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View Full Version : fine and thin hair - are you able to wash them less often than every 3 days?



monaaa75
February 20th, 2015, 10:10 AM
I used to wash my hair everyday, since im using shampoo bar I can go 3 days without washing (on 3rd day they are greasy already but i wear a ponytail)
I was wondering if there is any way to extend that period
Is anybody here with very thin and fine hair who keeps their hair fresh longer? pls tell me how ;)

Anje
February 20th, 2015, 10:30 AM
Fine hair here, a bit under 3" in circumference (and the thickest it's ever been!). In the summer I can get maybe 4 or 5 days, but in the winter I tend to get oily and need to wash it every 2-3 days. When I had bangs, they at least needed to be washed daily, and I couldn't moisturize my forehead or they'd look oily. Most people seem to be the opposite of me, if they have seasonal variation, but my scalp seems to react to the cold dry air by pumping out tons of sebum. :shrug:

I hear a lot of folks have luck with dry shampoos in their various forums. I haven't tried that myself, but it might be worth testing out. :)

lapushka
February 20th, 2015, 10:36 AM
Fine here, but not thin. I have been able to stretch to a week (have been only weekly washing for multiple years now). I normally needed washes 2 to 3 times a week, esp. when it was shorter. Length helps tremendously with stretching!

Crumpet
February 20th, 2015, 11:19 AM
I'm fine and thin-ish (I only measured once, when I first came here and it was about 3'' then). I wash once a week usually, sometimes every 4 days, especially in the summer when I'm working out and sweating outside a lot.

Dry shampoo help as does length -- hair up in a bun looks just fine a week beyond my wash.

muadhnait
February 20th, 2015, 11:40 AM
I am :-) I made it to 6-7 days after 6 months of water only and then slowly growing out all the silicone "damaged" hair (Curse you Panthene!!!). At the moment my hair feels much thicker, stronger and healthier and I'm only using very mild organic shampoo free from silicones. It's been a long journey (started in april 2012) but it was worth it

swearnsue
February 20th, 2015, 11:42 AM
After you wash your hair, braid while very damp and let dry. The braid waves will keep the hair off of your scalp and you can get another two days out of it.

When you use conditioner, don't put on your scalp, this will keep your scalp from getting too oily.

Don't brush your hair every day, this encourages oil production. Any manipulation of the scalp and hair will make your hair oily faster.

So give yourself braid waves, put your hair up in the morning and don't play with it and you might get up to a week!

Neecola
February 20th, 2015, 11:48 AM
My hair is fine and on the thin side too (like Crumpet, I haven't measured for a long time but last I did, my circumference was 2.25")

Last summer I stretched washes to once a week or longer. I used cocoa powder as dry shampoo. It was really surprising how "not bad" my hair looked. But it didn't look great either. My hair was very weighed down (but not stringy/greasy looking, hard to explain) and it was definitely not an option to wear my hair down after day 3. I missed my springy curls and now I wash twice a week and I am happy with that routine.

Something else I noticed is that wearing my hair in a loose bun on the top of my head when I sleep (instead of braids), keeps the oilies at bay for longer. I haven't any idea why but it does for me.

lapushka
February 20th, 2015, 02:47 PM
My mom has F and very thin hair (i/ii), and she has a dry scalp, which means she can wait a month to wash; usually she goes 3 to 4 weeks. Now, I think it all depends on how much oil your scalp produces. There's absolutely no shame in washing more often!

EternalSnow
February 20th, 2015, 02:49 PM
I have fine and thin hair. I used to wash it every other day and managed to stretch my washes to 4-5 days.

What really helped me was washing my hair with cold water (or sometimes lukewarm). If I use hot water my hair starts getting oily the next day.

Dry shampoo or baby powder also helps a lot.

And since I wear my hair up almost everyday it's not really that noticeable if it's a bit oily.

Cristina84
February 20th, 2015, 02:54 PM
have you ever tried rice starch?

gwenalyn
February 20th, 2015, 03:20 PM
I also have fine and straight hair, though it's not super thin. I used to be a daily washer and now am up to 5-6 days. Is the problem greasiness, or volume?

If the issue is greasiness, dry shampoo is a miracle. Batiste is the most effective, and also includes darker colors for those of us with dark hair. You can also try just washing your bangs if those get greasy fast, though I usually just stick with the convenience of dry shampoo. Buns and ponytails, particularly high ones, also hide the greasiness well. When stretching washes, patience is key! It took two years to get to where I am now, and in the meantime I suffered from severe depression which meant I didn't wash for weeks, which I think accelerated the process but I do NOT recommend it! Oh, and also, this sounds obvious, but don't touch your hair! Especially at the scalp. Fingers are greasy.

If the issue is volume, wearing hair up in a bun/loose ponytail at the top of the head overnight helps a little. Dry shampoo helps here, too, and also helps cover those weird sparse spots that show up in certain updos. "Messier" updos give the impression of volume as well--messy buns look three times as big as neat ones! You can also do stuff to try to create "pouf" at the front (Madora has a good techique, I've heard), and twists and accent braids around the front can also help.

Edit: added stuff

Larki
February 20th, 2015, 03:26 PM
Mine is super fine, but not thin - I find that the max I can stretch is 3 days, even with updos and dry shampoo.

slynr
February 20th, 2015, 03:29 PM
I find the same thing. 3 days is about right..4 days if it is on the weekend and I am not going anywhere or use dry shampoo.

roman8
February 20th, 2015, 04:00 PM
Yes, my hair is thin and fine and I wash it about once every 6 days(shh) conditioner only washing is how, if i shampoo i get oily so much quicker. And keeping your hair greasy for like a week then wash it, doesn't seem to produce much oil after that. Dry shampoo can hold you over as well.

yahirwaO.o
February 20th, 2015, 06:19 PM
Another fine and not anymore that thin (Yay!!!).... I was able to strech a full week by keeping it in double braids and not brushing-manipulating my hair.

Nowadays every other day or 2 is the max I can go, but thats because Ive wearing my hair down a lot more and I need to brush my straight locks to make them look decent, and not stringy mess. I brush my scalp too, that produces oil that makes hair washing needed. :disco:

hannabiss
February 20th, 2015, 07:08 PM
Not sure maybe i just dont mind the smooth look my greasy gives me but i refuse to wash more than once a week. Unless i specifically want to look extra nice. It doeant seem to get all that bad. but every one is different with how much they can take.

Nadine <3
February 20th, 2015, 08:03 PM
I wash all my hair every 5 days, but I have to do a scalp only wash on the 3rd day. My hair is really greasy and very thin. I tried stretching when I first joined and it just made my scalp really angry, lots of itching, flakes, and it was gross. The scalp only wash is great because I can wash my scalp and keep the ends dry. If I couldn't scalp only wash, I would just shamelessly wash every other day...

Captamericium
February 20th, 2015, 08:25 PM
With shampoo bars I could wash my hair twice a week (it got extremely greasy a day or two after wash day but i just pulled it back), but i just started WO and I need to wash every day to every other day. I really hope I can stretch washing to once a week in the future though ;)

LaBeq
February 20th, 2015, 09:14 PM
I only wash once a week. That's only because Saturdays are the only time I have time to let it dry, though. I'm not saying it looks good down the whole time, but I wear it up every day, anyway, so that's okay. I do try to brush my hair at least once a day to distribute the oil down the length. I don't know if I've ever noticed whether the brushing increases oil production.

pixldust
February 21st, 2015, 11:45 AM
Over the last few years I've gone from being an everyday washer to twice a week. Ideally I'd like to go longer but I hate the piecey look I get at the sides of my head. I put dry shampoo on it but too much and my hair looks like it needs a good dust :D I think it's down to how much oil your scalp produces and how much greasiness you can tolerate before you absolutely have to wash your hair

ETA: I've got a 2.5" pony so lower end of ii

gwenalyn
February 21st, 2015, 12:21 PM
Over the last few years I've gone from being an everyday washer to twice a week. Ideally I'd like to go longer but I hate the piecey look I get at the sides of my head. I put dry shampoo on it but too much and my hair looks like it needs a good dust :D

Do you have dark hair? I used to have the dusty hair issue with dry shampoo until I switched to Batiste, which has dry shampoo with extra pigments in it to help it blend with dark hair better. It also works a lot better than other brands I'd tried (drugstore brands), so you can use less.

lapushka
February 21st, 2015, 03:22 PM
I wash all my hair every 5 days, but I have to do a scalp only wash on the 3rd day. My hair is really greasy and very thin. I tried stretching when I first joined and it just made my scalp really angry, lots of itching, flakes, and it was gross. The scalp only wash is great because I can wash my scalp and keep the ends dry. If I couldn't scalp only wash, I would just shamelessly wash every other day...

Postponing a wash too much gets my SD going. I couldn't go 2 weeks, but a week seems fine, sometimes I get some mild flaking, but... it does okay for the most part. Just don't let it get to the point where it exacerbates your SD, Nadine!

faeriehaerie
February 21st, 2015, 03:42 PM
I usually rinse with just water (eggwash when I have some) on weekends and get some oil on the ends. My hair is very thin, with dry scalp, so 3 weeks don't show either. Way back when I still used SLS/cone shampoo, it was gross after 3 days and the scalp was continuous itchy and flakey.

DancingGirl
February 21st, 2015, 03:49 PM
I used to wash my hair everyday, since im using shampoo bar I can go 3 days without washing (on 3rd day they are greasy already but i wear a ponytail)
I was wondering if there is any way to extend that period
Is anybody here with very thin and fine hair who keeps their hair fresh longer? pls tell me how ;)

What kind of shampoo bar are you using?

faeriehaerie
February 21st, 2015, 03:50 PM
I wash all my hair every 5 days, but I have to do a scalp only wash on the 3rd day. My hair is really greasy and very thin. I tried stretching when I first joined and it just made my scalp really angry, lots of itching, flakes, and it was gross. The scalp only wash is great because I can wash my scalp and keep the ends dry. If I couldn't scalp only wash, I would just shamelessly wash every other day...

How do you do a scalp only wash?

MJ1972
February 21st, 2015, 04:06 PM
Mine is super fine, but not thin - I find that the max I can stretch is 3 days, even with updos and dry shampoo.

Same here. If I put in a lot of baby powder, I may be able to go a fourth day in winter, but generally speaking, three days is my maximum.

Like others, I have found rinsing with lukewarm water and doing the odd scalp-only wash to be beneficial. Rinsing with hot water definitely makes my hair greasier. Oddly enough, blow-drying my hair (on the cold setting, obviously) often seems to keep my hair fresher. I'm not sure how that works, but it does.

monaaa75
February 22nd, 2015, 05:52 AM
I have fine and thin hair. I used to wash it every other day and managed to stretch my washes to 4-5 days.

What really helped me was washing my hair with cold water (or sometimes lukewarm). If I use hot water my hair starts getting oily the next day.

Dry shampoo or baby powder also helps a lot.

And since I wear my hair up almost everyday it's not really that noticeable if it's a bit oily.

Thank you so so much for this advice. today I rinsed my hair with cold water after washing for the first time ever, and I can see a massive difference!! it used to be frizzy after blowdrying but now it looks just normal, nice ans sleek. I ddnt have to use flat iron. Amazing ;)) cant wait to see if it will make my hair less greasy. what else do you do for your hair, tell me everything pls ;)

MsVenus
February 22nd, 2015, 05:57 AM
There are other variables other that being fine and thin. A curly who is fine and thin might be able to go quite a while without a wash as long as the scalp is healthy. While this might be more challenging if your hair is type 1/ straight.

jacqueline101
February 22nd, 2015, 06:06 AM
After you wash your hair, braid while very damp and let dry. The braid waves will keep the hair off of your scalp and you can get another two days out of it.

When you use conditioner, don't put on your scalp, this will keep your scalp from getting too oily.

Don't brush your hair every day, this encourages oil production. Any manipulation of the scalp and hair will make your hair oily faster.

So give yourself braid waves, put your hair up in the morning and don't play with it and you might get up to a week!

I agree and I wash weekly for the record.

monaaa75
February 22nd, 2015, 06:16 AM
I agree and I wash weekly for the record.

Im sure it gives some effect, the problem is that i dont want to wear braids or wavy hair. I dont personally like it. But thanks for suggestions ;)

jacqueline101
February 22nd, 2015, 07:41 AM
Im sure it gives some effect, the problem is that i dont want to wear braids or wavy hair. I dont personally like it. But thanks for suggestions ;)

Even when I didn't braid my hair I could stretch washes. I don't have an oil producing scalp. Never have and if I didn't use cones I probably could go longer.

Elly May
February 22nd, 2015, 07:59 AM
I have stretched from washing daily to washing once every 6 to 7 days unless I really need my hair to look fresh for a special occasion. This has taken about two years to stretch this far. Washing once a week is my goal. I have a 2" pony tail and thin fine hair, for reference. In addition to all of the great advice already given, here is what I do:

I wash my length with Loreal Ever-Creme Cleansing Conditioner (love this stuff, and it's cheap enough!) and wash my scalp with Aveeno Sulfate-Free shampoo. After trying many things, these products seem to work best for me. If I need to, I wash only my bangs once during the week. I use Suave Moroccan Oil Dry Shampoo on occasion on my roots and bangs, putting it on before bed and letting it work its magic overnight. I like my bbb and tt to distribute oil, plus they feel wonderful on my scalp and make my hair so shiny and pretty. I wash them every time I wash my hair--important to keep them clean or they just put old oil on your freshly cleaned hair. I use coconut oil on my ends (and my face and body.....) Towards the end of the week, I use a bbb or tt to slick my hair back into my bun so it looks intentional (a little eye make up or lip gloss really helps with this look!) or I french braid it.

