How do you know when to wash your hair?

[DreamSheep]

This may sound like a very silly question - but what signs should I take as "I should probably wash my hair".

Right now I usually wash my hair every 6-8 days, and caved in and washed it tonight after 6 days.
I don't like washing my hair frequently (not more than once a week), but I do always look forward to wash day, and the pampering, the deep treatment, the unveiling of the slow air-drying hair, and the silkiness and softness for the 3-4 days to follow.

However, after that my ends sometimes feel a bit crunchy, which I guess means my ends want moisture (should I just rinse my ends? Add oil? Wash the hair? Use BBB brush (which I'm loving!!!!) to sweep sebum down to the ends?).
My scalp will start to become a bit greasy after 5-6 days, but I wouldn't say I have an oily scalp and it can be slicked down and actually makes life easier for me (apart from making my hair lie a bit flat I guess). After 5-6 days as well I sometimes get "follicle" or "scalp pain" when my hair is flipped over a different way, and this perhaps is what worries me the most. Do I have fungus/bacteria growing? Is this the sign I must wash my hair? Where is this pain coming from?

Anyway, so I had this "sore scalp" for the past two days, yet it had gone today when I finally did decide to wash - which was because my hair perhaps felt flat or dirty or less soft to touch, but in appearance I feel it could definitely have gone several more days without washing (it was still shiny and looked quite alright, though I guess not as silky as when it is on Day 1-3).

Anyway, I feel really silly asking this question and I realise that this will vary for each person as we all have our hair type, routine and preferences - but what makes you decide when you need to wash your hair? :) And what do you do to keep moisture in your ends in between washes?

[gthlvrmx]

I wash my hair when it feels dry and it smells but it never smells horribly bad. I wash it around once a week. I used to get that sore scalp feeling too but I don't know what caused it. I know that my scalp doesn't feel that way after switching to a silk pillowcase.

[Larki]

When it no longer looks presentable. I wash every other day but I think I could get away with every two days if I wanted to.

[skeletonous]

When my hair separates from being greasy :) also I've started using conditioner on the ends inbetween washes (though I wet my hair inbetween washes anyway), perhaps you could oil your ends lightly when they start to feel crunchy? I do recommend the BBB, try and use that every day after detangling your hair.

[Madora]

It is time to wash my hair after 5 weeks have passed. Usually it becomes lank and slightly greasy looking. In time it begins to smell rank. I do everything in my power to keep it as fresh and clean as possible..but hair must be washed sometime if you want a healthy scalp.

Your follicle pain might be just because you styled (or threw) your hair in a different way. You only have to do it once for that pain to hit like a rocket. Many here have advocated washing to help dull the follicle pain.

For me, keeping the hair as fresh as possible boils down to: keeping everything off of it! No oils, no butters, no sprays, no serums, no nuthin'! Keeping it covered when outdoors, or doing dusty tasks inside the home, or out in the garden. Brushing it with a pure bbb every single day (with a CLEAN brush). The more stuff you put on your hair, the more your hair will attract every.living.particle.in.the.universe..eventually leaving it limp and unattractive. Less is more helps keep your scalp and hair cleaner, longer!

[Clarkie]

I currently wash twice a week but I think I may try to stretch that to once a week once the really cold weather starts. My hair seems to be drier in the winter.
I wash when my scalp starts to feel a bit greasy usually around day 4 or so. I could probably go longer but I too enjoy the washing,conditioning, plopping to dry ritual.
I've never experienced the follicle pain you describe. Could it be from wearing your hair in the same updo alot?
I dampen my ends and lightly oil them every second night. This really seems to be helping my ends stay soft and silky and NO splits :)

[Madora]

I currently wash twice a week but I think I may try to stretch that to once a week once the really cold weather starts. My hair seems to be drier in the winter.
I wash when my scalp starts to feel a bit greasy usually around day 4 or so. I could probably go longer but I too enjoy the washing,conditioning, plopping to dry ritual.
I've never experienced the follicle pain you describe. Could it be from wearing your hair in the same updo alot?
I dampen my ends and lightly oil them every second night. This really seems to be helping my ends stay soft and silky and NO splits :)

Clarkie, follicle pain happens when the hair is directed in a totally different direction than it is accustomed. It hurts like hell. You can sometimes feel it when you change your part.

If follicle pain resulted from wearing your hair in the same updo a lot, then I'd be a basket case! I wear my braided bed bun daily..and during the day too..for more than 3 years. No pain yet!

