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View Full Version : Is it true the less you wash your hair the better...?



xxaimsxx
October 14th, 2009, 12:56 PM
Condition it will be in?
I really want to get it in good condition and don't mind going with greasy hair even though it can be abit rank :wink:

spidermom
October 14th, 2009, 12:59 PM
Within reason and personal tolerance, yes - I think it improves the condition of your hair to cut down on how often you wear it. Of course being dirty can make it tangle and knot up more, so there is a balance that you have to find.

Amara
October 14th, 2009, 01:16 PM
Doing anything with your hair can result in mechanical damage - so yes, washing is damaging. But not washing can be damaging too... I know if I don't wash for 4-5 days my ends lose their slip, even with oilings, and then I get more tangles and breakage.

Alexannee10
October 14th, 2009, 01:56 PM
I noticed that my hair are in better condition when I wash them less .. Maybe it's just a coincidence .. I think it depends. When my hair are greasy (sorry for those who think i'm disgusting loll), they're more silky and shiny after I wash them.

Sorry for my bad english. Did you understand what I mean? :doh:

Thinthondiel
October 14th, 2009, 02:07 PM
When I still used shampoo it dried out my hair and scalp and made my scalp flaky, so for me washing wasn't good for the condition of my hair. Now I'm doing WO (water only), and while my hair was greasy during the transition phase, it's not anymore. There's always some sebum coating it, of course, so it's not as squeaky clean as it would be if I shampooed, but it's in a much better condition. I shed a lot less now as well.

So I guess what I'm saying is, shampooing often can be bad for your hair (although for some people it seems to work just fine), so if you can manage to stretch between washes, that might be better for the condition of your hair and scalp.

Thinthondiel
October 14th, 2009, 02:13 PM
I noticed that my hair are in better condition when I wash them less .. Maybe it's just a coincidence .. I think it depends. When my hair are greasy (sorry for those who think i'm disgusting loll), they're more silky and shiny after I wash them.

Sorry for my bad english. Did you understand what I mean? :doh:

I'm sure there aren't many on here who'd find that disgusting... many of the members here stretch between washes, and some are doing CO (conditioner only), WO (water only) or NW/SO (no water/sebum only). And many of us also oil our hair precisely because grease/oil is good for the condition of the hair.

And your English is perfectly understandable. :)

Wind Dragon
October 14th, 2009, 02:16 PM
I think it improves the condition of your hair to cut down on how often you wear it.

Could be. DH has an old ponytail that he hasn't worn since he cut it off. I wouldn't say that it's condition has improved, but it sure hasn't gotten any worse. :p

spidermom
October 14th, 2009, 02:33 PM
Could be. DH has an old ponytail that he hasn't worn since he cut it off. I wouldn't say that it's condition has improved, but it sure hasn't gotten any worse. :p

And that's a good thing!

longhairedfairy
October 14th, 2009, 02:52 PM
It depends on the person. The same thing is not true for everyone.:)

Lamb
October 14th, 2009, 03:00 PM
It's different for everyone. For my fine, curly hair, frequent washing is important: less buildup, more moisture, even with using a gentle shampoo every time I wash. I can't imagine going without washing more than three days, even when (or if ever) I get to my first goal of BSL hair.
So, to each their own. :)

saskia_madding
October 14th, 2009, 03:04 PM
Be careful though. Sometimes the shampoos we're using are managing a scalp condition you might not know you have.

That is what happened to me - I switched to a more natural shampoo and my scalp freaked out and I ended up losing almost an inch of circumference in three weeks.

So definitely give it a try, but listen very carefully to what your hair and scalp tell you that they want.

JamieLeigh
October 14th, 2009, 03:09 PM
For me, it's about finding that balance that Spidermom mentioned above. If I wash it too often, it starts looking and feeling dry and damaged....but if I go too long between washings, it tangles more easily. I need that conditioner!!!! :D

Arctic
October 14th, 2009, 03:15 PM
I see your goal length is 24". For length in that category it's safe to wash as much as you need ( think if you go for super lengths, the more important it would be to reduce washing). I wash every second day, use full strength shampoo and conditioner. My hair is always best on the wash day and gets horrible the dirtier it is. But like others have said, these are very individual things, and some kind of oil is important for hair, as well as being gentle when you wash, use washing method that leaves your hair and scalp happy, be careful with wet/damp hair, air dry, etc.

ravenreed
October 14th, 2009, 04:57 PM
I cannot go more than a few days without cleansing. I live in a dry area and my ends are happiest when they get wet and conditioned. In addition, after about 3 days, my scalp gets unbearably itchy and starts getting build up, so I do a CO. Sometimes I can go 4 days, but not longer.

MirandaWelch
October 14th, 2009, 05:07 PM
My hair is happiest when I wash it everyday. Not with shampoo though, with conditioner. I'm still figuring out how many days it wants to go between shampooing but currently I'm on day 4 of conditioner washing and it looks and feels great.

adiapalic
October 14th, 2009, 05:22 PM
It's different for everyone. For my fine, curly hair, frequent washing is important: less buildup, more moisture, even with using a gentle shampoo every time I wash. I can't imagine going without washing more than three days, even when (or if ever) I get to my first goal of BSL hair.
So, to each their own. :)

If I'm understanding correctly, you wash your hair every 3 days? Because that's about how often I wash mine, and I thought that was a good amount of time without a wash!

