Poorly chicken

[bronze]

Well I got to page 9 then gave up trying to read the whole thread.

This is my second attempt on the hair. First time I did over two weeks but my head hurt lots. Like when you wear your hair up tight and its pulled the wrong way.

Anyway this time I've done about a month so far. Its a lot better than last time though is hurting slighlty again now. The worst bit is where my parting is towards the back and it just doesnt sit comfortably.

I'm going to try a rosemary rinse instead tonight to see if that helps my scalp at all.

[myles]

OOps just re read my last post, I meant to say I'm NOT miserable,

 

Bronze you should try peppermint oil thats why I started using it, not for hurting but because my scalp itches. Try vinegar and peppermint it makes mine feel lovely

 

Anne

[bronze]

I use vinegar anyway but hadn't got to the peppermint bit. May try that if the rosemary fails. Thanks.

I will read the rest of the thread a bit at a time.

[Happymama]

Myles, I've been on the wagon for over two years now. I know I get it shampood when I go for a haircut, but sometimes the haircuts have been 8 months apart, and as am growing it again, will be months again, probably sometime in the summer.

 

I am dead chuffed with my rinse and go, easy-care, cheap to keep hair. I know hairdressers that haven't used shampoo for years and years and years.

 

I think it's all about expectation. I wanted this to work, and had very low expectations when I began. Wasn't disappointed, either, around the 8 week point! My hair is different, and my scalp feels different, and yes, my hairbrush needs washing more often. But I am happy to accept that these differences are necessary and don't matter much. Some people may feel uncomfortable with the changes. I don't.

 

And yes, it is good that this whole experiment has made people look more closely at what they use on their hair.

 

I have Charles Worthington to thank for all of this. He made a shampoo and sold it to me, it stank to high heaven, and I could not wash the smell out for ages. I've not bought another bottle since 2 years ago last October.

 

Anyone just beginning on this adventure, feel free to pm me with questions rather than feeling as if you need to read the whole thread.(!) I do pop in from time to time. There is a sticky at the top that sums things up, to get you going. And begin with low expectations - if it works, it'll be wonderful, if it doesn't, it's no big deal.

[bronze]

Well my hairs gank. At least I have an excuse now for being lazy and it looking gank, all in the name of experimentation you know.

I'm lost where I am in the process. I know I havn't washed it since the day before my birthday 11th jan but cant remember if I decided to start then or did wash it. It couyld be two weeks before that.

[Guest]

Whether you're in week 5 or week 7 makes little difference really. We all had disgusting hair and resorted to bicarb to clean it. Vinegar seemed to make it worse, but I have since found I was using too much. Since going down to a teaspoon in a pint of water, it has been much more effective.

 

I am lost at the moment! I have been unnerved by how totally Sheila has moved to shampoo. Sheila, I am not disagreeing with you. Everything you said, I understand and can see the logic. It has just left me in a quandary. The easy option is to just follow suit and go back to shampoo (but herbal and less frequent). I suppose I have lost my determination and faith - is there really a prize at the end of this? Or maybe I'll never arrive at the end?

 

Sheila, I am not in any way criticising you. It's just difficult to continue on the road when you have turned off it, not gone back, but gone in another direction. Now I'm wavering and don't know which road I should be on!

[Louise]

It really is each to their own

 

Hair type and water type seems to have an effect so maybe it will never work for some people

 

Even I found a down side yesterday

 

It has been ages since I had to wash my hair at work At home I tend to wrap it in a towel for about half an hour then let it dry naturally (which it does much quicker now)

 

At work yesterday there was an emergency in another area which I needed to deal with so I had to take a shower and just gave it a quick towel then tied it back I then had to put up with water running down my back for the next half hour as my hair just does not absorb any water now

[myles]

Hi Ginette,

 

You know i too have been wrestling with this, my only advice is too be guided by your hair. My hair still looks fine, so i'm continuing with water, sometimes vinegar, at the moment i don't think i'll be bi-carbing again , but with this you can never say never. I don't feel i've quite cracked it yet.

 

Unlike Louise my hair takes longer to dry . The hair dries ok, but the scalp bit of hair seems to stay damp for hours Louise seems to had faired best.

 

I think i might post a photo of my hair around its poo free anniversary, if i remember.

 

I'm sticking with it, if that helps Ginette

 

Anne

[Guest]

Thanks Anne. It's good to hear you understand how I feel, that you are not completely happy either . . . and that you are still continuing with the project.

