Can I grow really long hair with daily washing?

[Kerrtu-Kevät]

New here, I've been lurking but I finally have something to ask about and I'm trying not to cut my hair for 2 more years so I need encouragement! It's currently waist I think.


I have a scalp condition I finally got diagnosed and one of the treatments is frequent washing. I've been a "Every other day" washer for a long while now but for the last month, month and a half I've been daily washing. It honestly has made a significant difference in the quality of my hair, My scalp is super happy and my ends aren't dry or velcroing together anymore which is amazing for me. I make sure to only finger comb during the week and only brush it with a tangle teezer once a week to get all the sheds out, I alternate with a sulfate free shampoo with a regular one and use lots of moisturizing conditioners/masks(Some for "repairing" too). I only air dry or once in awhile use a cool haidryer and I try to keep it braided. Is this routine contrary to growing hair? I want classic-ish as that the longest I remember having as a kid(With horrible haircare I might add, I think my hair is fairly resilient lol) so that's pretty long and I'm worried it'll stop growing or break off because I've always been told long hair doesn't need to be washed a lot...I dunno I guess I'm just worried because I've never been a daily washer until now :o

[spidermom]

I know of one former LHC member who had hair longer than knee length, and she washed her scalp every day. However, I do believe that she had a way of moving her length out of the way so that it did not get washed every day.

[shelomit]

It's almost 100% a personal thing. If your scalp feels more comfy being washed every day, keep doing it. You've already noticed that having better scalp health improves the quality of your hair. If you do start noticing an increase in mechanical damage along your lengths, you can always experiment with scalp-only washing like spidermom mentioned. . . but on the whole, it sounds like daily washing is the right choice for you. Much better to keep doing what works for you than to try to make yourself fit into what works for other people ( ;

[dragoose01]

Everything I have ever read about growing healthy hair starts with having a healthy scalp..so perhaps it can work! I absolutely had to wash my hair every day because of some scalp issues I had, but then resolving them allowed me to go longer between wash days. I think if washing every day is resulting in great benefits in the overall quality of your hair, I'd say that is a great sign!

[Finda]

It seems like you have figured out what your hair needs. I'd also say your chances of growing your hair long are better with a healthy scalp. In my experience, healthy ends have a lot to do with how you generally handle your hair while washing/brushing/styling and are not so much dependent on only one habit (unless it's extremly damaging, like using a curling iron repeatedly without heat protection). I've never been a daily washer and still managed to totally destroy my hair, because when I was done shampooing my hair was so matted I ripped tons of hair out with my brush. Now, with changed habits, I can wash my hair without any tangles and I'm sure I could wash daily without any issues.

I think Dr Dray, a dermatologist over on Youtube, managed to grow hip long hair with daily washing, here is one if her videos about hair care myths: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT3JMo3BTmA

Lots of people here have very long and/or thick hair which takes hours to airdry, so washing daily can be impractical just for that reason. Also, when your hair is wet for a long time it can be more prone to damage if you move around a lot, but that also depends on the hairtype. So I'd just keep an eye on my ends and maybe counteract eventual dryness/damage with more conditioning. But it sounds like you're already doing that :)

[Kerrtu-Kevät]

Hmm I guess time will tell, Maybe I'll try it for 6 months or so and see how it is then. My hair takes awhile to dry too but I honestly don't mind, and I think my ends benefit from the daily conditioner than not so I'll carry on with a full wash too

[Jane99]

Pre-poo oiling can help minimize some damage, too, from daily washing. Protect it from water damage

[SelenVinland]

It sounds to me like for you, daily washing is the key to long, healthy hair!

Others have pointed out that as your hair gets longer it’ll probably hit a point where it’s a pain to dry, but you may be able to wash your scalp without getting the lengths of your hair wet at that point. Scalp health is important so if this is working for you re: your condition, I’d definitely suggest keeping that up!