[darklyndsea]

From experience, I know that my scalp gets sores if I leave it unwashed for too long; currently it's okay with 2 weeks, but 3 is kind of iffy. I tend to wash every weekend because sometimes I unexpectedly end up busy for an entire weekend, and that way I'm never going more than 2 weeks without washing.

[dancingrain91]

I wash when it has grease inches down the roots. If I can clearly see grease in every updo I need to wash it.

[dellad]

I wash when the hairs on the top of my head look noticeably greasy. Sometimes my end will start to feel dry before this happens, in which case I just oil the ends a bit.

[Clarkie]

Clarkie, follicle pain happens when the hair is directed in a totally different direction than it is accustomed. It hurts like hell. You can sometimes feel it when you change your part.

If follicle pain resulted from wearing your hair in the same updo a lot, then I'd be a basket case! I wear my braided bed bun daily..and during the day too..for more than 3 years. No pain yet!

Ouchie! I'll consider myself lucky to never have experienced it then. I'm glad to hear it's NOT caused by repeated use of the same updo. I dearly love my LWB.
Thank you for the info Madora. I appreciate being able to learn all I can from you. :)

[Madora]

Ouchie! I'll consider myself lucky to never have experienced it then. I'm glad to hear it's NOT caused by repeated use of the same updo. I dearly love my LWB.
Thank you for the info Madora. I appreciate being able to learn all I can from you. :)

You are welcome, Clarkie. I'm assuming you do your Lazy Wrap Bun w/o a ponytail? If so, perfect. If not, then beware the ponytail holder!

[FallingDarkness]

I really think that one should wash their hair whenever they feel most comfortable doing so.
I wash once a week, hoping to stretch my washes a little longer than that during the winter time, and really I just wash my hair when it looks bad. It doesn't smell, it just LOOKS really greasy. For me, it's more about appearances sake. Having greasier hair doesn't bother me.

[YGDW]

After 4 or 5 days it becomes really unpresentable, smelling slightly odd and my scalp starts to develop itchy and burning sensations. Then I know it's time to wash.

I'm still trying to stretch washes (went from every day to every 4 days or more), but it's quite hard because I have super fine, straight hair which looks greasy quite easily, and I live in a polluted area. When I clean my face in the evening, the washing cloth turns all grey. :(

[mz_butterfly]

question:
How do you know when to wash your hair?

answer:
when somebody writes "wash me" on the back of your head! :henny:

[LadyCelestina]

^^^^ :lol:

I wash it
a) when I have time and I know I won't have time the next couple of days.
b) when it gets oily on top and my scalp feels blah.Lately my scalp has been quite ok with stretching washes out of laziness/cold :D So maybe once I'll be able to do just a weekly scalp wash.

[lapushka]

I have to have it washed weekly. I have oily hair that used to need washing 2 to 3 times a week, at BSL still, but now at almost TBL, I can go a week without having to have it washed. Yes the last half of the week it is on the oily side, but... hey, that's the way it is. It's much more convenient to have one weekly wash day. I can't go longer than a week or my SD starts to complain somewhat. I'd say if your scalp starts to hurt due to the oilyness, it's definitely time to wash.

In between washes you could try misting with a blend of water, a squirt of conditioner and aloe vera or an oil.

[Johannah]

I wash when my hair gets really oily and it refused to get in a decent bun. I don't really care how it looks down, because I wear it up anyway.

[kitana97]

I wash when it *feels* greasy. When it feels greasy it usually looks really greasy and I feel gross. It doesn't matter if I put it up in a bun or a braid - when my hair is greasy and limp I just feel dirty, and no amount of soap on my body will fix it. I love having clean hair :) Buuut I don't have it as often as I'd like because I want my scalp oils to nourish my hair and that requires getting a little greasy.

[Fira]

I usually wash about once a week (6-8 days). It depends on when I have or do not have time. (My wash day is almost always saturday or sunday.) My hair doesn't get very greasy or does not get greasy at all. My ends are usually somewhat dry and could stand not being washed for weeks probably. But my scalp feels differently. Even though is doesn't really get greasy it gets somewhat dirty after a week, not that it smells really, but I can smell it, for example when I scratch myself I don't like the smell on my hands. It gets a little irritated obviously, that's why I scratch... So I "have to" wash every week even though I would like to stretch it to two weeks (or more).
I do know the feeling you are describing and I usually wash when it starts to hurt/bother me. (For me it's not really pain since I have fairly short hair but it annoys me like crazy.)

