How to wash raw hair without stripping it
Raw hair has no silicone coating to hide behind, so washing is where most bundles are won or lost. Twenty minutes, done properly, buys you months.
- Applies to
- All raw bundles, closures and frontals
- Takes
- About 30 minutes, plus drying
- You will need
- Sulphate-free shampoo
- A rich conditioner or hair mask
- A wide-tooth comb
- Two clean towels
- Cool or lukewarm water
- Written by
- Miss Kanzi
Processed hair is sealed with silicone, which means it forgives hot water and harsh shampoo for a while, then dies all at once. Raw hair has no such coating. It behaves like hair growing out of your own head: it responds well to gentle handling and badly to heat and stripping detergents. That is the whole reason it lasts years instead of months, and the whole reason washing matters.
Detangle before the hair is wet
Wet hair stretches, and stretched hair snaps. Comb the bundle through from the ends upward while it is dry, holding the weft or cap in your other hand so you are not pulling against the knots. If you meet a tangle, stop and work it loose with your fingers rather than forcing the comb through it.
Rinse with cool water, not hot
Hot water opens the cuticle and lets moisture escape. Cool or lukewarm water is enough to carry shampoo away. Let the water run down the length of the hair in one direction rather than bunching it up in your hands.
Shampoo the roots, not the length
Product and oil collect at the top. Work a sulphate-free shampoo into the weft and the first few inches with your fingertips, then let the suds rinse down through the rest. Scrubbing the mid-lengths only roughs up the cuticle for no benefit.
What to look for on the bottle. If your shampoo lists sodium lauryl sulphate near the top of the ingredients, it is too strong for raw hair. Anything sold for colour-treated hair is usually safe.
Condition the length generously
Now reverse it. Keep conditioner away from the weft, where it loosens the knots over time, and concentrate it from the mid-lengths down. Leave it in for five minutes. If the hair has been installed for a while, use a mask instead and leave it for fifteen.
Press the water out, do not wring it
Lay the bundle in a towel and press. Wringing twists the strands against each other and causes the frizz that people mistake for the hair going bad. Change to a second dry towel once the first is soaked.
Air dry where you can
Hang the bundle from the weft and let it dry in open air, out of direct sun. If you must use a dryer, keep it on cool and keep it moving. Never brush the hair while it is wet.
Done this way, a wash cycle every two to three weeks keeps a bundle soft and full for well over a year. Done with hot water and a stripping shampoo, the same bundle will feel like straw by month three.
