by
Elle D.
Throughout my hair journey (teeny weeny afro to waist length, and still growing!), I’ve mainly worn wash and gos. I like twists, braids, and updos, but I find them extremely time consuming, especially with longer hair (it takes me about four hours to twist my hair). Many people claim that our textured hair can’t grow to long lengths without protective styling, but can you call a wash and go a protective style? My answer – sorta. To me, a protective style is any style that protects your hair from mechanical and chemical damage, allowing it to thrive, mainly focusing on protecting the ends. So by that definition, a wash and go isn’t really a protective style because your ends are exposed to the elements.
However, I do consider it a low manipulation style, which also allows your hair to thrive and minimizes mechanical damage. I would even go as far as to say that if done properly, a wash and go can be better for your hair than twists and braids because those styles require more manipulation to the hair and the ends are still exposed unless you wear them in updos. Wash and gos are one of the lowest forms of manipulation to your hair (basically letting it do its own thing), can be worn for several days, and if your hair doesn’t rub against your shoulders your ends can be protected from the elements if you coat them with oil or another product that decreases friction.
When I do twists and braids, I lose way more hair as I’m doing the style as opposed to wash and gos, and people often retwist their hair frequently to keep the style fresh, which is a lot of manipulation. Also, if you leave braids and twists in for too long and don’t care for your hair properly, it can be a disaster. When I had box braids, I couldn’t imagine how some people don’t wash their hair the entire time they are in braids and don’t moisturize their real hair. And I’ll tell you…I watched a lot of braid videos and saw a lot of busted edges.
If you’d like to try wash and gos as a means to promote hair growth, here are some tips:
1. Decrease tangles by ensuring your hair is properly moisturized and using a holding product to keep your hair from tangling around itself. Check out my video on decreasing tangles for more detail.
2. If your wash and go touches your shoulders, decrease friction by wearing clothing that won’t catch on your hair, like leather, silk, or chiffon. This is even easier to do in summer because it’s tank top season!
3. Aim for multi-day hair by using a satin scarf or Sue Maesta hood at night so your hair doesn’t get all mussed up. Fluff it out in the morning and go! This is my night routine (still!) – super easy.
4. Don’t detangle your hair frequently – I usually aim for biweekly detangle sessions, then in between lightly finger detangle in the shower while I’m conditioning my hair.
5. Coat your natural hair with an oil or heavier moisturizer to not only decrease friction, but also help prevent single strand knots and split ends. “Sealing” hair has several benefits, and I definitely recommend it if your hair is longer.
6. Last but not least – let your hair do its thing!! Wash and gos do not have to look a certain way, so don’t spend a ton of time manipulating your hair trying to make it do something that it isn’t meant to do. I remember once I was discussing this with someone and they said that a wash and go isn’t a style, but more of a method. As I always say, let your hair be and it will thank you!
Now, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with traditional protective styles, but it’s important to explore other options and see what works for you. Happy wash and going!
Do you think wash and gos can be a protective style?
//
20 Responses
That’s awesome that you can get away with wearing a wash n go without gel and not experience excessive frizz, tangles and knots. That’s the beauty of afro textured hair, each head is unique. Do you experience a lot of shrinkage with your wash n go?
That wouldn’t work on my high density hair and thick strands, especially since I have different textures. Certain parts of my hair would shrink up causing more issues. I might be able to just get one day hair if that much, if I were to do a wash n go with just conditioner/oil/butter. That would probably work great if my hair were a lot shorter. The only way I can keep my strands clumped yet stretched and organized for days with minimal frizz without the use of gel is if I set my hair in braids in preparation for a braid-out. Which is actually how I wear my hair 99% of the time. Tressame conditioner as my leave-in/styler and sheabutter as my sealant/styler. Occasionally when I am out of sheabutter I just use an oil. Braid-outs never fail me.
