Umm, too many! It all starts after I wash my hair. Then I have to “do stuff” to it.
Let’s see…
- I usually wash my hair at night, and then after I’m done, I dry it gently with a towel. Actually…I usually need at least two towels (yes, it takes two).
- Next, I brush it and apply R+Co High Dive leave-in conditioner from the roots to the ends, and I also put a bit in my bangs.
- Then I let my hair dry as long I can before going to bed, at which time my hair is still a little damp, but if it’s too damp at bed time, I’ll…
- Blow dry the roots, but leave the mid-shaft and ends damp.
- In the morning, I brush it through and put it in a high bun (this helps to loosen the waves and smooth things down). Then I go about my usually morning routine.
- When it’s time to do my hair, I plug in my ghd curling iron and part my hair down the middle. Then I do loose waves, starting on the left side and moving to the right. (For some reason, the left side *always* takes longer.)
- When the curls are done, I spray some sort of wave spray all over, and these days it’s R+Co Sail. I let that cool a few minutes…
- After that, I tend to the cowlicks in my bangs, which I don’t always get to, haha! I smooth down the big one on my widow’s peak with a paste by R+Co. Then, I spray the extra stubborn ones down with hairspray.
- At this point, my curls are usually cool, so I break them up with my fingers.
OK, nine steps total! How about you?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I’m incredibly low maintenance with my hair. I wash it with a solid shampoo, then use a wash out conditioner or leave in conditioner. If I use a leave in conditioner I won’t use my Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum. If I don’t condition my hair in the shower, I’ll wait 10 minutes after my shower to massage some serum through my hair.
When I had my lovely hairstyle with the sidebangs, I’d blow out my hair using a round brush and straightening cream.
I’m conflicted on how to answer this question but here goes!:
Wigs are LIFE for me but when it’s time to give some TLC to my natural hair, it can be a process. I stopped relaxing my hair so the process has become a lot easier for me. It includes washing with a sulfate-free shampoo and then using a moisturizing conditioner, both of which are currently my Function of Beauty customizable set. The conditioner stays on my hair for 30 min to 1 hour before I wash it out. Towel dry, use a leave-in conditioner and then detangle and braid it all up in cornrows while it’s still wet, which is very, very important.
My wigs are another story; the one I have been wearing since April (!!! it’s a good one!!!) has been bleached three times so I have to keep it moisturized. I shampoo with whatever, slap some conditioner on it and throw it in the microwave for 2 minutes in a ziplock bag with a bit of water in it for steam (you heard me right). Wash it out and hang it up to let it air dry overnight. Once it’s dry, I just pop it back on, brush through it, and style as usual! I do sometimes, but not often, wash it on my head and go with the wet hair look. Wigs are super versatile like that and I love doing styles I could never do with my natural hair. 🙂
I’ve got short hair which is cut in a stacked bob style so here are my steps. I wash my hair pretty much every day and it’s in the morning.
1. Shampoo (I condition about 2x a week)
2. Apply a frizz/smoothing oil and let it air dry while I do my makeup
3. When I’m done with the makeup, my hair is still damp so then I’ll blow dry
4. Scoop out a dollop of Bumble and Bumble Sumo Clay and rub between my hands
5. Starting with the back, I kind of fluff it up with my hands while the clay does its magic. I’ll then come around to the front and sides and make it look nice.
6. Spray some hairspray and I’m done.
Sometimes, I’ll use a flat iron so on those days, that’s step 4 and then I’ll move onto the other steps. From blow dry to finish is about 5 minutes, if that.
To look at me, you wouldn’t guess but I have a lot of steps, too. I wash and condition every morning, then towel dry and brush my teeth/do all my makeup. Then I comb with a wide tooth comb, put gel in the bangs, part my hair on the side and blow dry the roots around my part and my bangs. Lastly, I hairspray the roots/bangs and use a curl spray on the rest of my hair (and scrunch). These days it’s an old ISO bouncy curl spray that works well but smells like musk, which I don’t like, so I’m just trying to use it up. The smell doesn’t linger, thankfully. Then it’s out the door. Later in the morning, after it’s totally dry, I scrunch again and lightly shake my fingers through so separate the curl.
