Not washing hair every day?

[Nenwing]

My hair is real short now, so it doesn't apply right now, but I am thinking of growing it long again, and I have always washed my hair every single day because I didn't like the way it would get (just static-y and dull and greasy on the scalp) if I didn't.

How do you go days between washing and still have your hair look fresh? I have heard that you can sprinkle some sort of powder (forget what its called) to take away the greasiness and just comb it through. Would washing with something more natural (I've read of the baking soda/ACV wash) make it easier?
I guess I am just wondering how one does this.

[Quixii]

I think it's just something your head/hair gets used to after a bit. You hear about the "horrible transition phase" and then your hair actually likes being washed less often.

[Nenwing]

I think it's just something your head/hair gets used to after a bit. You hear about the "horrible transition phase" and then your hair actually likes being washed less often.

Hmm, so no matter what way you slice it there is some transition phase that it looks bleh? Maybe I could invest in some cool hats for that phase!

[suicides_eve]

yea at first my hair was really greasie and it was hard to not wash it, but after about 3 weeks my scalp adjusted, my hair was shinier and i wasn't suffering from dandruff as bad as before. it's suppose to be really good for curly hair as the natural oils hold in moisture it craves. I wore my pined back. it was short so bandanas and head bands helped

[Lamb]

it's suppose to be really good for curly hair as the natural oils hold in moisture it craves. I wore my pined back. it was short so bandanas and head bands helped
That was not the case with my hair. I tried not washing/getting it wet every day some time ago - the results were craptacular. Natural oils got maybe 1-1.5 inches down the hair shaft from the scalp, so that area was well "moisturized" (=oily and gross), but the rest of my hair got drier every day.
My curls just crave water and conditioner on a daily basis. Also, keeping my hair buildup-free (=cleansing it often) gives it a better chance to absorb moisture.

[pepperminttea]

I wash mine every fifth day (takes a while for the hair to get used to it, but worth the wait), but I've found no matter how often I do it I get about half and half, in terms of good days and bad days.

[nowxisxforever]

I wash my hair every 3-4 days depending on my routine. Right now I'm using a gentler shampoo that really doesn't get greasies off well, so I have to wash a little more frequently if I want to wear it down-- mine gets greasy on day 3 usually.

[Elphie]

I generally can skip a day without washing it at all and have it look fine, sometimes I can let it go a third especially on the weekends. I use shampoo maybe once or twice a week on my scalp only and CO all of the other times.

[Fiferstone]

I wash every 4th day. I've got fine hair which tends to show dirt/oil more readily, and I found that once I was able to stretch to 3 days between washing, things really improved. By washing daily, I was actually over-drying the skin on my scalp, and my scalp reacted by making more sebum. The result was greasy roots, but totally dried out length and ends. After I stumbled upon LHC and tried a couple things that never would have occurred to me (put coconut oil on "oily" hair...apple cider vinegar mixed with water helps prevent an itchy scalp...who knew?), I found that it's not necessary to wash your hair every single day, at least not for me. Your own mileage may vary, but perhaps try washing every other day for starters.

[Flynn]

Quite simply, it doesn't. O.o

I wash my hair when it gets greasy. That's usually every two to three days. The big factor in how long between washings I can go is how much I handle my hair. I didn't brush for two days (I'd made some wicked bun curls, so it didn't need it) this last wash. Today I brushed and braided, and I think I can probably get another day out of it. We'll see how it looks tomorrow morning.

How short is your hair? If you're still in pixieland, now is probably the time to transition; pixies look good when they get piecey! XD

Also, if you want to stretch it out, why not try doing it in half-days, rather than full days? If you normally wash once every 24 hours, spend a couple of weeks washing once every 36 -- that is, alternating between washing morning and night. Then try a couple of weeks at every 48... and so on, if you want to wash less frequently still. ^__^ Might tone down the transition problems.

[QueenAnne'sLace]

I'm a once a week-er. The transition to allow my scalp to go back to a natural state was difficult and I used a lot of bandanas to cover it on the greasy days. It also helped that I was often wearing a Christian headcovering at the time as well.
While washing less often is all over better, not all people have the genes to make it work. Just stretch yours for as long as you can and make peace with the grease! :laugh:

[Brat]

I wash twice a week. Can't stand wet hair, so I let it go as long as I can. Usually my wash days are sunday nite and wednesday or thursday nites. I tried CO, and although my hair looked great, it was actually more work than shampooing and conditioning.

I guess to get it fresh looking, one could try just rinsing it instead of using shampoo? Might help the scalp get used to producing less?

