Is it better to wash hair upside down?

[curlytiff27]

I know...weird question probably, but its a legitimate one for me. I ask because I usually shower at night (after the gym) and wash my hair in the morning, due to only one bathroom in my house. Otherwise I would not have the time! Anyways, I have always washed by curly hair upside down. I was wondering if this would contribute to excess shedding? Or is it something trivial that really means nothing?

Thanks!

[Lamb]

I do the same thing - shower at night, wash my hair quickly under the tap in the morning.
For me, this is the only way I can get to my scalp and clean it properly. I don't think it contributes to shedding at all - can't imagine how it could!

[Roseate]

Well, you could try washing it the other way once and see if there's a shedding difference. Though I don't see why there would be.

For me, washing my hair upside down always results in hideous, bizarre tangles. And I normally don't have any problem with tangles at all! So I don't do it. But obviously, since you do it regularly you don't have that problem!

[curlytiff27]

Yea, it may be contributing to more tangles which in turn could contribute to shedding. Hmmm. I just might try it the other way and find out. :-)

[spidermom]

It's easier to wash mine upright in the shower so that I can comb the conditioner through and leave my hair hanging down to dry. If I flip it upside down to wash, eventually I have to flip it back so that it hangs, but it tangles up when I do that. Bad tangles. Serious tangles. Sometimes the canopy is like cotton candy or steel wool to comb through after I do that.

[Shiva]

I know...weird question probably, but its a legitimate one for me. I ask because I usually shower at night (after the gym) and wash my hair in the morning, due to only one bathroom in my house. Otherwise I would not have the time! Anyways, I have always washed by curly hair upside down. I was wondering if this would contribute to excess shedding? Or is it something trivial that really means nothing?

Thanks!

Not really a weird question at all.

I have been washing my hair upside down in the shower for the past 2-3 months and I like it much better. I can get the shampoo on my scalp and I can see better when everything is rinsed out. The only thing I don't like about washing my hair upside down is getting water up my nose.

[Sissy]

For me, washing my hair upside down always results in hideous, bizarre tangles.

This is the case for me too. However, if washing upside down is easier and better for you then no reason not to continue it.

[Amara]

When my hair was shorter I often washed upside down. Now I'm with Spidermom - I get crazy tangles when the inevitable flip rightside up happens.

[Cinnamon Hair]

I agree with Roseate and Sissy. Upside down washing means a big matt of hair for me. You should try both ways upside down and normal and see which ones gives you less tangles & shedding.

[Liat]

..........

[hennared]

Well, I am a FREAK about worrying about shed hairs, since I"m experiencing hair loss of some degree .. so I am super fearful of things causing shedding. But even I don't think washing upside down would cause excess shed. I have wavy hair, and I know washing it upside down causes tangles. I used to rinse out my hair upside down in the sink when I'd henna, and I hated the knots I'd get! But maybe even that could be avoided, with some thorough combing beforehand?

[Shiva]

When my hair was shorter I often washed upside down. Now I'm with Spidermom - I get crazy tangles when the inevitable flip rightside up happens.
This is probably something to consider as well.... length. I think this method of washing works for me because my length is somewhere a little past APL.

[longhairedfairy]

Everyone is different. It seems to make my hair tangle a bit more if I wash it that way, but it may not for you.:)

[eadwine]

I used to wash upside down too. Now that my hair has reached waist (almost) I find it much easier to wash it standing up. One is it better for my back, and two, I don't have to untangle it much.

Untangling until BSL aboutish is a breeze but after that.. ehh not so much :lol:

[Shiva]

I forgot to mention I have a hand-held shower head, too... I don't know if that makes a difference or not.

[clairenewcastle]

I've always preferred to wash my hair upside down, so I never wash my hair in the shower as I find it too awkward. I find it's easier for me to bend over the bath and attach a hand-held shower spray to the bath taps.

[seadaughter]

I've always washed my hair upside down, all my life, since I always wash it separately from my shower/bath. It's much more convenient for me to do it this way. I've had hair ranging from shoulder length to hip length at different points of my life. From my experience, while it's still ok to wash shoulder length hair in the shower, it gets really awkward with longer hair; it's my personal feeling though and it probably comes from habit more that anything else.
But I am sure this method of washing does not increase shedding!

[Messyhair]

I used to wash my hair upside down when it was long because I find that conditioner causes my skin to breakout if it touches it anywhere. Conditioning while bent over solved that little problem, and I'd wash the scalp while the conditioner was in. I never noticed a huge problem with tangles, but I used a LOT of conditioner to get a lot of slip and there were inevitable tangles to deal with - I just didn't have anything else to gauge the level of tangles since I'd never had long hair before and never washed my long hair upright... I suppose it must tangle more upside down, but I don't think it would really shed more.

What is everyone's secret to minimizing the tangles when washing upside down?

[Niftytiffs]

I wash my hair upside down over the bath, its how my dad used to wash my hair when I was little and I just hate washing it when I am upright! I create such a fuss when we stay in a hotel and they dont have a hand held shower unit! :D

I wash, condition, then pile on my head and cover with a cap before bathing then rinse and rinse and rinse again after my bath. A good old fashioned towel wrap for 30 minutes then it gets combed through gently before being allowed to dry. I dont get too many tangles, those I do get though are a worthwhile trade off against the shampoo I have problems rinsing from my hair when I wash it in the shower!

