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As a quick deviation, do you know there is nothing like wash and go? It is more like wash, wait, condition, gel, wait, wait, wait some more, and then more, and then a longer more, and the final wait, and go! You don’t just wash and go.
Anyway, so have you tried to do a wash and go, and you failed? To make it worse, you even got confused because you could have bet your bottom dollar that you studied every detail of the youtube styling video you got the tips from, listened to every instruction, and even waited till you could get the same exact products your youtube natural idol used. Yet you still failed. So where could you have gone wrong?
Don’t fret yourself. If you are a full-blooded Nigerian or a 4C-haired lady, there’s a 99% chance that your hair cannot achieve a wash and go, at least not those kinds you drool over on the internet. Of course, there will be exceptions like that of Linda here, so you are free to experiment. But don’t go sulking if you find out you are not one of the few chosen ones. Also, there's the max hydration method in rave now, what I call stress of life. But still, don't be too disappointed if you don't get it right.
So why is it that some naturals all over the world cannot seem to achieve a wash and go? The answer is straight forward. It has nothing to do with the product or the deceitfulness of your youtube natural idol. It is all about curl pattern. Some naturals have tightly-coiled hair, and their strands will not clump, even if they put fire on it. The closest thing they can get to wash and go when their hair is a bit long is a neat-looking hair, and that's after massive hydration, but not very defined curls or clumping strands
When I did a wash and go, I did not even know what I was doing was called wash and go. A lady had given me a jar of keracare defining custard, and I just read the directions, where they said I should shingle my hair with the product, and my hair would curl up. I followed the directions, and all I ended up was a baked cake on my head.
I looked at the hair in the mirror, and became confused. I added more products, repeated the whole process, researched the meaning of shingling, and would have even drank the whole product, if it would solve my problem. Still, it was the same. I took the jar of custard to work and did it the next morning, nothing! I only noticed that my usually-frizzy hair was well-compacted, and had a very defined shape. In fact, it was so defined that it seemed baked, and everyone thought it was a wig. It was also very soft. And that is how wash and go looked on my hair.
You won't believe how long this hair really is. The product shrunk it up to zero |
In fact, it was after this experience that I decided I would either find a hair care blog that deals with our type of hair, i.e. hair that cannot achieve wash and go, or start one myself. I felt if I had been more enlightened about the differences in textures and how they don't act the same under certain conditions, I wouldn't have wasted so much time, trying to get a look I could not achieve. And my hair is not even 4C!
The good news is that wash and gos are not the only way to have curly natural hair. In fact, they are the least-threaded path in achieving curly hair. You can do twistsouts, bantu knot outs, flexirod sets and other less curl pattern-discriminatory hair styles. As for me, if I want curly hair, I don’t think twice, I just go for twistouts, and they never fail me.
Since my hair is now longer, and it is not really the kinky type of hair, I might give the wash and go another chance in the nearest future, but I won’t really bank on its success.
Actually, Pinkecube the creator of the max hydration method is Nigerian and her hair is 4c. And in one of her videos she basically did her hair in 5 minutes.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMfb0Jd7eQ0
when you start it does take time but that time is like an investment that pays off later and you get to live the easy life.
Lool. It is not about the first day. It is about what you will do before the style, and every single day to keep it, and how long you will do it. And if you read the science behind the article well, it will most likely not work on all kinds of hair, just hair with a certain type of porosity.
DeleteAnyway, this post was written for ladies to know that wash and go might not work for everyone, and they shouldn't be too disappointed if it doesn't work for them.
Yes, I know but since you mentioned MHM I thought that it should be said that the regimen is more than about styling, because the effort you put in at first starts to accumulate and you hair gets more healthy. And there is all sorts of tips on her site about shortening up the regimen. To get the best idea of this regimen, one really has to read the main site, or the forum from the person who actually made it.
DeleteFor one thing it does work on all hair types. Take Aketafitgirl for example, she has high porosity hair. There are several testimony pictures of ppl with different porosities and hair types, lots of people with 4c hair doing this as well. Thats why there are different options in the regimen, like ACV instead of bakingsoda.
