Hair washing schedules: Are they recommended or.....

[- Lizzy -]

Is it recommended to have a washing schedule (Ex: every 3rd day) or is it just fine to do it whenever you think your hair needs to be washed or you want to wash it (Whether its shorter than a "Schedule" or longer.) I've always just washed my hair instinctively every other day but im realizing that isn't necessary. I am think im just going to do it whenever.

What do you guys do when it comes to hair washing schedules?

[lapushka]

You do wash on a schedule, namely every other day, right? ;) If you are going to try stretching out your washes, which is what I think you mean to say, then do so, a day at a time, per week, so take your time stretching. First try going just one day longer for a few weeks and see how that goes.

[likelikepenny]

I wash my hair whenever I feel like it needs it. Others around here stretch their washes to help control oiliness but my hair get's dry so I co wash everyday or every other day.

[iceflavore]

I tend to put my hair on a schedule because I need to brace myself for having wet hair all day. I also personally don't always have much sense of when my hair 'needs' washing (except for two days ago when I tried using a leave-in conditioner that was way too heavy).

[likelikepenny]

I would guess when/if your hair/scalp starts to feel dirty or oily.

[neko_kawaii]

Having a schedule could be useful if your life is very busy and you need a set amount of (extra) time for washing/drying/whatever you do with it.

[vampyyri]

I personally do a schedule to wash twice a week with scalp/bang washes inbetween. If I have set days I'm more likely to remember, so whatever works for you really!

[AZDesertRose]

I think it's a personal preference thing. I wash my hair about twice a week but not on a set schedule; basically, I wash my hair when it needs washing, which is generally every three to four days, depending on the weather and how active I've been and a few other factors. If it works better for you to set a schedule for yourself, by all means wash on a schedule.

It might be worth noting that I'm disabled and thus don't work and I don't have any children in my home, so I have less on my agenda than a lot of people do. Someone who is busier (working, has minor children in the home, etc.) than I am might need to set a hair-washing schedule to block out the time needed.

My take is that scheduling or not is a "do what works for you" thing.

[PrincessAralin]

I guess I'd say I have a rough schedule - I am for around once a week, but might do it sooner or later depending on how it's doing, or depending on what else is going on! I air dry so work and social events can push it back or forward a day or two.

[spidermom]

Whenever. Sometimes I think I can go another day, for example, then I work out and my hair gets soaked with sweat. Wash time!

[Anje]

I wait til my hair needs it, or looks like it's going to need it soon and I won't get around to it later. :) Oh, and itchy means it needs it.

[Carolyn]

I don't live my life on a schedule anymore so my hair care has no schedule. It happens when it happens. If I am meeting friends I am likely to wash my hair that day. I might even wash it every day now and then. Or I might go 4 or 5 days if I am not feeling well and am at home. I don't believe stretching wash has any benefit for me so I am not about to go 4 or 5 days and let my ends get dry and brittle just for the sake of stretching washes. If my scalp gets itchy or sore that is a sign I need to wash it no matter how many days it's been since my last wash. It's just whenever it's convenient.

[Flipgirl24]

I don't have a schedule per se but I try to go at least 3 days without washing. In between, I use dry shampoo because I can't do 2nd day hair without it. But if I'm going out, I'll wash it. But it's usually a scalp only wash. I'll do a CWC wash every once in a while thanks to this forum. But there's no regularity to my regimen. And I use whatever shampoo and conditioner from brands I like at Winners. Usually, that means Joico and Tigi. Though I am trying to find good brands that are cruelty-free.

[lithostoic]

I don't care. I wash my hair when I feel like it. I always wait until it's oily, just the amount of days it stays oily differs.

[Decoy24601]

I honestly can't care enough to have a hair washing schedule either. I work in shifts and never have the same days off and it's impossible to wash my hair on certain days with certain shifts. I wash my hair when I feel like it needs washing and when I have time. It usually ends up being anywhere from around 3-6 days.