[Dark40]

New here, I've been lurking but I finally have something to ask about and I'm trying not to cut my hair for 2 more years so I need encouragement! It's currently waist I think.


I have a scalp condition I finally got diagnosed and one of the treatments is frequent washing. I've been a "Every other day" washer for a long while now but for the last month, month and a half I've been daily washing. It honestly has made a significant difference in the quality of my hair, My scalp is super happy and my ends aren't dry or velcroing together anymore which is amazing for me. I make sure to only finger comb during the week and only brush it with a tangle teezer once a week to get all the sheds out, I alternate with a sulfate free shampoo with a regular one and use lots of moisturizing conditioners/masks(Some for "repairing" too). I only air dry or once in awhile use a cool haidryer and I try to keep it braided. Is this routine contrary to growing hair? I want classic-ish as that the longest I remember having as a kid(With horrible haircare I might add, I think my hair is fairly resilient lol) so that's pretty long and I'm worried it'll stop growing or break off because I've always been told long hair doesn't need to be washed a lot...I dunno I guess I'm just worried because I've never been a daily washer until now :o

Hi and welcome! :) I honestly think that frequent washing or daily washing does help or make your hair grow longer and faster! Because, I remember when I was in high school about 31 years ago that's all I would do to my hair is wash it everyday, blow dry, and hot-curl right after ever wash but also right after that wash I would apply a light cream or oil before blow drying and hot-curling, and to keep my hair, scalp, and ends healthy I would do deep conditioning treatments and hot oil treatments every other week, and I was able to grow my hair to BSL back then but as a kid my hair was almost HL. But now I would like for my hair to grow to my ankles.

[pailin]

You can ABSOLUTELY grow your hair long while daily washing! Mine is a little past knee, and I still wash daily. Not just scalp washes either! I am very picky about conditioners and such because of course you will have more trouble with dryness, but you can do it. Part of my reason was always my scalp- I pushed every other day for several months at s time, a couple times, and always had an itchy scalp. So I decided the limit on how long I grow my hair would be whether I could wash daily. And.... I ​still can.
It may make a difference how you get your hair dry- for me, it works to wash at night and go to sleep with it still wet. Its dry or mostly dry by morning. I usually sleep with it down.

[Kerrtu-Kevät]

You can ABSOLUTELY grow your hair long while daily washing! Mine is a little past knee, and I still wash daily. Not just scalp washes either! I am very picky about conditioners and such because of course you will have more trouble with dryness, but you can do it. Part of my reason was always my scalp- I pushed every other day for several months at s time, a couple times, and always had an itchy scalp. So I decided the limit on how long I grow my hair would be whether I could wash daily. And.... I ​still can.
It may make a difference how you get your hair dry- for me, it works to wash at night and go to sleep with it still wet. Its dry or mostly dry by morning. I usually sleep with it down.

This Is really good to know!! Yeah I'm picky on conditioners too, I already use fairly good quality stuff and oil/deep condition often.

I've always washed at night and slept with damp/wet hair, I didn't know that was preferable but I'll continue with it.

[Bri-Chan]

I recall several LHC-ers washing daily. It's very up to your scalp!

[Ylva]

Others have already made good points about how to reduce damage from frequent washing, so I'm just here to tell you that I'm beyond FTL myself and mostly wash daily. I've done that for years at different points in my life. I have pretty severe bleach damage in my lengths and my hair takes a long time to dry. On top of everything, I often let it dry overnight, so I commit the cardinal sin of going to bed with wet hair! :shocked: :D And it's fine!

[Pouncequick]

I recall several LHC-ers washing daily. It's very up to your scalp!

Yup. CinnamonHair washed daily. I still wash every other day past classic. The only thing that has changed is I prefer to scalp wash most of the time now because the sensation of so much damp hair is uncomfortable for me. And if I put it up then I will occasionally wake up on a wash day with hair that is still wet but is also oily. I don't know if not washing my length makes much of a health difference in my hair, but washing often makes a massive difference for my scalp. I don't worry much if I end up washing my length more often sometimes than others. I just condition it well and make sure I'm not over conditioning it.

