Healthy Hair & Number of Showers per Week

[daredevil14]

So I was thinking, is there any link between healthy hair and the number of showers in a week? For example, If I shower 3 times a week (2 CO-wash + 1 sulfate), and I still find my hair to be at its best state on the shower day only so I feel like showering more, does this mean that my hair is not healthy enough?

In other words, the more you feel like showering to keep your hair at the best state, the more unhealthy your hair is?

[Fantak]

I don't think hair on wash days indicates whether or not the hair is healthy.

How does your hair feel different on a wash day? Is it softer, bouncier, easier to detangle? Maybe if you can explain the difference we would be able to help more ^.^

[daredevil14]

Yes actually, it is shining, 85% frizz-free, s-curls are well-defined and thick, maximum length, etc...

On the next day, frizz will start attacking, s-curls may 90% stay there but the frizz is really annoying. I think this is due to 1) sleeping on a non-satin pillow, 2) wetting and wearing my hair immediately in a ponytail for work (only to remove it after like 14 hours, frizz will at its worst state at this level) and 3) my wavy/curly hair which is naturally prone to frizz.

The thing is, on the wash day, I say that my hair is really healthy! On the 3rd day (2nd will always be a hit or a miss; but mostly healthy), I say that my hair is really frizzy and damaged! I am not sure!

[lapushka]

I think you'd benefit immensely by looking at the thread for curly hair on here.

[spidermom]

It sounds like you're talking hair appearance rather than health. I usually like the way my hair looks about 2 days after washing because by then I have just enough sebum at my scalp to help all the little fly-aways lay down but not enough to make my hair look oily - that happens on day 3 to 4; then it's time to wash again.

[daredevil14]

It sounds like you're talking hair appearance rather than health. I usually like the way my hair looks about 2 days after washing because by then I have just enough sebum at my scalp to help all the little fly-aways lay down but not enough to make my hair look oily - that happens on day 3 to 4; then it's time to wash again.

Yeah maybe, but I care more about its health, so does that mean that my hair is unhealthy?

[lapushka]

Hair health has nothing to do with how much or how little you wash. There's plenty of people who wash almost daily and there's nothing wrong with that.

[Anje]

For the record, I shower most days of the week (probably average about 5 showers/week because I often switch from mornings to evenings), but my hair only gets washed about twice a week. Shower as often as you need to control BO and wash your hair as frequently as you need to to keep it nice -- they need not be on the same schedule.

My hair will tend to get dry if I wash too often or too little. It likes getting wet down and conditioned, but shampooing also results in dryness and frizz if it's too frequent. You need to find the balance point that works best for your hair and scalp for optimal hair health (and be prepared for it to shift seasonally). Some people have the healthiest hair when they barely wash it at all, others find their hair does best when it gets wet daily or find that their scalps start rebelling and they start losing hair if they go more than a day or two between washes. It's all, always, about finding out what works for you.

[jeanniet]

I think what you want is what curlies call "second day hair" (nice hair the day after washing) and not achieving it doesn't have anything to do with the health of your hair. It's just because as curls move throughout the day and night they can develop frizz and lose shape. Many curlies CO wash daily because of this. I'd read the curly thread, but also read up on the curly girl method and second day hair because it may give you some good ideas. Frizz doesn't mean damage on curly hair.

[patienceneeded]

I shower daily, but only wash my hair every other shower, sometimes I can eek out a third no-wash day. What your hair looks like (appearance) probably has very little to do with health. If it's curly, your curls are simply loosing their definition through being mashed around all night on your pillow and by too much handling. Curls like to be left alone. I would switch to a satin/silk pillowcase to help with the mashing of your curls while asleep.

Next- the wetting an immediately wearing in a ponytail - this is a big contributor to your frizz issues. Not sure how to solve this - if you are wetting your curls you need to let them dry without touching - scraping your hair into a ponytail is going to cause frizz when the curls dry but can't "do what they want."

