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Ruhland
January 21st, 2010, 09:11 AM
I have heard of theories to recondition your scalp in an attempt to avoid washing your hair on a daily basis. The process invovles forcing your strongest instincts aside to grab the shampoo bottle and end your miserable greasy sufferings. The idea is that your body will become accustomed to the change and will excrete less grease, thus not having to shampoo as often and additionally not drying our hair!

I have tried this method and I was MISERABLE! Ew, I felt like such a grease ball. My hair is rather short so the grease doesn't distribute over a ton of hair, instead my hair becomes soaked (that word sounds horrible regarding the reference).

So, my question is, is this true? Can you really change the amount of grease your scalp puts out? Can we change our hair type from being greasy, to normal?

Oh dear

Peter
January 21st, 2010, 09:30 AM
I used to wash every 4 days with SLS shampoo, and by wash day, my hair would be fairly greasy. Now with scalp massages, I can go a week with CO washes. I don't know if it's because my scalp is actually producing less sebum or due to the scalp massages moving sebum down the length. Worked for me though. :)

kdaniels8811
January 21st, 2010, 09:34 AM
Yes, it is true. My hair used to be super oily at the scalp and dry on the ends. After trying different methods featured in the forums, I finally settled on indian herbs and now wash my hair every 4-5 days and it does not get greasy or oily. It is hard to make the transition at first but now I do not know why I washed every day. No wonder my ends were so dry. Good luck, there is a ton of useful information here.

Anje
January 21st, 2010, 10:25 AM
It's true for me, though it may not be true for everyone.

An easier way to go through the process is to find the mildest cleansing method that works for you. One good way to go is to use a non-detergent-based cleanser, like shampoo bars or non-sulfate shampoo. CO washing's also good. Wash your hair only when it needs washed, not before. Often, this can start with stretching washes from 24 hours to 36 (washing alternate mornings and evenings), then 48. It's easier to do this when your hair's long enough to be pulled back, so that if it's a little greasy in the morning but you don't feel ready to wash it yet, you can slick it back into an updo and wash it that evening.

Also realize that how often you need to wash may vary with hormones, weather, etc. I need to wash more in the winter, for example.

Vivien'
January 21st, 2010, 10:27 AM
True ! I'm the (a) living proof (with shampoo, once a week; now water only every fifth day or so). If you're currently washing every day, try first to wash every two day instead. It may takes a long time. And then stretch 'til you're satisfied with your routine. :)

heidihug
January 21st, 2010, 10:29 AM
Nope. Doesn't work for me. That was one of the first things I tried after joining the LHC. All I got as a reward for stretching washings/going WO for a while was a disgusting mess of thin and fine clumps of greasy hair. I have a big problem with very greasy skin and adult acne due to hormonal fluctuations, though. Not for me, at least until I am past menopause. I might revisit then.

frizzalot
January 21st, 2010, 12:03 PM
true for me too.
pre LHC i used to wash my hair once a week (shampoo only) and even then on wash day it was still fairly dry. Since finding out about CO i have tried many conditioners and DT's. So i started washing more frequently=every other day. My hair is now getting greasy very fast, it took about a month to change.
I am currently in the process of trying to re-condition my scalp to once a week, i'm finding ponytails and updo's my best friend. :)

good luck!

spidermom
January 21st, 2010, 12:19 PM
Nope - you couldn't prove that theory on my head. I've tried CO and I've tried washing my hair only once per week. The only change was that I had to get used to having a less-than-clean head.

My sebum varies, too. Sometimes it's thin and spreads easily down my hair, other times it seems more waxy and sticky and glues my hair to my scalp.

PS - I read a study somewhere where they used some sophisticated scientific instrument to measure sebum production every day, and it didn't matter whether the hair was washed every day or once a month - the scalp still produced the same amount of sebum every day.

Madame J
January 21st, 2010, 12:27 PM
Different things work for different people. The best way to see if it will work for you is to start by just going one extra day without washing. When that doesn't seem so bad, extend for another day. My limit seems to be four days between washings. My rule is that if I have a day where my hair is so bad the only thing I can do with it is braid it or cover it, I wash the next day.

I used to wash no less than every other day, and now I wash twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday.

marikamt
January 21st, 2010, 12:33 PM
My answer is a "yes, but..."

I tried w/ the SLS shampoo and coney conditioner and failed miserably.

When I switched to non-sls shampoo, and eventually 'poo bars, it worked for me. I still can't go a week, BUT I can go 2-3 days (I may even be able to do a CO on the next wash day), or I may have to wash my bangs, but the length does not get bad at all..... and the scalp stays good for 2-3 days.

Plus, in addition to not washing as often, I just feel better about the gentle products I now use.....

Ruhland
January 21st, 2010, 12:40 PM
This is all very great information! Sadly my hair is like 3"-4" and a pony tail or up-do is only possible for 1/4 of my head at a time! lol. Apparently, I just need to stick it out. I worry because I work as a server at Bob Evan's once a week so maaaybe I'll not wash my hair so that I can wash my hair right before I go into work. Appearance matters there :(

Backliteyes
January 21st, 2010, 01:42 PM
This worked for me. I was at the point where I could alternate co-washing and water washing only, and only use a SLS-free shampoo every week or two. My hair adjusted after only a week or two when started co-washing and my hair was moisturized, but got noticeably greasy less quickly than when I washed almost every day with SLS shampoo.

