Washing My Hair Once A Week ~ Secrets, Tips and Tricks

What comes to a shock to most of my friends is when I say I wash my hair once a week. I get a variety of 'ew' to 'wow' reactions but I don't mind. I have always washed my hair irregularly - twice a month when I was a child then once a week when I began swimming lessons aged 10 onwards.

I have very thick and wavy mid-brown hair. I have never dyed it although I do straighten or curl my hair most weeks which causes most of the damage. I tend to use a variety of shampoos and conditioners as well as 2in1 shampoos. My favourites are TRESemmé Beauty Full Pre-Wash Conditioner and Shampoo and Head and Shoulders 2 in 1 Apple Fresh. I admit that I am also a fan of Batiste Dry Shampoo but I tend to use that once a week only if I'm going out and need to look somewhat presentable!

~ Week Plan ~

On the day I wash my hair and the two days after I keep my hair natural. After I wash it I leave it to air-dry completely which brings out most of my curls and over the next couple days will drop out. I don't brush my hair when it is like this as it would then resemble Mia from Princess Diaries - before the makeover!!

After the third day I will brush my hair and straighten it which makes it more manageable for the rest of the week. On the fourth day the greasiness of my roots will begin to show so if I'm heading out that day I will give it 2 'squirts' of dry shampoo. If I stay in I'll just leave it alone.

Day 5 I will tie all my hair up in a ponytail or in two dutch plaits. This way, any greasiness in the roots won't show and I can get away with it for another three days. Bringing us to Day 8 when I start the cycle again

~ Tips and Tricks ~

If you don't need to wash your hair - don't. I've gone two weeks regularly purely because I've been studying and haven't had any need to look good. My hair will begin to clean itself after a week and a half too so it isn't disgusting.

Switch your brands of shampoo and conditioner up and try different formulas. It took me 4 years before finding the right kinds of formulas for my hair which leads to lack of greasiness and stronger hair!

Train your hair! Get a routine for yourself. I forced myself to go to the gym so afterwards I would have an excuse to wash my hair. Works wonders - I lost a stone in 4 months as a result. If you are a daily hair washer begin by having an off day every few days and work from there, slowly taking more and more off days.

Leave any questions you may have in the comments box below and let me know on Twitter how you get on or if you have any other tips! See you all soon!

Teen Tips: Prom Planning!

It's prom season! In Scotland we have prom as well but it's not on the same scale as it is in America. Having said that it is still essential to plan every detail and I am here to help!

Step 1: Make a List

It's quite easy to forget something so have a list on your phone of everything you need. If you remember you've not put something down then add it! My list included a dress, flat shoes (I'm 6 foot 4 so I wanted to look reasonable height in photos), hair ideas, nail ideas, make up ideas (I was doing them all myself), jewellery, bag, and a disposable camera. My school ran a bus to transport everyone to this really fancy hotel so I didn't need to worry about that but for your prom you might have to add that to your list.

Item 1: Dress

It's really important that you feel comfortable in your dress. If you don't feel comfortable then you won't enjoy yourself as much. I made sure that I went dress shopping first thing in the morning after breakfast. That way my measurements included a full stomach so I didn't have to starve myself on prom day.

Another point to add is that you don't have to be 'skinny' for prom. I refused to go on a prom diet just to fit a dress. I chose a dress that fitted me as I was and not what I hoped to be!

Item 2: Shoes

If you're in the same position as me and don't want to look too tall in photos then wear flat shoes!! There is no shame in wearing a cute pair of sandals because by the end of the night most girls high heels will be off anyway!!

However if you are tall and want to wear heels then go for it! It's only for one night and you'll get loads of complements on how long your legs look!

Item 3: Hair Ideas

The dreaded issue of hair! For this I'm going to come up with a few ideas for short, medium, long hair because that usually covers the majority of hair styles. I have long, thick hair so I'm having waterfall braids around the side of my head and curling the ends.

Short Hair: For shorter hair a classic side up-do is perfect! You can pleat the front of your hair into it or you can scrape it back and decorate it with flower pins or little diamante pins.

Medium Length Hair: Curls are always popular! You can go for beach waves or you can waterfall braid. Your hair is very versatile as it can fit into a classic up-do too.

Long Hair: Long curls are always an option but so is straightening! You can use some of your hair from the front to give your hair some height and if you are worried about the size of your forehead this will also help. Long hair can be pleated all the way around your head as well.

Item 4: Nail Ideas

For your nails I advise to keep them simple. Glitter polishes and accent nails are as far as I'd go to make them fancy. Depending on the colour of your dress will depend on the colour of your nail polish and if you do want accent nails then a silver glitter polish is brilliant!

Item 5: Make-Up Ideas

For make up you need to watch make-up tutorials on YouTube. Find a Youtuber with similar eye colour to you and watch how they put the make-up on. Try it a few times at home before prom and try recreate your hairstyle at the same time then put your dress on - see if you suit it and if you like it!

Item 6: Jewellery

Plain and simple jewellery will complement your dress. Pandora rings were very popular amongst my year group and if you had one then you wore it! Small chain necklaces with a small pendant works really well if you want to fill the space between your face and your dress. Just don't overdo it!

Item 7: Bag

When I say bag I mean clutch and this is really difficult to find because it needs to match your dress and your jewellery. If you're having no luck then glitter clutches are a safe option.

Item 8: Camera

No matter what - you need a camera! Capture the last night of your high school life and buy an album and stick them all in! Then when you have a family and they ask you about your prom you can show them all your photos!


Most of all, enjoy prom and enjoy the prom build-up! It will most likely be the last night with everyone from school so make the most of the time!