I HAVE to wash everyday!

[kristymarie87]

I dont know how you do it - wash every 4-5 days!

I have to wash mine everyday :(

I do it before bed and wake up with flat hair but just tie it back for work. Then that night i repeat the process.

I tried dry shampoo but it stuck to my hair.

I dont condition my roots as they are too greasy and the ends are dry so i use aussie 3mm on them. I usually let it dry naturally but on occassion i bloy dry and at weekends i dry and straighten.

I have tried to no wash it for a few days and get it into a routine but in the end i look all greasy and it makes me feel so ugly!

What can i do? I cant afford expensive shampoos. My hair is medium thick strands but i dont have lots of hair - if you undrestand what i mean. There is no natural wave but a few kinks and it is shoulder length with lots of layers.

Also can someone give me tips on self trims?

[Snowcold]

If your roots are greasy and the ends are dry, you can still use conditioner! Just put it on the length only and leave the scalp conditioner free! :)

I wash it every other day and I'm currently trying to stretch the time in between washes. So instead of Wash - Not wash - Wash, I'm trying: Wash - Not wash - Not wash - Not wash - Wash. Your hair has to get used to it, so probably won't work within a week!

Another tip: you could wash your hair in the morning before going to work, instead of before going to bed, maybe it looks prettier during the day then!

[Calista]

Kristymarie87, I see you are quite new to the site, so welcome! :flowers: I suggest you use the search function to find some of the threads where this topic has already been discussed at length. This is indeed one of the hot topics on LHC! There are many many useful hints out there. Good luck with stretching your washes. :)

[Shermie Girl]

Wash your hair as often as it needs it. Remember, everyone is different and while stretching time between washings works for some, it isn't for everyone. I have to wash my hair every day to every other day. I simply can't stretch past that. And believe me, I tried. :lol:

I use good old shampoo and conditioner. Sulphates and cones. My hair is happy and shiny, so why fight what works for me and my hair? :D

[Svenja]

I second Shermie Girl. Every head is different. I tried to stretch my hair washing routine, but it was no good for me. If you really want to stretch it, look for the methods on this forum (dilluting shampoo, etc).

[x0h_bother]

I also wash every day. I don't think you need expensive shampoos to wash. I would suggest trying to stretch one day a week to where you have "2nd day" hair.
A good idea is to wash in the AM, then sleep in the PM, then wake up in the AM and keep hair unwashed that day. That way you only have one PM time of sleep in between where you sweat and stuff. For me, it's harder to stretch washes the more times I have slept in between (eg. washing in PM, sleeping, then having my day in the AM, then sleeping at PM, then trying to have 2nd day hair in the AM.)
Good luck!

[kristymarie87]

Thanks everyone. I do condition the ends, i was trying to write that....its been a long day at work and my heads banging!

Sorry i will look through the threads, i red through the first 3 pages and then got all fed up! I'm really tired :/ I remember seeing one before, but i cant seem to find it.

I really cant get up any earlier than i do! I cant physically drag myself out of bed any earlier than 7am! I tried to get into a routine when i started my job but its impossible!! So that leaves half hour to get ready as i leave at 7.30, which isnt long enough to do my hair in!

[Angeletti]

I usually wash my hair once a week and felt the same way at first, greasy and gross but I bought one of those extending shower heads and if I want to wear my hair down past day 3 I'll wash the top of my head without having to wash the bottom. Another thing I'll do is throw a hat on and put my hair in pigtails to hide the top or just put it all in a french braid because you usually can't tell it's greasy as much when it's all back.

[Calista]

Maybe one of these (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/search.php?searchid=1966157) will help you.

Also, I don´t know what length FL is. Generally the shorter your hair is, the more often you´ll need to wash it. As your hair gets longer you´ll have more hair to spread the sebum in; and you might be able to wear your hair up in a way that hides the greasiness.

[teela1978]

Everyone has a different head. Some heads don't make as much oil and only need to be washed weekly-ish... if ever. Some heads (including mine) need more frequent washing. My scalp has stopped making quite as much sebum with age, so now I only need to wash every-other-day-ish, but my scalp used to look wet by the 2nd day if it wasn't shampooed daily.

[breezefaerie]

I'm an every day/ every other day washer myself. I CO wash and S/C once a week. I've tried to stretch it out further but can't.

[UP Lisa]

I've never been able to stretch it, either. I wash every other day, and use powder on the 2nd day to get me by.

I had hoped this would get better with age, but no luck so far. I get it from my Dad. He's almost 85, and still has the problem.:eek:

[LoveMyMutt]

I used to get greasy looking roots when I was using shampoo; but since I went shampoo-free my hair never looks greasy. (I realize you are probably hyperventilating at the thought of someone not shampooing their hair for a year...but hear me out!)

I wash my hair with cheapo conditioner (Suave Naturals). I found that shampoos stripped too much of my scalp's natural oils, which were causing it to overcompensate by producing MORE oils. Result = hair that looks greasy a day after you washed it. Conditioners like Suave Naturals have a mild surfactant which cleans dirt & crud off your hair/scalp, but they are very gentle and moisturizing so your scalp doesn't feel like it needs to overcompensate by producing buckets of oil.

To do a conditioner-only wash: Wet your hair, squeeze out a generous amount of cheap conditioner such as Suave Naturals or VO5 into your hands, and massage it into your scalp. You know how when you go to the hair salon, they give your that sort of brisk massage while they are washing your hair? That's what you want to do. The friction of your fingertips (not your fingernails, of course) plus the surfactants in the conditioner will clean your scalp but not strip it.

I don't really do much to the length of my hair, I just sort of coat it with the conditioner and stroke it through very gently. Then I rinse it out, and apply a heavier conditioner (L'Oreal Vive Pro Nutri Gloss for hair that's wavy/curly) to the length of my hair, and rinse that out.

That's it. My hair comes out soft and shiny and I don't get the dry ends/greasy roots thing.

Mind you, a gentle wash like this cannot dislodge any silicone styling products. So I don't use anything that has any ingredients in it that end in "'cone."

Now, I have wavy/curly hair, which tends to be the dryest hair type. My daughters all have straight hair, and what we do for them is to use a gentle sulfate-free shampoo once a week (Burt's Bees Baby Bees is what they use; but there are many other sulfate-free shampoos available, in various price ranges). They only wash with shampoo once a week now; they used to get greasy looking hair by day 2 or 3 when we used regular shampoo. Sometimes they can even go 2 weeks without shampooing, and their hair still looks clean.

As far as cost, for me to conditioner wash I use Suave Naturals Coconut, which is usually under $2 for a ginormous bottle. Burt's Bee's Baby Bees is about $6 for a bottle, which lasts 3 girls a loooong time when they only use it once a week. Giovanni also makes a sulfate-free shampoo that is very good, you can usually find it at CVS or Target and it is not more than $5, I think.

Good luck!

[kwaniesiam]

FL = forehead length? No matter what length my hair, I've always been a daily washer. Short hair seems to need to be washed more frequently. Listen to your hair, if you can't stretch washings then don't. It isn't any better or worse for your hair to do so, just do what works for you :)

[UP Lisa]

I only wish CO washing would have worked for me. I actually had to wash even more often when doing that.

[my2cats1]

If you really have to wash at night, try pulling your hair up in a high loose braid before you go to sleep. That might keep it smooth and help you stretch it a day between washes.

But like others have said, if you need to wash every day, that's fine. Just use a conditioner on the ends and handle it carefully throughout the day.

There are some great articles for newcomers here. At the top of the forums page, go to "Sticky: Links to VITs - Very Important Threads." I'm sure you'll find these helpful.

[ArienEllariel]

I don't stretch washings. I tried. It just didn't work out for me. I CO every day and I've had no problems with this method. I know there are other members who don't stretch washings either, Cinnamon Hair for one. Hope this makes you feel a little better. :)

[FrannyG]

I used to wash every day, but now that I'm a bit older, I can go every two days, but usually not more.

Everyone's hair and scalp is different. I'd rather wash every day than be unhappy with my hair on the in-between days. I wouldn't worry about it.

[jivete]

I can't really stretch either. I wash every other day, alternating between methods, although I rarely use regular shampoo. On day two, my hair does look more greasy. I just put it up. It is less greasy since I quit using cones and normal SLS shampoo, but not much.

I have found that if I touch it less, it looks better on day two. And since I don't normally use shampoo, when I do, my hair stays cleaner longer.

[Fractalsofhair]

I have to wash every day myself currently, and what works for me is using a very gentle cleanser so my hair doesn't get stripped. I use shampoo bars, but you can dilute your current shampoo with a bit of water with good results!

[Cirafly24]

I stretch my washes to 3-4 days by using minimal product and wearing it up if it looks greasy. I'm pretty low maintenance, though. I wake up 15 minutes before I need to leave for work, and I manage to get dressed, feed the cats, brush my teeth, and do my hair in that time. If I had a half hour, I'd be able to put on makeup too!

[RecklessCharlie]

Welcome to the boards!

I too used to have the issue of feeling as though my hair needed to be washed every day - it got greasy in just one day and my scalp was an oily mess. Then I learned that the very cause of my overly oily scalp was because I was washing it every day!

As LoveMyMutt has already mentioned, conditioner only or a mild Non-Sulfate shampoo may be just the thing for you.

I switched to Conditioner Only, and began using vinegar rinses to help re- balance my scalp. I did endure about a week of oily hair but then suddenly my scalp calmed and began producing less oil because I was no longer drying it out with continuous washing.

Now I only wash 1 - 2 times a week and use Conditioner only on the ends and just a water rinse on the scalp. My hair has never felt better!
I would encourage you to try COing and perhaps ease up on the constant washing. As has been said, everyone's hair is different so this may not work for you - but it is worth a try.

Good luck with your hair journey! :)

[spidermom]

I think it's perfectly fine to wash your hair whenever you feel it needs to be washed. Just be sure to handle your wet hair gently, and you're good to go.

[Arctic_Mama]

My husband is like this - he can stretch his washes but his hair is as greasy at the end of day one as mine is on day seven! It is just differences in scalp (he's oilier) and hair type (his hair is much flatter and straighter, mine is pouffy and wavy).

I think that if you wear your hair back, in something like a half up, you can camouflage the oiliness for a day. Your hair WILL feel flatter and more oily, but that isn't a BAD thing. It's just not whist you're used to.

As for expensive products, I use a $4 shampoo (diluted, it lasts me six months), $1 conditioner, and about five cents worth of catnip tea per wash and I get compliments on my hair all the time. Beautiful hair is more about handling than the cost of products!

[Miss Misha]

<raises hand> Another daily CO washer here. Part of it is because my fine, thin hair tangles too much to comb and put up unless it is damp. The other reason is I get up and exercise in the a.m. before work and no one wants to go to work with "work out hair". Yech.

I've found that wetting the all of it, but CO'ing the length seems to be best. I get the sweat and grunge out and avoid drying out the long part. I only CWC about 2x a week and do a vinegar rinse, followed by a CO on the length (those durned tangles again!) once a week.

[BelleBot]

I used to get a very greasy scalp so had to wash every day or every other day but since switching to CO (conditioner only) I can now go 3 - 4 days between washing. It was very weird at first using just conditioner especially using conditioner on my scalp. The first two weeks I still had the same problems with oil and grease whilst my scalp adjusted, but now it's fantastic, my scalp feels happier without shampoo, and my hair is much better than before, and it doesn't get greasy.
So it might be worth a try. But remember, everyone is different, so you might just be one of those people who need to wash everyday.