[Valorie]

I would say you absolutely can! :o. Before I cut mine, my hair was a little beyond my upper thighs and I washed daily. I tried stretching washes for a while but it just didn't work for me, my scalp, or let alone my very active lifestyle.

[stardust lady]

Pre-poo oiling can help minimize some damage, too, from daily washing. Protect it from water damage

I switched from shampooing 1-2x a week to every other day, and I noticed a big difference in the quality of my hair when I was pre-pooing with coconut oil. (I haven't done it in a long time because I've been busy and my hair is back to looking like straw.)

I'm sure other oils work too, but coconut oil is at least scientifically proven to prevent damage from water - I think it's the hair absorbing the water on a frequent basis that's the main issue with washing damage, though I'm not sure.

I keep it away from my scalp though. I just apply to dry hair, ears down, an hour or two before hopping in the shower. I haven't decided if it helps or hurts my scalp. Supposedly it contains a high amount of lauric acid, which on it's own has been shown to be helpful to alopecia (and probably many other conditions), but I'm not convinced that the lauric acid is freely available to the skin/follicles when you apply pure coconut oil. Plus the oil itself is super comedogenic and makes my skin break out, so I think it doesn't do my follicles much good. Since you mentioned a scalp condition, I'd just steer very clear and keep the oil towards the ends.


https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11413497/#:~:text=This%20study%20also%20indicates%20that,fr om%20damage%20by%20hygral%20fatigue.

[pailin]

I've always washed at night and slept with damp/wet hair, I didn't know that was preferable but I'll continue with it.
I don't know about preferable, but if it works for you it's much more convenient. I think for me daily washing would be harder if I did it in the mornings. I hate hair dryers and have no patience for them,and it's just easier for me to leave it down at night.

[C_Bookworm]

My hair is growing happily past classic, and as a child I grew to knee with daily washing. At some point I will change to night showers so my hair can dry overnight, but right now it dries in a couple hours during the morning. I love the tactile sensation of freshly washed hair, so I don’t intend to grow past a length I can comfortably daily wash.

[C_Bookworm]

You can ABSOLUTELY grow your hair long while daily washing! Mine is a little past knee, and I still wash daily. Not just scalp washes either! I am very picky about conditioners and such because of course you will have more trouble with dryness, but you can do it. Part of my reason was always my scalp- I pushed every other day for several months at s time, a couple times, and always had an itchy scalp. So I decided the limit on how long I grow my hair would be whether I could wash daily. And.... I ​still can.
It may make a difference how you get your hair dry- for me, it works to wash at night and go to sleep with it still wet. Its dry or mostly dry by morning. I usually sleep with it down.
It’s sooooo encouraging hearing this! Goals!

[lapushka]

If you have to use a drying shampoo (scalp issues come to mind), and can't wash with a gentle, everyday, shampoo, then be sure to either do a scalp-only wash (keep your lengths out of it), or put enough moisture back into your hair by conditioning well after your wash. That's it.

For sure you can have healthy, pretty, long hair, no matter how often or little you wash your hair.

[MusicalSpoons]

I wash nowhere near daily but just want to chime in as someone else who goes to bed with wet hair every time I wash - including after scalp-only washes. I know some people can't, and my hair isn't in pristine condition so I can't 100% vouch that it doesn't cause any damage, but I can't stand it drying during the day (plus it dries frizzier, the few times I've had to do that over the years) so this is what works for me :)

[Kerrtu-Kevät]

Thank you everyone for the input, it's wonderful to know that I can be happy with both length and having a clean scalp! I might try scalp-only eventually but for right now it doesn't seem necessary

[dragoose01]

You can ABSOLUTELY grow your hair long while daily washing! Mine is a little past knee, and I still wash daily. Not just scalp washes either! I am very picky about conditioners and such because of course you will have more trouble with dryness, but you can do it. Part of my reason was always my scalp- I pushed every other day for several months at s time, a couple times, and always had an itchy scalp. So I decided the limit on how long I grow my hair would be whether I could wash daily. And.... I ​still can.
It may make a difference how you get your hair dry- for me, it works to wash at night and go to sleep with it still wet. Its dry or mostly dry by morning. I usually sleep with it down.