And like you, I enjoy learning about all the different ways you can care for natural hair. It’s pretty fascinating. Afro textured hair enthusiast here 🙂
I do get shrinkage, but I don’t mind. The hair in the middle of the back of my head is coarser than the rest and coils more tightly, with more shrinkage than anywhere else. Instead of stretching it, I just make sure it’s extra lubricated with leave-in conditioner to stop it from knotting up.
Anyway, I took a couple of shrinkage pictures today, shortly after my workout. They show how a sweaty scalp and neck cause my hair to frizz up a bit (and shrink even a bit more in the back than usual, apparently). You can also kinda see how I tuck my temple hair behind my ears in a twist.
As for frizz, I don’t stress about it much. I like a little frizz mixed in with my coils. Besides, most of my frizz is just strands that refuse to clump with others to form thick coils. My head is full of random rebels.
For anyone wanting to try wearing a wash & go without gel, and thinks their hair might not throw a tantrum over it, I’d say the secret is your leave-in product. I use SheaMoisture’s Coconut and Hibiscus conditioner as my leave-in. My hair loves that stuff. Sealant can be your favorite oil, butter, etc. (I use As I Am Moisture Milk as a sealant, because it contains lots of oils my hair likes.) I know someone who uses a mix of oils as her leave-in, instead of conditioner, and then finishes with pure shea butter to hold all her clumped coils in place. I can’t do that, but hey, it’s great that it works for her.
I love braid-outs! I don’t wear them often—95% of my life is spend in wash & gos—but I love the look. I prefer them to twist-outs because they create a bit more texture, and I love texture in hair. Can’t go wrong with braid-outs.
Beautiful coils and curls! Coils galore!! And your shrinkage is incredibly deceiving! People who do not yet understand afro-textured hair may be shocked at how long it really is once stretched. Your hair is lovely!
When I did wash n go’s with gel, it was so very easy to maintain compared to braid-outs or compared to a wash n go with no gel because my hair stayed in place for an entire week all due to the gel. I didn’t have to re-wet my entire head, no braiding up at night, just a loose bun or sometimes I slept with my hair out. It was the true definition of low manipulation, low maintenance style. I just slept as is on a satin case and the next day I just fluffed a little, shook my hair and that was it. It took less than 3 minutes. That was my favorite thing about wash n go’s with gel. But I haven’t done a wash n go in probably 2 years. I prefer the effortless, lightly frizzy textures of a braid-out on me.
As far as frizz and shrinkage, I actually like a little frizz, it adds character along with a nice effortless look and I definitely don’t mind shrinkage because it’s the nature of our hair. I only have a problem when they both become excessive to the point where it causes dryness, knots, tangles and snarls. You see, I am curious about my length potential so I am allowing my hair to grow as long as it can and since it’s pretty thick and long, it is so much easier and less work for me once I am able to keep it as organized as I possibly can.
And even with great products, wash n go’s without gel requires daily maintenance for my hair type. In order for the style to last throughout the week I would have to wet my entire head a 2-3 times during the week, that’s just too much for me considering my thickness and length, especially since I air dry. Which is why I said earlier, the no gel wash n go would be easier to do if my hair were shorter. I like to wash or refresh my hair no more than 1x a week, sometimes I wait longer. With braid-outs I just do my 3 nightly braids and just unravel them when I want to wear my hair down. No washing, wetting my hair or detangling until wash day.
Wash n gos have become my fav style, my hair has thrived since rocking them. I don’t get tangles & hardly notice any knots. I like twist outs but it’s too much manipulation which can cause my scalp to be sore.
I do a wash n go 99% of the time, but I refresh it every morning with a little bit of water and styling product. I like to sleep with my hair loose on my pillow and it takes less than 5 minutes each morning. You don’t have to get your hair soaking wet, just a little damp.
WnG’s are a no-no for my 4B/4C hair. My hair has been thriving in twists, and I’ve seen my best length retention with them as well. I twist them into some type of bun, or other braided styles, leave that style for 4-5 days, take it down, remoisturize, and all is well. What works for some may not work for others.
