Style

5 Ways to Rock Dirty Hair Days

Your last shower was longer ago than you are willing to admit.

You might have breast milk in your hair…or maybe it’s spit up…or is it yogurt? It’s definitely yogurt…you think. The point is your hair is in a state of disarray, but it doesn’t have to appear that way.

Here are five simple ways to transform your ‘mom’-usual bad hair day from dirty to #dirtyhairchic.


1. Chic Pony: I know what you are thinking…I wear my hair in a ponytail pretty much every day. Yes. Yes you do. But believe it or not there is a monumental difference between a ‘throw a ponytail holder in it so grabby hands can’t pull it’ pony and one that is cute enough to wear out in public and possibly even appear in a selfie. Try a sleek low pony with a deep side part. Try a cute headband or barrette. Go with an intentionally adorable ponytail holder. And no matter what DO NOT USE A SCRUNCHIE – let that stay buried with thong leotards and alternating colored tube socks. For real. Just don’t.Ponytail inspiration

2. Soak up the Grease: Clean up your oil spill with dry shampoo and a change of part: If your hairline is a little, well, akin to a Garbage Plate (a Rochester, NY delicacy) a.k.a. grease upon grease with a side of grease, then there are a couple of things you can do. First, get an amazing dry shampoo. I personally live for Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray but a great drugstore option is Batiste Dry Shampoo. Brunettes be glad that this hair savior was invented – because back in the day I remember using baby powder to do the same damn thing. And yes, while effective at combatting grease ball status, the use of baby powder is a dangerous proposition for dark hair. You can easily go from oily greaser to full on Halloween costume wig with one little shake too much.

Alternatively, if you are super lazy or just really cheap, or perhaps you are like me and hate using any product in your hair ever…you can just change your part. It will honestly give you another day of unwashed hair. Better yet, change your part AND throw a curling iron through it and people will probably compliment you on it. (I recommend using a 1.75 inch barrel and leaving 1-2 inches out at the bottom for a more relaxed, beach-y wave).  Full Disclosure: I get the most compliments on my hair when it is SUPER dirty and I just change my part and curl it.

3. Messy Topknot: Take advantage of the fact that a messy topknot – otherwise known as the ‘I don’t own a brush and just threw my hair up here on top of my head’ look – is very in vogue right now. The messier the bun, the better it looks.  (This is great news for those of us that are hair styling challenged.)  Basically if you let your toddler do it for you, it will look cool.  Go plain jane, use a cute bobby pin or even accessorize with a headband.  Just make sure you don’t cross the line from ‘I put my hair all effortlessly casual in this top knot’ to ‘I am an Amish woman or weird adult ballerina wanna be’.

Messy top knot hair inspiration

4. Braid It Up: I can’t french braid. Quite honestly, sometimes I get confused when doing a regular braid – did I go over? under? which section did I just do? BUT I’ve found if you focus, you can braid. Honestly, even I can manage to whip out some creative braid options when I put my mind to it. Try a cute side braid with a deep side part. Braid just a couple greasy strands back. Try double braids – keep them a little messy to avoid looking like a full-grown toddler. Have fun and braid away. If you aren’t entirely sold that you can pull off the braided hair look try just a small braid to pull back the greasy bits in front and then pull your hair into a low pony for a sleeker, more sophisticated braid option.

Braided Hair Inspiration

5. Go for the Obvious Fix: a hat, any kind of hat – ok maybe not your favorite baseball team or a cheesy tourist baseball hat from your last vacation – unless it’s ironic and you are going for a hipster vintage ‘I’m cool cause I wear things that aren’t cool’ like acid washed jeans, destination tees and flannel. In which case rock on with your hipster self. But for the rest of us normal people who have a hard time distinguishing Urban Outfitters from Goodwill, go with a nice fedora, beanie, floppy hat or even a chic baseball cap.  Anthropologie is a favorite go-to of mine for hats. No matter what the season they usually have some super cute options. These are some of my favorite hats right now…

Hat Inspiration Fall Winter 2015Dirty hair is part of the “mom” package – especially in the early days. But, just because a shower is more fantasy than reality doesn’t mean you need to look like a homeless person. Take advantage of the fact that messy, bed styled hair is in right now. Plus, it’s way better for your hair to only wash once or twice a week and let your locks take a breather from products and styling every day. Life happens, and for moms of little ones showers are an often elusive luxury. Don’t let dirty hair stand in the way of you feeling put together and adorably chic.

Show us your favorite way to style dirtyhair? Share your favorite dirty hair day pic with us @rockinmamalife on social media, and make sure to use the hashtag #dirtyhairchic.

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