Do you have any suggestions for products/conditioners?

[pailin]

Do you have any suggestions for products/conditioners?

Well, it's always very much YMMV - your mileage may vary- I have stuck to relatively harsh shampoos because that prevented me from having to switch periodically to an anti dandruff shampoo. So I like the Pantene aquapure in Asia, or here in the US, their volume shampoo. Basically non- creamy shampoos. In the last year or so I'm noticing that with perimenopause my scalp is maybe less greasy than it used to be. So I've been able to go back to creamier shampoos a little bit, at least half-time, without itchiness.
I love, love, love L'Oreal Evercreme conditioner. It's so much my holy grail that I have a massive, massive stash in my closet...​Wal-Mart discontinued it and now Giant supermarket discontinued it so I wonder if that particular one will be discontinued by the company, and I bought a LOT when Giant marked it down! .... If it is dc I'll probably try the Eversleek.
The Ever- line seems to have two different general formulas, I love the ones with glycerin in the top few ingredients. It's silicone free, but I then use a silicon serum ;)
However I don't think anyone else around here seems to like Evercreme like I do. So.... You could try it but you might not like it.
I love their shampoo too, it almost made me feel like I didn't need conditioner. But I stopped using it years ago because I needed something harsher in order to avoid the itchy scalp. It's only in the past few months I've been using it again, about half the time.

[Kerrtu-Kevät]

Well, it's always very much YMMV - your mileage may vary- I have stuck to relatively harsh shampoos because that prevented me from having to switch periodically to an anti dandruff shampoo. So I like the Pantene aquapure in Asia, or here in the US, their volume shampoo. Basically non- creamy shampoos. In the last year or so I'm noticing that with perimenopause my scalp is maybe less greasy than it used to be. So I've been able to go back to creamier shampoos a little bit, at least half-time, without itchiness.
I love, love, love L'Oreal Evercreme conditioner. It's so much my holy grail that I have a massive, massive stash in my closet...​Wal-Mart discontinued it and now Giant supermarket discontinued it so I wonder if that particular one will be discontinued by the company, and I bought a LOT when Giant marked it down! .... If it is dc I'll probably try the Eversleek.
The Ever- line seems to have two different general formulas, I love the ones with glycerin in the top few ingredients. It's silicone free, but I then use a silicon serum ;)
However I don't think anyone else around here seems to like Evercreme like I do. So.... You could try it but you might not like it.
I love their shampoo too, it almost made me feel like I didn't need conditioner. But I stopped using it years ago because I needed something harsher in order to avoid the itchy scalp. It's only in the past few months I've been using it again, about half the time.

Everpure moisture conditioner Is one of my HG! I've never seen the evercreme line but looking at the ingredients it seems similar to the moisture one. I love that conditioner so much, The shampoo is nice too it's one of the only "sulfate free" shampoos my scalp tolerates and it doesn't dry out my lengths

[school of fish]

I've been able to grow mine to almost classic on daily washing because that's just what my hair prefers :)

In my case my scalp really isn't picky but my lengths build up super quickly and get damage-tangly with any sort of anything left on them (leave-in, sweat, sebum, anything)... It basically wants consistent stripping and polishing - my signature below pretty much outlines the treatment my hair insists on. It's not necessarily the average experience but it is what it is ;)

So yes we daily-wash long hairs do exist - but it's just as so many have said above, your hair and scalp will let you know what they want if you listen, and it sounds like you've been listening and paying some good attention :)