Then I freaked my scalp out with an overload of chemical hair dye, and it's been a slow recovery ever since. :( Currently I've conquered most of my issues there, but I still need to use dandruff shampoo or apple cider vinegar rinses at least a couple times a week to keep a couple small patches on my scalp from itching.

I'm hoping at some point I'll totally kick it and be back to my old scalp where I can resume co-washing most of the time, especially as I increase my length and the ends end up too dry more of the time.

Dreams_in_Pink
January 21st, 2010, 01:58 PM
using non-sls shampoos kinda stopped sebum production on me :/

bumblebums
January 21st, 2010, 04:46 PM
This is all very great information! Sadly my hair is like 3"-4" and a pony tail or up-do is only possible for 1/4 of my head at a time! lol. Apparently, I just need to stick it out.

Not necessarily--you could look into "dry shampoo". The easiest kind of dry shampoo is cornstarch, maybe mixed with cocoa powder if your hair is dark. People use it to spread out time between washings.

It worked for me. I washed my hair daily when it was a buzz cut, then every other day when I had a "scene cut", and now I am washing once a week. It took about a month and a half to adjust, which I did by adding a day at a time between washes and keeping that routine for a week or so at a time. Good luck.

Bonkers57
January 21st, 2010, 05:29 PM
I believe that (the study) - it's certainly been the case for me. By now I've gotten used to washing it every other day, but feel so much better after I wash it :)


Nope - you couldn't prove that theory on my head. I've tried CO and I've tried washing my hair only once per week. The only change was that I had to get used to having a less-than-clean head.

My sebum varies, too. Sometimes it's thin and spreads easily down my hair, other times it seems more waxy and sticky and glues my hair to my scalp.

PS - I read a study somewhere where they used some sophisticated scientific instrument to measure sebum production every day, and it didn't matter whether the hair was washed every day or once a month - the scalp still produced the same amount of sebum every day.

MsBubbles
January 21st, 2010, 05:59 PM
No, Ruhland. Not with my scalp! But I'm thrilled for all the other people who had this method work for them and were able to 'stretch' their washes. My scalp and hair become greasy almost exactly 24 hours after I wash it every single time, no matter what time of day I washed it or how many days I have tried to force it to sit there greasy.

One other theory I never tested on myself though, was eating a less 'acidic' diet (as per something like the Paleo Diet, for example). I have a feeling this might make my scalp less greasy but it's just a theory. Trouble is, I can't give up buttered toast and chocolate :o.

Find what works for you.

RocketDog
January 21st, 2010, 06:49 PM
Didn't work for me - I tried and tried stretching washes and all I got was increased shedding and a sore, itchy scalp.

bumblebums
January 21st, 2010, 07:10 PM
I think that the gentler the washing method, the more likely you are to succeed.

As far as those studies go--it would make sense that the amount of sebum would be the same no matter how frequently the hair is washed, especially if it is washed with a relatively strong detergent. (Think what happens when you get bleach on your hands--the skin feels slimy, which is the result of oils being pulled out of your skin. Then the oils get rinsed off, and the skin feels really dry.) But there is the possibility that the nature of the sebum changes, even if quantity doesn't. I have observed this in my own experience--my scalp oils are lighter, where before they were more viscous.

Anyway, plenty of people on this forum wash their hair once a week or even less, and they don't seem to look like greaseballs. But then, plenty of longhairs wash their hair every other day or even more often.

CaityBear
January 21st, 2010, 07:19 PM
Personally, does not work with me. I tried and I can still only go two days before my hair gets oily and when my hair gets oily, it shows BAD! I wish I could do 4 or so days. *sigh*

Igor
January 21st, 2010, 09:49 PM
Yes it’s true. But it can be a long process. In my case it took a full year to go from shampooing every day to shampooing a couple of times a year in case of insane greasiness

Do it very gradually and allow yourself to “fail” and use the shampoo if you need it. There are plenty other more gentle cleansing methods out there

tralalalara
January 21st, 2010, 09:54 PM
Last year, I washed only the hairs around my scalp every day, and only the length once a week to clear out conditioner build-up.

Now, I've stretched it to two-three days.

Someone mentioned pulling it back, but that only makes it look flatter and greasier to me. Since it's short, you might be able to get away with rinsing it in the sink with just water and styling it with your natural oils (I did this at chin length, it just looks like gel!)

ravenreed
January 21st, 2010, 10:25 PM
My scalp doesn't get oily as quickly since I went CO, but attempting to stretch washes just made me miserable. My scalp gets itchy, my hair gets lank and stringy. My hair always looks stringier when I pull it back in a bun or pony tail, so sometimes I can wear it down even if I can't pull off a bun, but I still would rather just cleanse my hair than try to pass off ickiness.

AnitaThorn
January 21st, 2010, 10:37 PM
This is true for me. I used to wash my hair everyday and every other day, and when I would skip washing it for three or more days, it would get greasy and stringy looking. Now, I wash it every 5 days and coconut oil it the night before a wash, and it's gotten so much better. It's much less greasy, and feels a lot smoother. However, this method may not work for everyone, I can only speak for myself. :) I hope this helps!