No time for a shower? Try these tips to make your day-old (or week-old) hair look fresh and flawless!
It’s Tuesday morning; you were productive on Monday (got up early, worked out, showered and had your whole day ahead of you). Today, not so much. You wake up half an hour before class and let’s be honest, fifteen of those minutes must go to getting coffee because you’re just not going to make it through the day without caffeine. You throw on leggings, a chambray shirt, and a cute scarf for good measure. The only problem: your hair. There just isn’t enough time to wash it so you’re stuck with wearing it dirty. Relax. Contrary to common belief, dirty hair is not the end of the world. Actually, it’s healthier for your hair to wash it less. The natural oils in your scalp are what give you that glossy shine. Over-washing does nothing but dry out your hair. Okay, so now that you’ve come to terms with your hair being dirty, what do you do with it?
1. Dry Shampoo:
My savior. This is a must-have for every girl. Honestly, I cannot even count how many times my Dove dry shampoo has saved me. Whoever invented this substance to clean your hair without water is a genius. It works by absorbing oil from your scalp and hair and making it look and feel clean again! Dry shampoos come in three forms – powder, liquid, or an aerosol spray. I recommend the aerosol spray—it’s so easy; you spray it in particularly around your scalp and then brush it through. Make sure to brush or use your fingers to erase all evidence of the dry shampoo. The key is to make your hair look freshly washed without washing it at all. It’s crazy how many times I’ve complimented someone on her hair only to hear, “Really? I thought it would look gross, I haven’t washed it”. Seriously ladies, dirty hair is hot.
Once you’ve used your dry shampoo, you have tons of options. One of which is to rock the disheveled all-down look, which for me, I just call Sunday hair.
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2. Braids on Braids
We all know how in braids have been. The fishtail is everywhere. Princess braids (aka the ones on the crown of your head) can become a part of any hairstyle. Plus, braids are fun. However, when you’ve just washed your hair, sometimes it’s actually too smooth and clean to braid. Pieces fall out, the braid doesn’t look how it’s “supposed to” and instead of a perfectly messy braid, your hair just looks like you didn’t know what you were doing. Which, of course is never what we want. Dirty hair is great for teasing. Grab a comb and tease the top section of your hair. Pull your hair over to one side and get braiding! After putting the elastic in, use your hands or a soft brush to pull at the braid and give it that disheveled, effortless look.
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3. Work that up-do!
For me, I always want to try new, simple up-dos. But, when I’ve just blown my hair out and it’s looking chic, I obviously want to wear it down. Dirty hair gives you the perfect excuse to try out that topknot you saw on Pinterest. I’m also a big fan of this low bun too.
For this look, part your hair slightly to the right of a center part. Then, take a section and twist it away from your face continuing around your head. Then, pulling all your hair together, twist it up into a messy low bun. It’s cute and easy to fix throughout the day.
Here’s another one that is a little higher on the head and with some more volume, which I love. Secure this with bobby pins and hairspray.
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4. Curling: (not to be confused with the ever-popular Olympic sport)
Everyone has been told that dirty hair holds curls better (If you hadn’t before, well, you now you have). Obviously, this isn’t a 10-minute hairstyle, but if you have 20 minutes to spare, you’re golden. Use a 1-inch curling iron to curl random sections of your hair. The key is to create looser, beachy waves as opposed to ringlets. Then, either pin a little back for a relaxed look or create a more sophisticated look with a low side-pony. (Make sure to leave out pieces of hair in the front to really create the “Oh, I just quickly threw my hair up” look).
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5. Ponytail Power
You gotta give it to the ponytail. It really knows a lot about diversity. I mean, think about all the ways you can wear a ponytail: thousands. If you ever forget this and need inspiration, Pinterest knows all about the power of the ponytail. And your dirty hair gives ponytails even more power.
I like this one in particular. Ideally, you do a little something in the front, like this low-key twist for example. Then, pull it back into a low pony. Tease the ponytail a bit to give it just the right amount of volume. Finally, grab a small piece of hair from underneath the pony and wrap it around the ponytail. This hides your elastic and gives the ponytail itself a really polished look.
These are just a few of the countless ways to truly ROCK dirty hair. No time to shower does not mean there’s no time to make your hair look hot. All you need is five minutes to look clean and put-together. It can be hard to make your hair look awesome when you’re focused on your outfit and getting to class on time. I admit, oftentimes I’m guilty of slacking on mixing up my hairstyles (aka I rock Sunday hair more than I should). But, I try to pin hairstyles I want to try or save pictures of them in my phone. Then, when I’m in a pinch and out of ideas I have pictures right at my fingertips. The most important thing is for people to never question when you last washed your hair. With dry shampoo and these styles, you can always look fresh and fierce.