Hair dressers

[Boring.librarian]

Hi

I am going to be going the Camino next June and July.

I have long hair that gets matted easily and when I wash it I can only use one type of conditioner. I was hoping to be able to go and have it washed every few days in a hairdressers.

Is this something that could be easily done? I am on a tight budget but it would be my one luxury expense. I would happily phone up a few days in advance if anyone had recommendations.

Thoughts would be appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[SabsP]

Hi

I am going to be going the Camino next June and July.

I have long hair that gets matted easily and when I wash it I can only use one type of conditioner. I was hoping to be able to go and have it washed every few days in a hairdressers.

Is this something that could be easily done? I am on a tight budget but it would be my one luxury expense. I would happily phone up a few days in advance if anyone had recommendations.

Thoughts would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Hi and welcome here on this forum.
Take your time to browse around and use the search box. There are some threads about treating your hair when on a Camino.

Of course there are hairdresssalons on the Camino. Daily life goes on for the Spaniards .

Personally I believe that going to a hairdresser when on a Camino is timeconsuming.
Do not underestimate the daily walking, finding an albergue, doing laundry, shopping for dinner or day after.
You will be tired , believe me!

There is something very liberating in cutting your hair short when on a pilgrimage.
Or use a bandana or some other garment to keep your hair together.

Buen Camino!

 

[domigee]

What Sabine said!
But when you are in a town, once you’ve showered and washed your clothes etc.... you can always pop-in a hairdresser’s. Usually no need to book. I have done it a few times, on long pilgrimages, to have my hair trimmed.
I wouldn’t overthink it

 

[natefaith]

Welcome to the Forum, @Boring.librarian!

A couple thoughts I had when I read your post: What type of conditioner do you need? Will you be bringing it with you or do you think most salons will have it? Just a note that most Spanish salons will charge you extra if you bring in your own products, or they'll want you to just use what they have.

When you're in a town, search for "peluquerías" to find hair salons. If you don't have much Spanish, you'll want to brush up on your hair vocabulary as you may not find many English-speaking salon proprietors.

Happy planning and Buen Camino!

 

[Shazenalan]

... or there is the amazing app ‘Yandex Translate’ that you can just speak into and it translates into virtually any language which the recipient can either read, or listen to with one tap of the screen on a smart phone.

This has helped me on numerous occasions - and I found that an honest admission to being British, elicited a broad smile on most occasions.

 

[Boring.librarian]

Welcome to the Forum, @Boring.librarian!

A couple thoughts I had when I read your post: What type of conditioner do you need? Will you be bringing it with you or do you think most salons will have it? Just a note that most Spanish salons will charge you extra if you bring in your own products, or they'll want you to just use what they have.

When you're in a town, search for "peluquerías" to find hair salons. If you don't have much Spanish, you'll want to brush up on your hair vocabulary as you may not find many English-speaking salon proprietors.

Happy planning and Buen Camino!

Thanks for the advise. I will not be being my conditioner as I would need to much of it. Hairdressers seem to work magic, that I cannot. I dont really want to cut my hair and it would be my one treat. Lol. Thank you. Xx

 

[YoloRover]

I did not carry conditioner with me and used either the lodging's soap or shampoo. My hair got pretty matted too and I noticed a lot of people looked the same. I waited until I got to SDC and found a salon. They spoke no English but I was able to convey I wanted shampoo and style. They then asked if I wanted deep conditioning and I said yes! Got a scalp massage. It cost $25 so worth it.

Took me couple tries to find a salon though. Many were full and one lady said come back later but the vibe I got was go away pilgrim we are locals only.

 

[cher99840]

I did go to a hairdresser once on my first Camino for a shampoo. It was a nice treat and would probably do it more often if it weren’t so time consuming and if the effect lasted longer. In reality I spent more time obtaining the treat than I did enjoying it afterwards. “Clean enough” works well enough for me. I keep my long hair in a braid and wear a hat while walking. Before my shower, I finger comb the braid out and wear a shower cap to keep it dry and then rebraid. In the morning I again finger comb and rebraid. Every few days I shampoo it. It doesn’t look anything like it does at home but it doesn’t itch, smell, mat or break. My goal is to maintain its health for after Camino rather than to look good while on Camino.

 

[Kiwi-d]

I went to a hairdresser a few times in the cities on the Camino to get my hair washed and straightened, and loved it, it was money and time well spent. I walked in without any appointment. None spoke English but with a few gestures we got by perfectly well. I wouldn't get too hung up on using one particular conditioner, even though I'm exactly the same as you when at home. The water may be different i.e. harder or softer, so conditioners don't necessarily work the same. The conditioner I took with me certainly didn't, so it wasn't worth carrying the weight. I ended up wearing a buff to hide my hair in between hairdresser visits, and just avoided looking in mirrors!

 

[VNwalking]

I can't agree more with Sabine's wisdom:

There is something very liberating in cutting your hair short when on a pilgrimage

But if you don't want to let go of the length, you'll find your own routine - and more easily than you imagine. The camino does wonders in paring away unnecessary activities, and what you end up needing to do will come pretty naturally.
If worse comes to worse, there are good salons in Santiago.

Took me couple tries to find a salon though. Many were full and one lady said come back later but the vibe I got was go away pilgrim we are locals only.

There is a salon on Rua de Galeras (to the right from the bottom of Rua das Hortas, on the same side of the street) that takes walkins. It's out of the main touristic centre and the person there is super-nice.

 

[Boring.librarian]

Thank you for your replies. I am not vain, will not be taking make up but need to have my hair washed. I wont be cutting it! Xx

 

[JennyH94]

Hi Boring.librarian - welcome to the Forum.

Whilst noting that you can only use one kind of conditioner as your hair becomes matted easily, I thought you might like to know that on another thread here on the Forum, a kind peregrina mentioned that every now and then on her caminos she bought a tube of Pantene 3-Minute Miracle and shared that tube with other pilgrims. It’s readily available in Spanish supermarkets. You can always decant some of the product into a small container so you’ll have enough for some time. It might be suitable for your hair as it’s a very rich product. This would definitely be cheaper than going to a hairdresser for a wash and blow-dry.

Perhaps discuss hair conditioner options with your hairdresser before you leave - Argan oil products might help - they’re in small bottles and perhaps they could be an adequate substitute for use in Spain. He/she can advise.

If you take a rest day in the cities (highly recommended) that might be the time to treat yourself to a hairdresser visit - more time etc.

Good luck with your choices and Happy Hair!

Buen Camino! Take joy in every step -

Cheers from Oz -
Jenny

 

[november_moon]

I found that having long hair on the Camino was much easier than having short - unless you commit to going very short. I kept mine in a braid or bun, washed it every 4 days or so. I brought the conditioner that I need with me. it was fine.

And yeah, I would not choose to become a short haired person just because I went on a pilgrimage, so I totally get that.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I love my short short hair!
I wash it and let it air dry and it looks fine.
I've only needed a hair cut once on the camino and found plenty of hairdressers.
I ended up going to one in Los Arcos.