[sarahthegemini]

I wash my hair when it no longer looks how I want it to look. Which is every other day. No shame. I don't see the point in putting up with greasines, eugh. Or in your case, I don't see the point in putting up with pain and discomfort.

[julee]

I wash my hair when it no longer looks how I want it to look. Which is every other day. No shame. I don't see the point in putting up with greasines, eugh. Or in your case, I don't see the point in putting up with pain and discomfort.

This. I wash my hair every 2-3 days, I rarely stretch washes these days, except if I'm at home and feeling lazy :D

[LadyLongLocks]

I wash once a week. Before 2005 I washed twice a week. I stretched it to once while growing my hair longer than classic. Time to wash my hair when it gets darker from the oils and my scalp starts to itch. The longest I have gone between shampoos is 10 days but it drove me crazy. I have started using dry shampoo on day 5 and 6 if needed. Batiste is really good.

[earth]

I wash when my hair starts to separate because of greasiness. This is usually every two to three days, but I may wash more frequently when I am exercising or doing work and sweating a lot.

[GetMeToWaist]

I wash when the top of my head feels and looks greasy because I can't tolerate dry shampoo, it makes my scalp so itchy and coated and the buildup is horrendous. I also wash when my ends feel somewhat dry/crunchy. Because I CO wash, i know that it actually moisturises them and its much better than shampoo for my hair. So I wash twice a week, usually every 3 days, sometimes every 4.

[Eastbound&Down]

I CO wash every other day (I exercise everyday, so I kind of have to wash it that often) and I am currently doing a coffee scrub every friday to cleanse my scalp without needing shampoo. I think it is all about what you preceive as clean and dirty. If you aren't particularly active eg. sweating or working outdoors, I think every 6-8 is probably a good mark for you to hit. Also, I think the BBB will help you tremendously to get nutrients to your ends, but if you need a little more moisture, put some leave in conditioner or oil/water mixture in a spray bottle and sprits the last couple of inches every morning :)

[Clarkie]

You are welcome, Clarkie. I'm assuming you do your Lazy Wrap Bun w/o a ponytail? If so, perfect. If not, then beware the ponytail holder!

Egads! No ponytail holders/elastic bands shall ever touch this head of hair again! (haven't used heat and ponytails since June when I happened upon this site) Yet more things I've learned from the good people here at the LHC! :)

[Lyv]

I wash mine when it looks greasy and clumpy which is usually every 3rd day for me. I'm really envious of those who can go 1-2 weeks in between washes!

[lapushka]

I wash mine when it looks greasy and clumpy which is usually every 3rd day for me. I'm really envious of those who can go 1-2 weeks in between washes!

I have oily hair. I used to have to wash 2 to 3 times a week, this was back when I still had short hair (pixie). That was full-on greasy by day 3. Since my hair is almost TBL, I have managed to stretch to a week. Length is a major part of stretching washes - it is amazing!

[Sharysa]

I wash every 3-4 days officially, but physically my signs are when I end up with lots of white powder in my comb (that's my sebum drying up and flaking off, yay), when my scalp is itchy, or just when it starts smelling like normal hair instead of my shampoo and oil.

[Verdandi]

Once or twice a week, depending on the possibilites to do it (read: access to a shower with decent water pressure...) and how itchy my scalp is. I used to wash every other day, but moving made that too much of a task.

[Sunny_side_up]

I washed my hair Wednesday evening. Then normally I'd wash it fri evening. However yesterday it felt so silky soft, looked and smelled clean so I didn't wash. Now its Saturday and getting up this morn notice bits of scalp flakes, the roots looking greasy. But seeing its the weekend I could leave it and wash it sunday evenin. However today I bought a new conditioner; tea trea and mint... I wanna use it so will most likely wash my hair this p.m ha ha :D

[Robot Ninja]

When my scalp gets itchy, around every 4-5 days. This happens to coincide with my roots getting a bit greasy but if it wasn't for the itchy scalp and the ensuing flakies I could probably go another day or two and just wear my hair up.

[AuburnBloom]

My fringe, every couple of days. The rest of my hair, when I can't disguise it with dry shampoo and an updo, generally about every 4-5 days. Or when I know it won't be convenient for a while.

[Liamandjack]

Twice a week, it depends, but I always oil between washes..

[Carolyn]

I have lots of criteria for deciding when to wash or not.

- I plan to wear my hair down that day. I ONLY wear it down if it's been washed that morning. Never the day before or the night before. Ever. Rule is set in stone.