Two things that really help me that I don't know if anyone has mentioned (apologies if you have!!!) is an oil-absorbing primer on my forehead (Boots #7 Shine Free Primer from Target) to keep my bangs a little fresher, and I sleep in a satin cap or scarf to keep my hair contained and protected, but also to keep it off my face and out of my moisturizer.

Sorry for the long post but I like when people list the specific products they use and also, I am on a tight budget and love inexpensive suggestions.

Blessings!

JellyBene
February 22nd, 2015, 10:50 AM
I have quite a lot of hair but it's very fine and I have a very hard tome stretching washes too. I used to be an every day washer but I've gotten to the point where I can go every other day or push it one more day MAYBE (but it definitely looks gross on day 3). I have to use dry shampoo if I'm going to push it more than every other day. I use the powder kind, not the spray. It helps keep the greasies at bay but I definitely prefer the texture of my hair without it. I've found that how often i need to wash is basically the same with any method, even if I get it acclimated to WO I still have to rinse it every other day.

LauraLongLocks
February 22nd, 2015, 12:09 PM
Fine hair, average thickness here. I wash 2-3 times a week. Usually I go twice a week, and if I wash 3 times in a week it is because I have something important and want fresh hair.

pixldust
February 22nd, 2015, 01:34 PM
Do you have dark hair? I used to have the dusty hair issue with dry shampoo until I switched to Batiste, which has dry shampoo with extra pigments in it to help it blend with dark hair better. It also works a lot better than other brands I'd tried (drugstore brands), so you can use less.

My hair's not particularly dark, it's a kind of mid-ashy brown but seems to show up the dry shampoo unless I use it sparingly. Knowing my luck the darker pigmented one would probably show up too :D I may have imagined it, but is there now in existence such a thing as clear dry shampoo?

lapushka
February 22nd, 2015, 04:40 PM
There are other variables other that being fine and thin. A curly who is fine and thin might be able to go quite a while without a wash as long as the scalp is healthy. While this might be more challenging if your hair is type 1/ straight.

I'm sure there are curlies with dry scalp, as there are curlies with oily scalp. Curls, waves, straight it has nothing to do with the amount of oil your scalp produces or not.

Annalouise
February 22nd, 2015, 06:06 PM
No, I'm not able to stretch washes. I wash my *scalp daily or every second day if I'm lazy.

MoonlitWitch
February 22nd, 2015, 08:43 PM
I only CO wash about once a week, however I always have my hair up so if it gets a bit oily it doesn't matter much.

Chocowalnut
February 22nd, 2015, 09:28 PM
I've tried to stretch washes but I can't. My hair gets terribly stringy and shapeless and a weird combination of dry/greasy (how is that possible?) after 1 or 2 days. I have to wash 3-4 days a week.

gwenalyn
February 22nd, 2015, 10:38 PM
My hair's not particularly dark, it's a kind of mid-ashy brown but seems to show up the dry shampoo unless I use it sparingly. Knowing my luck the darker pigmented one would probably show up too :D I may have imagined it, but is there now in existence such a thing as clear dry shampoo?

Not as far as I know! Batiste has a light brown and a dark brown version.

Marika
February 23rd, 2015, 01:32 AM
No. Or I could but it would look disgusting. My hair is greasy already on day 2 but I sometimes wash on day 3 if I'm just around the house. Dry shampoo doesn't really help my hair. My hair still looks greasy and I don't really like the idea of "covering" dirty/greasy hair. And most of the commercial dry shampoos have really nasty ingredients compared to regular shampoo.

EternalSnow
February 23rd, 2015, 11:50 AM
Glad you had a nice result :)
I forgot to mention earlier but you could also try doing a rinse with vinegar or lemon juice diluted in water. It helps with oily hair, reduces frizz and adds shine.

