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View Full Version : To wash or not to wash...



Applegirl84
September 10th, 2013, 08:01 AM
I have been a shampoo every day addict my whole life, but am trying to take better care of my hair. I can't decide whether to shampoo, CO or skip getting my hair wet completely.

Washing or CO means I can wear my hair down and it will look nice, but it also means having wet hair for a couple hours, because I'm trying to avoid my blow drier.

No wash means I'll have to wear it up and even then it will look greasy, but it will help my scalp to start producing less sebum and will put less strain on my hair.

*sigh* hair dilemmas that people I'll people irl wouldn't understand

Loribelle
September 10th, 2013, 08:25 AM
I have the same dilemma. I *try* to work out daily, which leaves my head a sweaty mess. I HAVE TO wash it. Like you, I was a daily washer, BUT, lately I've been having really good results with washing with conditioner only the majority of the time. I still need a weekly shampoo (sometimes twice weekly) but I'm thinking of it as weaning myself off of shampoo all together. I tried no poo and co-wash a few years ago, and didn't keep up with either routine, as it was hard to jump right into it, and deal with the initial results of gross hair. I couldn't bring myself to wait it out, and went back to shampoo. Hopefully, this time, the "weaning" method will help get me past the greasy hair situations that I had in the past.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do!

Warda
September 10th, 2013, 08:26 AM
Mmmm, well if not washing means putting your hair up and not wearing it down every day then that is another advantage. That way you'll protect it more! Maybe just try washing every other day first that would definitely be better for your hair on the long run.

I also wanted to add, I wash my hair twice a week so my hair rarely gets oily. It is in a MUCH better condition than when I used to wash everyday but I think washing more often made it grow faster due to the head massage. I don't know if this matters to you but that is a disadvantage for me.

Anje
September 10th, 2013, 08:26 AM
The fact that I hate waiting for my hair to dry was definitely a contributing factor for extending washes. :D

If you have hair that actually looks greasy/piecey 24 hours after you wash it, stretching is a tough process. If that's the case, I'd suggest starting with switching your shampoo for something sulfate-free or else diluting your shampoo and washing daily for a while. Then go to an ~36 hour schedule of alternate mornings and evenings before trying to make the jump to washing every 48 hours.

For the record, not all people have luck stretching washes. I consider scalps to be oily, reactive/normal, or dry. The normal/reactive ones tend to adjust their sebum production according to how you wash them, whereas the others pretty much do their own thing without regard to your feelings on the matter.

sarahthegemini
September 10th, 2013, 08:34 AM
The old me would have said wash it with 'poo! I can't stand having greasy hair. I think you should leave it alone today and perhaps try diluting your shampoo tomorrow or co-wash it.

GrowingGlory
September 10th, 2013, 08:45 AM
Feel free to try different methods: S&C, CWC, CO, NW/SO, etc. until you have found the best method for your scalp and hair.

Vivalagina
September 10th, 2013, 09:21 AM
Now that I have bangs, I need to wash my hair every day. (I dislike dry shampoo.) I CO with diluted conditioner and try to sit outside for 15 minutes or so after a shower to speed up the drying process. Then I will damp bun/braid and go about my day. It's been working great for me. I think my bangs are starting to look less oily day 2, so I have been skipping a day here and there and pinning them back. I used to S&C every day and I have never had issues with getting my hair wet daily but I understand this can be a problem for some.

However, I figure with a baby due in a week I might as well enjoy as many long, lovely showers while I still can LOL. So that's been a contributing factor to daily showers for me. :D

catasa
September 10th, 2013, 09:28 AM
I agree with Anje - if you have really oily hair, start with SLS-free shampoo, maybe diluted for one to several months, then maybe try CO for while, and see where you are. I tried SLS-free and then CO, and after maybe 6-8 months (2-3 on SLS-free and the rest CO) I was at a stage where I could usually go the second day with OK hair if I kept it up, and sometimes (often due to hormonal stage) also a third day, but never more than that. Also, my lenghts usually felt rather dry after three days "non-watered".

On a side note, according to studies blow-drying on cool is not harmful for hair, on the contrary I have seen it indicated that a shorter wet/"swollen" state is actually better for hair than slow air-drying, so CO and cool blow drying could maybe be an option. Though of course each individual hair reacts differently, so if you feel that your hair doesn´t do well even on cool blow drying, of course you shouldn´t :)

Applegirl84
September 10th, 2013, 09:29 AM
I didn't wash it, just put it up :thumbup: It looks fine with a little cornstarch dusted on my hairline. Tomorrow I'll either wash with my sulphate-free shampoo or if I'm feeling brave just CO. This week is an ok time to experiement, because I'm not going anywhere other than playgroups, preschool and my Pilates class. This weekend I have several social events, so I'll want to wash for sure then.