[Kerrtu-Kevät]

I've been able to grow mine to almost classic on daily washing because that's just what my hair prefers :)

In my case my scalp really isn't picky but my lengths build up super quickly and get damage-tangly with any sort of anything left on them (leave-in, sweat, sebum, anything)... It basically wants consistent stripping and polishing - my signature below pretty much outlines the treatment my hair insists on. It's not necessarily the average experience but it is what it is ;)

So yes we daily-wash long hairs do exist - but it's just as so many have said above, your hair and scalp will let you know what they want if you listen, and it sounds like you've been listening and paying some good attention :)


Same here! I didn't expect daily washing to get rid of my tangles but it eliminated them entirely and I no longer have ends that mesh together. Kinda the opposite of what most people tell you about shampoo but it is what it is ;) It's kinda cool both parts of my hair are like "yes we love this!"

I'm trying to listen! I've been following some bigger "curly girl" method people online and tried a lot of stuff that ended in failure, what's working for me is going back to conventional products and daily washing :shrug:

[diddiedaisy]

When I first joined this site quite a good few years ago my starting point was shoulder length hair that was suffering from bad sheds. My thinning showed up really bad past shoulder length. All down to stress. It took a few years to get to bsl without see through ends and then on to waist with some thinning at the ends.

I was a daily washer and also a bottle blonde. However, due to the state of my hair I did regular oilings, let it air dry, kept my hair up in non damaging styles and basically took super good care of it.

Point being if your hair is healthy and you can keep it on your scalp daily washing is certainly fine. If you have issues such as shedding or damage then extra care needs to be used.

[Coffee90]

Maybe if you don't use heat...?

[Death-Within-Me]

I left this comment in another thread:


Aha, this is the thread for me. I can write a whole journal about my journey with the whole "stretching washes" vs "frequent washes" controversial topic. :D See signature.

But this definitely seems to be truly a case of YMMV.

For years, I was shamed by friends, media, and random people telling me that washing your hair frequently was "bad" and that it strips the natural oils off your hair - that if you "trained" your hair for a bit, you can stretch out your washes without making your head overly greasy.

So I've done it all for years. From washing every 2-3 days to trying to go for a week.

There was only one thing I learned from all that.

That I regret forcing myself to "train" at all.

It made NO healthier difference...Other than making me have to tolerate a forever oily head that did not reduce its greasiness whatsoever, more buildup and believe it or not, DRYER hair when I washed it less frequently therefore more breakage.
Oh and of course, flatter hair with no volume.

Fast forward some time later when I got smarter and frankly, stopped listening to people unless they were well informed about the science of hair (ala r/haircarescience on reddit.)
I also researched more about my own culture where EVERYDAY washing was normal and expected in East & Southeast Asia.

And those who know us know that Asian women have...Our signature, beautiful, sleek, black hair. No one was going bald or brittle from daily washing with few exceptions.

I finally went back to daily washing WITH sulfates and silicones -> 2 products that are consistently demonized and misinformed about.
And then boom. My hair grew faster, healthier, shinier and thicker. Contrary to popular belief, I did not suffer from overproducing oils from frequent washing. My hair was finally happy and in its normal state.

Of course, the head massages in and out of the shower helped with the growth a bunch too.


This was long, but long story short, yes. A clean, everyday, washed scalp works for me. Maybe it will for you too?


So yes. 100% you can grow long hair with daily washing.
For some, their hair actually slows down if they wash LESS.

I'm on the r/longhair subreddit and I saw two long hairs there (and I mean past classic length) who wash their hair daily; one of them only uses Pantene!

[clandestine]

I left this comment in another thread:
So yes. 100% you can grow long hair with daily washing.
For some, their hair actually slows down if they wash LESS.

I'm on the r/longhair subreddit and I saw two long hairs there (and I mean past classic length) who wash their hair daily; one of them only uses Pantene!

