Wash n go’s are a style that can be worn on any hair type, contrary to popular belief. Whether they are for you or not is a whole different story, but yes, naturals with textures on the kinkier side of things can do them. The truth is, they really should be renamed “work n go’s” because for most 4b and 4c hair types, they are not simply just wet your hair add a product and go. Here are some reasons why your latest wash n go failed.
Your cleanser is too drying and stripping
I find that if I start out with a shampoo, it is just too stripping for my hair. I would rather start off by co-washing my hair first, so my hair isn’t left too dried out from cleansing. Anytime you start with dried out hair, the outcome is usually not so good. I can always tell when my hair is too dry after a wash: it’s even more shruken than usual and detangling it is a nightmare. Attempting a wash n go when my hair is in this state is disastrous.
Your hair isn’t wet enough
You want to apply your product to wet hair, once your hair has dried up this will not be a good starting point. If your hair has dried up, make sure you have a spray bottle handy to dampen your hair once more.
The product you are using has drying ingredients in it
My ultimate favorite go to product for my wash n go’s is Kinky Curly Curling Custard. It gives me nice definition, hold and best of all, absolutely no dried out crunchy hair afterward. For some reason many people attempt a wash n go using Eco Styler, which can be terrible when used improperly. However, I have seen this work before, but there is a little trick to this. The hack is applying a buttery product to your hair first, mixing the eco styler with water and then applying to your hair. The Curl Whisperer has used this technique on many naturals and it produces great results.
Work that product in thoroughly
Here is where the work part comes in. It is best to work the product you are using in section by section. You should be shingling it through your strands until you see some definition and then moving onto the next section.
Acceptance of your hair type
It is highly possible that you followed all of the above steps before and just were not pleased with the outcome because you felt your texture/pattern has to appear a certain way in order to look good. No matter what, a product says it will not turn your hair into something that it is not. Also with wash n go’s, shrinkage often comes with the territory so you must embrace this. If you are a not a fan of this or the work involved, this style option may not be for you.
I use a version of the Anthony Dickey method with inexpensive products. First, Emerge leave-in conditioner on soaking wet hair, second, Blue Magic, third, Eco Styler Gel. Minimized shrinkage and defined my curls. Best wash and go I have ever done and it took under 20 minutes!
How do I know my hair type
I had a worn a relaxer in my hair for over 34 years and i finally did the big chop. my natural hair is very thick and coiled, i love it. but i recently used a product that contained aloe Vera gel and a bunch of other ingredients i a cant pronounce. i left the product in over night and washed my hair out in the morning. well to my surprise the texture of my hair changed. it is now curly on the left side and straight on the right. i have never experienced anything like this and my stylist are just as baffled as i am …. help.
Shahira, what was the name of the product you used?