Does anyone here wash their length?

[Karala]

I've consistently tried NOT to do it, but it almost always results in ugly, tangled, greasy-looking ends.
When I do wash my whole lenght, my ends feel so much softer and better.

Am I the only one?
And should I persist in following the usual long hair care advice about washing the scalp only, even if it doesn't seem to do my hair much good?

[jane53]

I think you should do what makes your hair feel good.

[spidermom]

I wash my length from time to time but not as often as I wash my scalp. It works out best for me this way - my ends don't dry out.

[Isilme]

I think far from everyone wash only the scalp. I'm like you, washing only my scalp would result in me having to cut my hair.

[squiggyflop]

when i was your length i couldnt do a scalp only wash without nasty greasy ends either.. as my hair got longer the oil didnt travel as far down the length anymore(also switching to diluted shampoo helped).. since the length didnt get greasy washing the whole thing wasnt necessary.. but i do sometimes wash the whole thing

[tanya222]

I've recently adopted a modified scalp-only wash routine, (scalp-only 2-3 times a week, length wash once a week or so) and I've been pleasantly surprised to find that my length is much better behaved than when I washed it every night. But then again, I use quite a bit of coconut oil (with some sage essential oil added in) to keep the ends tamed and to help prevent split ends. I *think* I'm seeing less splits!

Do you braid your hair at night for sleeping? Or do something with it at night to keep it neat? For me, no matter if I do a full length wash or scalp only, if I wouldn't braid it every single night I too would wake up with ugly tangled up ends, up to and including a rat's nest at the back of my head LOL Perhaps try coconut oil and night braiding?

[jane53]

I think the real secret is to do what works for YOUR hair.

For instance, oil is NOT good for my hair. It produces dreadful, stringy, greasy, lank hair, and since I work daily, I can't put up with that. And because it's so hard to get oil out of my hair, I'm forced to very roughly and repeatedly shampoo my length if I use oil--NOT a good thing.

On the other hand, many people here swear by oil. More power to them. It's just NOT for me.

By the same token, many people here swear by combs and avoid brushing.

For me, though, combing, even with a seamless widetooth comb, tears my hair to bits. Brushing with a boar bristle brush makes my hair happy.

Another example: many people here believe that wearing hair up all the time protects it from breakage.

However, though I'm glad to have learned the updos I've learned here for variety of styling, I get MORE breakage from putting my hair up. My hair gets less damage when I wear it down.

And the issue of night-braiding or bunning: many people here advocate it. However, the only time I ever braid my hair at night is sometimes when I go to be with it wet. If it's dry, I sleep with it loose and wake up with it tangle free and free from the breakage that comes from anchoring the end of a braid.

If it works for you, do it. Just because it works for someone else doesn't mean it's the only right way to care for hair.

[Karala]

Do you braid your hair at night for sleeping? Or do something with it at night to keep it neat? For me, no matter if I do a full length wash or scalp only, if I wouldn't braid it every single night I too would wake up with ugly tangled up ends, up to and including a rat's nest at the back of my head LOL Perhaps try coconut oil and night braiding?

I do keep my hair contained at night (Nautilus bun on top of head) and use coconut oil and other oils from time to time...
What's weird is that the greasy-looking tangled ends occur right after my hair has finished drying after wash... (what's even weirder is that my hair looks and feels pretty good up until it's almost completely dry... then suddenly when it's completely dry the ends start looking and feeling awful again... but that's probably another issue -_-)

[Anje]

Silicones tend to make my ends grabby and nasty about 48 hours after they're applied, so when I was messing around with them, I had to wash the full length regularly. My hair eventually let me know it didn't appreciate all that (I'm not sure whether the silicones or the repeated washing did more damage), so I'm back to a nice easy silicone-free CO routine.

[Amraann]

I do not wash my length.

It does not get greasy but neither do my roots. After about 2 years of "training" I can go a week without washing at all without it looking greasy.
I had the luxury of not having to leave my house daily during that time. I just kind of stretched between washings.

When I was younger and did a lot of damage to my hair after day two it would look greasy.
I tend to think that some of it has to do with age.

[danacc]

It depends on what you mean by "wash"...

I use shampoo on my scalp only. But I liberally apply a light no-cones conditioner to my length (earlobes down) before applying the shampoo to my scalp. I rinse it all out together. The result is basically a shampoo wash of the scalp and surrounding strands, and a CO wash of the length.

(My scalp reacts badly to having conditioner on it. My length does not like sulfates on it. It would definitely tangle without any sort of "washing agent" at all, though. I've found this to be a good compromise. As others have said, everybody's hair is different. Your mileage may vary.)

[Angeletti]

I wash about once a week and I do wash my length because I'm constantly changing styles, my hair is naturally straight so I will switch every other week braid waves to straight or bun curls, etc.