Perhaps try CO washing on a daily basis? Semi-daily? The big thing is going to be letting your curls dry without touching them so they can achieve their natural state of definition.

[daredevil14]

Thank you all for the replies. Yes this "second day hair" is what I need!



Next- the wetting an immediately wearing in a ponytail - this is a big contributor to your frizz issues. Not sure how to solve this - if you are wetting your curls you need to let them dry without touching - scraping your hair into a ponytail is going to cause frizz when the curls dry but can't "do what they want."

Definitely this, but the thing is, my ends will restore their curliness after drying up, it's the "inside body" of my hair that starts to frizz on the 2nd day! Any suggestion? I am a guy so I have to wear my hair in a ponytail at work, so I can't wait till it dries :/

[patienceneeded]

Thank you all for the replies. Yes this "second day hair" is what I need!



Definitely this, but the thing is, my ends will restore their curliness after drying up, it's the "inside body" of my hair that starts to frizz on the 2nd day! Any suggestion? I am a guy so I have to wear my hair in a ponytail at work, so I can't wait till it dries :/

Maybe some kind of smoothing/frizz reduction creme? You'll want something non-drying, preferably marketed towards curlies. Tigi's "Curls Rock" line is really good as far as mainstream products go. The Deva Curl brand has amazing products, but they're not sold everywhere. Plain-ol' Aloe Vera (100%, should be clear) is popular as a frizz reducer too. Make small changes to your routine, one at a time, that way you can tell for sure what works and what does not.

[daredevil14]

Yes, this is what I am doing! :)

One thing "weird" to notice, when I put my fully-wet hair in a ponytail after a shower, it remains in an excellent condition! But when I do the ponytails on the 2nd/3rd day on the semi-wet hair, my issue arises here! Also the cream I use as a leave-in works wonder on the fully-wet shower day hair, but it makes my hair greasy/semi-wet and kills the thick curls on the 2nd/3rd hair day! So I only apply it after washing my hair.

[patienceneeded]

Maybe your hair just likes to be washed daily? Nothing at all wrong with that!

[spidermom]

If you don't mind a straightened look (from curly to wavy), you could try multiple bands down the length of your ponytail about one inch apart. That should help control the frizz, especially if you also use a leave-in conditioner or coney serum.

It seems for me that the more days I go without washing, the more lint, dust, etc my hair picks up, which makes it more difficult to manage.

[spirals]

Here's my theory: because the cuticle on curly hair is naturally a bit lifted, it will lose more and more moisture the further you get from a wash. It looks best on washday when almost fully dry because at that point it has absorbed the perfect amount of water as it was drying, like a sponge. I don't believe anyone can duplicate that the next day.

[Suze2012]

My hair looks fine the next day...through the week I just have a habit of co washing every day but mine doesn't get frizzy on day two - at least not with still using my winter routine with spraying it with a glycerin mix.

My only thing with day two hair is teh way I put it up can make it look a little wild when I first take it down but it settles after a bit.
I don't sleep with my hair loose ever now but on the last few occasions I did it would get frizzy the next day.

I don't think it's unhealthy - it's just been moving about on my pillow if it's not protected and that ruffles it up.

[Mesmerise]

I like how my hair feels best on wash day! But I don't think it has anything at all to do with hair health, that's just when it's cleanest.

I also think there's a difference between healthy and damaged that has nothing to do with the immediate appearance of hair. Frizz doesn't equal damage! Split ends, hair that breaks easily etc. indicates damaged hair. Some hair is just naturally prone to frizzing.

I have seen people with hair that from a distance looks lovely and sleek and healthy and up close it's full of split ends!! If your hair isn't split etc. it's probably healthy. Wash it more often if that makes you happier (I have never found my hair to get terribly damaged due to washing).

[PolarCathy]

At first I didn't understand the question because I don't wash my hair in the shower. (I do it in sink.)

Then I re-read it a few times. And here is my question - what is the question?? :shocked: