Frequent washers - a question for you!

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

For those of us that wash - daily, 2-3 times a week or what some members here would consider "frequent":
I have a question.
And it may be kind of silly.
Do you notice that your hair behaves better on wash day vs. the days you don't wash?
Is wash day a good hair day for you? If so, did washing more regularly improve your hair or become the reason to wash more frequently?

My hair, on wash day, is tangle free for the most part. I have some areas that are just naturally very kinky and dry and tangle on themselves no matter what but for the most part my hair is tangle free. It behaves, it seems to have some weight to it, and generally just looks a lot nicer and feels nicer too. Oh and my waves look so much nicer too! And i see very little damage. My hair just looks really good and healthy.

Day 3 and 4 hair, is anything but. The longer I stretch washes, my hair starts to feel a lot more dry and tangled, becomes a lot harder to manage and seems to collect a lot more lint and dust. I also for some reason notice a lot more breakage and "bent" ends, especially in the areas that are tangly the most often. This is the case whether I use cones or not - so I have already tried the whole stopping build up, I was cone free for a year and did not see a difference. Now since I have SD, washing more frequently makes my scalp happy too so washing more frequently would not be a issue for me, but I wonder for those of us that do wash more frequently, if you notice a difference like I do between wash and non-wash days.

I am sure it has something to do with moisture. However oiling, and sealing with a silicone-y serum does not seem to help either. If i try to oil on the in between days, on dry hair, it feels better but then it looks stringy and dirty and then I might as well wash again. I would try LCO/LOC but im afraid of looking stringy.

Its like, day one hair is hair I want every day, but I am lazy and want to stretch my washes!
Does anyone else deal with this? Is it porosity? Should I become a frequent washer like the rest of ya?
Currently I wash every 2-3 days, but washing every other day might be the better option...

[pailin]

I wash at night, normally every day. If I go longer than that between washes, day 2 hair acts drier and scalp can begin to itchier. That's one reason I wash daily- my hair is just better behaved on day one, and my scalp is happier. Of course I have to go heavy on moisture to make up for it.

[school of fish]

My hair is definitely better on wash day, and even at every other day washing I was finding it was acting up, so I've decided to make every day wash day :p Hair is SO much happier!

My hair builds up so incredibly fast - my best guess is that over a decade of henna has slammed my cuticle pretty tightly shut so nothing gets in under there, just sits on top. On top of that, my sebum is really waxy - so even if I haven't got product buildup I get sebum buildup. It results in piecey yet cobwebby tangles, and a greasy look even though I use no oils or leave-ins. Actually, I find even rinse-out conditioners with oils in the ingredient list are too much for my strands.

Daily S&C seems to keep it at its best - at least for the time being. My hair air dries really quickly, so I don't have the headache of a long drying time to contend with. I'm also not growing any longer than TBL, so 'regular' babying seems to suffice as opposed to 'antique lace' babying ;)

[Arctic]

In short, yes my wash day hair is a good hair day hair.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

My hair is definitely better on wash day, and even at every other day washing I was finding it was acting up, so I've decided to make every day wash day :p Hair is SO much happier!

My hair builds up so incredibly fast - my best guess is that over a decade of henna has slammed my cuticle pretty tightly shut so nothing gets in under there, just sits on top. On top of that, my sebum is really waxy - so even if I haven't got product buildup I get sebum buildup. It results in piecey yet cobwebby tangles, and a greasy look even though I use no oils or leave-ins. Actually, I find even rinse-out conditioners with oils in the ingredient list are too much for my strands.

Daily S&C seems to keep it at its best - at least for the time being. My hair air dries really quickly, so I don't have the headache of a long drying time to contend with. I'm also not growing any longer than TBL, so 'regular' babying seems to suffice as opposed to 'antique lace' babying ;)

My sebum is really waxy too! I always wondered about that, never really thought too deeply about it but I wonder if that's why I get so tangled! Waxy and salty. If I work out, I NEED a wash, because my sweat / oil makes my hair rock hard.

[Robi-Bird]

Yes wash day (or rather after I wake up since I wash my hair at night) is always my best hair day. Once I sleep on it dry, it has lofty opinions, as in my wirey hairs want to be lofty. My scalp is pretty greasy day two, and I usually wash it day three.

[hayheadsbird]

Wash day is my happiest hair day as well. I wash twice a week, so it's okay day 3, but then but starts to get 'floppy' and won't stay up. Ends start to feel dryish, and roots showing grease. I could push another day with careful styling, but I'm a fan of wash when you need/want to.

[school of fish]

My sebum is really waxy too! I always wondered about that, never really thought too deeply about it but I wonder if that's why I get so tangled! Waxy and salty. If I work out, I NEED a wash, because my sweat / oil makes my hair rock hard.

Me too, waxy and salty both. I'm a dancer, so sweat is a constant reality for me. What I get is 2 or 3 strands sticking together as if they have dried glue on them - tiny little microtangles of 'dried glue' strands. Water rinsing just doesn't seem to be enough to cut through the waxiness, and CO washing helps a bit but not enough. If I try to stretch any length of time the waxiness of the sebum seems to attract lint which worsens the tangles. My hair is otherwise super silky and slippery.

[lizardspots]

Wash day hair is best for wearing hair done, everything looks full and straight and my scalp feels good. Second day hair is best for wearing up (has a bit more grip and doesn't slip out of updos so easily)

[lillielil]

I'm with lizardspots on this one. Wash day is good for wearing down. Day 2 is good for wearing up. I only recently had a reliable Day 2 - my oily scalp had me stuck on daily washes for the longest time. Day 3, when it happens, calls for dry shampoo and avoiding mirrors.

[lapushka]

I'm not a frequent washer anymore (used to be 2/3 x a week). With the weekly washes, I detangle *once*, right before a wash, during it, and after it, and then no more until the next wash. I finger detangle Tuesday through Saturday evening before going to bed. That is more than enough to get sheds out that might come out during the day. That is all I do. I just whip it into its updo (LWB) and call it a day.

[Larki]

Hm, I don't know! I generally wash 2 or 3 times a week (which is stretching washes for me) but my hair is generally the same throughout the wash cycle except it obviously is greasy and gross before I wash it (or would be, if I didn't wash my bangs in the sink in between and use dry shampoo as needed). I don't have 'good' or 'bad' hair days.

[unheardletters]

I used to wash my hair every day because of greasy scalp. But after stretching washes my first and second day are my worst hair days. I prefer day 3 and 4. I usually wash 1-2 times a week, frequency depends a few things such as what days I can spend 18+ hours letting it dry and what day I want a certain look, my curls get flattened in the back after sleeping.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

Me too, waxy and salty both. I'm a dancer, so sweat is a constant reality for me. What I get is 2 or 3 strands sticking together as if they have dried glue on them - tiny little microtangles of 'dried glue' strands. Water rinsing just doesn't seem to be enough to cut through the waxiness, and CO washing helps a bit but not enough. If I try to stretch any length of time the waxiness of the sebum seems to attract lint which worsens the tangles. My hair is otherwise super silky and slippery.
Same! It's almost like I have product left in my hair. I lift weights and do cardio at least 3 days a week, and I sweat like a mf. XD So me going to the gym and not washing immediately afterward or at least that same day, is not plausible. Whenever I do, I end up needing to wash the next day. I sweat so much. I mean it's healthy but it's annoying. My scalp is also usually really upset too usually a few hours after a work out. I tried doing co washing, I was a co washer for a long long time. But my hair just always felt, limp and heavy, but not the kind of heaviness that I prefer. My scalp was always pretty meh about it too.

[Hairkay]

I've grown up with daily washes so I'm used to my hair looking it's shiniest, darkest and curliest. The few times when I missed doing this I discovered that my curls stretched out in a lacklustre way and I didn't like my hair feeling so dry. It frizzed more. My hair naturally is prone to frizzing but well moisturised frizz looks kind of cute to me. It's also why I don't like the blow dryer stretched hair look on me. Curls are strongest, clumped and my well moisturised hair will do that.

[MoonRabbit]

I'm trying to get back into the groove of being a frequent washer. I got my hair to stretch to a week so I've been a weekly washer for almost a year now. But my hair gets greasy around day 4/5. I'm just so lazy when it comes to hair washing, doing it more than once a week seems daunting to me now lol.

My hair on wash day is always tangle free.

I don't know if this is just me, but wash day is when my hair looks and feels the longest. It's so strange, being a wavy you would think I'd get shrinkage from it but my hair actually seems to shrink throughout the week..or maybe that's the illusion to me.

I would have to say next day hair is my absolute favorite though, I don't have all those baby hairs sticking up everywhere. I also noticed that my hair doesn't start to shed until my hair starts to get greasy from not washing. After washing, my hair won't shed for the next three to four days, but come the 5th day when I have a lot of grease, I have tons of shed coming out.

[beneaththetrees]

I wish my hair would be happy with weekly washings - it would be so much easier on my lazy self! But I'm starting to realize it looks best when I was every 3rd day. My 2nd day hair tends to look the best. It has grip in updos, but also doesn't get stringy with grease yet, and I've had time for it to dry in a way that looks good. Sometimes I'm not happy with the wave pattern on freshly washed hair.

By Day 3, though, it's starting to look greasy. I could stretch washes with dry shampoo and styling, but when I do that I've noticed my ends tend to get dry even with leave-ins.

Also, MoonRabbit, I've noticed the same shrinking effect throughout the week! It's the strangest thing. My hair has a mind of its own depending on styling, I guess. I swear, if this wasn't real life, my hair would have so many "continuity errors" in length. It varies so much!

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

Day 2 hair is fine for me, like most of you. Day 2 is fine, when i start to get to day 3 and 4 that is where the trouble lies.
Dont know how some of you only wash once a week, its making my scalp itch just thinking about it.

[MoniLein]

I wash my hair twice a week (I have a "full" wash on either saturday or (mostly) sunday and do scalpwash on wednesday or thursday)
My best hair day is the second day after a full wash and the day after my scalpwash - on the day after a full wash my babyhairs like to stick up too much and the grip for hairdos is minimized.
My full wash includes an aloe-vera-rinse (with a few drops of oil in it) and after a scalpwash I need to put a few drops of oil in my lengths (and especially my dry ends).
Thankfully my scalp is easy to work with :)

[Corvana]

I think I'll need to wash 2x a week later on, as I've always had a bit of a greasy scalp problem when my hair hits a certain length. While that could've been partly due to care, I'm prepped to need to wash more just in case.

So pre-pixie, I'd wash 2-3x a week, and day 1 hair was prettiest but hardest to do anything with (houdini!). Day 2 hair was my favorite, and day 3 the length would start getting clumpy. I'd either put it up for day 3 and 4, or just wash it (depending on what I was doing that day).

Currently, day 1 and 2 are fairly houdini (day 2 less than day 1, but still there), and days 3-5 are good for any updos with minor clumping at my nape sometimes. Days 6 and 7 could probably do with a wash, but I'm lazy so I just put it up :laugh:. Those are frankly the best hair days for putting it up, because my natural oils are like a good gel or something :laugh: Barely a wispy in sight, smooth when combed back, and lots of hold!

[Andthetalltrees]

Day 1 and 2 act about the same for me, Soft, Happy scalp, tangle free. Day 3 and forward is where I run into issues with irritated oily scalp and dry tangly hair. So that's my reason for washing every other day.

[Cherriezzzzz]

I'm washing about 4 times a week now, from daily washing. I like my hair best on day two, but my roots are not worthy of public outing LOL I have less frizz then on wash day. I may just have very "poofy" and frizzy hair no matter what...

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I'm washing about 4 times a week now, from daily washing. I like my hair best on day two, but my roots are not worthy of public outing LOL I have less frizz then on wash day. I may just have very "poofy" and frizzy hair no matter what...

Maybe you're just a lot wavier/curlier than you realize?
My hair was frizzy, so I started finger detangle ONLY. No brushes whatsoever. The frizz is gone now. Every once in awhile I use a wide tooth comb.
But for the most part, no brush equals nicer hair.

[Dark40]

Yes, hair behaves a lot better on wash day then it does on days that I don't wash.

[Carolyn]

I was every 2-3 days. My hair is great on the day I wash it. I'm usually a morning washer. Once in a great while I will wash at night and go to bed with it wet. If I'm just bunning the next day that is fine. Any time I want to wear my hair down I must wash it that morning. Period. No exceptions. It's OK on the second day but it has to be in a bun or braid if I am leaving the house. The longer I go between washes the itchier my scalp becomes and the drier the ends become. My hair has never benefited from being coated with sebum. And besides my sebum stinks.

[esfand]

I wash my hair every 4-5 days. I like my hair the best after washing because the water gives it moisture, my hair is freshly conditioned, and clean of debris. The first three days are the best, my hair is light, bouncy, and shiny. I wear it down because it feels nicer that way, and it's too slippery to really put in a bun.

Then the dust and sebum starts becoming more obvious on the fourth, which is when I begin greasing my hair. Greasing it is a way to seal in whatever moisture I have left in my strands before washing again, and prevents dehydration before wash day. I wear my hair up on day 4 and onward.

So, my hair is like yours. After a while, it starts getting dry, and I wouldn't define my hair is porous either. If silicone doesn't work for you, I recommend "grease" products that are targeted towards the afro haired women. They include mineral oil, lanolin, or petroleum and these are very occlusive so it helps keep the moisture in. My hair has never felt before before I started using grease.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I wash my hair every 4-5 days. I like my hair the best after washing because the water gives it moisture, my hair is freshly conditioned, and clean of debris. The first three days are the best, my hair is light, bouncy, and shiny. I wear it down because it feels nicer that way, and it's too slippery to really put in a bun.

Then the dust and sebum starts becoming more obvious on the fourth, which is when I begin greasing my hair. Greasing it is a way to seal in whatever moisture I have left in my strands before washing again, and prevents dehydration before wash day. I wear my hair up on day 4 and onward.

So, my hair is like yours. After a while, it starts getting dry, and I wouldn't define my hair is porous either. If silicone doesn't work for you, I recommend "grease" products that are targeted towards the afro haired women. They include mineral oil, lanolin, or petroleum and these are very occlusive so it helps keep the moisture in. My hair has never felt before before I started using grease.

I've debated on using mineral oil in replacement to silicones and EVOO since everyone says it's much much lighter and cheap. So maybe I'll give that a shot next. Thanks.

[Coucouvaya]

I wash everyday and now and then when my schedule is empty and I don't have to appear in society I give my hair a break by not washing them as long as possible.

However, when I tried to strech my washes I wasn't satisfied by the results. And I am not talking about the oilyness and the flatness. I decided to stick to my everyday washes because of the:

1. Hairloss that even though it can be explained by the fact that you lose the accumulated hair that normally would be detached in the everyday washes, still makes me freak out.
2. Increased split ends... Honestly, I don't know why. Perhaps I am paranoid...
3. Itchy scalp

Frequent washing seems to work better for me!

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I wash everyday and now and then when my schedule is empty and I don't have to appear in society I give my hair a break by not washing them as long as possible.

However, when I tried to strech my washes I wasn't satisfied by the results. And I am not talking about the oilyness and the flatness. I decided to stick to my everyday washes because of the:

1. Hairloss that even though it can be explained by the fact that you lose the accumulated hair that normally would be detached in the everyday washes, still makes me freak out.
2. Increased split ends... Honestly, I don't know why. Perhaps I am paranoid...
3. Itchy scalp

Frequent washing seems to work better for me!

I too notice more spits and bents the longer I stretch washes. But I think its because the silicone leave in I use, the silicones evaporate and I think they then show the damage.

[BookishRay]

I wash every 2-3 days. I'm one of those "lucky" people who's hair and scalp CANNOT agree on anything. If a shampoo cleans my scalp, it dries my hair. If it is mild enough for my hair, it doesn't do much for my scalp! I do my best to keep the shampoo on my head, but it runs down the length when I rinse and I have yet to find a conditioner that will tame my first day frizzies.

My scalp is best on the day I wash but my length looks dry and frizzy. My length is best on the second or third day but my scalp is scaly and itchy. I generally don't have an issue with a greasy scalp unless I have sweated a lot or I get conditioner on it.

[Ylva]

This is an old thread, but I feel like bumping it, because this topic has been on my mind a lot lately. For a while now, I've insisted on washing no more often than 72 hours (48 if it's really important, for example if I'm going somewhere important the following day) and preferably even longer than that, because I WCC, take a good time to distribute the conditioners, use a lot of product and leave them on for a long time. Using all that product costs a bit of money (even though I use low range conditioners) and it takes a ridiculously long time. Money is important, but in the end "it's just money" - however, that time I could be using dabbling in something important instead. Hair is important, too, yes, but I feel like with this being so repetitive, it's leaning towards being a waste of my time.

Thing is, I really want to have the freedom to wash every other day if I so desire. My hair is definitely at its best on wash day and the following day. Approaching 48 hours, the roots start to get oily. My scalp acts the same as the skin on my face. I have combination skin, which gets dry when washed and I have to moisturise it, but becomes oily very soon after, and can be both dry and oily at the same time. Recently I've suffered from an itchy scalp (nothing major, just a small scratch is enough and I don't bleed or anything, it's just annoying). It SEEMS to be a bit better soon after washing my scalp, but I am really not sure about that.

I might soon try and see how my hair fares with just one conditioner. I'm thinking of using those Garnier Respons/Ultimate Blends/Wholeblends conditioners for that, as they contain one of my favourite silicones (amodimethicone) as well as actual hydrating and nutritious ingredients. I use a lot of leave-ins now, so I might just be able to get away with it. Maybe.

[Viola_sororia]

I stretch washes by using a boar bristle brush.

[browntatis]

I wash my hair every other day since I have memory, its been like that my whole life and its what works for me.
My hair type is oily roots.
My hair feels the best on wash days, its smooth, soft and shiny, the next day is "aceptable" but the next day after will be all dull, flat and very oily roots, just nasty, thats why I have to wash it every other day, there is no way I can stretch my wash one more day.
During the summertime I wash it every single day.
For washing it so often my hair has never been dry at all.
I also use hair mask everytime I wash my hair, normally I use the "fast ones", the 1-3 minutes hair mask and I do deep condition, over 2 hours on the weekends.

I do spend alot of money on shampoos and hair products (hair mask specially) but I dont mind, its more like an obsession (and I enjoy it hahaha), but if I was to buy one bottle of shampoo of 400ml it will last exactly 1 month for me.

I really enjoy washing my hair, its like an anti-stress therapy for me, so its not an inconvenient at all to wash so often :)

[Joules]

I think my scalp is very similar to Ylva's. I wash every third day too, days 1 or 2 are nice, third day is grease day. Sometimes less, sometimes it's full-blown oil apocalypse (depends on the day of my cycle).

I used to wash every other day. If I do so now, I feel guilty, because my hair doesn't look oily by the end of day 2. I just feel like I'm torturing it for no reason.

And yes, washing my hair with my routine every two days would be an awful burden. Not even money-wise. I spend an hour in the shower, and then three more hours getting it at least halfway dry before going to bed. It takes me an entire evening, if I do it any more frequently I'd have no life. I wear my hair up and braided most of the time, so one slightly oily day isn't a big deal.

[Stray_mind]

I usually wash 2 times a week. I find my second day hair the best and after the third day my scalp starts getting oily and itchy, so i have to wash.
My hair is rather frizzy on wash day, so i wouldn't say it's the best...

[Katsura]

My washing is more about the condition of my scalp than hair. With the products I use a wash day is fine and the second is maybe a bit less poof but ok too. The third day is usually a wash day again, I haven't been able to stretch it any further these days because my scalp starts itching. A bit of doing something that makes me sweat irritates my scalp too, so I need to wash it whenever.

[Begemot]

I wash 2-3 times a week. Days 1 and 2 are great, day 3 can be a good hair day too but by day 4 it's oily at the roots and ends get hard/crispy. I would probably try wash less often but my scalp would not like that.

[MusicalSpoons]

Ylva my face does exactly the same as yours - the only method I've found to somewhat regulate it is using an oil-based cleanser, then toner then light moisturiser. I haven't had the energy to do it for a really long time though.

I currently wash ~twice a week, one full wash and one scalp wash to keep it from itching because I'm at home most of the time. However that is stretching washes and if I need to look presentable (e.g. when I was at work), the scalp needs washing every other day. My lengths really don't need washing that often so they still get washed ~weekly, and I wash at night.

Day 1 hair is fluffy and kind of poofy - it's great if I get the bun right the first time, but it doesn't really want to be manipulated any more than that. Day 2 hair is nice, and by day 3 the lengths are great, usually. But of course evening of day 2 would be a scalp wash if I needed to go anywhere on day 3.

My current full wash routine doesn't take too long - everything is done in the shower except the occasional pre-poo, which is fine because I can still get on and do other stuff while the oil or conditioner sits on my head. In the shower is C-W-ROO-C and that's it. Second C sits a while whilst I wash the rest of me.

That keeps the lengths happy for at least a week but if I miss day 7 (e.g. if I've only scalp washed on day 5) they're happy to go a couple of extra days. Sometimes my lengths are so happy that I wish I could do a thorough scalp wash and feel just as clean without getting the lengths wet, but oh well.

[mica]

I usually wash my hair every other day, I do go longer if I don't need it to look presentable. Much like Stray_mind, wash day hair is usually frizzy (I live in a very humid climate), my second day hair looks great and from there on it begins to look oily. I don't have any issues with my scalp getting itchy though.

[sophia_]

I wash daily, I've tried to stretch my washes before but my scalp produces so much oil that I'm sure it's a fire hazard lol. My hair behaves best as soon as it dries and gets more and more slippery as the day goes on, which for me is a bad thing because my buns stop holding and my braids shred like crazy.