[Deborah]

My hair does well on once a week. I choose to wash it Saturday so it will look its best Sunday. So that's my schedule.

[Tosca]

My hair usually gets washed once a week, on the weekend, but that isn't set in stone. If I am busy on the weekend, or I get sick, or I got something gross in my hair can all affect if I wash it sooner or later than usual.

[truepeacenik]

I thought I had a schedule. Turns out I had deadlines that I converted to a past schedule.
I have a deadline of second workday of the week (Monday or Tuesday) and one other day if it acts like it needs it. Usually three days apart, so Thursday or Friday.
Friday afternoon is a deadline for Shabbat. I've a lot to do before sundown, and I like my hair to be at least partially dry by candle lighting at sunset.

My diet creates scents in my sebum that aren't the best for working in close quarters. Especially garlic.
My workspaces are scent-free. No EO or sprays to cover.

[lapushka]

Mine gets a wash every Sunday. I towel-dry for 40 min., airdry for 2-4H and then lightly diffuse for 5 min.; by then it's as good as dry (ends are damp/dry) and it's done. It takes about 5H from start to completion, thank goodness I don't have to devote attention to it constantly. And if I were to airdry fully, it would take 8+H, so that's not in the stars.

[PrincessAralin]

And if I were to airdry fully, it would take 8+H, so that's not in the stars.

I'm in the same boat there, it takes me 6-8 hours to airdry depending on the weather - but I still do it! Mostly because I always have a day or two a week where I'm just sitting at home at my desk anyway so it doesn't really matter if my hair is wet or not. If I didn't have those days I don't know what I'd do.

[Garnetgem]

I did start a schedule but never seems to work out as hair can be oilier or dryer at different times..i can go anything from 4 days up to 10 days its never oily in the same amount of days passed,so i wash when it needs it.

[lapushka]

I'm in the same boat there, it takes me 6-8 hours to airdry depending on the weather - but I still do it! Mostly because I always have a day or two a week where I'm just sitting at home at my desk anyway so it doesn't really matter if my hair is wet or not. If I didn't have those days I don't know what I'd do.

I'd rather not have it wet towards the end of the day, because if I need to go to bed, I don't want my pillows "messed with" - that's no good. I often wonder how you guys do it without getting your pillows soaked. Yes, you can put a towel on your pillowcase, but still... I'd rather not go there!

[Kaya]

I'd rather not have it wet towards the end of the day, because if I need to go to bed, I don't want my pillows "messed with" - that's no good. I often wonder how you guys do it without getting your pillows soaked. Yes, you can put a towel on your pillowcase, but still... I'd rather not go there!

Which begs the question: are we talking wet hair or damp hair? I have no problem going to bed with towel-dried, damp hair. My pillow suffers no problems. I trying to think of situation where someone would end up with wet hair and not have the ability to dry it in some form or another. Especially a long-hair. :shrug: I'd reckon there are few of us who would willingly go to bed with wet, as in either dripping wet or borderline soaked, hair. I certainly wouldn't unless it was the only option. But that's just my opinion. :o

As for the OP, I CO-wash everyday, so not really a schedule. I do try and chelate(shampoo) regularly. It used to be every month on the 15th, as it was an easy date to remember. But lately it's been whenever my hair feels like it needs it.

[lapushka]

Which begs the question: are we talking wet hair or damp hair? I have no problem going to bed with towel-dried, damp hair. My pillow suffers no problems. I trying to think of situation where someone would end up with wet hair and not have the ability to dry it in some form or another. Especially a long-hair. :shrug: I'd reckon there are few of us who would willingly go to bed with wet, as in either dripping wet or borderline soaked, hair. I certainly wouldn't unless it was the only option. But that's just my opinion. :o

Your pillows would get soggy or moldy, no? Not my cup of tea.

I used to go to bed with 50% dry hair in summer when my hair was BSL, with a towel over my pillow. That worked and wasn't too bad, but I wouldn't do it now. I've got a buckwheat pillow, and I really don't want to get that wet.