[rasmas96]

I might be wrong, but I think that the trick is to wash the hair well avoiding to dry the scalp too much. So the scalp will not be too stimulated to produce sebum.

[spidermom]

I might be wrong, but I think that the trick is to wash the hair well avoiding to dry the scalp too much. So the scalp will not be too stimulated to produce sebum.

I'm just the opposite and wash the scalp but not the hair, which seems logical to me; sebum concentrates at the scalp. Suds running from my scalp down my hair during the rinse is washing enough for my length most times.

[Mamakash]

I recently started to cover my head on a daily basis. So far, the benefits that have resulted have surprised me. My ends are not dry and my scalp is not oily . . . I'm on day four now(without a hair wash) and even though I was going to jump in the shower tonight and co wash my hair, I'll wait until tomorrow. I purchased a shower cap (from Sally's beauty) so I can have my showers, but hold off on hair washing. Then, every other shower, I'll co wash my hair. Right now, it seems to be fine, as my scalp doesn't itch and my hair looks better not being handled as much. And it isn't oily, as I might have expected. It looks normal. Maybe covering up the head/scalp keeps it from getting dry and stops it from producing excess oil.

[LoversLullaby]

I have to CO wash everyday. I've tried to try and stretch them out but my hair just isn't happy otherwise. :)

[misspriss]

...I'm pretty low maintenance, though. I wake up 15 minutes before I need to leave for work, and I manage to get dressed, feed the cats, brush my teeth, and do my hair in that time. If I had a half hour, I'd be able to put on makeup too!

I'm the same way! I just loved seeing I'm not the only one.

I would suggest trying CO washing, that is what I do. My hair gets greasier much faster with shampoo, but hardly at all with conditioner washing. However, I fell into the 4-5 day stretch easily. Sometimes I even go 6-7.

[Grey]

Well washing it everyday can be damaging. But I wash every other day just because I work out, sometimes I go for three days or even more. But usually it's every other day.

[Shermie Girl]

I think that FL means flip length. :bluebiggr

[Teazel]

Just a thought: do you comb or brush your scalp? If I did that I would have to wash every day, too, because I get the greasies easily. When I'm brushing or combing I'm very careful not to touch my scalp; tipping my head to the side and lifting the canopy away from my head a little helps.

Also, do you fiddle with your hair or scalp? That spreads sebum too.

Good luck, and welcome to LHC! :)

[countryhopper]

I used to HAVE to wash with shampoo daily. then I dropped shampoo and conditioner cold turkey and (long story short) now wash twice a week using homemade remedies.

It took a good 2 weeks or more to transition from waxy/greasies, but I LOVE not having to wash my hair everyday anymore!

I agree with Teazel; if you mess with your hair/scalp too much your scalp will produce more sebum and you'll have to wash more frequently! I'm totally guilty of this! :D

[EtherealOde]

I CO wash, and it works quite well. The trick is in learning how to do it properly, because it is a different method from shampooing. The use of products and all the styling might be a part of your problem too. The thing is, it is really hard to diagnose someone's problems online, and you are likely to get a lot of different suggestions. If you always have the issue with oily scalp, I have heard of others gaining benefit from the baking soda cleanse method, with a vinegar rinse. Both of these are extremely cheap too, so it can't hurt to give them a try and see how it works for you.

Whatever you try, take each new thing one at a time, don't try a bunch of things all at once. Give each new thing a couple of weeks at the very least, before trying something new. Then you can see what really works and what doesn't. Good luck, and keep searching for a solution until something works. :)

[Jeni]

Another daily washer here (CWC). Some people can extend their washes, some can't. That is life. Do what makes your hair and scalp happy.

[kristymarie87]

Sorry everyone i read that FL is flip length in a sticky. I guess its about SL bat awkwardly flips up = annoying!!

I may try this CO tonight, atm i only have aussie 3mm so i will have to make do until i can get a lower strength? conditioner? If that makes sense!