[Bucatini]

Switch to a shampoo without sulfates but don't change your routine other than to use MUCH less of it. Some people dilute shampoo with distilled water, but I hate having it all runny so I just limit myself. Think about shampooing your scalp, and letting the suds clean your length when you rinse out. That will take enough getting used to. You hair won't feel squeaky clean (that is, stripped of its natural oils) but your body will adjust.

Eventually you'll have to bite the bullet and not shampoo every day. You could still wet it every day, just replace your shampoo sessions with CO or a water only rinse on the off days. Then eventually you won't "have to" wet your hair every day and you can just shampoo every other day. THEN you can replace some of those shampoos with a CO or a water only rinse, which is where I am right now. I have to do something every other day, I haven't been able to get to that elusive third day.

There will be yucky days but you'll get adjusted.

Before TLHC I sometimes washed my hair twice a day, and I NEVER thought I would get to this point. But I did, and you will! It takes time.

Edited to add: I think you're talking about dry shampoo or hair powder? The common brand is called Pssst (or something like that?) is white and works best on lighter hair. Salon Grafix makes one for dark hair, and Bumble and Bumble makes hair powders for this use for any shade. I really hate dry shampoos, but some people love it.

[melikai]

Do your products contain silicones? When I used them my hair easily became a dull, greasy, static-y mess too. Perhaps try clarifying before anything else, and if you do use 'cones, consider changing.

For hair powder, you can use simple corn starch, but the whiteness can make hair look dull too. Here is a good recipe, courtesy of GladToBeMom:

Nanny Pauline's Airing Powder for the Hair:

2 quart glass canning jar
3.5 c. Orris Root Powder
3 c. Cornstarch
3-9 drops Rosemary EO
3-9 drops Lavender EO
3-9 drops Honey EO
9 dried rose petals or 9 little pieces of silk about the size of rose petals.

1. Put 1 c. of Orris Root powder in the jar
2. Put 2 c. of the cornstarch in the jar
3. Close and roll a bit to mix. Do not shake.
4. Put 1-3 drops of EO on a rose petal or silk swatch and drop in the jar after the oil is well absorbed. Roll the jar a bit (don't shake). Do this with each drop of EO. Roll in between additions.
5. Put the rest of the of the powders in and roll again.
6. Place the powder in a cool cupboard for 3 weeks. Roll jar every couple of days. It takes a while for the oils to integrate with the powders.
7. Store in an airtight canning jar or in a wax paper bag inside a tin—in a cool dry place.

[Honey39]

I dunno - I wash every day because I like washing my hair every day!

My hair is mid-back length now, and I think for me, one of the reasons I want long hair is to enjoy wearing it down or up, and I do like that freshly washed (condition-washed only for me) feeling on a daily basis. When I was younger and had very long hair that I washed twice a week, I *hated* the calculations about when I would wash my hair so it would look good for important events. So on a personal basis, I don't actually want to stretch out washings.

My hair also thrives on being moisturised and soaked every day - I don't brush/comb my hair, except combing out when it's wet, so it's kind of a grooming thing for me as well.

I guess it depends on your goals - but for me, struggling through 'unattractive' hair days just to stretch washes isn't worth it; this is all very personal, of course, and I know that a lot of people here don't have that unattractive hair look when they don't wash it - I'm not one of them, lol :)

[Heidi_234]

I'm having trouble to relate, since I've gone gone NW/SO cold turkey, and didn't encounter any problems or transitioning. So obviously I can't tell how 'bad' it might feel. :laugh:

[Beatnik Guy]

My scalp is fine for 3 (or 4) days; my length for somewhat more than that.

[Anje]

I'm another person who just (CO) washes as often as my hair dictates. Once it gets greasy enough to bug me, I wash it. (It also tends to get washed after I jump in the lake, and things like that.) If the ends feel like they want conditioner, it gets washed. So in the summer, it might go about 5 days between washings. In the winter, my scalp gets greasy faster, and washes need to happen about every 3 days.

Just start by skipping a day, or alternate day and night washes so you get about 36 hours between instead of 24. Maybe rinse on the off days at first.

[KaasKnot]

Hmm, so no matter what way you slice it there is some transition phase that it looks bleh? Maybe I could invest in some cool hats for that phase!

Hats are good, but hair actually holds quite well when it's just slightly greasy, so you can put in some good updos. It'll just look like you put gel in it (and you'd be surprised what people don't notice...). Alternately, scarves are a really popular option, this site (http://www.tznius.com/cgi-bin/tying.pl) has some good scarf-tying ideas. And some pretty scarves!