My Dirty Hair Confession

Let’s be honest – the process of washing, drying and styling hair can be an arduous one. Especially if you have long or thick hair like I do. For so long I would find myself dreading the process until a light bulb finally went off (**ding**) – its time to perfect my ‘dirty’ hair routine.

We all have different types of hair, so while this routine may or may not work for you, I would encourage you to give dirty hair a try! There are lots of great dry shampoos on the market, and the voluminous ‘dirty hair’ look is in! Do you want beachy waves and tousled tresses? Then try rocking some dirty hair!

So here are the details on my three-day ‘no-wash’ routine. Follow along for tips and tricks, and be sure to check out my video below!

  Day 1: Wash Day

Day number one is my least favorite day. . . you know, the day you actually have to wash your hair. On day one I give myself a bouncy blowout with the following steps:

1. 1. Once hair is washed and conditioned, towel dry to get rid of excess moisture. This will ultimately help your hair dry faster and allow the hair cuticle to absorb products better.
2. 2.  Apply It’s A 10 Miracle Leave In Conditioner to damp hair all over. This will help detangle and protect hair while making it more manageable, shiny and conditioned. Don’t worry, its not heavy and won’t make you’re hair greasy.
3. Brush through damp hair with a flat paddle brush to get rid of any knots or kinks.
4. Blow dry hair. You can start by blow drying pretty messily. Once your hair is nearly dry, reach for a large round brush. This will add volume at the crown and give a bit of curl to the ends of your hair.
5. I would highly recommend using your blow dryer’s ‘cool shot’ button if it has one. The cool shot will help set the curls and hold them in place throughout the day.
6. Once hair is completely dry, apply a light finishing hairspray. If you like a little extra volume, sprinkle a bit of volumizing hair powder at the roots like Big Sexy Hair’s Powder Play. 

Day #1 Tips:

• Don’t try curling your hair on day one. It’ll likely be too squeaky clean to hold the curl and they’ll end up falling flat.
• Sleep with your hair in a bun clipped to the top of your head with a jaw clip. This will eliminate any bumps commonly caused by hair ties. If your hair is too thick to be held up by one clip, use multiple clips or section the hair into two princess leia looking buns.

Day #2: Curl It!

On day two, the hair is a little dirtier and ready to be curled! To achieve that beautiful beach wave, I reach for my one inch clipless curling iron. You can use any type of curling iron you like to create a number of different styles, but be sure to follow these steps:

1. 1.Unclip hair from bun.
2. 2. Brush out any major kinks or knots with a flat brush.
3. 3. Prep hair with a heat protectant.
4. 4. Begin curling hair. Remember to curl away from your face! Depending on how tight or loose you want the curls to look you can curl smaller or larger sections. Play around to determine what looks best for you.
5. Spritz the hair with hairspray after curling. If your hair is suborn and known for not holding curl, try Paul Micthell’s Hot Off The Press Thermal Protection Hairspray. It adds a bit of gritty texture to the hair, which helps hold the curls.
6. Spray roots with a volumizing dry shampoo like Big Sex Hair’s Volumizing Dry Shampoo or Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder and shake fingers through the roots. This motion will help the dry shampoo absorb and add more volume to your hair.
7. Once curls are completely cooled, brush through with fingers to loosen them up and create a more natural wavy look.
8. Add more hairspray if needed to finish off the look – and don’t forget to sleep with your curls clipped to the top of your head at night to preserve them!

Day #2 Tips:

• If you have dark hair, consider using a dark colored dry shampoo. The non-colored versions can sometimes leave a white residue.
• Also, don’t be afraid to rough up the roots! You can also tease the crown with a comb for added volume.

Day #3: Assess the Situation

Day number three is sort of a toss up. It’s the point in time where you need to evaluate your hair’s condition and decide what to do next.

If you slept with your hair clipped up in a bun, your curls should still be intact. In that case, you can simply refresh them by brushing through any knots and re-curling sections.

Or, you might find that your hair is looking a bit wild on day three – and that’s ok! Let your hair go crazy! The mangled crazy sex hair look is actually quite ‘in’ right now.

Whatever you decide, the key to making your hair last through day three is refreshing with some more dry shampoo!

If needed, you can always reach for a head scarf, cute headband or experiment with fun hairstyles like braids, twists or the infamous sock bun!