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View Full Version : Whats so bad about daily washing?



alwayssmiling
August 17th, 2010, 12:51 PM
I wash everyday with a SLS moisturising coney shampoo, use lots of conditioner + leave ins, I rarely use heat these days. I would love your opinions as to why this much washing is so bad for my hair! Is it the sulfates? Is it the hair being wet so much? Technically what is this potentially doing to my hair? Its my last vice and I really need some persuading that it is so damaging! :) TIA

spidermom
August 17th, 2010, 01:01 PM
Personally, I think you should wash your hair whenever you think it needs to be washed - even every day. I've washed mine more than once in a day on a few occasions. As your hair gets longer, you may find (as I did), that having it wet is uncomfortable, especially in colder weather. Now I wash mine two or three times a week and coat the bottom half of length in conditioner first. Theory is that every time you get your hair wet, it causes the cuticle to lift, and as it dries some of the inner moisture evaporates. So the less often wet, the better you hang onto moisture.

SharkDisco
August 17th, 2010, 01:04 PM
I remember reading on the Beauty Brains website that when hair absorbs water it swells and then shrinks as it dries. The more this process happens, the more the scales on your hair get damaged from all the expanding and contracting that goes on. If you use permanent dye on your hair it's even worse, apparently, because permanent dye strips the protective layer of fats off your hair and makes hair absorb much more water.

http://yourbeautyspot.ninemsn.com.au/tipsandtricks/news/378043/breakthrough-in-hair-colouring

Wet hair is also more fragile and prone to breakage. Towels are really rough on hair, too. At lease, LHC tells me so ; )

Everyone's hair is different, though. I have friends who wash, dry, bleach and straighten their hair all the time and it is always soft and manageable. If I do half as much my hair gets all scraggly and wiry.

Although it's too early to see what sort of difference that less frequent washings will have on my hair, one of the benefits of cutting back to every second day or so has been all the extra time I save on mornings when I don't wash. If I wash, it takes me over an hour to get ready. On days when I don't, I'm good to go in twenty!

Juneii
August 17th, 2010, 01:05 PM
reduces the chance of damage I think?

For me I try to stretch because I don't really need to wash every day and the time it takes plus the wait for it to dry is just annoying. I can tell when my hair is dry when every strand becomes smooth and shiny and I can comb it without a lot of tangles or snagging - which is usually around nighttime if I wash it in the morning.

SharkDisco
August 17th, 2010, 01:16 PM
*least. Damn typos!

pepperminttea
August 17th, 2010, 01:28 PM
Do you think your hair needs washing every day? My hair tends to be happy to last at least four days, unless I do something with lots of dirt and sweat, like decorating or exercising, that kind of thing. I used to wash it every other day, but my scalp really didn't like it; irritated my psoriasis, the post-wash detangling was a pain, and it got oily again incredibly quickly. It's taken a while for it to adjust, but now my routine works really well for me, and it's definitely less oily.

That said, a lot of people wash everyday, it's not necessarily a bad thing; try to experiment, see what works best for you. :)

breezefaerie
August 17th, 2010, 01:30 PM
I CO or CWC or scalp wash almost every day. I might skip a day here or there, but for the most part I'm a daily washer.
My scalp likes being washed daily to stay happy.

ravenreed
August 17th, 2010, 01:35 PM
I don't think there is anything wrong with washing every day if it works well for you. My hair gets dry if I don't wash it somewhat frequently. The reason I stretch my wash time a bit is because the time it takes for all the steps I do in the shower has lengthened as well as increase in drying time.

I only started looking at other hair care options when I hit a stall at waist. At that point I was washing with SLS shampoos and using regular conditioner every day, as well as dyeing the whole length every month. I was getting a lot more splits, and was trimming as much as I was growing.

Roseate
August 17th, 2010, 01:36 PM
If you let it go a couple days, what happens?

My hair is much nicer a few days after a wash, softer and less frizzy, so I wash about once a week. It all depends on your scalp's oil production and how dry your hair is, some people find they need to wash daily.

There are some "hazards", hair is more fragile when wet and sulfates everyday are overkill for most people, but it's not necessarily bad if that's what your hair and scalp need.

