It's way too cold and it's snowing and I turned off my big heater the other day. Sigh.

I am having a lazy Saturday, playing on the computer and listening to NPR. (Sound opinions is doing a feature on Synthy Pop this week - total nostalgia trip.)

Perkins, blues and purples wash out the fastest. There's something about those dyes that keeps them from having much staying power. May sound insane, but I stopped washing my hair (I only use conditioner), and now, instead of reapplying the dye every two weeks, I only have to do it every 4-6 weeks. It takes awhile, though, to get to the no-shampoo stage.

My hair also just doesn't like dye. I think we are going to strip the streak and then try again. I don't think I can get away without washing my hair, but maybe I should try.

Can I be done for the day now?

I've filled up my gas tank, gone to the ATM, stopped by the smog check place in case they could fit me in, made an appointment for 11:30, gone to TJs, neatened my apartment (or at least as much as I am going to), Resolved some puke spots on the rug, written a note for the catsitter, canceled the hair appointment, stripped the bed, and played with Dita.

I am nowhere near done for the day, but I'm getting closer!

May sound insane, but I stopped washing my hair (I only use conditioner), and now, instead of reapplying the dye every two weeks, I only have to do it every 4-6 weeks. It takes awhile, though, to get to the no-shampoo stage.

I'll back you up on this: I don't shampoo most of the time either. I don't think it's necessary for everyone.

I'd love to not have to shampoo my hair. I broke through the gross part while I was sick around new year's, but then, silly me, I used shampoo again after 7 days of going without and the whole greasy cycle started again. I haven't had the luxury of that many days in a row where I can be disgustingly greasy since.

Hit the library and the comic book store today. Need to finish shelving books. Tonight we're going to a house concert.

I'll back you up on this: I don't shampoo most of the time either. I don't think it's necessary for everyone.

bon bon, it's not a problem even though you run/exercise? I always assumed that working out (and the fact that I sweat like some kind of farm animal) would make shampooing a necessity.

That's why I added "most of the time"-- I do it after running. Though not every time. Admittedly my hair is more dry than greasy, but five minutes under warm water + conditioning = clean enough.

ETA: (after all, I'm not eating off my hair. It just need to be in good condition.)

I generally only wash mine every other day. And I just wet it and then restyle. Second-day hair usually looks pretty good, too.

Second day hair on me can veer between looking really good and like a limp noodle.

I shudder to think what it would look like if I went seven days without washing. I think the longest I've gone is five before I HAVE to wash it because it's grossing me out so much and the only reason I've gone that long is because I've been too sick to deal with it otherwise.

bon bon, it's not a problem even though you run/exercise? I always assumed that working out (and the fact that I sweat like some kind of farm animal) would make shampooing a necessity.

Not bon, but I haven't used shampoo on my hair since August. I eased out of shampoo gradually, so I never had a manky period. If you want to wean off shampoo, start by diluting it and gradually extending the time between washes. If you're tempted to go CO (conditioner only), start replacing washes with a lightweight conditioner. You can also use a dilute baking soda mix (I think the suggestion is 1 tsp per cup of warm water) in lieu of shampoo. If you do the BS clean, you'll want a slightly acid rinse.

Right now, I have a mix of about 60% shikakai powder/40% baking soda that I use for deep cleans, and for most of my cleaning needs, I'm doing a shikakai tea. I'm planning on planting soapwort so I can grow and brew my own cleaner rather than having to hit the Indian grocery, but that's a long-term plan.