- I can smell my stinky sebum on my fingers after scalp massaging

- my roots are piecey.

- my ends looks and feel dry

- I have scalp zits or scalp sores caused by not washing

These symptoms begin the day after I wash my hair. I can go until the next day but if I am feeling the zits and the soreness I know better than to push it to the next day. The only day I really like my hair is on the day I wash it so it's not a problem for me to wash every other day. I realize this is probably on the high end of pickiness but oh well. Sue me. I want to enjoy my hair.

[Marika]

^ I could have written this. My hair and scalp behave exactly the same. No stretching washes for me.

[SnottyDotty]

When my scalp gets itchy, around every 4-5 days. This happens to coincide with my roots getting a bit greasy but if it wasn't for the itchy scalp and the ensuing flakies I could probably go another day or two and just wear my hair up.

The same situation for me also. Except that I've very recently managed to (accidentally :D) stretch that to every 6-7 days.

[LauraLongLocks]

I shampoo once a week, but I co-wash and use dry shampoo in between the weekly shampoos. I can go almost 4 full days after shampooing if I don't exercise and get sweaty, and I need to use a dry shampoo on day 3 if I want to make it to day 4. If I get sweaty I have to wash more frequently. That's why I like co-washing. It doesn't dry my hair out as much as shampooing. But co-washing all the time caused my scalp to get sore and pimply. So, back to weekly shampoos. I use dry shampoo to make it one more day or another half a day until I can wash when I realize it's time to wash but I don't have time to do it.

I know it's time to wash when I can slick my hair back with the sebum and have it stick to my head like seaweed stuck to a rock. Just let that image stick in your mind a few minutes. Yup, it's time to wash at that point.

[jacqueline101]

When my hair gets greasy it starts to separate into sections. Then my bangs look bad due to the oily greasiness of my hair.

[jeanniet]

I wash when my hair starts to lose its shape and feels like it needs a moisture boost, which is generally every few days, so I wash about three times a week. I don't care about stretching washes that much, and my hair does better with more frequent washes anyway.

[CurlyCap]

My hair doesn't get greasy and I rarely need shampoo. So "washing" for me is about moisture and detangling and making sure my scalp is cleansed just like my body is. My hair is definitely happier the more often I co-wash it. These days I'm usually trying to strike a bargain between wanting to wash it for happieness/health/style...and being tired and just wanting to go to bed. The other issue is it takes my hair 12-16 hours to dry now and I'm definitely not willing to go to bed with soaking wet long hair.

I wash my hair if

-I spent a lot of time outside that day. The city is gross and my skin feels dirty at the end of the day...so my hair is probably equally disgusting.

-My hair smells off at all.

-My scalp is itchy at all.

-I sense tangles are coming and it would be easier to detangle in the shower.

Honestly, I need to bathe my body everyday, and I do think my scalp needs a be at least gently rinsed everyday. But vanity has made me grow my hair long and that makes a daily scalp cleanse difficult. So I can now stretch to ~3days at BCL+, but in a perfect world I'd co-wash every night.

[Panth]

I'm blonde with fine, thin hair, so it's principally about when my scalp hair gets greasy enough to a) have a noticeable colour difference from the length and b) begins to look bad and show scalp because it's clumping. Practically, that equals about every 3-4 days. This is fairly good as if I stretch washes much further I risk provoking a seborrheic dermatitis bout.

[Stray_mind]

I wash when my hair starts clumping in strands and separating from the greasiness. It usually happens on the 4th day. My scalp starts getting itchy and my hair looks thinned out from all the clumping.

[leilani]

When my scalp starts to feel itchy is a great indicator since my scalp doesn't produce oil. Every four days maybe is good....by then the ends are also drying out and need a moisture boost.

[Gertrude]

Like @ Panth I have fine blonde hair. By day 4 or at most 5 my hair becomes greasy and changes colour where the grease is. No disguising it. Also I begin to get itchy scalp, so I wash on the 4th or 5th day.

[ExpectoPatronum]

I wash my hair when my scalp tells me to (it'll get itchy and flakey if I stretch too long!) and by how my hair feels. If it starts getting really dry, I know it's time to wash and condition. These two things usually happen around the same time, which is every other day. However, as of late, I've been thinking I can stretch one more day...

I also wash my hair on Tuesdays regardless of my wash schedule. I have an organic chemistry lab that day and we work with some nasty stuff in there. I'd rather not leave any traces of that in my hair. (I do wear my hair up in lab, I just feel better washing everything after :) )