[redneckprincess]

with conditioner, yeah
I used to wash it with shampoo and wonder why it was always so dry and frizzy

[slythwolf]

I wash my length once a month or so, or when something gets in it. (Things always seem to get in my hair when I bake.)

[Aliped]

Perhaps try coconut oil and night braiding?

coconut oil and night braiding works for me too :)

[Arctic_Mama]

I don't set out to wash my length, no, because it is dry enough as is. However I do regular oil treatments on the length throughout the week wnd thus I do squeeze out the suds and move them through the ends, and that gets it plenty clean. I would never put straight shampoo on it, however, unless I had something extremely stubborn or greasy in it. Diluted suds work just fine for me :)

[christine1989]

As long as your shampoo is non SLS then I can't see any harm in washing the length.

[McFearless]

I apply shampoo on my roots only.. but I put my head under the shower head for a second and let it slide down my length before a final rinse. It keeps my hair clean and happy:)

[julliams]

If you mean do I rub the length with the shampoo in it, then no. But I do wash my scalp and squeeze it down the length. I always seem to have honey in my hair (whoops). Then I tip my head back and let the water run the rest of the shampoo through my hair - I mean there is no other way to rinse it out is there? So I figure it's getting washed without actually having to agitate the hair etc.

[jera]

I'm a recent convert to the WO method, since the weather got so warm here and being in rooms with fans blowing and the AC on has dried my ends out. :o I'm not specifically washing my length but it does get wet with water when I wash my scalp.
If you mean washing my length with 'poo? No, never, but I agree with the others. You should do whatever makes you and your hair look and feel best. Hair care is an adventure. Finding the right combination of products, (or lack thereof), that works for your specific needs and lifestyle. :)

[freckles]

most times I only put shampoo on my scalp and conditioner on my length. But a little shampoo probably gets washed along my length, and every so often (maybe every third, fourth wash) I pull the shampoo right to the ends. :)

[Loreley]

I don't wash my length. Shampoo makes it horribly dry.

[*Aoife*]

Do you mean getting your length wet, or putting shampoo on it? I can't manage scalp washes yet, I think my hair is too short. I might as well just wash it all as it's less hassle and since I CO it is gentler.

[Tap Dancer]

I wash my scalp and the length of my hair whether I CO wash or use shampoo.

[GRU]

Other than putting out a fresh bottle for DH when he runs out, I haven't touched a bottle of shampoo in eight months.

I do, however, CO-wash almost every day (maybe once a week I don't wet my hair, like today I oiled it and threw it up in a bun). I don't actively CO-wash the length, though -- I just work conditioner through it as I'm detangling in the shower; I do massage my scalp with the pads of my fingers, though, as I'm prone to Seborrheic Dermatitis.

[Capybara]

I wash my length 99% of the time I wash.
The only time I would do a scalp-only wash is if I wanted to preserve waves, or a certain style. My hair doesn't mind being washed.

ETA: For the record, I don't use shampoo on the length. It doesn't need it.

[Angela_Rose]

Yup. Well, sort of. I shampoo from the nape to the hairline, but rinse the shampoo through my entire length. Does that count?

[kettle]

It depends on what you mean by "wash"...

Exactly - I always wash my whole length, but with conditioner. I only shampoo when my hair needs it - when I feel build-up coming on. I do occasionally do a scalp-wash with mild/diluted shampoo, too. But a regular wash to me means all my hair. My ends just wouldn't cope without their regular conditioner fix!

[nicolezoie]

Periodically I shampoo my length, but truthfully I only do it when it becomes difficult to detangle, and always load it down with conditioner afterwards. Maybe once a month? But even still I still go through a bottle of conditioner faster than I do shampoo. What I do alot more often is just wet it down, mainly to give moisture to the ends and get any dry-hair bends out and reset my wave pattern. But then, I have ridiculous length hair and I can get away with this alot more easily now than I could when it was shorter (above where I could sit on it). Back then I had to length wash and condition at least 2-3 times a week, mainly because I used to fiddle too much with my hair and it got dirty alot easier.

[spidermom]

Actually, maybe I do wash my length since I let the suds run through it after I wash my scalp area. But I seldom massage the suds all the way down my length.

[Cholera]

I end up washing my length, usually.. My hair doesn't feel worse for it. I think if your hair feels better to you when you wash the length, go for it. What works for some doesn't work for others.. yadda yadda. xD

[AmandaPanda]

I do it more often in the summer, for various reasons. Think- swimming, sweating, overall more oily. It gets over-conditioned easily in the summer. It I don't wash the length at least every other shampoo it looks greasy, feels tangley and just plain nasty

[lapushka]

I've consistently tried NOT to do it, but it almost always results in ugly, tangled, greasy-looking ends.
When I do wash my whole lenght, my ends feel so much softer and better.

Am I the only one?
And should I persist in following the usual long hair care advice about washing the scalp only, even if it doesn't seem to do my hair much good?