You might experiment with CWC, CO or scalp-only washes to see if any of those give you good results, or just stick with what you've got if it's working for you!

alwayssmiling
August 17th, 2010, 01:39 PM
Do you think your hair needs washing every day? My hair tends to be happy to last at least four days, unless I do something with lots of dirt and sweat, like decorating or exercising, that kind of thing. I used to wash it every other day, but my scalp really didn't like it; irritated my psoriasis, the post-wash detangling was a pain, and it got oily again incredibly quickly. It's taken a while for it to adjust, but now my routine works really well for me, and it's definitely less oily.

That said, a lot of people wash everyday, it's not necessarily a bad thing; try to experiment, see what works best for you. :)

I used to wash my hair every few days (going back a few years now), but my hairdresser at the time was horrified when I told her and told me I should wash every day. I have just gotten into the habit of daily wash since then, and just enjoy water over my head when I shower, I like the smell of shampoo and that freshly washed look. But I'm so paranoid about greasiness I don't give it the chance :).

I have experimented with co washing, with mixed results. I will definitely give it another go when I have used up my numerous bottles of coney conditioner. Another plan of action is I like using dry shampoo on my fringe, could I spread my washes using this method? Or is this drying in itself?

Jenn of Pence
August 17th, 2010, 01:39 PM
I don't wash every day because I'm lazy and it takes forever to dry! But yeah, I'd say in my mind a benefit is less physical damage from the handling. I do love how my hair looks when it's washed, though, and each wash can be an opportunity to try something new! :)
I usually wash every other day, but I've unexpectedly stretched this one an extra day today, and it doesn't even look that grungy! I am mostly keeping it up, though...mostly for practice. ;)

breezefaerie
August 17th, 2010, 01:41 PM
I would say that you should do what's best for you. If you feel that daily washing is best, by all means wash! If you want to stretch for a few days or longer, then do that. It's a completely personal decision with no right or wrong answer.

BrightEyes7
August 17th, 2010, 01:54 PM
I think the advise to limit washing is because the more you wash, the more you strip your hair of the natural oils it produces.

Now with that said every head of hair is different. Personally I wash every other day because I hate wet hair and when it is down to your bum it can be a bit much to wash daily. But I can't stretch it any further than that otherwise I'll look like a grease trap. Some people have oiler scalps so need to wash more often while others have more balanced scalps and only need to wash once a week.

Do what ever you and your hair prefer.

kittensoupnrice
August 17th, 2010, 02:23 PM
I've done both extremes.
I used to wash every other day, and then I used to wash every day with SLS, then for a while I did every few days with non SLS & coney conditioners, and finally now I'm at once a week w/ shampoo bars.

To be honest?
If you're treating your hair gently for all of this, you're likely to be okay washing every day. I think the biggest culprits are the constant blow-frying & towel scrubbing that usually accompanies daily washing that can really pile on the damage.

I personally prefer washing less frequently as it's easier for me that way. I hate having to dry my hair. The constant water on my scalp made my scalp gunky.

The main warnings about SLS are about how harsh it is, and how it can cause hair loss. Maybe if you really want to wash every day, you should look for a gentler shampoo? After all, you don't need such harsh chemicals if you are washing daily, as the dirt and oil accumulation during that time shouldn't be too bad.

deko
August 17th, 2010, 02:30 PM
When I had fringe I washed it separately. It's quick to wash when you put the other hair to bun and wash only bangs. It needed a daily wash, the rest of my hair I washed 1 or 2 times a week.

Annalouise
August 17th, 2010, 03:11 PM
Just from reading people's profile information here I have seen long hairs (past waist) who wash daily with shampoo or conditioner. So I think its entirely possible to do that and grow long hair.

jasper
August 17th, 2010, 03:20 PM
I think washing is an opportunity for mechanical damage from the process of wetting, drying and detangling and possibly the shampoo may be hard on hair. But my own motivation for stretching washings is water conservation.

I mean, there is also time and energy and resource conservation in there too, plus I am a lot too lazy to wash my hair every day, but my original motivation was to save the water from washing and rinsing my hair and the water involved in making, bottling and distributing the hair care products, and the water involved in cleaning the products out of the water that I use washing. . .

alwayssmiling
August 17th, 2010, 04:13 PM
jasper - Thank you for reminding me about what gets flushed through our drains. I think thats the kind of inspiration I need. I have come a long way this year with changing things in my lifestyle....I will certainly give this some thought.

