No water shampoo?

[dementia412]

I figured this was the best place to ask about this. My daughter just had a surgery and then they told us she can't wash her hair (can't get water anywhere near her ear) for TEN days. I've heard of the no water shampoo, but never used any. Can anyone give me a recommendation? Do they work or would using a wash cloth be just as good. She has a lot of hair.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I figured this was the best place to ask about this. My daughter just had a surgery and then they told us she can't wash her hair (can't get water anywhere near her ear) for TEN days. I've heard of the no water shampoo, but never used any. Can anyone give me a recommendation? Do they work or would using a wash cloth be just as good. She has a lot of hair.

Dry shampoo usually just coats the hair so it doesn't look greasy. She may need to style braids or a pony during the ten days.

 

[adc]

I just bought some Suave dry shampoo. I couldn't believe how well it worked! Smelled good too.

It helps if you blow dry your hair straight the first day. That way it starts out looking good. Don't brush it more than you have to, and I didn't use any other product in it.

I went five or six days. Gross, I know. That 5th and 6th day I was really just trying to see how long I could go. I think u could have gone another couple, but I couldn't take it any longer!

 

[adc]

Also, when I did wash, it took forever and three applications of shampoo. Maybe I should have rinsed longer before adding shampoo. You may want to help her with that wash to get around ears and the back of the head really we'll.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

Yeah I wouldn't use dry shampoo on her, at least not the spray kind. It coats the hair and can smell pretty strong and I find that it makes my hair much harder to deal with. If I try to brush through it, it just feels greasy. The point is for the dry shampoo to absorb the oil and basically perfume it until you really do wash it. It doesn't wash or clean your hair or scalp.

I agree with the other poster, keep her hair in braids or a bun for the time being. She likely will get a little stinky by the end of that type period. If you really want to or need to, a wash cloth really is the best option and you don't have to wash her hair with it, just part her hair and sort of clean up her scalp as best as you can. That's where the sweat and oil are anyway.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Try baby wipes. Same concept as a wash cloth but has a pleasant scent.

 

[dementia412]

Thanks guys. I think I'll just try to use baby wipes and braid it up in the morning. We'll see in a few days. If I need to I'll try the Suave. She was told no school anyway, so at least she won't have to deal with that. She was pretty upset about the hair thing because she was worried what people would say.

 

[xreygirl]

Get some Glad Press and Seal. Wrap her ear with the press and seal, do a few layers making sure the layers are adheared completely. Wash her hair with her affected ear upright washing and rinsing downward. Press and seal is awesome for covering any surgical site areas. I'm currently using it to wrap my whole leg that's bandaged from surgery.
IF you do not feel comfortable trying this, Dove makes a good dry shampoo.

 

[Elleshoodat]

An alternative to dry shampoo is to sprinkle baby powder along the hairline, part, etc. to absorb oil. If you do opt for dry shampoo, make sure you do the same: Spray it on the hairline, part, etc. from about 10 inches away. Don't spray it on her whole head, or it will get greasy.

 

[adc]

Thanks guys. I think I'll just try to use baby wipes and braid it up in the morning. We'll see in a few days. If I need to I'll try the Suave. She was told no school anyway, so at least she won't have to deal with that. She was pretty upset about the hair thing because she was worried what people would say.

If she isn't doing school I'd say do dry shampoo the first four days or so then start pulling it up and braiding. You can always spray the dry shampoo while braiding. Too many days of braids may give her headache and the more you mess with it, the oilier it will look.

At first I had envisioned corn rows. That probably isn't what you are doing.

Good to know about press n seal!

 

[LockShockBarrel]

omg no. dry shampoo 4 days in a row will leave her hair disgusting.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

My stylist recently recommended that I stop washing my hair everyday to preserve the color and my keratin treatments. He said I should try using dry shampoo every other day. I bought a small can and tried it over my Thanksgiving break since I didn't have to be at work. I did not like it at all. The hair near my scalp felt greasy and was itchy later in the day. I don't think it looked clean, and I don't have overly oily hair. I couldn't wait to wash it the next morning and have been doing so ever since.

If I couldn't do a full wash, I think I would use a wet washcloth and a little shampoo on my scalp and especially around my hairline. Then I'd wipe off as much as possible with a clean, wet washcloth.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

Really what people have to understand is the goal of "hair washing" is more to wash your scalp. You absolutely don't need to wash it on a daily basis unless you have an extremely oily scalp. It sounds like a conspiracy but the daily hair washing "trend" for lack of a better word is a pretty recent phenomenon. I do mine 2-3 times a week unless I'm actually going out and want my hair curly. Natural oils are meant to coat the hair shaft. If you let them build up too much, you get that greasy look but if you wash too often you hair will dry out (no matter how much that bottle says moisturizing). Not washing daily will also help give a little more texture and volume because the hair appears thicker since it has that little bit of oil coating. Dry shampoos be they spray or powder are meant to absorb that oil for a short time so you can go longer between normal shampooing. They do not actually clean your hair. Using them multiple days in a row will only lead to build up.

PP, your stylist recommends not washing as much because most shampoo strips hair color out since it's not there naturally. If you don't like dry shampoo, just get a normal shampoo that's meant for color treated hair.

So in the OP's daughter's case, using dry shampoo over and over without actual washing will cause more build up than what her scalp would naturally produce. I wouldn't spray anything near her ear anyway with even water being forbidden. She probably won't like the way her head feels but she'll deal with it.

 

[GAGirlInVA]

I wash my hair every other day or every three days unless I go to the gym or swim.

In the in between days I use Bedheads "Dirty Little Secret" dry shampoo. I also recently picked up a much cheaper option at Target I think it was in the Suave Professional line.

Dry shampoo gets a bad rap, but it really does work. You spray a little at the roots and it helps absorb the oil. If she has very dark hair you need to be sure to spray lightly and pat/rub it in a little because the product is light.

I'm having surgery in the New Year and I'll be using it then too. My hair is MUCH healthier since I stopped shampooing every day. MOST people don't need to and overwashing actually increases oil production instead of decreasing it.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

But you aren't using that product for 10 days straight or 10 days without a normal wash between uses.

 

[taterheads]

Don't do the dry shampoo- it will make it worse come day 3 or 4 of using it! I agree with the poster that suggested the press and seal wrap. Then get a detachable shower head or use the sprayer on your kitchen sink so you can control where the water goes. She will be able to wash her hair with out water ever touching her ear.

 

[Dani C]

Don't do the dry shampoo- it will make it worse come day 3 or 4 of using it! I agree with the poster that suggested the press and seal wrap. Then get a detachable shower head or use the sprayer on your kitchen sink so you can control where the water goes. She will be able to wash her hair with out water ever touching her ear.

Or make an appointment at one of the salons. Let them know the situation early so they can be prepared. This will let her get a bit of pampering as well.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

I never thought I'd be argumentative about shampoo but really....

A salon cannot be "prepared" for this type of thing. They are just as likely to get water in the kid's ear as anyone at home using a detachable sink spray or shower head.

OP has already said she's going to go with the wash cloth route for now. 10 days is really a short amount of time to have to deal with this.

 

[mdutch39]

I love dry shampoo! I have tried many different kinds - some good some bad. My favorite is from the brand Batiste. They have one that comes out yellow tinted for blondes, so it's not as prominent as pure white products. They also have some that spray for darker hair. LOVE IT. You can probably find it at Walgreens. Or Ulta. Hope that helps!!

 

[mdutch39]

Also, I am a lazy 20 year old. I can guarantee I have gone for some period of time with just dry shampoo (the one I mentioned previously) and my hair looked perfectly fine. And did not feel greasy.