I’m in a transition phase of growing out my hair, so I don’t do much to it out of the shower other than:
1. Wrap my hair in a towel for just a few minutes (otherwise, it makes hair limp at the roots)
2. Shake my hair out
3. Massage a scalp serum (for healthy locks)
4. Spray a heat protectant on it
5. Blow dry with my hands and “style” it as I go
4. Run a brush slightly through after drying to tame any frizz or pouffiness
Before, when my hair was a short bob, I’d style it everyday with a round brush to give it some bounce and life! Now that it’s consider a long bob, I can get away with just blow drying it and tying it if gets too flippy. I hardly ever curl my hair unless it’s for an event.
That is so interesting! I would never go with damp hair to bed, because I have super coarse thick hair and it would all tangle up and I would look like Tina Turner the next day- not that she isn’t pretty… it’s just not the look I’m going for! 😉 Lets see: I wash my hair and I always need conditioner too (I use Aloxxi). I brush it with the conditioner still on! Yep, my hair is that tangled and I find this helps. Then rinse. Then I brush again and put my turbie-twist on (that microfiber towel is genius and speeds down the drying time!). Then off to breakfast! After breakfast I put on a leave in treatment, usually the “It’s a 10” with keratin. Then I blow dry everything, currently I aim for straight! When my hair is completely dry, I apply an oil to the ends and flyaways, I’m loving at the moment “Thermafuse”, cause it smells absolutely delicious! Fruity and fresh! Ta-da! Ready! Hopefully for 3 days to come without these steps lol!
Hi Sissi,
I find that going to bed with it semi-damp adds volume for me, especially at the roots.
Remember the height Tina would get in her hair back in the day! Ahh, the ’80s.
Happy Friday!
Well, most of the days I just let it air dry and then put it in a low bun for work the next day. If I actually do it, I use a curling wand on it with a heat protectant before and some hair spray afterwards.
Lucky you that your hair air dries nicely! When I let mine do it’s own thing it’s a hot mess.
When it’s all about the makeup, I can say – yes, I’m good enough to do makeup on myself. When it’s all about the hair… well…? I feel like my hands grow out from the wrong side. I can’t do much about them. I’ve been very committed to make my updos on my own but I had a bad luck. Therefore my hair routine for the past 5 years has not changed at all and is the following;
1) Maintain nice haircut (done by hairdresser 1×3 months)
2) Wash with shampoo
3) Add conditioner (washable)
4) Apply Osis upload cream #2 at the roots of the hair and blowdry.
That’s it!
Hi Lelde,
Totally agree that having a nice haircut is key! Do you always go to the same person? My friend has been doing my hair for at least 8 years, and now I’m terrified of trying someone new.
Happy Friday to you!
Yes, I don’t like changing my hairdresser! It took me ages to find it and hopefully won’t need to change it! It’s so difficult to find a good one…
Have a lovely Friday you, too and a gorgeous weekend ahead!
Well I have short hair that is super fine and now it’s thinning on the scalp. Since I don’t have a lot of hair and it’s never below my chin, I just hop in the shower after the gym. Wash it with sulfate free shampoo (still annoyed with L’Oreal for reformulating the durgstore SLS free shampoo that I used, now it’s drying where before it was super moisturizing), use a dab of conditioner on the ends. Wrap it in a towel as I dry off. Run a wet brush through it to detangle and either let it air dry or put in a volume/heat protectant and quickly blow dry the roots. So let’s see that’s what? Three to five steps.
So jealous that you can air dry your hair! The only way I can have mine look cute when I air dry is when I put it into a braid.
Don’t be jealous. The only reason I can air dry my hair is because I really do not have a lot of it. I’m starting to be able to see my scalp through my hair and I’m not happy about it. I’ve tried all sorts of thickening shampoos, scalp treatments, Nioxin, etc. Guess I’m going to have to start looking at wigs.