When using cone conditioners, the lengths are washed every time. Not doing that results in a tangly mess. At least, that's my experience. Cones build up fast and a lot of them you can't remove unless you use sl(e)s. There are never any tangles with regular conditioners. That's why I don't CWC with cone conditioners anymore. It's okay the first time, but the second time you CWC, the problems start.

[angelthadiva]

I don't massage shampoo onto my length. I wash scalp down to nape (with poo) and whatever rinses down when I rinse it out gets "washed". I do apply conditioner from hairline to ends though. I think each method is to "each his/her own"; do what works for you.

I've tweaked my routine for several years and this is the one that works the best for me. I found that applying shampoo to my entire length was using more shampoo than was necessary and my ends were getting crunchy for lack of a better word. My scalp was technically dirtier than my ends anyway because my hair is up all the time. Once I started doing this wash method my ends have become MUCH softer.

[Ice~Cold~Wind]

You should do whatever works best for you. My routine is washing every other day( I get a greasy scalp really fast :( ) and just scrubbing my scalp, letting the shampoo trickle through my length. I honestly can't remember the last time I washed my length. I used to wash my lenght as a kid(puffy, dry hair resulted).

[RavennaNight]

I wash my length sometimes, usually right before henna, to clarify. I am currently cone-free, so I think that is a factor as well. I had to wash my hair every other day when I used cones. That made my roots fade too fast so no cones again for me.

[Yozhik]

I use shampoo bars, so when I wash my hair, I rub the bar multiple times on my head and a couple of times down my length. Shampoo soap has pretty gentle cleansers it it, though, so I don't think I'm drying out the length too much to do that.

Afterwards, I also apply heavy conditioner from the ears down.

Does your shampoo/conditioner contain cones? That seems to be a common thread in the posters who mentioned washing the length. In any case, do what works best for you :)

[xoxophelia]

I pretty much only wash my scalp when I shampoo and lately I have been shampooing upside down and I really do think it helps. The canopy and top of my hair is more prone to becoming frizzy and I can get dilute levels applied more evenly.

Just play around and see what works best for you. There really is no "right" way as long as whatever you are doing is making your hair look and feel how you want it.

[jane53]

I use shampoo bars, so when I wash my hair, I rub the bar multiple times on my head and a couple of times down my length. Shampoo soap has pretty gentle cleansers it it, though, so I don't think I'm drying out the length too much to do that.

Afterwards, I also apply heavy conditioner from the ears down.

Does your shampoo/conditioner contain cones? That seems to be a common thread in the posters who mentioned washing the length. In any case, do what works best for you :)


I actually wash the length every few times, and I haven't used cones for quite a long time. Though my hair doesn't mind cones--but neither does it need them!

[prettigurl]

I don't put shampoo directly on my length, but while I'm lathering, I like to get the length/ends clean as well. I use a lot of cones, so it helps to prevent buildup

[jera]

Yup. Well, sort of. I shampoo from the nape to the hairline, but rinse the shampoo through my entire length. Does that count?

That's what I wonder too. Running the suds through the length without actually washing the length specifically? :rolleyes:


Actually, maybe I do wash my length since I let the suds run through it after I wash my scalp area. But I seldom massage the suds all the way down my length.

When I use a clarifying 'poo, I do this too. I guess it does qualify as shampooing because the suds do run through to the ends en route to the drain. ;)

[Angela_Rose]

Jera, just that. I don't make it a point to scrub out the length, but I like the way my hair looks, feels, and moves with a little Soak'n'Float run through it.

[Oskimosa]

Hmm. I do, but because my ends get dry as a bone with any buildup. I went for a time where I only washed my roots and oiled the ends, and they got awful. They seem to feel better when freshly washed, and continue to dry up until I wash again. Maybe I should try not doing it anymore for a while.

[Anlbe]

When I put oil on my lengths I wash it out using CO on the length and use diluted shampoo on my scalp. Otherwise my length feel greasy and look dull.

[Paniscus]

I use shampoo on my scalp. I do not purposefully put it on my length however, but it does run down the length as I wash out the shampoo. I do condition all of my hair though, otherwise, I'd have to cut it all off, the tangles would be locked in tight!

I do not "scrub" or rub the length of my hair.

[virgo75]

I'm another person who "sorta" washes my length(which is only a little past shoulder).
I use shampoo on the roots and at the nape then as I rinse I run and squeeze the suds down to the ends and they get pretty clean, just not quite as clean as when I use shampoo on the ends directly.
I also oil my scalp and hair before I shampoo.

The only time I fully shampoo my ends is when I clarify.
I HAVE to do this because like Oskimosa, my ends get dry(and brittle and tangley >_< ) when there's buildup. No buildup = happy, happy ends. :)

[Twil]

I do--I put silicones on my entire length, so I have to remove for the entire length. :)