Are Wash and Gos BAD for Your Hair?
Are Wash and Go Hairstyles
Healthy for Natural Hair?
(Silk Press Transformation + Pro Tips)
If you love wearing wash and go’s, you’ve probably wondered: “Are wash and go’s really healthy for my natural hair, or are they causing damage I don’t see yet?”
Recently, one of my returning clients sat in my chair with this exact dilemma. She’s a true wash and go girlie. Her curls are always out, her routine is simple, and her hair had grown beautifully. But this time, she confessed: her hair was feeling dry, tangled, and harder to manage.
To reset her curls and see what was really going on, we decided to do a silk press transformation. Not only would this give us a clear look at her ends for trimming, but it also gave me the chance to rebuild her hair’s strength and hydration with targeted products.
Step 1: Detox and Bond Repair with Olaplex
We started with a detox cleanse to remove the heavy gel and cream buildup left from weeks of wash and go styling. I reached for the Volume Shampoo from my TimelesslyCurly hair care line. This clarifying shampoo lifts buildup without stripping moisture.
Then, I applied an Olaplex treatment. Bond-building treatments like Olaplex repair broken bonds from daily styling, color, or heat. This step is essential before a silk press because it helps strengthen the hair so it resists snapping during blow-drying and flat ironing.
💡 Pro-Tip: Even at home, doing a bond-building treatment once a month can drastically improve curl strength and reduce frizz.
Step 2: Steam for Maximum Hydration
To take the Olaplex treatment to the next level, I used a hair steamer. Steam allows treatments to penetrate deeper, restoring elasticity and moisture to curls. For curly girls who experience dryness after wash and go’s, steaming is a game-changer. It softens tangles, boosts shine, and makes hair more resilient to heat.
Step 3: Deep Conditioning for Elasticity
After rinsing, I applied the Deep Repair Treatment, a rich deep conditioner from my TimelesslyCurly collection. This step replenishes hydration and ensures that once her curls spring back after the silk press, they’ll feel softer and less prone to tangling or single-strand knots.
Moisture is the foundation of any healthy style—especially before heat.
Step 4: Leave-In + Blow Dry Prep
Before blow drying, I layered on the Emergency Miracle Treatment leave-in conditioner. A lightweight leave-in is non-negotiable. It locks in moisture and keeps hair flexible whether you’re wearing it curly or straight.
Then came Le Deux Blow Dry Cream. This product adds slip for easier detangling, protects against heat, and leaves the hair sleek and polished. Finally, I sealed everything in with Amethyst Oil, a lightweight oil that smooths frizz, protects ends from splitting, and adds a humidity barrier.
Step 5: Trim + Shape
Once her hair was blow dried, I trimmed her ends in their stretched state. This is so important because shrinkage can hide damage when trimming curly. By cutting while straight, both my client and I could see exactly what needed to go, and we could shape her hair so it would have intentional volume when she goes back to her wash and go styles.
Step 6: Silk Press Finish
I finished her silk press with another layer of Amethyst Oil for extra heat protection before flat ironing. The result? Smooth, shiny, bouncy hair that looked and felt healthy. Her curls now had shape, strength, and hydration—ready to thrive whether she wears them in a wash and go or a silk press.
So, Are Wash and Go’s Healthy for Natural Hair?
Here’s the truth: wash and go’s aren’t automatically good or bad. It depends on your curls and your regimen.
✅ If your curls stay soft, hydrated, and manageable, then wash and go’s can absolutely be a healthy, low-manipulation style.
❌ If your curls constantly feel dry, tangled, or brittle, then wash and go’s may not be the best primary style for you.
The key is balance. Even if you love wash and go’s, you need a routine that includes:
Clarifying shampoos to remove buildup
Bond-building treatments to strengthen strands
Deep conditioning + steam to restore elasticity
Regular trims for healthy ends
Healthy curls are versatile curls, able to switch between curly and straight without stress or breakage.
Final Thoughts
My client left the salon with hair that was silky, strong, and shaped with intention. More importantly, she left with a regimen that supports both her wash and go lifestyle and her love for a sleek silk press every few months.
So, if you’re asking yourself whether wash and go’s are healthy for your hair, the answer lies in how your curls feel. Listen to your hair, build a routine that supports it, and don’t be afraid to mix styles.
Because the beauty of natural hair is that you can do it all—curls, silk press, protective styles. As long as you keep your strands healthy at the core.