Daily hair washer, help!

[Cherriezzzzz]

New to LHC :) and thrilled to be here! I keep reading the seemingly unanimous opinion: do not wash my hair daily! Great! I'd love to do that, but how? My roots are very oily. My ends (and hair in general) are in fine condition, but I want to keep it this way as I go to TBL. Please share your wisdom, articles, blog posts, and any products on how to not have really truly dirty hair roots in btwn washes. Is there anyone who has long, nice hair who does wash daily? Are there any exceptions? Can I be an exception to this rule? LoL! I'm going to leave my hair virgin and start oiling the ends to prevent damage, but could I only use dry shampoo every other day? Would it be enough? I've not washed it a few times and even my face gets oilier from my hair not being washed! I'll wash/rinse my face a few times a day if I don't wash my hair. Any greasy roots tips?!

[Vivalagina]

I was a daily washer before. I slooooowly stretched it out over the course of several years and can now wash every 2-4 days with no issues. I cut it down to skipping one day a week, then when that was good I'd skip a second day, etc. Keeping my hair up also helped keep it clean longer.

[Cherriezzzzz]

I was a daily washer before. I slooooowly stretched it out over the course of several years and can now wash every 2-4 days with no issues. I cut it down to skipping one day a week, then when that was good I'd skip a second day, etc. Keeping my hair up also helped keep it clean longer.

So again, patience. You LHC people must be saints! Hehe ok that is already something I can stay immediately! So thank you! I can deal with it for one day surely!

[unheardletters]

I stretched my washes. I used to have to wash daily, the excessive oiliness was not tolerable. I started with washing with shampoo every other day and using just water on the other days. It took a while to adjust but my scalp did adjust after a few weeks of consistency. I kept that up for a few months, then I started just washing every other day. And I kept stretching them, but I always waited a few months before stretching again. I now am stretching to once a week.

[school of fish]

There are many exceptions here - enough that I don't actually believe daily washing is necessarily as much of an exception as it may appear ;)

I wash daily - shampoo/conditioner one day and water wash the next, alternating back and forth. Very honestly, my hair would probably do better to be shampooed/conditioned daily, but I try to not be wasteful of product as much as possible. I tried stretching washes years ago - disastrous... I tried CO for a while - still needed shampoo... I stick with what works :)

Every head of hair has its own needs - some can stretch a little, some can stretch a lot, some can barely stretch at all. There's no one correct universal method to achieving length and it's not just a matter individual chemistry at play, there are also matters of lifestyle and personal tolerances :)

If you wish to stretch your washes, there are tons of threads and much support. There's also a frequent washers thread and lots of people who wash daily or very regularly - it's all here :D

[Andthetalltrees]

I stretched my washes out to a week a long time ago, My scalp never adjusted, I just learned to live with the oiliness. But what I couldn't live with was a flaky, sore scalp and because of that I started to lose hair. So I went back to every other day and I'm perfectly happy, I notice less damage on my hair then the other way around. So yes there are exceptions and you should do whatever makes you most comfortable in the end, Washing infrequently isn't a commandment for having long hair.

[akurah]

Wash your scalp as often as it wants. Seriously, not kidding.

When you apply shampoo, do it in tiny amounts, not all at once. like, a pea or smaller sized drop in your palm. Rub your hands together, and get it over as much as your scalp as possible (suggest mentally breaking your scalp into four quadrants, top center, bottom center, right, left). Apply as much as you can only to the scalp using your fingers if possible, fingers and palms if fingers alone aren't cutting it. If absolutely necessary because of lack of coverage, repeat for the quadrant you just applied to, but where possible, don't. Do this until you have shampoo on all of your scalp. Rub scalp with fingers. The point here is you're washing your scalp, not your hair. Your hair will get washed by the runoff, you do not need to manually rub or wring or anything to the length.

I think the problem in washing is that people think that hair washing is like those old herbal essences commercials, where you take a palmful of shampoo and lather up ALL your hair. That's not really the best way to do it for a number of reasons. If nothing else, it's wasteful of your money.

ETA: it's more important to do what your hair and scalp wants than what anyone here ever says. So if someone says daily washing is bad, but your head is super itchy on day 2 or day 3 post wash? Wash your hair. Seriously! If your scalp isn't healthy, your hair will be poor quality. Sure, it can be a little rough on the length, but no where NEAR as much as people seem to think, especially if you're not manipulating your hair significantly while its wet.