[KameRose]

Interesting thread. I just read through all the posts on this thread. Seems like what consists of a good hair day is mostly determined by how you prefer your hair to behave. The day after I wash my hair is light and fluffy, it has bounce, and it will just kind of float everywhere. I absolutely hate it! Those two days after I was are horrid. My hair doesn't want to behave for anything and I have to constantly manage it. And it is much easier to get tangles in. Then my hair will lose that dumb body and behave for the rest of the week.

I use to do the every other day/twice a week wash and when I switched over I definitely had a problem with my hair getting super greasy and stringy but after a few weeks of weekly washes my hair seemed much happier than it was before. Now the only time my hair gets to that point is when I end up stretching my wash to two weeks due to one reason or other.

Besides behaving better, my hair changes color as the natural oils work there way down the strands. I actually prefer the darker color my hair has when there is some oil in it. :p

I've been contemplating oiling it, but am afraid then I will need to wash more than once a week and I too feel that is too much time to spend on washing hair.

[zashin66]

My hair is very porous, it absorbs everything. I don't get the clean I want unless I use the shampoo with sulfates but then I need the silicone slip to deal with the aftermath when my hair is so rough and coarse. My hair loves to be washed weekly or longer. But I don't consider WCC as washing. I do this every 4-5 days between washes. I stretch the washes and WCC as long as possible because it takes so long to dry. I must put my hair up for work so when my hair takes long to dry it is very irritating to my scalp. Sometimes even the moisture from just bathing my body causes that prickle itch irritation of not being dry. My scalp is horribly itchy the first two days after washing/WCC. I dread those activities these days. I want to grow my hair to terminal length but sometimes I wonder if I will be able to tolerate it at greater lengths if it continues to take longer and longer to completely dry. Right now it takes about 7 hours to just dry. I've tried over night drying but it is still very damp in the morning. It is so porous that it hangs on to the moisture unless loose in the air. Wet/damp hair in an updo is very itchy by the end of the day.

[Ylva]

Ylva my face does exactly the same as yours - the only method I've found to somewhat regulate it is using an oil-based cleanser, then toner then light moisturiser. I haven't had the energy to do it for a really long time though.

I've never used an oil-based cleanser, I think, but I might give it a shot!


My hair is very porous, it absorbs everything. I don't get the clean I want unless I use the shampoo with sulfates but then I need the silicone slip to deal with the aftermath when my hair is so rough and coarse. My hair loves to be washed weekly or longer. But I don't consider WCC as washing. I do this every 4-5 days between washes. I stretch the washes and WCC as long as possible because it takes so long to dry. I must put my hair up for work so when my hair takes long to dry it is very irritating to my scalp. Sometimes even the moisture from just bathing my body causes that prickle itch irritation of not being dry. My scalp is horribly itchy the first two days after washing/WCC. I dread those activities these days. I want to grow my hair to terminal length but sometimes I wonder if I will be able to tolerate it at greater lengths if it continues to take longer and longer to completely dry. Right now it takes about 7 hours to just dry. I've tried over night drying but it is still very damp in the morning. It is so porous that it hangs on to the moisture unless loose in the air. Wet/damp hair in an updo is very itchy by the end of the day.

I'm confused. Why don't you consider WCC washing? I mean, that's what the W is for. :confused:

[Xlena]

I wash everyday or every other day. I try to do it every other day for my roots to get oily so they get moisture since I never use conditioner there, but my ends suffer a lot if I don't wash and condition often. I've tried leave-in conditioners or a little bit of oil but everything makes my hair look dirty.
Also I love how becautiful, clean, shiny, with a little volume... my hair looks right after a shower xD

[browntatis]

It seems like the majority of frequent washers have hair type 1 or 2. I think straight hair tends to be greasy and curly hair a little dryer, please correct me if I am wrong :)

My mother in law's hair is type 4 and before I knew about hair types, I was surprised to see her wash her hair once a week, sometimes once every two weeks (just because I am used to wash mine every day or every other day), and in between washes her hair looked nice! I tried some of her deep conditioners and it just got my hair so oily and heavy looking, but for her it worked perfect, then I understood that frequent washing or not completely depends on hair type, so I think it is wrong to say that washing every single day or every other day is bad, I hear that alot, but in truth it is what works best for your hair type... just a thought :D

[Spar]

I wash almost daily or every other day.
I find my hair looks and feels its best this way. So much more shine and bounce, and less dry ends. I've tried to stretch washes for years, but my hair seems the happiest with frequent washes. Honestly, I feel like its improved the health of my hair and I get much less split ends or damage. I also do not shed as much.