Applegirl84
September 10th, 2013, 09:39 AM
When I don't wash my updos are messier, because my hair gets slippery

http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd344/kuipersfamily/18b0a725fb3ef99bb49bda43b75d65f7_zps4a588f9a.jpg

Applegirl84
September 10th, 2013, 09:40 AM
I didn't know that about blow drying on cool! Thanks

Vrindi
September 10th, 2013, 10:20 AM
The fact that I hate waiting for my hair to dry was definitely a contributing factor for extending washes. :D

If you have hair that actually looks greasy/piecey 24 hours after you wash it, stretching is a tough process. If that's the case, I'd suggest starting with switching your shampoo for something sulfate-free or else diluting your shampoo and washing daily for a while. Then go to an ~36 hour schedule of alternate mornings and evenings before trying to make the jump to washing every 48 hours.

For the record, not all people have luck stretching washes. I consider scalps to be oily, reactive/normal, or dry. The normal/reactive ones tend to adjust their sebum production according to how you wash them, whereas the others pretty much do their own thing without regard to your feelings on the matter.

This. This was how I was able to stretch washes. And it took a long time. Be patient.

jrmviola
September 10th, 2013, 11:03 AM
sometimes i can stretch washes by using bar soap (ivory) on my face and into my hairline about and inch or so, since that is where most of my greasy places are. Wash out with a rag. That usually holds me for at least 12 hours if it has to.

Applegirl84
September 10th, 2013, 12:16 PM
Hmm I like the idea of doing 36 hr stretches first....some good advice on here

Pixie2013
September 10th, 2013, 01:12 PM
Now that I have bangs, I need to wash my hair every day. (I dislike dry shampoo.) I CO with diluted conditioner and try to sit outside for 15 minutes or so after a shower to speed up the drying process. Then I will damp bun/braid and go about my day. It's been working great for me. I think my bangs are starting to look less oily day 2, so I have been skipping a day here and there and pinning them back. I used to S&C every day and I have never had issues with getting my hair wet daily but I understand this can be a problem for some.

However, I figure with a baby due in a week I might as well enjoy as many long, lovely showers while I still can LOL. So that's been a contributing factor to daily showers for me. :D

LOL! The new baby will help you stretch your washes for sure...even if your hair is greasy there are sure to be days with zero chance of bathing.

Pixie2013
September 10th, 2013, 01:25 PM
I have been trying to stretch out my washes for some time. Usually I can go two days between washes, but after a workout I still need to rinse my hair. My scalp gets really sweaty. One thing that has helped is to wear a buff (it is a very long tube of fabric that is lightweight like a thin t-shirt) during my workout. That absorbs a lot of sweat and probably even some oil. I have had the best luck with baking soda wash followed by acid rinse (lately I have been using lemon juice but ACV works too), but washing with a baking soda solution is not right for everyone. Like soaps (including shampoo bars), baking soda is a base which raises the cuticle of the hair. Some people find their hair getting dried out or even damaged from using baking soda, others have used it for years and still have great hair. For me it seems to be fine though.

jacqueline101
September 10th, 2013, 04:46 PM
I'd wash my hair every other day and train it to stretch washes wear it up to hide the greasy.

LongRedHair
September 10th, 2013, 05:42 PM
I'm still trying to work out the same decisions. I hope to be self-employed within the next 12 months or so, but until then, I have to consider my employer's wishes in regards to my appearance. That means I can't let my hair get visibly greasy (even for a short-term adjustment period), and I'm too self conscious to wear my hair up in public. I can get away with 48 hours between washings with my current shampoo (It's A 10) without getting greasy as long as I'm very careful to keep the hair that frames my face off of my skin. I'm trying to get into the habit of using cloth strips to curl my hair while I sleep so I don't have to worry about drying my hair. I'm just terminally lazy ;) so it's a challenge to keep to a new routine.

Applegirl84
September 11th, 2013, 10:03 AM
So I managed to wait 48 hrs to wash and then I CO with cone free conditioner this morning (Tresemme Naturals Nourishing). My hair looks really shiny and my roots don't look dirty per say. There is a piecyness to it that makes me wonder if it's going to get greasy really quick, but we'll see :shrug:

Carolyn
September 11th, 2013, 01:38 PM
My motto is stretching washes is not all that it's cracked up to be. My hair stays in better condition as in more moisturized if I get it wet at least every other day. If I were to wash once a week my ends would be a dried out, fragile mess. What I do is aim for some kind of washing every other day. Sometimes I wash consecutive days and some times I will skip a wash. It just depends on what I am doing and how sweaty I get. I CO wash sometimes but not usually consecutive times. I have no problem with sulfates when I used shampoo. The key for me is using heavy moisturizing conditioners. I am like the OP in that if I want to wear my hair down I have to wash it that morning. So if I want to wear it down 2 days in a row, I wash it 2 days in a row but I don't worry about it.

Leeloo
September 11th, 2013, 03:10 PM
I have been a shampoo every day addict my whole life, but am trying to take better care of my hair. I can't decide whether to shampoo, CO or skip getting my hair wet completely.

Washing or CO means I can wear my hair down and it will look nice, but it also means having wet hair for a couple hours, because I'm trying to avoid my blow drier.

No wash means I'll have to wear it up and even then it will look greasy, but it will help my scalp to start producing less sebum and will put less strain on my hair.

*sigh* hair dilemmas that people I'll people irl wouldn't understand

Sounds like stretching washings is best. You’ll get to keep your hair up more often, train your scalp to produce fewer oils, avoid hygral fatigue.