I agree that some people grow better with washing more. My hair is fine and my scalp sensitive so no amount of stretching helped and I never seemed to adjust even with dedicated time spent to stretching. I feel like hair is such an individualized thing that whatever works for you should be what you go with :o

[Death-Within-Me]

I agree that some people grow better with washing more. My hair is fine and my scalp sensitive so no amount of stretching helped and I never seemed to adjust even with dedicated time spent to stretching. I feel like hair is such an individualized thing that whatever works for you should be what you go with :o

Yup, for sure. If ain't broken, don't fix it as they say.

I'm a big believer in healthy scalp = easier/faster & healthier hair growth. Dr. Gray also mentions it here => https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoJPUL9_aag&t=95s

[Jane99]

I recently increased from 2x/week to 3x/week washing and I think I shed less now.

[Kerrtu-Kevät]

I left this comment in another thread:




So yes. 100% you can grow long hair with daily washing.
For some, their hair actually slows down if they wash LESS.

I'm on the r/longhair subreddit and I saw two long hairs there (and I mean past classic length) who wash their hair daily; one of them only uses Pantene!

I appreciate the insight, I can relate to trying to stretch washing but making me miserable. Funny enough it might be correlation doesn't always equate causation but my hair seems to be going through a growth spurt after I started daily washing

[Messyhair]

I grew mine to just past my waist with daily washings. I have experimented in the past with scalp-only washing, but I find this just adds more stress to my roots and moving around/pulling/manipulating the length. There may be a way of scalp washing more gently somehow, but it doesn't work for me so far. Full washings can be drying, so make sure you take extra care of your hair.

[Pouncequick]

I grew mine to just past my waist with daily washings. I have experimented in the past with scalp-only washing, but I find this just adds more stress to my roots and moving around/pulling/manipulating the length. There may be a way of scalp washing more gently somehow, but it doesn't work for me so far. Full washings can be drying, so make sure you take extra care of your hair.

Scalp washes only really became doable for me around TBL and they're getting much easier at classic. I will say that I recently went far too long without washing my length and had to clarify it. It was gluing together and refusing to be detangled. The choice to wash my scalp only is personal for me though, and really doesn't have to do with fears of damage. I don't think my length is affected by daily or every other day washing. It might actually be happier with more frequent conditioning. But I dislike wet hair, I don't lie still enough to sleep with it wet over my headboard, I hate the sound of blow dryers, and I'm generally a bit of a wimp about the whole thing. So I wash all of my hair roughly once a week and the scalp whenever it looks, feels, acts, or smells a little dirty. That can range from daily to every third day depending on weather, stress, hormones, or activity. Trying to force my scalp to deal with less washing leaves me miserable for days with a touchy, sensitive scalp that can hardly tolerate a braid.

[stardust lady]

Ever since increasing my shampooing frequency, my scalp has been so much happier. In the past month, miraculously, I've been seeing some regrowth at my temples. I often had an itchy and painful scalp (especially redness and burning around the temples) when I would try to stretch washes, and especially when I went sulfate-free. I started washing more frequently (every other day or every 2) and the pain and itchiness and redness started going away (especially with Neutrogena t/sal). Sometimes I would even use a sulfate clarifying shampoo AND the t/sal shampoo. I wasn't sure it was possible for the hair to start growing back, but lo and behold there it is, lots of little blonde babies sprouting out of the once-bald spot.

My takeaway from having experienced hair loss around the hairline is this: #1 priority is scalp health. If washing more frequently improves your scalp health and prevents hair loss, thinning, or receding hairlines... DO IT. Because having an otherwise thick head of long hair and then, around my face, a hairline like a middle aged man - as a woman in my 20s - was depressing. There are so many things to do to improve the health of the length of your hair, especially Olaplex products. Being able to maybe eek out a couple extra inches is NOT worth scalp problems and potential hair loss.