Tiffers

[curlytiff27]

Thanks for all the replies! :) I have done it upside down for years as well. I had come across something last night on some site that someone had mentioned that upside down pulls at the nape hairs more as well. That being said, you can't believe everything you read on the net. I use a hand held shower thing too. My shedding has actually gotten a bit better this week. (Knock on wood, not trying to jinx myself here!) I had a bad shed day last Monday. Actually...its my own fault. I had lost a good bit of hair but I had straightened it with a round brush and I got stupid and decided to count my shed hairs from that as well. I have learned the hard way that ripping a brush through my hair creates more shed for me. However, on Wednesday and Friday washes, my shed was way down. I have added EPO back into my regimine and my msm as well. EPO was mainly for *girl stuff*. However, after my freak out from shedding on Monday, that morning I said enough is enough and went to get blood work down. Doctor tested my T3, TSH, T4, Iron and Insulin (diabetes runs in my family) and all came out great. So I think I am just paranoid because of the amount of hair I lost due to the layers that were cut into my hair and the 4-6 inches I lost on top of the layers at the beginning of Sept. Gosh, I will be glad when I'm back to my blunt hem line! Some can beautifully pull off layers...but they are not for me.

Ok...I think I am done venting for now. :-) Oh, and I will try and post a picture of my hair straightened too.

Tiff

[rchorr]

When my hair was shorter, I could wash it in the sink. Now, not so much. It's pretty icky (nice, technical term) when the hair still attached goes down the drain. :tmi:

RCHORR'

[catysue]

Sometimes I wash mine upside down (CO) and it does not cause tangles on my very easily tangled hair. I like it because it feels good and is easier for me to really get to my scalp

[Shiva]

Thanks for all the replies! :) I have done it upside down for years as well. I had come across something last night on some site that someone had mentioned that upside down pulls at the nape hairs more as well.

This was not the case for me. When I was washing upright I would gather all the hair over to my left side and rinse that way (at the time my water was slightly hard... now I have a showerhead filter) and I had a ton of nape hair breakage:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=3536&pictureid=45194

[klcqtee]

I like both. I really prefer to wash right side up (as far as the scrubbing and CO/S+C), then rinse upside down. When I rinse upside down, it makes plopping easier, and gives me more volume. My hair is heavy (even short as it is), and always seems to be very flat on top. I rinse upside down at night, then stack on top of my head and clip up with a giant jaw clip. When I wake up in the morning, I have pretty waves!

[Jessikinz]

I tried washing my hair upside down and got terrible tangles. Now I just rinse my hair upside down whenever I'm doing deep treatments and I don't want to hop back in the shower. I have a hand held shower head so I just bend over the tub and rinse away.

[Debra83]

For years and years, I washed my hair with the shower nozzle hose thing, over the side of the bathtub. After joining this site, I discovered the "shower/bath combo". I fill the tub which I way prefer the warmth of that to a shower, but use the shower hose, to wash and rinse my hair. I can do a cwc (comb through the last one), and rinse, and not even towel dry. That's what give me good curly waves. In my 1 year anniversary pic (presently my sig pic), it shows the after results of that PLUS I had a two hour nap after church. I got up and took the pic and didn't even finger comb it!!!!

[nowxisxforever]

I can never wash my hair upside down...tangle city, man.

[papillion]

I hate showers, so I always wash my hair upside down in the sink. I never have any problems with tangles.

Reading what other people have said, I think it's because I don't "flip" my hair back over - I just wrap the towel around my hair while my head is still upside down, then gently twirl the towel over to behind my head before I stand up.

[Kerynna]

I don't wash upside down, but I have occasionally rinsed my hair upside down because I discovered that doing so makes it noticeably more full and curly than when I rinse it the usual way. So when I'm in the mood for my slightly wavy hair to look it's most curly and full, I rinse upside down.

[Stephichan]

I sometimes wash my hair upside down if I feel like that part of my hair is especially greasy and needs extra attention. Once I'm done working the shampoo in, I carefully get back into an upright position and rinse, then apply conditioner standing upright. My only problems are water in the nose and it's easier to get soap in the eyes doing it that way. If I'm going to do it with this method, then I often make it a CWC just to prevent the extra tangles from forming on the canopy.

[SHELIAANN1969]

If I were to wash my hair upside down, I would be in a world of tangles. As it is, when I wash my hair in the shower, I take my hair and flip it upside down so I can put the towel on my hair and it tangles just doing that.

[akka naeda]

I always wash my hair upside down and never get tangles. In fact the last time I washed it, I dried off the worst of the damp with a towel, blow-dried it until it no longer dripped, and then left the rest to air dry loose. An hour or so later I plaited it and found there was no need to comb it because there weren't any tangles.

I don't think it causes extra shedding, but it's the only way I'd be able to a) wash my scalp, and b) get rid of any loose hairs - they'd not come out if I washed the right way up.

[enfys]

I've always washed my hair upside-down and it never gives me tangles. I brush it forward, wet, shampoo, rinse, condition, twist to a bun onto of my head, rinse, squeeze as dry as I can, wrap in a turban towel. I don't toss it back down until it's dry or almost dry.

Maybe this is what makes a difference? I'd have far more tangles and a more sore neck if I washed upright.

What ever works for you is the best way to wash! This will most likely need trial and error.