1. Shampoo & condition. On weekends I get out of the shower after shampooing, apply a deep conditioner, wait 15 minutes, then get back in the shower to rinse. I use Redken color shield products.
2. Air dry for about twenty minutes.
3. Apply Miracle 10 product. Wait a few minutes.
4. Apply Paul Mitchell Skinny Serum.
5. Blow dry section by section using a round brush.
6. Separate hair into sections again, & curl each section with my curling wand, making sure to change the way my hair goes around with the wand every other time (hope that makes sense).
7. Separate hair into sections yet again, go over roots to mid-ear area of sections with my straightening iron.
8. Apply a drop or two off sesame hair oil to lower part of hair & run fingers through to break up the waves.
9. Hair spray all over, & tame down the fly aways right after before the hair spray dries.
*phew* it is as exhausting as it sounds, which is why I only do it on weekends. On weekdays, I only do steps 1-3 & do a side part, brush it back in a slick bun, & to go bed ?
Hi Michelle,
Yes, I totally get what you mean with step 6! When you do the curls in different directions they appear more natural and random. I try to do the same thing in the sections in the back of my head. It’s interesting to me how you go back over the roots and mid-sections with a flat iron after you’ve curled. Have you ever tried curling just the ends and mid sections? That might save you that flat ironing extra step.
Happy Friday to you!
Karen, your hair is awesome!
I thought my hair was a lot of work, but after reading other people’s routines, I don’t think it’s so bad.
My hair is shoulder length. I have a lot of it and it’s superfine. It requires daily washing. (I use Nature’s Gate Awapui Shampoo.) It never completely dries so I have to blow dry it. It is wavy and straight in sections. So to make it look OK, I have to straighten it daily. I have to dye the roots every 2-3 weeks to combat grey.
I use a super moisturizing conditioner(Sheamoisture Bamboo Resilient Growth Conditioner) and Olaplex #3 once in awhile to fix damage. I use Suncoat hairspray which contains no alcohol and I buy the fragrance free version. It is natural and cruelty free with the added benefit of being gentle on hair.
Hi Sakura,
Ooh, thanks for listing your super moisturizing conditioners. I’m always on the hunt for those. My hair is similar to yours in some ways in that it’s wavy in some parts and straight in others. Let me guess.. It’s taken you for ever to find a good stylist who can actually cut your hair? It literally took me, like, 30 years!
You’re welcome & Yes, finding a stylist was tough! I am very loyal to mine now. Happy Friday!
I’m a curly girl, I loosely follow the CG regimen, so most of my steps happen in the shower. I wash, condition, detangle, then add leave in and styling products to dripping wet hair. Then out of the shower, squish dry with a microfibre towel, clip my roots, and blow dry my fringe straight with a round brush. After that I let the rest of my hair air dry, or I dry it with a diffuser attachment on my hairdryer. I only do this about every 3-4 days, in between just a bit of dry shampoo, sometimes I’ll need to rewash & dry my fringe.
Hi Janet,
I know that routine well because I used to do it back in the day! Have you ever tried the whole “t-shirt as a towel” thing?
LOL … as little as possible! I enjoy makeup, but I have little patience for doing my hair. I get it permanently straightened so I never have to deal with frizzy curls, I wash it once or twice a week, I put coconut oil in it to keep it healthy and the ends from frizzing, and at night I wrap it in a bun with a scrunchie. In the morning, voila! Instant waves/curls and all I have to do is brush it. I’m so low maintenance with my hair, but I also don’t use heating elements because it’s already damaged from the straightening process. I try to just keep it healthy.
Girl…you don’t want to know! It rivals all the steps it takes to make Thanksgiving dinner and may actually take a bit longer. At least that’s what it feels like. Does this mean that Einstein’s Theory of Relativity also applies to haircare??
LOL, it’s more like the Second Law of Thermodynamics (the universe tends toward randomness)!
If we add the Power of Positivity then our trifecta is complete and physics (and a dash of metaphysics) will guarantee us a perfect hair day! ?
May I apply that special concoction on my baby hairs, please? Because today they are CRAZY and sticking out in every angle possible, LOL!