[truepeacenik]

I could wash my scalp daily. My length would rebel. Now, conditioning length daily? Maybe.

So I dilute, currently 1:4 shampoo to water, occasionally a bit more shampoo.
Mine is sulphate free.

Dilution makes using less simpler.

[akurah]

I could wash my scalp daily. My length would rebel. Now, conditioning length daily? Maybe.

So I dilute, currently 1:4 shampoo to water, occasionally a bit more shampoo.
Mine is sulphate free.

Dilution makes using less simpler.

It will probably be easier to dilute than to use the technique I described. I don't dilute because I don't. :shrug: It'd probably make my life simpler if I did, but I'm also using an expensive medicated shampoo and want to be absolutely sure all of it gets on the scalp, whereas some shampoo might escape to the drain if I diluted.

[mizukitty]

Wash your scalp as often as it wants. Seriously, not kidding.

When you apply shampoo, do it in tiny amounts, not all at once. like, a pea or smaller sized drop in your palm. Rub your hands together, and get it over as much as your scalp as possible (suggest mentally breaking your scalp into four quadrants, top center, bottom center, right, left). Apply as much as you can only to the scalp using your fingers if possible, fingers and palms if fingers alone aren't cutting it. If absolutely necessary because of lack of coverage, repeat for the quadrant you just applied to, but where possible, don't. Do this until you have shampoo on all of your scalp. Rub scalp with fingers. The point here is you're washing your scalp, not your hair. Your hair will get washed by the runoff, you do not need to manually rub or wring or anything to the length.

I think the problem in washing is that people think that hair washing is like those old herbal essences commercials, where you take a palmful of shampoo and lather up ALL your hair. That's not really the best way to do it for a number of reasons. If nothing else, it's wasteful of your money.

ETA: it's more important to do what your hair and scalp wants than what anyone here ever says. So if someone says daily washing is bad, but your head is super itchy on day 2 or day 3 post wash? Wash your hair. Seriously! If your scalp isn't healthy, your hair will be poor quality. Sure, it can be a little rough on the length, but no where NEAR as much as people seem to think, especially if you're not manipulating your hair significantly while its wet.

Yesssss, this post is everything.

Technique is quite important when you wash your hair. If you do it gently you can definitely reduce mechanical damage.

Washing frequency is a very personal thing that you decide based simply off what works for your scalp. There isn't a right or wrong, but what is right or wrong for *you*

You can adjust your technique and prevent damage by taking preventative measures (oiling beforehand, CWC, etc) but you can't adjust what your scalp wants. In my case, it doesn't care if I want to stretch washes and it will let me know! It's been this way for years and every time I try I have unbelievable bouts of itchiness that don't cease until I use sulfates to clean my scalp.

[pailin]

I still wash daily, at aaaalmost tailbone. I give it lots of moisture and it's my only hair vice; my hair seems pretty happy and is not getting many splits.

[diddiedaisy]

I'm also a daily washer, my scalp gets itchy if I try to stretch and my hair gets dry, it needs the daily moisture washing gives it. Most days I just scalp wash, but sometimes I'll just use conditioner.

[lapushka]

Maybe also check out the "frequently washers" thread, as it was especially created for people having to wash more than once a week, daily included; it is so odd, but I can't seem to find that thread anywhere. :confused:

Yep, found it:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=141446

[Cherriezzzzz]

This advice I'd ALL HELPFUL :cheese: where to begin?! I have very expensive shampoo, so I'll start with diluting and using proper washing techniques. I love the idea of trying to stretch starting with water washes. I read a ton in the WO thread, more out of envy than anything hahaha I'm going to go month by month. Thanks so so so much!

[Cherriezzzzz]

I'm moving over to the other thread now. I had forgotten about it. So much info for a newbie lol

[Dark40]

I wash my scalp with shampoo/conditioner daily. Especially, when it 's oily. On the day after I've shampooed I will co-wash from scalp to ends. Then, on third day shampoo again to clarify, and again on fourth day I co-wash again, and on fifth day I shampoo again. You see, I only shampoo my hair and scalp every other day. Within that way my hair scalp are healthy and happy.