I can’t say I can’t wash and go and it look good but it’s not my ideal. For one I like to wash at night because mine take a long time to dry and I don’t like walking out with wet hair. 2) I get more ssks. 3) my shrinkage varies greatly ad I get a weird shape. However we all have to find our way. Some people think it’s weird that I’m a 4 and wash my hair more than once a week and never wear braids. If I leave my hair long in braids it tangles bad. I’m with Elle. No way I could wear some of these styles where people go a long time without washing. I saw on girl on yt who said she will wear a sewin 3 months and not wash her hair.
3 months!? That doesn’t seem very hygienic…
wash and go’s and two french braids are all I do now and its so easy i shampoo and deep condition on Sundays and then co wash on Wednesday i loose a lot less hair now
Semi protective style absolutely! I have kinky hair so I have to redo my wash n go every 2 or 3 days… between a cream cleanser and co-washing. When I first started doing them that often I remember losing lots of hair each time! Which is why most naturals with kinky hair don’t like to do wash n gos… but my sistas you must perservere! My hair has gotten so moisturized now with this regimen that I lose very little hair detangling my hair while washing and styling my wash n go. I also make sure I alternate between stretched styles and wash n go’s because I do think you can get more out of stretched styles because your hair stays detangled and you can transition stretched hair to a REAL protective style.
I’m sure for some people wash and goes are fine, but for me they are a no go. My hair always does well in protective styles I just make sure that I don’t do it too tight. I did learn from that mistake. I’m 3C to 4C as well and my hair is low porosity and and very thick, so my hair holds on to the water for ever which in the past has caused scalp issues, so no to wash and goes.
This may have moreso to do with the type of hair you have. My hair flourishes in protective styles and all my edges are well intact. Wash and Gos are a major NO for me. i have a friend that has hair that does better with wash and Gos as well: she’s more of a 3c and I’m 4c
I agree. For me wash and gos have been the best thing for my hair because I have fine strands (but very thick hair). My hair doesn’t tangle a lot with the wash and go. When I wear twists my hair is knotted where the synthetic hair is wrapped around my hair and it takes a lot to remove the tangles. Mind you, I would always moisturize my hair and wash it. No matter what I did my hair would tangle there. Now if I want twists I do the crochet braids method (very minimal knots/tangles if any. 🙂 I keep it in for 8 weeks ).
If I ever go back to individual twists I will keep it in no longer than 6 weeks and see if that will help with less breakage (I would wear it for 8 weeks). I also wear twist outs less frequently. I definitely need to seal more. It does help.
My hair likes the opposite. I two strand twist my hair after washing and conditioning it and wear a twist out. I don’t have to re twist until my next wash day and my hair has been growing like a weed. The twist out starts to mimic a wash and go after about a day but it’s definitely a low manipulation style for me.
Absolutely a WnG can be protective! There are a number of YouTubers and bloggers using WnGs as low manipulation styles (some fully protective by then bunning or roll/pin/tucking) to great effect.
I admire these intrepid ladies for inspiring me to wear my own texture as a staple.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with braid/twists or their “out” companions. BUT I feel that Type 4 naturals especially are more encouraged to wear a manipulated texture than the texture that forms more or less on its own.
With all the different methods out there (Conditioner Only, CG, MHM, TC etc), I have definitely been experimenting with different methods to find the right balance to get my best WnG style. The right formula for me is somewhere at the end of: minimum manipulation + touchable/soft hair + minimal tangles + healthy hair = Fantastic WnG! Summer 2015 is my season! I’m close! Lol
There’s something really empowering to me when I wear my hair in a WnG and people ask me what kind of style is that, what did I do to make it look like it looks. Braid out? Twist out? And I get to say “Leave-In Conditioner and Gel” or “Conditioner” or “Oil”
I really want to believe it’s possible for a long haired (I’m MBL) Type 4 natural to wear her own loose texture and still have hair that’s healthy enough to retain length!
