Washing and moisture

[julliams]

Would washing more often cause hair to be more susceptible to dryness or would it be more moisturising since moisture is being replaced more frequently? Or does it depend on the hair?

My hairdresser said washing more often would make it drier.

[Heidi_234]

The level of moisture in the hair depends mainly on hair well it can retain and keep it. Sure, water is the moisture, but in this case I think your hairdresser is mostly right. If you wash it too frequently it will lose the natural oils that help it retain and keep moisture in thus resulting in hair that dries out faster.

[ravenreed]

I think it also might depend on how dry or humid the air is where you live. I live in a desert. After a few days without cleansing, my ends feel horrible. They are happier getting wet at least 3 times a week. However I CO so that method is less drying than when I was doing the more traditional routine. I would be happy doing it every day if it didn't take so darned long.

[anniemae]

I think that washing with harsh sulfates is supposed to dry hair out. I think that good conditioners are what give hair its moisture.

And I agree with Heidi_234 - if your hair has a "normal" porosity (the hair's ability to absorb water), it will retain moisture.

[Othala]

I think it depends on your hair type, hair porosity, the water you wash it with, the climate, whether you oil before washing it and what you wash it with. Like most things, it is a question of observation and balance.

Personally, I wash my dry, porous, pre-oiled hair with a sulphate-free shampoo and it assists with the moisture in my hair.

[Kristin]

I think it depends what you consider "washing." When I shampooed 3X a week, my hair was drier than it is now that I CO just about every day. For me, more conditioner=more moisture, more shampoo=dryness.

[Joliebaby]

When my hair is dry (chemically treated) it likes to get wet often :) I mist and slightly dampen in the shower if it doesn't need washing. I use a bit of oil or shea butter or Phyto9 to seal in the moisture. When my hair is really healthy it doesn't matter so I can just wash when the roots get dirty, 1-2 times per week, leave it alone and all is good.

[Carolyn]

My ends get horribly dried out if I don't wash (CO or CWC) at least 3 times a week. I agree that harsh sulfate shampoos dry hair out. They usually shampoo the entire length when you go to a salon and a lot of us don't do that. So I can see why a stylist would make that statement. I can't imagine how horrible and dried out my hair would be if I didn't wash as often as I do.

[virgo75]

I agree with Othala that it depends on your hair, the climate, products involved, what you do exactly, etc.

When I CO my hair gets drier! I think my fine hair gets buildup at record speed so I have to shampoo for the conditioner to do it's job.

When I shampoo seldom(once a week or less) my hair is dried out even if I CO in between. I've had to find a balance and wash several times a week or even every day for my hair to feel moisturized and usually use some variation of CWC using either conditioner or oils. And my hair is happy.

Long rambling to say - see what works for your hair. :flower:

[chelseamichelle]

Washing your hair with shampoo is what will be drying out your hair, if you CO washed I don't think you would be losing any moisture

[Henrietta]

It depends on hair probably but for sure- on washing method. Shampooing more often would make your hair dry. But COing... It would make it more healthy I think. For example CinnamonHair washes her hair everyday with CO because it helps her to keep it moisturized, as she wrote on her site. If you CO you don't have to be worry I believe:)

[Ash]

I have always found washing my hair daily keeps it from being dry. If I skip a day I end up being unable to get a comb through it and it is really crispy. This has been the same for me no matter what types of products or washing styles I have used. I am also one of those people who can't use oils on dry hair (even my own sebum) because they prevent the moisture from getting to my hair. I can even notice a difference if my hair is loose to dry as opposed to braided all day. The longer it stays slightly damp the better it is.

[Chiara]

I think this might be really individual. If I wash my hair daily with shampoo, my hair dries out a lot and I get super static. I even think this happens with washing daily with conditioner (although not as badly as with shampoo). However, a friend of mine says that she has to wash every week or her hair would get really dry.