 

I suppose a year is a good target. March 14th is my anniversary - the day our German guest arrives. My hair is having a feast on shampoo at the moment because I have various 'appointments' I have to look nice for. Maybe next week I'll get out the vinegar!

[Sheilaz]

Ginette, I'm sorry if my situation has made your chosen path difficult! In fact, I don't see how what I'm doing now is any different to you.

Ten months without any shampoo, and now just the occasional non SLS shampoo. Like you, I'm just using it now and again when I could do with my hair being reliable. I find I can leave it ages before the next one, but I'm not going to try & go without it at all....just for the moment, I may do when life is less stressful.

But, I must make it clear, I haven't given up on the theory of the project, nor "gone back to shampoo", where I am now is nothing like where I was a year ago.

 

I do see it differently though. I won't count March 12th as a shampoo free year, I've only done 10 months. For me, if I've used shampoo then I would have to start counting again from that day. So, Louise, Anne & Merryn are surely the only ones who've totally done this for nearly a year(with some more recent additions too)?

However, Ginette, (and Happymamma, wouldn't have started without you! )the mainly water & sometimes non SLES shampoo is also something to celebrate!

 

Ginette, I'm trying not to feel as if I've let you down, as if I was giving you hope whilst I continued, and now I've fallen by the wayside!

But, today was only my 3rd shampoo in over 11 months.

As I said, I will never go back to SLS shampoos, and my non SLS shampoo use is infrequent. (Er, just like you? )

[Guest]

Happier now! I thought you said that you were now shampooing every 5 days and I suppose, if I'm honest, I was shocked to think that you'd so completely and suddenly stopped trying (though I know you were going through a horrible time). And I was still battling with grubby combs, greasy-looking hair and endless dithering about what to do next. And I began wondering why? I suppose temptation is easier to succumb to if you think someone else has too.

 

So thank you Sheila! You have renewed my drive to carry on. I am finding 4 weeks between shampoos too long though. That last week I have to have a real 'don't care what it looks like' attitude. But 3 weeks is harder to keep in my head than 2 or 4. Perhaps I'll have to keep a hair diary

 

My mother has also said that she thinks DD3's hair looks dirty most of the time and that mine doesn't look good. She doesn't see us all that often but I suppose her comments undermined my confidence too.

 

My hair needs another cut (nearly 6 months now), the ends are dry and straggly and it also needs re-colouring. I can't be bothered with any of it!

 

So far this year has been incredibly busy and I feel under pressure all the time. I know it won't let up until half way through April and if I were someone else I would be concerned about myself. All these things have added together to undermine my belief in the project. Without that, why would anyone bother?

[myles]

Hello All,

 

Here's a photo of my hair at thirteen months. At the moment i'm really pleased with it, I'd definitely say it's just normal maybe slightly softer but because of the length it will take a while to grow right though. It's also in desperate need of a trim.

 

Hope your all well and have a good Easter.

 

Anne

 

[Sheilaz]

Fantastic, Anne! I think you will see even more benefit over time as more new hair replaces the old. It's looking glorious, well done for keeping to it through thick & thin.

Is your hairbrush yuk or is it OK? Although I'm off the project, I use just water for some washes, and Faith in Nature for a treat maybe every 3 or 4 weeks. I have no regret as I have too much in my life & need to feel instantly good about myself sometimes, it's more important than the project, my hair wasn't looking as good as yours, ever!

But, I may go back on the waggon sometime, and will never use SLES shampoos for myself or daughters.

[bronze]

well mines getting washed this afternoon. Its horrible and I'm getting it cut so can't subject the hairdresser to it. I am hoping to do some sort of continuation though even if its Sheila stylee. I would say I did about 4 months

[Sheilaz]

A Sheila style continuation? You poor thing, don't go for a Sheila style with the haircut anyway! I do know what you mean.

Well done on the 4 months and the fact that it has probably changed your view of shampoos etc. I think it must be hard to stick at when you have a young family, I know how important just being able to wash & dress & face the day in about 2 mins was when I was running after little ones. I wouldn't have liked to contend with extra bad hair days at that time!

[Guest]

Just had my hair cut so it looks much nicer again, quite youthful which pleases me! :D

I've been using natural shampoo once a week recently and I want to cut down as I think it dries my hair out. Oh, to find a happy compromise . . .

[The Dogmother]

have you tried Green People haircare Ginette? I use their Aloe shampoo and conditioner, and find them to be fab.

[Sheilaz]

Just had my hair cut so it looks much nicer again, quite youthful which pleases me! :D

I've been using natural shampoo once a week recently and I want to cut down as I think it dries my hair out. Oh, to find a happy compromise . . .

