How often to shampoo/condition long hair?

[jessierose]

So, I try to shampoo and condition my hair every other day. I am afraid to dry out my hair.
What about you ladies?

[rosycheeks]

I do mine about twice a week, every 2 or 3 days, more in the summer. My hair isn't that long yet but it's bleached and super dry, also I do oil treatments before every other wash.

[teal]

Oh, every week and a half or two weeks. I don't like to was more than necessary as I find it hard on the damaged lengths of my hair, and also I've noticed that the newer, healthier hair is staying healthier for longer.

[teal]

Also, I have to add that my hair has responded to stretching washes quite well indeed!

[jessierose]

Wow that's impressive, I must admit. I do trim my hair every 8 weeks to avoid split ends, but I feel like I should wash less. It's difficult though because I live a very active lifestyle, I run everyday so my hair gets incredibly oily.

[rowie]

Once a week. It really depends on your hair texture and knowing the behavior of your own unique scalp, so it will vary or differ for everyone regardless of gender or sex. I hope I can contribute in this thread since you only addressed ladies and I'm a guy. :p just playing with you! Hahaha and don't anyone start the whole argument between addressing of it's ok to say "hi guys" versus "hi ladies" discourse with me. I'm just trying to be gender neutral every-time I start a post here even though men are the minority here we still exist.

[Phalaenopsis]

Twice a week lately. It really helps my dry length. When I had undamaged hair I washed three times a week without any problem. Every day seemed to be too much for my hair.

[Shepherdess]

I wash my hair about once a week, sometimes I wait longer, sometimes I have them closer together. It all depends on how my hair is. But usually it is about once a week. I use a gentle shampoo and I either use oils or a conditioner afterwards.

[Seeshami]

I am one of the weird ones that stretches some times and washes every day sometimes. Right now The Naughty Mess has to be conditioned every day or my ends dry up and die. We shampoo maybe every other day, sometimes I forget where I am and what I did yesterday.

[Natalia]

Now i wo daily but if i switched id co every 2-3 days and shampoo maybe once a week or every other week.

[Mesmerise]

I used to be an every day washer, now I'm every second day. For awhile I was washing every third day... but I just don't like leaving it that long (I like the feel of freshly washed hair too much).

[Wildcat Diva]

Once a week if I can stretch it that long.
I love how my hair behaves in a bun the third or fourth day after a wash.

[biogirl87]

When I remember about it, I wash my hair twice a week (every four days). If the first wash day of the week happens to fall on the weekday and that weekday is in the middle of a stretch of weekdays when I don't have to meet with anyone I'll go five (sometimes even six) days between washing. I've got normal to combination skin though and my scalp seems to be more dry than oily, so that's why I can go four-five days between wash days.

[kidari]

I'm in the minority but I guess my hair isn't really all that long. It's around 29" and I wash everyday with shampoo. I tried stretching washes but it just wasn't for me, I think it's my scalp. I microtrim just about every month and use a deep treatment weekly. Also, I try my best to CWC or CO when I can but mostly it's just shampoo diluted with coconut milk and a coney conditioner followed by leave-in conditioner, a heavy creme leave-in for the ends, and a coney serum. My scalp gets oily less than 10 hours after washing and the 2nd day my scalp is uncomfortable and itchy. I almost always damp bun with kimberlily's defrizz spray on the ends and my ends don't have an issue drying out.

[ravenreed]

I CO every other day and shampoo when my ends start to feel weird. That is probably every 6 - 8 weeks or so. If I go any longer my ends dry out and my scalp is unbearably greasy.

[GrowingGlory]

I just wash it when I find it necessary. Since I am usually at home, I have no one to please but myself. Using my current shampoo, I wash my hair weekly or as needed.

[Loreley]

I used to wash every other day in summer, then in autumn I washed every 3 days, in december every 4 days. I've recently started to stretch washes to every 5 days. The oiliness of my scalp and also my face seems to be calming down as I'm getting older. My hair gets greasy on the third day after washing but I always wear it up so it's not a problem. I tried stretching washes earlier but my scalp was so itchy I could never go longer than 3 days without washing it. Fortunately it's not that itchy nowadays. :)

[Carolyn]

I like to wash either every other day or every 3rd day. If I wash less often than that my hair starts smelling like my sebum and I find that to be a nasty smell. Also my ends are so much drier if I wash less often. I like to look and feel of my hair on the day I wash it. I can't see having one good hair day a week and 6 bad ones.

[longNred]

Currently, every 4 days. Sometimes sooner if needed.

[vanity_acefake]

I wash my hair when it's really needing it. Every 2 weeks or so. I'm rather lazy and I just put it up out of the way when its getting greasy looking. I have found that the longer I leave it, the less it needs washing.

[briles]

I CO two or three times a week. Shampoo monthly pre henna.

[jacqueline101]

I wash once a week I did get by this week with washing every two weeks.

[spidermom]

About every 4 days for me. I wish I could wash only once per week, but my head gets disgusting!

