to try not to do it again!

 

Regarding the Headlice - I have 3 girls all with long hair. Combing them and my own takes literally hours. So I am completely devestated if lice come home! I have found though that one of my girls eradicates headlice more easily than the other two. It must be something to do with her hair because they are all treated the same. Even chemicals seemed to work reasonably well on her but not on the others. I use tea-tree oil too and vinegar. Vinegar kills the lice but not the eggs so you have to keep doing it (and the combing) every 2 days. Why don't men get headlice? It's not fair!

 

Good luck with the no-shampoo everyone!

[The Dogmother]

Ginette, I think I read somewhere that some people's blood just tastes nicer to bugs - a bit like with mosquitoes

 

I was moanign about the head lice thing at work and found that our accounts assistant (who has two children aged 8 and 10) has never done a bug check on her children and wouldn't know what to look for! Needless to say, I printed off the document I have for her.

[Popcorn]

I'd be guilty of that too Clare

[The Dogmother]

Just you wait until it's your turn Gina - you'll be militant too

[Popcorn]

what..my turn to get headlice Nice

[The Dogmother]

No, with children bringing back nasty things from school.

 

The head lice are a real treat, though!

[chocchick]

Better than bringing home their first boyfriend in some cases