Some people might think that is a huge amount of time, as they seem to believe they need to wash daily.

aprilmay
October 14th, 2009, 05:30 PM
I have to agree that it differs from person to person. I usually wash my hair once a week, sometimes twice, and sometimes I go longer between washings. Finding a shampoo and conditioner that work well with your hair is essential. I often know it is time to wash because my ends become snarled and difficult to brush (yes, I brush my hair at least twice a day).

Good luck, experiment with your hair and please share the results.

Cinnamon Hair
October 14th, 2009, 07:39 PM
No, I disagree. I think condition is more about the amount of physical wear and tear, manipulation of the hair than about frequency of washing in and of itself. Of course I say this as a person who CO washes daily :twocents:
A few reasons:

For me, it is more work to detangle dry hair than wet.
Damp buns are easier to make and have more staying power than dry ones (again, for me). Meaning a dry bun often needs to be redone which equals more physical manipulation of the hair.
Damp buns are usually followed by soft well moisturized hair when you let it down.
If my hair is a greasy mess and I'm not happy with it, I am less likely to treat it well. So better to wash as often as necessary than to have hair I don't enjoy.


Regardless of how often you wash, the main thing is to be gentle with your hair. The better you treat it the nicer it will look.

Lamb
October 14th, 2009, 08:07 PM
If I'm understanding correctly, you wash your hair every 3 days? Because that's about how often I wash mine, and I thought that was a good amount of time without a wash!

Some people might think that is a huge amount of time, as they seem to believe they need to wash daily.
No, I wash my hair every day. It's very short now, but when it was a bit longer I (just shy of shoulder length) I still washed it daily, and I think even when it's BSL, I'll wash it every day or every other day.
My scalp is happier with daily washings, and my hair loves being moisturized daily. And I agree with Cinnamon Hair: daily manipulation is what counts, and if your hair is harder to detangle dry than wet, daily washing and wet detangling are not harmful.

vanity_acefake
October 15th, 2009, 05:24 PM
I think it's different for everyone depending on their hair type and length. I only wash my hair once a week and you can tell when the end of the week is as i wear my hair up with the front in a quiff! I find that washing it more makes it dry out and become greasy quicker.

jivete
October 15th, 2009, 09:23 PM
My hair seems to be better with less frequent washing (I'm trying for 2x per week), but that was only after I found a good, lightweight oil (Argan). Otherwise my ends were just yucky by the third day. I need that moisture too, but distilled water and a drop or two of oil really help.

klcqtee
October 15th, 2009, 09:35 PM
I noticed that my hair are in better condition when I wash them less .. Maybe it's just a coincidence .. I think it depends. When my hair are greasy (sorry for those who think i'm disgusting loll), they're more silky and shiny after I wash them.

Sorry for my bad english. Did you understand what I mean? :doh:

First, I understand what you mean perfectly. Second, my hair is the same way. My hair is far happier washing only once or twice a week, than every day or every other day like I used to. It's a lot less dry, frizzy, and tangled when I stretch my washes. My hair is naturally pretty greasy, and stretching washes has also made the grease tone down a bit (gets greasy slower), and has mostly cured my dandruff! (Day after wash = dandruff, a few days after wash = dandruff free :D)

Plus my hair is all shiny with natural oil. It's worth a shot to try stretching washes. Also, if you're concerned about smell, my hair, so long as worn up 90% of the time between washes, always smells like my coney conditioner. Even 5 or 6 days after my last wash. The only time it smells bad is in the summer, after swimming (and not rinsing), or after working out during the summer (the sweat just never...dries.)

shwankie
October 15th, 2009, 09:46 PM
I wash either every day, or every other day, depending on my schedule, and I do a lot of conditioning and oiling. I can't go any longer than 2 days without washing, even on hiking trips (yep, I do wash in freezing cold water--my hair looks faboo afterwards!). My scalp gets itchy and it looks like I dumped a bin of fry grease on my head if I go any longer than that.

For me, I notice damage with more handling, not so much with washing. I only wash my scalp, though, and do so very gently. My ends haven't been washed in I don't know how long (though, they'll get washed this week when I do my annual transition to even out my sun-bleaching). I oil form the ears down with jojoba or coconut oil every wash, plus some deep oilings when I can.

So, I think it's different for everyone.

Aer
October 16th, 2009, 03:24 AM
I would say yes, it definitely does better with less washing. And I mean washing less frequently with any type of wash method. Be it SLS shampoo, shampoo bar, all natural shampoo, dry shampoo, soapnuts, or clay. If you get gunky scalp though, then you should nip that in the bud, because I don't know how good that is for hair growth.

MerryKat
October 16th, 2009, 05:02 AM
My scalp and hair are happier without washing and I am happily SO/NW. For me the critical thing is scritching, massaging and preening daily.

I have tried S&C (all variations), CO and WO and NW is where I am happiest.

Each person is different and has different expectations for their hair & scalp.

justme
October 17th, 2009, 12:15 PM
My hair loves water and tangles less if I wet it down every night. Unfortunately that's a pain, so I don't do it very often.

I just posted a poll to see if this is related to hair coarseness/fineness here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=35191) if you're interested.