Chestershire
August 17th, 2010, 04:25 PM
ha, i was wondering the same the other day. I don't wash my hair that very often, for oily hair. I've always blamed it on the sulphates. Now I've found a sulphate-free shampoo (from the body shop rainforest collection) but now I'm wondering if it's only about the sulphates :D

ravenreed
August 17th, 2010, 05:27 PM
I use dry shampoo on the top and front of my hair at least once a week. I have not noticed any dryness or damage from it.


I used to wash my hair every few days (going back a few years now), but my hairdresser at the time was horrified when I told her and told me I should wash every day. I have just gotten into the habit of daily wash since then, and just enjoy water over my head when I shower, I like the smell of shampoo and that freshly washed look. But I'm so paranoid about greasiness I don't give it the chance :).

I have experimented with co washing, with mixed results. I will definitely give it another go when I have used up my numerous bottles of coney conditioner. Another plan of action is I like using dry shampoo on my fringe, could I spread my washes using this method? Or is this drying in itself?

Nastasia
August 17th, 2010, 05:40 PM
Back when I washed my hair every day, it was a dry, frizzled mess. So I switched to every other day, and that was much better. Now I'm stretching that out to every third day, just because I'm lazy, and the idea of spending less effort for equivalent effect appeals to me :). So yeah, the reason I don't wash every day is that my hair really hated that.

ghost
August 17th, 2010, 05:47 PM
Wash times differ from from person to person, but I think the general negativity towards washing every day is because it might strip the natural oils from your hair, and that your hair is weaker when it's wet. You don't have to change your haircare routine, though -it's all about what works for you.
I wash mine every other day, since it keeps my ash-brown color looking brighter and less 'mousy', and I wash my bangs every day.

zen_oven
August 17th, 2010, 06:21 PM
If it works for you, I wouldn't worry about it. I tend to vary how often I wash depending on the time of year--I was a bit more in the summer when it's hot out.

Aliped
August 17th, 2010, 06:30 PM
Here'a a scary web page ( with references to the scientific literature) with information about the negative effects of SLS.

http://www.pureearthgawler.com.au/beta/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&Itemid=8

I pretty much quit cones and SLS a couple of months ago (see this post http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=49731)
and my hair has never felt better! My hair didn't need SLS or cones after all.

beez1717
August 18th, 2010, 02:12 AM
My hair gets really oily so I need to wash more frequently then most. Maybe a bbb would spread the oils over my hair in a more even way. That way I wouldn't have to wash as frequently. Ant thoughts on this?

Lianna
August 18th, 2010, 02:48 AM
SLS or just co wash...I'm a grease ball on the next morning. When I washed everyday with SLS my ends where dry, when I co washed were a bit less. A bit of leave-in oil is all I need, I could go either way with SLS or condish only.

Othala
August 18th, 2010, 02:51 AM
I think the problem is simply the daily manipulation of hair when it is weakened by water. The longer your hair is the longer it will have been subjected to wear and tear. To have hair in good condition, you have to preserve it's strength and health, so subjecting it to water and suds every day is deemed to create long term damage.

mariika
August 18th, 2010, 06:46 AM
Constant dropping wears away a stone. - I'm team daily-wash-damages-hair and also think we really need to try and save water where we can

cubedcoley
August 18th, 2010, 08:03 AM
Thank you ladies so much for posting all of your experiences. I am eager to try some new hair care techniques including going SLS and cone free after the extensive dialogue I have been able to review from all of your expertise. I am about to throw out the curling iron and no more hot rollers due to the sage advice on how to do non-heated curling! Very excited to be trying these new things that will be safer for me and my hair! :happydance:

mariika
August 18th, 2010, 08:05 AM
wait, don't go SLS!! why would anyone willingly do that?? O.o I use no SLS shampoo and it works fine with me! it does not change the time between washes, it is easier on my hair, that's it, I can still go 5 days with no washing.

Annalouise
August 18th, 2010, 08:19 AM
Chestershire - what ingredient replaces sulphates in your shampoo?
Is it cocamidopropyl betaine?