PinkeCube said the only reason low porosity and 4chair is emphasized is because many of those types have the most difficulty absorbing moisture and think they have no curl pattern. This regimen was created specifically for reasons like you mentioned in the post. It's for us, no one is isolated no one has to be chosen because we all have curls with moisture.
Okay, I raise my hand in surrender. You seem to be very knowledgeable about it. How about we shake hands and hug? lol.
DeleteI read JC's take on it, and from the science angle, I will keep my hawkeye on. Anything that involves me using baking soda on my hair, is a no-no.
Yes, there is a lot of info on the forum, and the website. you learn a lot when you go to the source, and Pinke cube is really helpful in answering questions. Hope it didn't seem like i was trolling or anything. I guess I can't help but say a lot since this regimen has really helped me. I think people need to learn more about it from the source as and give it a chance because it really does work.
DeleteIf you do get along to thinking about it in the future, know that you don't actually need to use bakingsoda. You can use acv. plus JC did mention on her blog that bakingsoda doesn't change the curl pattern or dissolve the hair or any of those rumors. Either way it is fine, I just wanted to share my thoughts since a lot of what you said in the article I can relate to. :)
Trolling? Naa. This is an intelligent dialogue many readers will learn from. This is what we want to see on this blog. Thanks.
DeleteHi Chrissa, did you try the cherry lola treatment?
DeleteWho wrote this article? I love it, her blog?
ReplyDeleteAww, thanks. It is me, and I post on this blog every monday.
DeleteI am Nigerian as well, and I have never ever ever had a successful WNG look until I tried the maxhydrationmethod. My hair is usually kpokorokpo. I say wash and go look because i do agree that nothing is truly wash and go. It is wash, condition, styler/sealer. At first i was afraid of the work this method involved until i tried it and i felt like my eyes were opened. Why?
ReplyDelete-my results were consistent and predictable (i couldn't guarantee that with any of my natural hair styles unless i was rocking twists that i pinned up). Any "out" styles even if i used the same products could leave me the next day with a mess or something nice.
-the finished look with this regimen is hydrated hair with defined curls. With my hair i went to the gym (hot yoga with lots of sweating), came home showered and shook my hair (did not rewet or refresh hair) and it maintained. The next day I decided to rock a puff and didn't have to worry about what the ends looked like, because i saw that they were curls. Which tripped me out! From this one style it seemed i could rock all my other hair styles without trying to twist ends to look textured or defined or more interesting.
-dont knock something till you try it sha is all i am saying :)
-check out my instagram @mypurplebrain for my results. I need to try to find before MHM pics so people can see my 4c texture with zero curls.
Aww, glad you finally found a method that works. MHM seems to be the in thing now. I'm sure if I were really interested in wash and gos like I was when my hair was in the awkward-stage phase, I would have given it a try. Yea, we would love to see pics.
Deletei tried this method for a few days and it worked for me, now that the dreaded harmattan is coming, i need to start this method again,anything to stop dryness. For me, its not about the wash and go, its about combating dryness and i don't mind the stress involved.
ReplyDeleteHi, i stared the MHM method a week ago, with a made in Nigeria conditioner cheap(350), clay(Nigerian ndom)and baking soda. On the second day i started feeling my curls popping out from the middle part of my hair. So far the curls are popping progressively to the extent that when i wash and go u can see that der is a change as my hair is not totally smooth anymore. The progress is slow but i am getting results....it may be visible in a few weeks.. Why i am doing this? Bcos i want to be able to wash my hair and carry it like that....not a fan of protective styles but i do twist outs alot as my hair has major shrinkage d syles r limited....yea my hair is soft and less crunchy...I have 4 type hair i describe it as nappy cus dats just how it is...it takes longer to achieve but its getting der..i use d cheapest conditioner that is free of all d dont chemicals listed(cos it takes alot of conditioner and btw 1500-2500 will be too much for me)��
ReplyDelete