Dirty Do's

It's been a tad on the heavy side around here lately! Sorry!

So, to break the cycle of tough to digest posts I have decided to give some insight into a little something I have grown to master based on various trips I've taken.

This may be irrelevant to some but for me I find it important and I wanted to post about it! Note: If you are one to NEED to wash your hair every day, would never find themselves in foreign country where baths are not readily available, or find the need to have freshly dried, curled, and styled hair than you should not read further. However, my heart is for ministry and sometimes that ministry takes me away from cleanliness.

So, something to cover...dirty...dirty hair that is!

On both my trips to Peru baths have not been something...eh, let's just say readily available. My first trip we spent 4 days in the mountains with showers that had just had the water connected.

No hot water...

none!

Let me remind you that we were there in the DEAD of winter so the idea of washing anything in that water at any point was out of the question...let alone in the middle of the coldest time of year!

So you wash your hair before you go up and that's it for days...let's just say maybe close to a week...no comments. =)

So, with that being said, I have learned a few tricks. I DO NOT keep a habit of dirty hair and don't have to practice this other than being away. BUT, I figured it could be a help to someone who might need it. One day I plan to go back to Peru or another country that would require some creativity on my part. So, let's begin!

**Disclaimer - my hair is long...wavy...and tends to get flat and greasy quick. These tricks and products work on my hair. Sorry if it doesn't qualify for you!**

Let's get started with products first! This is some of my favorite stuff! It will give you a fresher feel and look in seconds! The trick is getting it even or you have some hair that's big on one side and flat and greasy on the other side!

I like to bend over so all my hair is hanging down. I grab various sections all over my head to distribute it as close to my scalp as possible!

The bottle says to brush out after spraying but I have found that my hair goes back close to it's greasy mess if I do! I tend to leave it and style it from there!



Have your hair completely brushed before applying the spray. It will be helpful in the long run but initially it helps to distribute the spray evenly.

The second product is a volumizing shampoo. These tend to strip a lot of the grease so as to give you volume. A lot...probably most tell you that it adds volume with out drying it out but it still does it some extent. This kind of shampoo is helpful so as to keep hair clean (looking) longer! Go for the cheaper version so as to not do a good job not drying out! haha!

Now let's move onto the day by day. I have never worked with a time period longer than a week so bare with me. I am pretty sure...no I am confident that if my time with out washing my hair touched 7 days I would find myself freezing through it. But the time that I am in the mountains on these trips is limited so I don't mind making it work until I can get to a shower.

Day 1 - I wash my hair with the shampoo of choice but as I mentioned I find that volumizing kind helps. I try to let my hair dry with little to no touching it all. The more you mess with it the faster it's going to go to the greasy side. I keep it wrapped in a towel for the majority of the process. This is a TERRIBLE picture but work with me. I washed my hair the morning of this picture and left it down or just a little pinned back. That way I didn't mess with it too much but it wasn't held close to my head to get dirty fast.

Day 2 - I pin the top part back...If I have bangs** or not. That way it keeps it off my head and gives it the illusion of a style. Then I braid the bottom or pull it into a low bun. Whatever you do keep it on the softer side. The tighter you do it to begin with the more hastle it will be in the next day or two.

This is pinned back in a 1/2 up. Later that day I twisted it into a loose bun at base of my neck. Loose and simple but keeping it clean.

Day 3 & 4 - I don't know about you but at this point my hair is gone. The first 2 days it looks somewhat decent and I'm able to make it work. By day 3 my favorite waterless shampoo is broken out and used...and a lot of it!

For these 2 pictures the process was about the same. I flipped my head over and brushed the mess out of it. I separate pieces of hair and spray the waterless shampoo. I try not to get close to the scalp but you want it decently covered. Separate and spray the hair from back to front and left to right.

For the picture on the left I pulled it into a messy bun on the top of my head and for the picture of the left I braided it in two braids.

Day 5 - This has typically been my final day of dirtiness. This has been the day that we are headed down the mountain back to Lima. That day is long and tiring but we all know that on the other end of it is shower and clean clothes...and shoes!

For this picture I twisted the 2 sections back to a bun in the back of my head. I didn't spray the spray this day because it is easier to twist and pin dirty hair than it is to do dry clean hair!

By the time we get through with the showers that night I'm pretty sure that poor block needs to restock the water supply. From there on out it's a clean and fixed.

I have learned ways to make it work for my hair. I'm working on a few clean hair tutorials but as for now we'll stick with the dirt of the matter! =)

I would love to hear from some of you about your mission trip experiences!

Thanks!