Aliped - thanks for the article, what is the active ingredient in your shampoo?
What sls and cone free shampoo and conditioner do you use?

Debra83
August 18th, 2010, 08:38 AM
I wash my hair almost everyday. On the odd occasion, I even have to wash it twice in one day, but that is really outside of the norm. As long as I use the conditioner and shampoos that work best for my hair, I see my hair getting better, not worse. (ex: Triple nutrition conditioner, Ojon once in awhile, and a kazillion different shampoos! As long as I cwc, Henna at least once a month, and once in a blue moon a protein conditioner, I'm good to go!

MandyBeth
August 18th, 2010, 11:14 AM
I wash up to twice a day. Wash with poo to get rid of the sebum that is bad post PPD. Wash CO post workout as my hair gets wet, may as well use the conditioner.

alwayssmiling
August 18th, 2010, 11:20 AM
Thanks for your replies. I have enjoyed reading your experiences and opinions. I will start by going every other day and see how i get on. Then perhaps go for the third day using a dry shampoo.

I definitely want to try bodyshops new non sls range.

pennyroyal
August 18th, 2010, 11:31 AM
I have to wash everyday. My scalp needs it. It sucks sometimes but i actually like washing & conditioning my hair so it's alright i guess. :p

missjessiecakes
August 18th, 2010, 11:35 AM
I usually wash every day. I am not using cones currently so the sls shampoo is probably overkill however if I go more than about 2 days without washing I get open sores on my scalp. So if I wash today I would be fine tomorrow but I'd be tender by midday tomorrow I'd start itching and I'd have the sores by bed time. So I offset that by washing frequently because once the sores are there they aren't going away for some time. I may switch to doing a clarifying shampoo once a week and then COing the rest of the days, but I dont know yet its summer and I really dont want to mess with it ya know.

There are plenty of members here that wash everyday in all different washing styles. :) There is a thread about it somewhere I am pretty sure I've read it. LHC is like a buffet take what you like from it.

Finoriel
August 18th, 2010, 12:06 PM
Hmm I always compare it to a favorite shirt :wacko:
Wash it every day (once or twice), with the most gentle laundry detergent you can find, let it airdry outside on the line, wear it every day and then look at it in about 5-8 years. :wink: Then you know what's bad about washing long hair daily. Since that's what ones tips will have gone through when they reach a certain length i.e. age.
Every wash means chemical and mechanical wear and tear, regardless of the method. Sure, some methods are more gentle, some more harsh, but it still adds up to quite a lot of washing during the years. If you do not plan to keep your shirt around for long, there's not much harm done with washing it daily. But if you plan to wear it for the next decade or so :p be aware that not many shirt-qualities survive that much washing in mint condition...

Annalouise
August 18th, 2010, 03:43 PM
Hi Finoriel, What fiber is most like human hair?

Maybe wool? I'm thinking of a raw wool sweater like a fishermans sweater. I think you could wash that for ten

years and it would probably be ok. Or maybe not? What do you think?

I've heard you can wash wool in shampoo and it is more gentle.

Isn't it possible to wash a wool sweater every day for 5 years and have it still be in good shape (not considering shrinkage etc)?

I'm just wondering how it is that people with long hair are able to wash their hair frequently all those years and still have nice hair?

I'm thinking that hair must be stronger than wool. But I don't know?

CherrySilver
August 18th, 2010, 04:20 PM
Hi Finoriel, What fiber is most like human hair?

Maybe wool? I'm thinking of a raw wool sweater like a fishermans sweater. I think you could wash that for ten

years and it would probably be ok. Or maybe not? What do you think?

I've heard you can wash wool in shampoo and it is more gentle.

Isn't it possible to wash a wool sweater every day for 5 years and have it still be in good shape (not considering shrinkage etc)?

I'm just wondering how it is that people with long hair are able to wash their hair frequently all those years and still have nice hair?

I'm thinking that hair must be stronger than wool. But I don't know?


All I can think of is possibly using a very diluted conditioner to help with detangling. I do this when I'm washing everyday (after working out). Sometimes, I just use WO and very carefully comb out. My biggest challenge at this time is mechanical damage for breakage, because DTs/oils help with protecting the ends.