6 Easy Hairstyles That Totally Hide the Fact You Aren't Shampooing in Quarantine

Can you genuinely remember the last time you washed your hair? As we spend more time inside to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, keeping track of shampoo days becomes increasingly difficult. Not to mention how it no longer really feels like shampooing is as necessary as it used to be — you're not going outside, anyway. In fact, stylists might argue that quarantine is a great opportunity to give your scalp a rest from shampoo. "I think it's a good time to focus on scalp care for sure," says hairstylist Lacy Redway.

Styling greasy hair can be a challenge, though, when hair is weighed down by oils or starts to stick to itself. But we've still got virtual meetings and online get-togethers to look nice for, so we asked several hairstylists to give us their best ideas for finessing greasy hair that you have no intention of shampooing just yet. All you'll need is a handful of key products, a couple of basic tools, and a few spare minutes.

All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Redway says this slick look, shown on Sarah Paulson, is especially good for people with short haircuts that are going through awkward growing phases. "To get [the style] really smooth and sleek like this, blow-drying would be the best solution," she says. After applying some heat protecting spray, part the hair to one side and use a round brush to blow-dry upward and forward on the heavier side of the part for volume. Pull the hair on the smaller section backward while blow-drying, Redway says, to make it easier to slick back that portion.

"You can use a half-inch curling iron on the bigger side and a flatiron on the sleeker side," Redway recommends if you're looking for extra definition. Then grab a handful of bobby pins and begin applying them "in various directions" just behind the ear on the slicked-back side.

Hairstylist Kristin Ess turns to this classic hairstyle for greasy hair and it's clear to see why, considering how effortless it is. "[It's a] polished-looking solution to stringy strands," she says. To create this look for longer hair, Ess advises prepping with a texturizing spray to create a "soft, matte" finish. She recommends using her eponymous brand's Dry Finish Working Texture Spray, an Allure editor favorite, but we're also partial to the Ouai Texturizing Hair Spray and Not Your Mother's Double Take Dry Finish Texture Spray.

Then, Ess says to brush the hair into a low ponytail while spraying it with a flexible-hold hairspray to tame flyaways. The rest, according to Ess, is pretty simple if you know how to do a basic three-strand braid. "Braid the length of your hair starting at the nape of the neck and wind [it] clockwise into a bun, tucking the bottom of the braid into the center of the bun." As you can see from her video clip above, Ess also pulls at different sections of the braid before and after wrapping to create extra volume.

Ess holds the bun in place with her brand's French Pin — but the bobby pins you have at home can do the trick with a little added effort.

These gravity-defying curls, according to Redway, are the work of a twist-out. Though she achieved the look shown above on Zazie Beetz just after shampooing the hair, she says it's still a great style to try in-between wash days for highly textured hair. "You can use a conditioning mist [and water] to help reactivate the oils in your hair because natural hair typically does not get too greasy," she explains.

"Wrap small sections of your hair onto itself like a rope braid and then allow it to dry," Redway explains. The key to making a twist-out perfect, according to her, is the right amount of time. "And we all have a lot of time if we're all at home," she says. "Allowing your hair to dry properly is what will make your twist-outs really good." Tension is another key factor to observe when twisting your own hair. "You want to make sure your twists are tight enough. It should feel a little dense when you wrap the twist into itself so that the curl can form correctly."

"A slicked-back braided is a simple-yet-elevated way to make greasy hair look refreshed and stylish," says hairstylist Andrew Fitzsimons. A sleek, high ponytail is the base of this style. Fitzsimons advises using a paddle brush to smooth the hair back into place before securing it with a clear elastic band.

"If your ends are dry from not being conditioned in a few days, apply a small amount of oil or a lightweight leave-in conditioner like Daily Dose Leave-In Conditioning Spray to the mid-lengths," he says. Otherwise, you can move right onto texturizing spray to "provide plump and hold to your braid." Fitzsimons likes NatureLab. Tokyo Perfect Texture Spray. (Fitzsimons is an ambassador for the brand.)

Do a three-strand braid down the entire length of the ponytail and tie it off with another clear elastic band. "Warm a smoothing product between your hands and run palms down the braid to smooth any flyaways," Fitzsimons advises. Then, if needed, bust out a fine-tooth comb to tame frizzy hair around the crown. If you have baby hairs, polish off the look by styling those too. "Define baby hairs using a pomade or edge control — my favorite is Miss Jessie’s Hold Me Down."

After an all-over spritz of extra-hold hair spray, the look is complete.

"This is a great style for girls who have natural hair because this a two-in-one," Redway says of the Bantu knots shown on Zazie Beetz. "It's a great way to prep your natural curls." Section the hair based on how tight you like your curls to be. The bigger the sections, the looser the curls once they're taken out.

"Prep [the hair section] with a conditioning spray and then twist it like you're doing a rope braid. Wrap that rope around the base to create the knots," she explains. "You can secure it in place with a small hairpin." Repeat that process on each section until all the hair is wrapped up in knots.

For greasy hair, stylist Justine Marjan usually turns to slicked-back looks like this low ponytail. "You can use the natural oils to your advantage," she explains. The first step, Marjan says, is to create a defined part down the middle so the style feels more polished than it would if you combed the hair straight back.

"Then, use a smoothing brush to gather hair into a low ponytail," Marjan explains. "If any of the hair around the hairline is hard to control, just apply a small amount of gel before brushing." If your hair is still visibly oily, you can hide that even further by spritzing the front-facing hair with dry shampoo and braiding small sections around the crown, she says.

After securing the pony with a hair tie, Marjan recommends putting on your cutest headband — we love this patent leather one by Kitsch — or tying a ribbon around the base of the ponytail so it looks like you tried harder than you actually did to look amazing.

More tips for social distancing:

• Here's Everything You Need to Know Before Cutting Your Own Hair at Home
• A Comprehensive Guide to Removing Gel Nail Polish at Home — Without Damaging Your Nails
• Makeup Artists Reveal Their Fastest, Easiest Beauty Looks for Zoom Meetings

Now, see how iconic hairstyles have evolved within the past 100 years:

Don't forget to follow Allure on Instagram and Twitter.