Oooh, can't wait to see the haircut, Ginette.

I thought that even the non SLS shampoos were drying out my hair, I use loads of conditioner.

Then, I concluded that it is life that dries it out. When I was in "the project" my hair didn't look dry, but now I realise that it probably was, but it was just masked by the surface oils.

 

Any hair growing beyond collar length must be at least a year old, so it's likely to be old & dry, it's been dead a year after all! The real test will be if the new hair stays in better condition after a year than year old hair used to. Are you still with me?

 

Thanks for the Green People reminder Claret. I will try it, but have loved Faith in Nature so far.

The newest inch or 2 of my hair feels positively sleeker & less dry than the rest, I can feel where I must have given up the old shampoos!

But, it is the newest hair too, and I must get some more of the old cut away too.

Before I see you Ginette?

[Guest]

have you tried Green People haircare Ginette? I use their Aloe shampoo and conditioner, and find them to be fab.

 

That's what I use Clare! I am currently using their moisturising shampoo, but I think that dries me out more than the aloe vera one. I try not to use conditioner because it attracts dirt and ultimately leads to more hair washing.

 

Sheila - where will you go this time? Are you brave enough to go again, after last time. Perhaps you should come to Horley, I didn't have any comments Maybe the silence says it all

[shmoovalia]

Hello!! I am new to this forum and am not sure I am doing this correctly at all. I tried to go no 'poo last year and used the baking soda and vinegar formula I read about over the internet. i got 8wks thru. Unfortunately I quit after that as the information I read stated you should balance out after 6wks. Now I am starting all over again w/ happymamma's formula. It seems much more natural. I am 1 wk into this thing so I very much behind most of you. I just wanted to thank everyone for all the helpful information I have received reading thru the thread. I look forward to the process. By the way, I am ashamed to ask but do you always go to the quote section to write in? Appreciate it!! Shmoovalia

[AnnieP]

Hi Shmoovalia! Good luck! Do let us know how you get on! I'm not sure how many people are in this now?

 

To reply, there's a "Post reply" button right at the bottom of the page.....

[Guest]

Hi shmoovalia. It'll be really interesting to follow your progress, so please keep posting (you don't need to quote anyone!). You did well to get to 8 weeks, the worst was probably nearly over!

 

Although I am now using a green shampoo as infrequently as possible, my hair is still so much better than it used to be. So I'm really pleased i did this.

 

[Sheilaz]

Welcome to the forum, Shmoovalia. It was brave of you to read through this topic, it's rather long, but I'm glad it inspired youi to start again.

We were only expecting it to be easier after 3 months but were really counting the days through those bad hair days! I think it was more like 14 weeks when I really felt it wasn't too bad & my scalp must be settled & by then I was in a good routine so determined to keep going with the Project.

 

I stopped at 10 months in Jan '07 because I was having a bad time emotionally & you need to feel strong to keep this up, and aklso my hairbrush had become disguuuusting, but now, like Ginette, only use shampoo with no SLES or SLS.

 

I would say it's really worthwhile. Now, if I run my fingers down my hair, the part grown in the last year is so smooth, I can tell exactly where it goes much drier which is the pre project hair.

 

It's so much easier to stick at if you share the experience, so do keep posting, just scroll down to reply at the end of the last post, as Annie says. Isn't the internet amazing that we can encourage each other across the world. It'll be a shame not to meet up & see the results, although you never know. What style & type is your hair?

 

Anyway, best wishes, & keep going!

[shmoovalia]

Good Evening Everyone! Thank you for the warm welcome!! I have officially completed my first week Sat. I water washed thru the wk w/ one vinegar wash on Wed and tried an oatmeal brush thru and wash on Fri evening. The vinegar did not really seem to do much in the way of affecting the oil Wed. May need to tweek this. The oatmeal soaked up most of the oil Fri but left my hair feeling strange after, even three washes later. I am not sure why. To answer your question Sheila, my hair is a med auburn brown color, slightly wavy to straight in texture, thick, and hangs to the top of my bottom. Prior to this past wk is usually extremely soft and shiney. I brush my hair w/ a boar's hair brush in the evening prior to the no 'poo shampoo to better distribute the oil down the entire length but not to any specific number of brush strokes. Hope this wk is endurable. I do work in a heavy customer service industry and need to look presentable. We'll see.

[Sheilaz]

Wow, what lovely sounding long hair you have! Best wishes for the forthcoming week.