I'll have to look at some articles, sometimes i cant get the terminology even though i read it a hundred times!

[Tomato]

And you don't need to be afraid of expensive shampoos, I found that some very good shampoos (in my case also without silicones) are cheaper than the stuff I used in my pre- longhaircommunity- times. And I strechted my washing cycle from 2 to three days.
It depends on what our hair needs.
Good luck! :eyebrows:

[mellie]

I wash everyday, and never use conditioner.

I dilute my shampoo at 1:6 with water and just squirt some on the roots and rinse it through without any rubbing or friction.

I shampoo in the morning and just let it air dry.

[kristymarie87]

I'd love to let mine air dry, but im one of those people who laughts at the people on the train to work with wet hair!

I probably use way too much shampoo, i have had expensive ones and didnt see much differance.

I think i will try CO tonight. Is there a specific routine that one with greasy hair should follow?

I was just going to use conditioner on the roots, massage (have a wash n whatever while it sits) rinse and the use 3mm on the ends. Would this make it even more greasy?

[embee]

I used to wash my hair every day. That was when I was younger and had short hair. At the very least I had to wash my bangs/fringe every single morning, and if I were going out in the evening it looked better if I washed the bangs/fringe again!

Ideas to consider:
* Dilute the shampoo. A lot. Just one wash, no rinse-repeat. Never get *squeaky* clean.
* Perhaps wash every day in summer, every other day in winter
* Perhaps wash after heavy workouts
* Perhaps in 10 years your skin may change to less oily
* Consider a shampoo one day, just a plain water rinse the next

Anything you try should be for a week or so unless you can see a damage thing going right away, like I did with baking soda - I could not comb out my hair when it dried, it was just breaking in the comb. :( That was within 2 hours of the washing. Can you say "horrified"!?!? ;)

[VitaR86]

I only wash when my hair needs it and when I do, I use the CWC method.

[Tomato]

I agree with embee, try to reduce the amount of shampoo you are using. To much tenisdes could be too drying for your scalp and then it reacts with overproduction of sebum.
And even if this does not stretch your washin cycles it helps saving money :eyebrows:

Sunny greetings from sunny Vienna,
Tomato

[UP Lisa]

For those who use non-sulfate shampoos, do you mind if I ask which ones you are using? Also, do you find that they keep working for you, or do you have to clarify or use something different once in a while? I realize you would have to if you use cones, but what if you don't use cones?

[AngelicBrunette]

I may try this CO tonight, atm i only have aussie 3mm so i will have to make do until i can get a lower strength? conditioner? If that makes sense!
!

I wouldn't bother trying it with that. I have used it before and found it EXTREMELY coating. It leaves like a thick film on the hair. I found I could only use it every once and a while because it left such a layer. I don't think it would be effective at all for CO. Just my opinion :) I think it would probably be better to wait until you buy a cheapy conditioner.

[RecklessCharlie]

For those who use non-sulfate shampoos, do you mind if I ask which ones you are using? Also, do you find that they keep working for you, or do you have to clarify or use something different once in a while? I realize you would have to if you use cones, but what if you don't use cones?

I have found that Giovanni makes a wonderful sulfate free shampoo which I used before I switched to CO and then WO. Also Aubrey Organics or Avalon Organics both make nice Sulfate free shampoos.

I believe there's a whole list of sulfate free products on the boards somewhere, but it might take a bit of searching to find it.

[kristymarie87]

Well i tryed it!!

I used ALOT of cheapo conditioner....it had 1 'cone' but im not too bothered. I left it on a while and rinsed for a couple of minutes with warm water, then used a decent conditioner only on the ends.

I must say im very surprised! I was expecting to have to just go shampoo after but it looks so clean! Now i just have to learn not to keep touching it! Its really soft and you could never tell i didnt shampoo, if anything it looks better!!

So needless to say im going to keep this up and see how i go!

Thanks to everyone who commented!!