I also notice I lose the least amount of hair when I wash and go. I have refresh everyday, at this length. But the benefits outweigh the daily upkeep. I’ve “perfected” my routine after many years of trial and error. And I have come to see WnG’s as low manipulation and therefore good for length retention.
Thank you for sharing this information. ?
I just came off of a wng streak. It was nice spending less time on my hair and seeing my natural curl pattern, but it had a lot of downsides.
1. Hair that never dried
If you’re low-po and tightly textured, your hair might take literally forever to dry once it finally gets wet. I would do my wash and goes on Saturday, and still have damp spots on Tuesday. This was partially because my hair was bound to avoid knotting and friction damage, but 3 days of whet hair is a bit much, imo.
2. Knots and breakage
Even while being as gentle as possible, moisturzing as needed, and keeping things lightly stretch or not stretched at all, I got millions of SSKs. I know they aren’t an issue for some people, but they cause complex knot formation, breakage and tangling for me. I ended up trimming off everything I grew in the last couple of months, which wasn’t terrible—but I had really been enjoying hitting BSL.
3. Detangling woes
I washed my hair in sections once a week, using shampoo only every other week. I used a heavy gel and hair butters, along with glycerin heavy products. I don’t understand how my once a week detangling turned into hell while I washed and went, but I had to throw in the towel on that 4 hour torture session.
I have kinkier hair (4 a-c) with fine strands, and I liked washing and going…but it may not be for everyone. If you hate wet hair in your face but like bangs to hide your forehead, it’s not for you. If you have tighter textured hair and length goals, it’s not for you. If you already get knots at the drop of a hat, it’s probably not for you either.
If you have none of those goals or issues, wngs are the best thing since sliced bread. But textures and patterns will all have different experiences with washing and going, and I feel like this writer sometimes ignores that.
There are some people that do wash n go’s with conditioner and or butter/oil only, so in this case I would not consider it as a low manipulation or protective style because there is not much hold to keep the strands organized like gel would. For my texture, I would only consider wash n go’s as a low manipulation/protective style if the right amount of gel(I use a lot) is applied and if techniques such as yours are used or other similar application techniques which allows the hair to flourish, as we see with your hair.
When I did wash n go’s, the trick for me to minimize knots and breakage was the strength in numbers technique as I like to call it, which is to make sure the strands are well clumped/compact/compressed together vs stray hairs or overly separated strands. The stray hairs along with too much separation of the strands tend to cause unnecessary knots, it shortens the duration of the style, and causes snarls, frizz and breakage. The more strands clumped together the less frizz and mechanical damage.
But I can see how this may be a problem for some with low density hair because I imagine most would prefer a fuller more voluminous look, which would then require more separation vs super clumped/compressed/compact curls. So maybe it all depends on the hair type, strand size? Just sharing random thoughts…..
I’m one of those no-gel wash & go folks. My coils are mostly 4a, I have medium to fine strands, and most of my hair is low to medium porosity. (The hair at my temples is high porosity.) I don’t need gel to hold and organize my coils. They do that pretty well on their own. All I need is a good leave-in conditioner and an oil-based moisturizer/sealant. The leave-in conditioner seems to keep my strands lubricated and less likely to tangle/knot around one another.
Most of my knots happen if I get too crazy about detangling in the shower. In other words, I cause knots myself by trying to force tightly clumped coils apart. So I don’t do that kind of detangling. As for the high porosity hair at my temples, I keep that stuff in 2 thin twists that I tuck behind my ear, while I continue my “how the hell do I keep these bits of hair moisturized all day” quest. Seriously, when I’m in the shower washing my hair, those patches of hair are almost bone dry before I even step out of the shower, unless I apply enough leave-in conditioner. It’s crazy.
Anyway, I realize this is just my hair I’m talking about, and not everyone can wear a wash & go without gel. But some people can, and for us it does work great as a low manipulation and protective style. One of my favorite things about natural hair is hearing all the different things that work for different people. All the diversity and uniqueness is really interesting.