Could you go A WEEK WITHOUT WASHING YOUR HAIR?

It's the new TikTok trend - going for days without hair washing. Julie Cook, 46, decided to give it a try

- JULIE COOK.

If you – or your kids – use TikTok you’ll know that the latest trend is not washing your hair. Yes, the glam young things are all in competition over how long they can go without hair washing and all the beauty benefits of not applying parabens and chemicals to our hair. My daughter, nine, is in on it.

‘Frequent hair washing is so bad for you,’ she told me. I watched a few videos to find out what the fuss was about. Impossibly good-looking young people stare into the camera, tossing their gorgeous tresses this way and that. ‘Day 17 without hair washing,’ one said. ‘It’s now self-cleaning and feels great.’

Self-cleaning? Really?! So, as ever, I decided to set myself a challenge.

Could I, as an every-other-day hair washer, follow the trend for one week?

Here’s how I got on…

MONDAY

I washed my hair last night, relishing in it and knowing it would be the last time for a week. I can still smell the shampoo and conditioner, which is a major confidence boost. By the end of the day I can feel my hair beginning to lose its bounce. I have to cook and know the smells will enter my hair, so I tie it back to avoid the stench of stir-fry lingering in my locks.

TUESDAY

I wake up and would normally wash my hair today, but instead just shower and put on make-up. My son, 14, has a can of dry shampoo that calls me from his shelf. But I am no cheat. I tie it back and hope for the best but the top feels greasy. I watch a TikTok video for inspiration and support. ‘At first it will feel itchy, even gross, but you have to persevere – it will get better and start to self-clean,’ says a girl young enough to be my daughter.