[TheMechaGinger]

I'm in the process of stretching my washes. Right now I'm about every three days but I would love to make it to once a week soon

[Coolcombination]

Well I'm nearly mid back, so not very long but I find it amazing that people can stretch washes for longer than 3 days! I wash every other day/possibly 3 days if I spend the 3rd day in the house, but I have an oily scalp plus I'm a teen which may contribute more oils and I go horse riding 3 times a week and my hat hair is pure grease!

[SnowWhite]

I used to wash my hair every other day.
Now I stretched it and I wash it... once every four or five days!
I don't use conditioner, my hair hates it. I prefer oiling. My hair loves coconut oil, aloe vera, shea butter, so I stick to those for moisture.

[lapushka]

Right now? Once every week. Normally it needs to be washed twice to three times a week to look presentable, but I can stretch to one week - with a couple of blah days at the end, but oh well...

[Lyv]

I don't really have long hair, only about bsl right now, but I wash every 3-4 days. I have to wear it up the 3rd/4th day though since I have an insanely oily scalp. Ive been doing it for like 6 months so you'd think it would have sorted itself out by now :shrug:

[starlamelissa]

every other day, religiously.

[Vrindi]

It took me a long time to be able to stretch washes, but now I only wash it 2 times a week. It was worth the hassle. I started stretching half-days. Now, I've gotten to where I even dilute the shampoo on my washes. Hair is clean, healthy, and smells nice! I also use a bit of coconut oil ever day on the ends.

[BrightEyes]

My hair is still short, but I wash 2-3 times a week. Even with my short hair I've noticed a difference in its condition when I stretch a couple days.

[DancingQueen]

I usually wash every 3-4 days. Shampoo, conditioner and air drying. I don't know how to use a hair dryer in a way that makes my hair look good. ;)

[henné]

Wash twice per week - once with a diluted shampoo and once with just water. I stopped using conditioner and sometimes use ACV in the end of the wash, but always use olive oil on 60%-dry hair - just the bottom 1/3 though.

[Andrea H]

I usually shampoo every three days or so. I rarely condition my hair anymore once I realized my hair doesn't need it(I swear it's even softer since I stopped using conditioner).

[Bethmc]

I wash usually every other day. My hair (and skin) have always been pretty oily, although maybe a little less so now that I'm older. I can't stand for my hair to look greasy lol.

[jeanniet]

When it needs it and when I can do it, lol. Anywhere from every four days to once a week. It depends both on how my scalp feels and how the hair itself feels. If I CO wash, I really can't go longer than four days, but if I use a gentle shampoo I can usually go a week.

[melusine963]

I've managed to stretch my washes from twice to once a week over the course of a year (my scalp takes a long time to adjust). This has been great for my hair, because I get most of my damage from detangling it while it's wet, so minimising the number of times I have to do this makes sense.

[jojo]

My hair changes its needs depending on the seasons in winter it get greasy quick so every other day for me, in summer its drier so i can get away with once or twice a week. I do sometimes just do a CO wash inbetween or just a water rinse.

[pocketsmall]

I can go a week without washing, but my skin breaks out badly along my hairline if I go any longer than about 4/5 days. Before joining LHC I washed every day, then I cut down to every other, after a few months I was able to cut down to only washing once a week.

[shutterpillar]

I typically wash (shampoo and conditioner) every other day. Though, I am thinking about going back to CO until winter is over because my scalp is just not digging the cold and dry air at all.

[Zesty]

Twice a week (Thursday and Sunday). My washing method is pretty involved (I use egg yolks and olive oil left on for 20 minutes, then CO, then ACV rinse) and of course it takes forever to dry, so I have to adapt it to my class/etc. schedule. My dream is to stretch to once a week. Good old fashioned Sunday washings. ;)

[dwell_in_safety]

I currently wash mine every ten days. I actually just stretched from nine to ten. Ultimately I would like to wash once every other week. I CO-wash and, currently, slather my hair in coconut oil for a day before every other wash. When I've stretched to two weeks, I want to oil before each wash.

[LadyLongLocks]

Once a week since 2005. Before then was twice a week. Once a week saves lots of stress on the hair of washing, combing etc. Its oily by day 4-5 but I just wear it up. Your own hair oils are good for your hair!

[silverthread]

Wow that's impressive, I must admit. I do trim my hair every 8 weeks to avoid split ends, but I feel like I should wash less. It's difficult though because I live a very active lifestyle, I run everyday so my hair gets incredibly oily.

Jessirose, maybe you could start by diluting your shampoo more and more every time you use it. Then, skip a day between washes. Then two days. Etc., etc. Your hair will have a less noticeable transition period that way.

[Cowgirl16]

I wash my hair once a week in the winter more so because it is cold out. I wash every couple days in the summer. I find that my ends feel drier the longer I go without washing :confused:
I just started going to the gym...I find with all the sweating I may need to wash more frequently.

[evb]

no more than once a week sometimes longer... depends on how my scalp feels. My hair doesn't look oily {I think-hope!}but this last time 12 days my scalp felt a little itchy so I washed it. I use bar shampoos, oil from ear downward for at least half an hour if not night before, ACV rinse, and a wee bit of oil if needed on ends until next wash. My version of the CWC :p