[Britok]

I've found my hair looks healthier now that I stopped doing strictly scheduled washes. I get up early enough to assess it and dry shampoo or wash with conditioner if a little oily, shampoo if very dirty.
This isn't always ideal; I'm a nurse, so if I I took care of a patient with anything super communicable I'll wash it and oil it at night if it wasn't really "dirty" looking yet and needs moisture after shampooing.

[KittyBird]

Your pillows would get soggy or moldy, no? Not my cup of tea.

I used to go to bed with 50% dry hair in summer when my hair was BSL, with a towel over my pillow. That worked and wasn't too bad, but I wouldn't do it now. I've got a buckwheat pillow, and I really don't want to get that wet.

Nope. I usually went to bed with damp/wet hair when it was long (and I still do it sometimes now), and I just put a towel over the pillow and the area behind it before draping my hair over it. I have the same pillow, and I can assure you that it's not mouldy :)

[lapushka]

Nope. I usually went to bed with damp/wet hair when it was long (and I still do it sometimes now), and I just put a towel over the pillow and the area behind it before draping my hair over it. I have the same pillow, and I can assure you that it's not mouldy :)

Yeah, I always am *so* scared to ruin my bedding. :o

[vivavee]

I try to stick to washing every 3-4 days and deep condition at least once a week. Today is wash day for me, sitting here with a coconut oil pretreatment in my hair and trying some new wash products later.

[Chromis]

I wash when it needs it or is convenient for me. I don't like going to bed with wet hair.

[Katia_k]

I currently wash on Sundays and Thursdays, because those are my days off this semester/the days that let me go at least 2-3 days between washes. My hair doesn't always need it by wash day, but usually it's *really* gonna need it by the next one, so I try not to skip because I don't like feeling super gross in front of my students.

I'm also *super* lazy so having a schedule means I'm less likely to just nope out of hair washing. Also it's become my pampering time, so I enjoy having the time to do it.

[meteor]

I wash when it needs it or is convenient for me.

^ Same here. :agree:

I also have a tendency to rotate and try new products, and since some shampoos are more cleansing than others, I can sometimes go longer between washes than I planned to. Sometimes I'll only have time for a Scalp-Only wash, so I do that instead of a full wash. It just really depends on how my scalp/hair looks/feels and how much time I have at that moment...

[Mrstran]

I go by how it looks and feels. Once it's just starting to lose it's slip and look dull, it's time.

I use to be on a schedule but I'm not doing the exact same thing everyday to my hair, doing the same activities every day, or exposed to the same exact things in between washes. So timing varies because sometimes my hair needs cleaning sooner.

[Messyhair]

I've tried stretching washes and my scalp is just too oily for it. Even with my current pixie, it's too gross after a day without washing. When my hair was hip-length I still washed daily, but only my scalp, while my length was bunned. The length got wet and conditioned once or twice a week... I guess that was my way of stretching washes...?

[Fia]

I wash when hair starts looking oily or the length snags when I comb it (for me that's a sign of oil build-up in the length and that dust starts accumulating and making the hairs stick together). That's anywhere between 5 and 8 days depending on what I've done, how much exposure to environmental effects the hair has had and how much it's been out in the open. I don't believe a schedule is necessary, as in always washing every 3 days, it's better to learn your own hair's signs of when it needs washing and when it's better left alone.

[Simsy]

I stick to a wash schedule so I know I won't do too much damage while it dries. I can't leave it loose at work and it won't dry in a bun or braid so I clear my schedule once a week and deal with it. If I can't wash that week, I stretch with a detangling and oiling. It will look fairly poor by the next available wash day but better than nothing.

[Aredhel]

Because I for the last 15 years I obsessively washed my hair every single day, a washing schedule is necessary for me to prevent me from over-washing as I'm attempting to repair the years of damage (from over washing and bleaching). I wash with shampoo and conditioner every Saturday morning. If my hair gets too unmanageable mid-week (my baby hairs tend to get unruly without regular washing), I'll do a CO wash if I need to. :)