Possible hair myths I heard on the radio

[EnkaiNami]

I was listening to the radio and they brought up two things that were supposed to be hair myths that I thought had been at least slightly true.

One was that 'spacing out the days between washing hair has benefits' was a myth. He (the guy on the radio) said that there is no benefit to waiting longer in between hair washings, and that if you have oily hair, wash it every day, and if you have dry, you might want to try every other day.

The next was about 'changing shampoos regularly because your hair gets used to it' being a myth. He said that hair is dead and can't get used to anything. If you find a shampoo that works, keep using it.

I hope I don't come off as ignorant for not knowing this stuff. I was just curious to see if you guys have found these things to be true.

[dorothea-brooke]

Good heavens, no! On both counts, I would say.

1. At least for me, spacing out washings is extremely beneficial, especially if you have dry hair: it basically keeps your hair from being stripped of its own oils too often.

2. Your hair may be dead, but your scalp is not! :silly: I only wash my scalp, anyway.
It is true that I've never had to switch shampoos because one had "stopped working," but then I'm too fickle to stick with one for very long anyway!

:ponder:

[Curlsgirl]

I do not agree with the first one with longer hair especially. Hair is more vulnerable when damp and more easily breaks right? So it would make sense that if you get it wet less often it would likely not break as much. Also your natural oils get a chance to do their job for longer and the hair doesn't get stripped as much (talking about conventional shampoos, not CO, not non-sulfate poos). That is just MY opinion.

As for shampoo not sure about that. I have never had my hair get "used to" a shampoo and it stop "working". It's job is to clean the hair so I doubt that would happen. Of course they aren't talking about LHC people, they are talking about most OTHER people.

[Slug Yoga]

I can understand there being some truth to the "switch shampoos" thing, if the shampoos you are using are giving you buildup or something. But yeah, I think the first one would obviously be true. Like Curlsgirl says, if you're getting your hair wet all the time--and likely rubbing it with towels, combing it wet, etc--that's plenty of more opportunities for damage. If hair can be subtly abraded just by, say, rubbing against other hair throughout the course of a day, I can't imagine that the mechanical manipulation of shampooing it--even gently--would have no effect whatsoever.

[spidermom]

I think the radio guys weren't taking into consideration changes that might be a good idea if you want longer than average hair length. For instance, if your hair is shoulder length, I don't think there is any benefit to stretching out the time between washings. At my length, yes - it's a good idea. As for hair getting used to products and needing to switch to something else, if there is buildup involved, it might indeed be a good idea to switch - like occasional use of a clarifying shampoo, for instance.

[pariate]

My understanding of the hair-getting-used-to-a-shampoo myth is that it stems from the buildup that some hair products can cause over time. So when people feel that the initial improvement they saw in their hair ceases to reveal itself after every wash, they think that their hair has "got used to it", when in fact it just needs a change to remove the slight buildup.

:confused:

Am I on the wrong track?!

Anyhoo, I'd disagree with the first one about spacing out washing - regular posters here will have heard so many people wax lyrical on the subject! Different things suit everyone and plenty of people feel their hair benefits from less frequent washing.

I don't know if I really disagree with his second point, just his reasoning! If that makes sense?

[Angellen]

I think I've had a shampoo "stop working" to an optimum level. It was very long ago, so I'm a little foggy on the details. Basically, I knew what my hair looked like when I S&C'd the 'right' way, and this wasn't it. I think a double wash is akin to changing brands, though, as I think the main culprit is buildup.

[Carolyn]

Every person's hair is different so it's going to be true for some and some not. My hair likes to be wet, as it soaks up moisture. My ends feel more dry and brittle if I don't wash it at least every 3 days. I imagine the radio guy was talking about average short to medium length hair that is trimmed every couple of months. I doubt he was talking about our hair lengths.

As for hair getting used to products, I think what they mean by getting used to is getting build up. For my hair that's very true. I used to not swap my products around and every time I switched products my hair loved it. Now I know it was just build up. I swap products every wash now.

I'd say be wary of anything in the media.

[pariate]

I'd say be wary of anything in the media.

:lol: Sad, but true!

[Honey39]

I like CO-ing my hair every day, so I'm really hoping that it doesn't cause damage, lol! I don't know, speaking personally, when I was younger I used to s-t-r-e-t-c-h out washes, but I hated that. Because I'd have days when I wore my hair down, and 2-3 days up, and I would have to calculate which days my hair would look 'good' and which days not good. (I do NOT especially like up-dos on me - love them on other people though!). So I'm kind of doing the reverse since coming to LHC, and washing my hair with conditioner every day. The biggest difference of all I would say is that I haven't used a hair drier for two months - I was looking a pics yesterday, and my hair looks so different!

As for products, I tend to use different conditioners every single time - I rotate about 8 (yikes!) because I think my hair does seem to get used to one conditioner if I stick to it. I have however stuck to Boots Curl Creme becasue it's the BEST product I have ever come across - although now I'm flirting with aloe vera gel!