If I go longer than 2 days, I start to notice a lot of lint/fuzz in my hair from fabrics. I think that could contribute to the tangles and damaged ends.

[Ylva]

I decided to allow myself to wash every other day if I feel like it. The key words are "if I feel like it" - chances are I will still often go 3 days or longer without washing simply out of laziness. But it makes me feel good that I allow myself to wash my hair as often as I might want to do that.

And I will occasionally try using just one conditioner, too, (not directly after clarifying, though, I know that's taking it too far!) and see how that works out. It would speed up my hair washes a lot.

[veryhairyfairy]

<snip>
I might soon try and see how my hair fares with just one conditioner. I'm thinking of using those Garnier Respons/Ultimate Blends/Wholeblends conditioners for that, as they contain one of my favourite silicones (amodimethicone) as well as actual hydrating and nutritious ingredients. I use a lot of leave-ins now, so I might just be able to get away with it. Maybe.

Having just dipped my toes (and bleached ends) into silicone conditioners I can say that I really really like the Whole Blends conditioners (especially the honey one). Lots of slip and they feel heavy without looking greasy. :thumbsup:

[Joules]

It seems like the majority of frequent washers have hair type 1 or 2. I think straight hair tends to be greasy and curly hair a little dryer, please correct me if I am wrong :)

My mother in law's hair is type 4 and before I knew about hair types, I was surprised to see her wash her hair once a week, sometimes once every two weeks (just because I am used to wash mine every day or every other day), and in between washes her hair looked nice! I tried some of her deep conditioners and it just got my hair so oily and heavy looking, but for her it worked perfect, then I understood that frequent washing or not completely depends on hair type, so I think it is wrong to say that washing every single day or every other day is bad, I hear that alot, but in truth it is what works best for your hair type... just a thought :D

Curly and coarse hair shows grease less, but it doesn't mean the scalp is dry. My Mom's hair can go for an entire week looking fresh, but her scalp produces sebum just as quickly as mine does (every 3rd day). She gets a ton of itching, dandruff and other SD symptoms whenever she tries to preserve a blowout and stretch washes.

[Ylva]

This is not directly related to this thread, but I can't remember where I wrote about my scalp having been itchy recently, so I'll put this here.

I clarified my hair and washed my scalp with SLES-containing deep cleansing shampoo and my scalp actually feels awesome right now. The itching I've suffered from for a while is completely gone. It surprised me to notice it, because I hadn't even come to think about my scalp because of it, as it felt so good. It might just be a random occurrence, but it's something I'll be keeping an eye on. Maybe it's not sufficient for me to just use sodium coco sulfate and I can really benefit from the occasional harsher cleansing on my scalp. SLES isn't even that harsh in the end.


Having just dipped my toes (and bleached ends) into silicone conditioners I can say that I really really like the Whole Blends conditioners (especially the honey one). Lots of slip and they feel heavy without looking greasy. :thumbsup:

I used up a jar of the honey mask recently and I really liked it as well! :)

[Cate36]

Honestly.. my whole life, since my mother stopped washing my hair (:-)) I have washed my hair pretty much every day with no issues, no side effects, no problem.

Obviously, at the moment - post damage and the thinning it caused, my routine has changed markedly.. I'm now in the dark re what to do to enable it to thicken and scared.

however, with healthy hair, I do not think daily, gentle washing is an issue at all. It never hurt my hair, my hair is not oily, neither is my scalp.. my hair has been at classic (the longest I let it grow) and always long.. so I don't think it matters too much if you wash each day. The reason I did, was that it always looked better post a wash... I honestly never thought about it.. just had a morning shower and washed my hair at the same time.. dried.. went out.. My sister has very fine hair and has always washed each day as well with no issues...

So...

Whether I'll ever do it again even when my hair recovers (thinking positive) I don't know.. I am now determined to look after it as well as I possibly can.

[Messyhair]

My hair is extremely frizzy on wash day and drier than usual, since my hair is a natural oil slick. My hair is much smoother on non-wash days - I normally wash every 2 or 3 days. I would do it more often, but I'm laaaaaaazy. 😋

[gustavonut]

My hair usually hates being washed every single day, but that’s if I use the shampoo straight, without diluting it. I find my hair is the happiest when I wash it every day to every other day with diluted shampoo. I also like to heavily oil my scalp and length before washing it and my hair feels great. I don’t plan on changing my routine any time soon. :)

[lapushka]

Having just dipped my toes (and bleached ends) into silicone conditioners I can say that I really really like the Whole Blends conditioners (especially the honey one). Lots of slip and they feel heavy without looking greasy. :thumbsup:

I'm a fan of the honey one, and the olive one - they perform "about" the same. The olive one is a tad smoother (not oily for me) and behaves just like the Herbal Essences Hello Hydration to me.