I don't really do anything special to my hair.
My ends are a bit damaged and dry so now I only use shampoo on my scalp (usually SLS-free) and it's working great.
And I avoid putting too much conditioner on my scalp because I think it makes my hair oily, though I'm not sure if it really does or not :D

gwenalyn
February 23rd, 2015, 02:34 PM
No. Or I could but it would look disgusting. My hair is greasy already on day 2 but I sometimes wash on day 3 if I'm just around the house. Dry shampoo doesn't really help my hair. My hair still looks greasy and I don't really like the idea of "covering" dirty/greasy hair. And most of the commercial dry shampoos have really nasty ingredients compared to regular shampoo.

Actually, dry shampoos don't cover up grease, they have small particles that absorb the grease and smells.

Larki
February 23rd, 2015, 03:01 PM
No. Or I could but it would look disgusting. My hair is greasy already on day 2 but I sometimes wash on day 3 if I'm just around the house. Dry shampoo doesn't really help my hair. My hair still looks greasy and I don't really like the idea of "covering" dirty/greasy hair. And most of the commercial dry shampoos have really nasty ingredients compared to regular shampoo.

As gwenalyn said, dry shampoo absorbs, not covers. and try a dry shampoo from Etsy! I've been using one from Etsy for like six months (just ordered my second bottle) that has absolutely no weird ingredients. It's literally just clay, cornstarch, baking soda and fragrance - and I'm sure you could ask her to omit the fragrance if you don't like scented things. https://www.etsy.com/listing/113795833/buttercream-dry-shampoo-hair-powder?ref=shop_home_active_3

lapushka
February 23rd, 2015, 04:39 PM
And I avoid putting too much conditioner on my scalp because I think it makes my hair oily, though I'm not sure if it really does or not :D

Conditioner never gets anywhere near my scalp; for that reason. Only from ears down.

JenniferMN
February 23rd, 2015, 07:14 PM
In the summer I can get maybe 4 or 5 days, but in the winter I tend to get oily and need to wash it every 2-3 days. When I had bangs, they at least needed to be washed daily, and I couldn't moisturize my forehead or they'd look oily. Most people seem to be the opposite of me, if they have seasonal variation, but my scalp seems to react to the cold dry air by pumping out tons of sebum. :shrug:



This is exactly like me! I'm washing every two days right now, but I can't wait until the summer when I can afford to be lazier! :P

rosestark
February 23rd, 2015, 07:46 PM
I used to wash my hair everyday, since im using shampoo bar I can go 3 days without washing (on 3rd day they are greasy already but i wear a ponytail)
I was wondering if there is any way to extend that period
Is anybody here with very thin and fine hair who keeps their hair fresh longer? pls tell me how ;)

I have the same problem!! I think I have a similar hair type to you: fine and thin, and plus I have oily skin. (I am *really* bad about touching my face and hair though, so that might be part of it, as some of you have pointed out - it is a bad habit!) I am so glad you posted - the responses are giving me some ideas too. Maybe my next purchase should be a shampoo bar or some dry shampoo...

I'm still using SLS shampoo and cones, but I haven't found something else that works yet. I find that co-washing for me results in nasty/oily and limp hair, but I have been doing a co-wash or just rinsing my hair sometimes because I don't want to over do the shampooing! I can 'stretch' washes to every other day or every three days. I notice its oily-ness even if I washed the day before. :disgust:

Sorry I didn't really offer any help ... I offer solidarity!! I feel your pain!! Any whoo I am here reading and learning... :popcorn:

Blondieee
February 24th, 2015, 12:08 AM
I have fine thin hair. It's way thinner than it used to be right now cause of health problems. It used to be really thick. I can wash less often than every 3 days but it won't look good. It will look greasy and you'll be able to see through to my scalp. I sometimes wash less often than every 3 days though if I'm not going out anywhere and just staying in the house. But if I am going out anywhere, it's every 3 days. It looks fine on the first and second day. But on the third day, it starts looking greasy.

Safira
February 24th, 2015, 12:15 AM
I'm a curly with oily scalp. I was every day or every other day, depending on exercise. I don't know what would work if you have oily scalp. I can't stand the itchiness and dirty look, so I don't stretch washes and it works fine.
(and I actually enjoy washing my hair)


PS I haven't seen the difference of using cones or putting conditioner near at my scalp. I don't avoid cones in conditioner, only in shampoo. And in conditioner I only avoid dimethicone. It makes my hair flat. Amodimethicone and cyclomethicone don't make flatness.

ravenheather
February 24th, 2015, 09:45 AM
Nightblooming on etsy has a good dry shampoo. It also comes in a sample size and refills.