[podo]

My understanding of the hair-getting-used-to-a-shampoo myth is that it stems from the buildup that some hair products can cause over time. So when people feel that the initial improvement they saw in their hair ceases to reveal itself after every wash, they think that their hair has "got used to it", when in fact it just needs a change to remove the slight buildup.


Agreed. Hair doesn't get used to a shampoo - or any kind of treatment. But some leave product or oil or chemicals after rinsing, and that buildup is what makes people think they need to switch. Really all they need is clarifying.

[Tangles]

I'm aghast at how little most people know about haircare--not long hair things, but basic things like clarifying. I feel like this is the fault of the shampoo companies, trying to get people to keep buying and buying rather than providing scientific facts. *shrug*

[physicschick]

My hair doesn't care much about different products, but I've definitely had my scalp need clarifying occasionally. One wash with a harsher shampoo is usually sufficient, and then my usual shampoo will work for a long while.

[flapjack]

Absolutely true for the first one. Everyone's head is different. If I don't wash regularly, I LOSE HAIR. And I know others who the same thing happens to.

[D-eath]

Rubbing on your hair every day causes damage without any questions. That myths are just crap...

[GreenGables]

I defenitely find it beneficial to space out between washings! It causes less damage and dry ends for me and less greasiness! Before I had to wash every other day because it got greasy right away, but when spacing out to once a week I can go 2-3 days with no sign of greasiness!!

[Iylivarae]

1. I definitely have benefits from stretching the time between washes. If I wash too often, my hair falls out (I really find handfulls everywhere). I also get an awfully itchy and flaky scalp and loads of gunk.

2. I haven't to change shampoos because of the hair getting used to it, but sometimes I had buildup, which I couldn't get rid of with said shampoo.

[heidi w.]

Actually, for folks who use a lot of styling agents to set the hair in the day's look, yeah, they do need to wash daily, generally.

Those with longer lengths have a variety of reasons for not washing daily, the most obvious being that it's just over-manipulating the hair. At my length, daily washing means spending a % of the day wet, every day. Then detangling for that duration, and so on.... I also just don't need to wash every single day.

There are those who wash daily just because or need to. In many cases this is fine. An example would be those 25 and under with shorter hair and the sebacious production and sweat and physical activity being high. Teens come to mind.

The frequency depends on style type, age, sebum/sweat production, products using as applications to hair. Making one rule to fit all is not a wise way; I think he's just trying to make a case that with today's products, they are designing them more & more to allow for daily washing. (They're supposedly creating gentler shampoos, for example.)

Those who have drier scalp skins, such as elderly (because of cessation of sebacious production for all the skin -- not just scalp skin -- when hormones wane), should not wash daily. Give that acid mantle an opportunity to get some sebum on it.

I have heard both theories before, and I have been using my chosen products for over 10 years. They work great still.

heidi w.

[insideitall]

Heidi made some very good points.



Personally, I use cheapo Suave brand.. various scents, usually depending on which they have the largest bottle of, but I don't consider changing scents changing shampoo. I've never noticed any sort of buildup. However, I wash every day.. my hair is on the greasy side, and I run 5 days a week. My hair is also MUCH easier to manage when wet. In fact, I've noticed that if I brush/comb my hair wet vs dry, more will break off/ snap/ tangle when it's dry.

[Tap Dancer]

I think how often a person washes their hair is a personal choice. It's okay to wash it every day if you need or want to. I think if you wash a lot, it's best to use a mild shampoo or stick with CO washing but that's just my opinion. I wash mine every other day. I actually love washing my hair. :p LOL

I'm not sure I believe that hair gets used to products. The only reason I switch shampoos and conditioners is because I like to. I love the smell of Dove, Pantene, Biolage, VO5, and Redken. I can't use them all at once! :lol: I like using a heavy conditioner some days...especially if I'm going to color it or it feels dry. In the summer when it's super humid, I don't need those heavy conditioners as often and CO is better for me. I wouldn't enjoy washing my hair if I didn't have different products to play with but I think they would still work.

[magicatt]

I have to raise my hand and say that I'm one of those people whose hair likes a change. It's not because my hair somehow magically "gets used to" some product or other. It's because I have super-fine hair and it tends to get build up after just one wash (no matter what I use and, believe it or not, I've been adding baking soda to my shampoo to help keep this to a minimum.) I've found that rotating on a wash by wash basis keeps my hair happy. This is just a personal thing, though. I would never try to force that on anyone else--which is what most "hair care advice" tends to be. There is no such thing as one size fits all for hair care.

edited to fix spelling

[Manako]

Directly before switching to my sulfate free shampoo I used the John Freida "Brilliant Brunnette" shampoo and conditioner. At first it was great, but then with each washing I got buildup. I would swap every other or so with a different shampoo to remove the buildup, but whenever I used that it would add to it.

I still have the shampoo, I bought a jumbo sized bottle from big lots, now it will join the shampoo graveyard... my parents always give me volumizing shampoo as gifts...