[cathair]

It seems like the majority of frequent washers have hair type 1 or 2. I think straight hair tends to be greasy and curly hair a little dryer, please correct me if I am wrong :)

My mother in law's hair is type 4 and before I knew about hair types, I was surprised to see her wash her hair once a week, sometimes once every two weeks (just because I am used to wash mine every day or every other day), and in between washes her hair looked nice! I tried some of her deep conditioners and it just got my hair so oily and heavy looking, but for her it worked perfect, then I understood that frequent washing or not completely depends on hair type, so I think it is wrong to say that washing every single day or every other day is bad, I hear that alot, but in truth it is what works best for your hair type... just a thought :D

Mine used to be greasy, now it gets waxy. Not much fun really, doesn't do much for my hair and makes my scalp sore.

I'm on twice a week-ish washes right now. Day 2 is my favourite. Day 1 it will only stay up with forks at the moment.

[cathair]

I'm a fan of the honey one, and the olive one - they perform "about" the same. The olive one is a tad smoother (not oily for me) and behaves just like the Herbal Essences Hello Hydration to me.

Finally tried HH :D it's doing alright... Except the bottle really, really hard to get the conditioner out of. The cap and the shape are a nightmare especially with slippery hands as bad thumbs *doh*.

Might have to look into this olive one, you're usually pretty spot on with these things :)

[Cate36]

OK I'm coming back to correct what I said above! I spoke to my sister last night. She said that she no longer bothers to wash her hair everyday, just every 2/3 days, and when she last went for a hair cut (she is a bob girl) the hairdresser said that her hair was thicker.. anyway.. that's me now.. no washes every day again! I'm stretching out to once a week if I can possibly do it..

[MusicalSpoons]

OK I'm coming back to correct what I said above! I spoke to my sister last night. She said that she no longer bothers to wash her hair everyday, just every 2/3 days, and when she last went for a hair cut (she is a bob girl) the hairdresser said that her hair was thicker.. anyway.. that's me now.. no washes every day again! I'm stretching out to once a week if I can possibly do it..

On the other hand, some people shed *more* when they stretch washes too far! Just do what feels best for your hair :flower:

[Cate36]

On the other hand, some people shed *more* when they stretch washes too far! Just do what feels best for your hair :flower:

Yeah.. but I am brushing every day, so I think it clears the sheds mostly? :(

[MusicalSpoons]

Yeah.. but I am brushing every day, so I think it clears the sheds mostly? :(

What I mean is, they find they lose more than they usually would in the same time frame, e.g. comparing what they'd shed in a week when they were washing 3 or 4 times, to what they shed in a week only washing once.

Some people do better stretching washes, some people notice no difference, some people do better washing more frequently. It totally depends on your own hair and scalp and is individual - basically what I'm trying to say is, if you do stretch washes to once a week, be alert in case it doesn't have the effect you want. From every 2/3 days helping your sister to you deciding to stretch to once a week is rather a large jump!

[Ylva]

Finally tried HH :D it's doing alright... Except the bottle really, really hard to get the conditioner out of. The cap and the shape are a nightmare especially with slippery hands as bad thumbs *doh*.

I find that squeezing the bottle in the middle with the "exit" pointing away from me works pretty well with slippery hands.

[cathair]

I find that squeezing the bottle in the middle with the "exit" pointing away from me works pretty well with slippery hands.

Thanks, I'll give that a shot next time :) I just need to un-crush the bottle first.

[Ylva]

Thanks, I'll give that a shot next time :) I just need to un-crush the bottle first.

It works with crushed bottles, too. :)

[cathair]

It works with crushed bottles, too. :)

Ohh that's magical! Even better :)

[orangeconey]

I find that days 3 and 4 are the best for me. I usually towel dry and then put it up; it dries in a few hours. Day 2 is good, maybe a bit frizzy. Day 3 is the best; I can wear it down, in a ponytail; versatile! After day 4, it needs to be up or I need to use dry shampoo. I try to wash 1-2x/week for fine, thick(ish) hair.