Wash and Go

What Is A Wash and Go?

A Wash and Go is the act of washing or co-washing hair and then defining and moisturizing your natural curls with a variety of products.

Type 4 hair updated wash n go routine.

After a natural hair "renaissance" in the 60s and 70s with the black power movement, black women began taking pride in wearing their hair in its natural state. The natural hair movement again saw a resurgence in the 2000s and reached a high in 2010. The wash and go hairstyle has become a highly used hairstyle as a way for black women to embrace their natural hair textures.

How to Achieve a Wash and Go?

A Wash and Go can be achieved in many ways with a variety of products. Well-known methods are the LCO (leave-in, cream, oil) or LOC (leave-in, oil, cream) methods which are often used to achieve maximum moisture in the hair. Curls are typically defined using a form of jelly or gel, which is then brushed through hair or with fingers to twist hair into defined curls.

Another common method is the curly girl method. With this method, your prime products are conditioner and gel. This method discourages shampoo and instead encourages co-washing, which is a way of gently cleansing your hair with conditioner. The idea is for the shampoo not to strip your hair. You use no styling tools or heat tools and refrain from using products with sulfates and alcohol.

Although these methods can be great, they may not be for everyone. The best way to know what products will best suit your hair and tailor a routine unique to your curls is by learning your hair's porosity. Your hair's porosity is simply how your hair retains moisture, which is the most important thing for strong and healthy curls.

There is low, medium, and high porosity hair. Doing research on which you have will aid in helping you understand which products may suit your hair for the best wash and go results.

Achieving a Wash and Go is different for everyone, depending on what method you choose to follow and how your hair reacts to different products. However, to achieve a good one, there are key steps everyone should follow in some variation.

1. Cleanse your hair

Whether it be deeply cleansing with shampoo, an ACV rinse, a bentonite clay mask, or co-washing with your favorite conditioner, you need to cleanse your hair. The way you cleanse will depend on your hair's porosity. This will rid your scalp and shaft of product build-up, which can prevent you from achieving a good wash and go.

2. Deep condition your hair

This can even be done in the form of hot oil treatments, but you need to add in a lot of moisture after you've cleansed your hair. The Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Hair Masque is a great choice for loads of moisture. Whichever one you prefer, finding the type of conditioner that gives you the most moisture is necessary. During this step, it is a good idea to detangle your hair and rid your hair of any knots and tangles, which will make styling your hair difficult. Detangling can also be done before cleansing your hair in a pre-poo treatment.

3. Moisturize and style your hair

The best way to achieve maximum definition with a wash and go is to apply products to soaking wet hair. With your hair drenched in water, your products will bind to your hair best and help to hold in the water's moisture. Also, your hair has minimal frizz when fully soaked, and applying your products directly onto that will help keep the frizz to a minimum. Applying your leave-in conditioner, styling creams, and gels of your choice can be done during this step.

Once your hair is washed and styled, it is best to allow your hair to air dry to set the curls in their natural state; however, you can also choose to blow dry your hair for faster results. Using a hairdryer with a diffuser to speed up the drying process without disturbing your curls is also advisable. Once your hair is dry, a pick can be used to lift the roots of the hair.

Easiest 4C wash n go I've tried!

Is A Wash and Go Versatile?

Wash-and-go hairstyles can be very versatile as it can produce many other styles and updos.

How Long Does A Wash and Go Last?

A Wash and Go is not typically a long-lasting style, but it can be preserved by either stretching, banding, or using silk coverings. It is not advisable to repeatedly wet the hair to refresh a wash and go as this can lead to hydral fatigue, which will over time weaken the hair and subject it to damage.

If additional moisture is needed steaming the hair by using humidity from your shower or a styling tool like the Q-Redew can revitalize the hair without soaking it in more water.

Who Is A Wash and Go Suitable For?

All hair types that can form a wave or curl pattern can achieve a wash and go. Hair begins to wave and curl from 2A to 4C hair textures. Also, a wash and go is fine for more sensitive scalps as it is not a style that requires heavy manipulation or tension.

When to Wear A Wash and Go?

A Wash and Go is a great hairstyle for year-round.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• A Wash and Go shows off your natural curl pattern. If you're looking for a natural hairstyle to show off your curls, a wash-and-go is the best route. It allows you to flaunt your natural curl pattern without any manipulation.
• A Wash and Go takes minimal skill to achieve and is low maintenance. If you know how to wash your hair and apply products, achieving a wash and go should be simple. It does not require much excessive skill or energy to do properly.

Cons

• A wash-and go-produces a lot of shrinkages. Shrinkage is when your curls spring up into their dried curl pattern. This reduces the length of your hair immensely. Although the hairstyle lets you wear your natural curls, as your hair dries, you will experience shrinkage. Some curl patterns have more shrinkage than others. This can be a problem for some, whereas it is fine with others.
• A Wash-and-go is not long-lasting. This is not a style you can keep for weeks and months. A Wash and Go will have to be done weekly or every other week for some curl patterns.