Featuring Dr. Ashley Gundermann

My name is Ashley Gundermann. I am a naturopathic physician, and currently completing my residency at Cascade Integrative Medicine in Issaquah, Washington, where I practice integrative primary care and functional medicine. I also own EMBODYOU, a business which offers virtual fitness and health and wellness workshops.

Growing up I had extremely thick hair – more hair than I even knew what to do with or how to handle. In addition to having very thick hair, my hair was also neither completely straight nor uniformly wavy. As a teenager, especially, I struggled with styling my hair because of the thickness and texture. My hair was thick, heavy and poofy if I wore it natural, and I never owned a hair straightener that was powerful enough to work on my hair.

As an adult, my hair is no longer quite as full, probably from coloring my hair a lot in my twenties. The damage that I did to my hair when I was younger has caused me to be a lot more mindful about my hair care in recent years.

My hair texture is still the same. I started growing my hair out for my wedding a few years ago, but finally cut it short again, and have found that having my hair a bit shorter is a total game changer. It allows me to better work with my hair’s natural wave, and my hair also doesn’t hang so heavy.

In terms of hair care, I try and only wash my hair every 3 days or so. I usually don’t feel comfortable wearing my hair down unless I have straightened it or curled it. However, I try and minimize how many times a week I use heat on my hair, and I use a heat protector on my hair when I do.

I’ve had a very hard time finding a shampoo/conditioner combo that I love and is gentle enough on my scalp. I’m still searching for the right product for me. I do tend to gravitate towards natural products. I have, in fact, found a natural dry shampoo that I love – it’s a powder by Two Goats Apothecary, and I love that they make it for different hair shades. It works fabulously!

If you are interested in learning more about the clinic where I work, and my clinical interests, please visit: https://cascadeintegrativemedicine.com/dr-ashley-gundermann-naturopathic-doctor/.

If you are interested in my company, EMBODYOU, you can visit www.embodyou.com, and follow on Instagram @embodyou_official.