To yield my best wash and go results, I typically shingle my dense, fine, 4a, natural hair at the sink. I recently, however, decided to try a wash and go in the shower.
Why try to fix what isn’t broke, you ask? I know, I know. Well, a fellow natural mentioned that by using the praying hands method in the shower versus shingling individual curls section by section, she was able to achieve a MORE defined wash and go in just 30 minutes total . . . from wash to application of styler.
What?!?? Thirty minutes in all? Sign me up! 😀
I was still mulling over whether to invest the time and effort into trying this method when randomly an Anthony Dickey YouTube video popped up in my feed. You probably guessed it: The video demonstrated a defined, elongated wash and go, achieved without shingling. I felt like the universe was trying to tell me something!
I decided to give it a go. Not wanting to end up with crazy hair for church, before I began the process I re-watched the YouTube videos of . . .
- Naptural85’s in-shower wash-and-go process,
https://youtu.be/PQKOLUSCB_I - Anthony Dickey’s use-lots-and-lots-of-conditioner wash-and-go technique,
https://youtu.be/Ahrs2kTeHLY - and Mahogany Curls’s plop-the-hair-with-a-microfiber-towel wash-and-go method.
https://youtu.be/-UFaCKq8JkA
Despite knowing that creamy leave-in’s interfere with gel on my hair, I forged ahead. I felt I needed to give these techniques a fair chance. I decided to combine all three methods into one overall method, meaning, I would do the wash and go in the shower, I would use lots of conditioner beneath gel to try to weigh down (de-bulk) my hair, and I would plop my hair overnight with a microfiber towel.
So what do you think? Do you think it worked? The following is what all I did, along with the results, photos included.
Friday Evening Prep: Wash and Deep Condition
- I cleansed my hair with RoyalHerbalOrganics No Poo (left on for 30 minutes per directions).
- I detangled and deep conditioned with RoyalHerbalOrganics Conditioner.
- I wore a plastic processing cap over my conditioner-saturated twists and donned on a wig over it all. I went about my day.
Under the wig: deep conditioner -saturated twists under a plastic cap
Saturday Evening Styling: Wet, Condition, Gel, and Plop
- One twist at a time, I
- rinsed the deep conditioner out,
- allowed the shower water to elongate the section,
- heavily applied DevaCurl Decadence One Condition (gives my hair definition),
- briefly flashed the section of hair under the shower water to re-elongate the section,
- and applied Bronner Brothers Firm Hold Curling Gel via the praying hands method (this gel cements my hair so that I get little to no tangles).
- I used two long bobby pins to pin back the left front and right front of my hair so that it would dry slightly more away from my face than usual. (I’d never done this before, but Naptural85 did it, and it made me realize that it might improve the look of my hair.)
- I squeezed out excess water from my hair with a microfiber towel.
- I twisted the microfiber towel around the length of my hair the way Mahogany Curls does to plop her hair and dry it (see video linked above). I went to sleep, leaving the microfiber towel in overnight.
Sunday Morning Results
The next day, my hair was still wet after 15 hours of wearing the microfiber towel. And when I removed the microfiber towel, my hair was strangely flat to my head. This was weird to see, because left alone, my hair dries as a cottony cloud around my head. It was also strange to see because I wasn’t expecting it based on previous microfiber-plopping results: The last time I plopped my hair with a microfiber towel, my hair dried with body and with nicely defined coils.
I just wasn’t expecting these results. There was much more frizz than ususal. My hair did feel good, though. That was one positive. And it wasn’t tangled, thank heaven. Still, I didn’t feel I could work with it. I put it in a ponytail.
New Results
I restyled on Monday . . . yes, shingling at the sink like usual. 😉 Much better. 😀 Lol!
Tweaks I’ll Try Next Time
I’m not giving up on the praying hands method just yet. The reason? For one thing, I need a fast wash-and-go method/option. Secondly, I have an idea: I think it was mainly the use of left-in conditioner that was the culprit. So I’m going to try the praying hands method again, in the shower, eliminating the conditioner.
A curlfriend also gave me an idea: Instead of plopping overnight with a microfiber towel, I will remove excess water with it but then swap out and plop with a t-shirt. This might decrease drying time and prevent flattening of my hair. Maybe. I’ll see. 🙂
If that doesn’t work, then I’ll try the praying hands method with air drying, no plopping. After that, I’ll assess. 🙂
What About You?
What’s your favorite wash-and-go tutorial? Please link it in the comments below! Have you attempted to combine techniques from several different tutorials? If so, how did it pan out?
As always, thanks for visiting! Many blessings to you and yours! ❤
The Blossoming, Fit Natural 