[clairenewcastle]

The health of your scalp is probably the most important thing when it comes to growing healthy hair. At least it is for me. If I try to stretch washes beyond five days first I get spots on my scalp followed by sore patches on day six and seven. The oil, the musty smell, the lank hair......no, I'll never go there again. If you need to wash your hair - wash it!

[Catrina22]

I wash mine every day! I honestly like washing my hair haha. It wakes me up in the morning and makes me feel like I have done something nice for myself before I jump into a day of homeschooling kiddos. My scalp hurts so bad if I wash it every 3 days. I recently started to use a sulphate shampoo again and I could probably skip a day now because my scalp has been much more comfortable! I just have to be very careful to use a good conditioner and I oil my ends almost every night before bed to help with hydral fatigue. At least I think it helps :)

[Starburst14]

I also wash my hair every day, and so far I haven't noticed any issues. I think it really depends on your hair type and everyone will have their own preference. For example, someone with fine hair like me will probably get oily hair super fast compared to someone with thicker hair. If you think about it, your hair gets exposed to pollution, pollen, dirt etc during the day so I think it's healthier for your scalp and hair to wash it each day. As long as you use really gentle shampoo (sulfate free) and be sure to condition it really well, doing weekly oil treatments to put back in the moisture, it should stay healthy!

[Messyhair]

If I try to stretch washes beyond five days first I get spots on my scalp followed by sore patches on day six and seven.

I thought this only happened to me! But much sooner... like 3-4 days and I have the sore and sometimes scaly/scabby patches. Weird!

[Kat]

It honestly has made a significant difference in the quality of my hair, My scalp is super happy and my ends aren't dry or velcroing together anymore which is amazing for me. I make sure to only finger comb during the week and only brush it with a tangle teezer once a week to get all the sheds out,

Sounds like you just answered your own question...



I don't know about preferable, but if it works for you it's much more convenient. I think for me daily washing would be harder if I did it in the mornings. I hate hair dryers and have no patience for them,and it's just easier for me to leave it down at night.

Yup. There is NO WAY I am getting up like two hours earlier in the morning so I can wash my hair. NO WAY IN YOU-KNOW-WHERE.



Same here! I didn't expect daily washing to get rid of my tangles but it eliminated them entirely and I no longer have ends that mesh together. Kinda the opposite of what most people tell you about shampoo but it is what it is ;)

I tried scalp washing for a bit in college, but discovered that without being washed periodically, the length of my hair did seem more dry and tangly. Not sure why. Gunk from "the world" got washed out? Washing added some moisture? No idea. (Mind you, this was a case of "I went weeks and weeks without the length being washed" not "I still washed the whole thing once a week and scalp washed in between" but still.) (And since scalp washing annoys me-- I've still not found a really good method-- then it's fine by me to just wash the whole thing, as for me it's not much less bother to do just the scalp.)

[ZoeZ]

I have extremely fine hair, cobwebby pretty much, although quite dense. Because of the fineness I protect the hair length and ends by lathering with conditioner after wetting and before shampooing, and just shampoo the scalp. I find this protects the length from drying out and moisturises enough, even with the fine hairs that will tend to dry out fast because of how fine the individual strands are. They lose moisture much faster than thicker strands..

So even washing every day should not hurt, if you protect the ends during washing. Every few weeks I will shampoo the entire length as well. I could do scalp washes I suppose, but for me it's easier to just wash the whole thing rather than try to keep the ends dry.

[Kat]

For the longest time I honestly never used shampoo on the length of my hair. I did CWC, and used cheap lightweight conditioner (V05, White Rain, etc.) as the first C, so the length got a CO-wash. It worked fine. To be honest with you, if I want to get an oil treatment out of my hair, cheap lightweight conditioner works better than shampoo.

[Death-Within-Me]

Yup. I am still happily washing my hair every day and constantly trying out new hair products. << - A benefit of daily washing.

And my hair is growing just fine. See signature.

I massage, condition and do deep, oil treatments on the regular before washing.