Washing Methods Effectiveness Poll 1

[Nightshade]

I wanted to do a series of polls on some of the most common methods of hair care that have or have not worked for LHC. I think this may be both interesting and a good quick reference. Granted it does not take into account hair type, but that would require a separate poll for each, and that’s a bit more effort both to post and to sift through the information.

There is a SECOND POLL for washing methods! Please check the other poll if you do not see your washing method here! (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=6782)
We will define “long-term” as a period of 6 months or more of continuously using the method you select. Please feel free to give the details of your methods, or the ones that worked versus failed in the thread.


:flowers:

PLEASE only vote if you've used a method for MORE than 6 months and DO NOT VOTE for methods you have not tried. If something has worked for less time, please comment about it in the thread, but do not vote :)

[Altocumulus]

I've been using CO since sometime in the spring of 2007, with a brief, unsuccessful foray into shampoo bars which required the use of actual shampoo to recover from. Lately I've been finding that CO about once a week and WO the rest of time time works well.

S&C worked ok in the past, but CO is better.

[Nightshade]

I found the SC dried my hair out, and CO didn't work as well long term and took too long.

CWC has been a winner for me, though for the last few years.

[Finoriel]

Great idea, should be really interesting to see a comparison of all the different cleaning methods.

One question :) do those who use acidic rinses instead of conditioner vote for "shampoo and condition"? An acidic rinse is conditioning, but it´s not a conditioner... hmmm. Confused not native speaker here :o sorry.
I dislike the feeling of my hair when I use conditioner, but loved the combination of shampoo and an acidic rinse for more than a year. Occasionally I read of other people doing that, so it is at least somehow known / common here. Maybe it should be included into the poll if it does not fit into the SC category?


:wink: Now I use an egg-mixture followed with an acidic rinse to wash my hair :gabigrin: but that´s a so non common method that we do not need to have an extra option for this, for sure. I´m going to use the cheese option in the other thread :p cheese for all alternatively alternative wash drop outs.

[Carolyn]

I've used a combo of CO and CWC for a long time. I throw in a SC wash now and then when I'm crunched for time. I used poo bars for 2-3 months a while back they were horrible. I have no desire to try WO, Sebum Only, or herbs. I've done some BS washes but only to clarify and I find commercial clarifying shampoos far gentler and kinder to my hair than BS. I can't begin to imagine how dried out my hair would be if I used BS to wash my hair with on a regular basis. CO and CWC are gentle and moisturizing to my hair and both methods cleanse well. I'm happy.

[Nightshade]

Herm, Finoriel, I was planning on making another poll for rinses such as HALO/AVC/chamomile/etc, so I'd think you could vote for SC as that's the closest, and then select ACV/other acidic rinse in the other thread when I get that up. The details in the thread are going to be very valuable :)

ETA: One by-product I'm hoping that helps with these is it'll make reccomending things to newbies easier. If we can say that (just making these up) that CWC works for 60%, CO for 30% and others make up 10% it's easier to try the things that worked for more people first.

[Finoriel]

Thanks a lot Nightshade. :o Sometimes I just think too much.
:) looking forward to the rinse poll. Very valuable sounds exciting.

[Nightshade]

Thanks a lot Nightshade. :o Sometimes I just think too much.
:) looking forward to the rinse poll. Very valuable sounds exciting.


So glad other people love geeky things like this. I'm also planning polls on
-types of preferred oils
- types of rinses

PM me with other ideas if you have them :)

[AJoifulNoise]

Come this July I will have been doing CO for a year. It's worked spledidly for me. I do shampoo once a week with sulphates, but that is mostly to avoid silicone build-up.

Before that I was Shampoo/Condition for over 6 months and that worked fine, too. Not as good as CO, but not terrible either. It worked best when my hair was BSL and shorter.

[CurlyNinja]

I always used to S/C and had nothing but poofy, frizzy hair to show for it.

CO worked well for me for more than 6 months, it really healed things up from the years and years of S/C and got much-needed moisture into my hair.

CWC has worked well for me also for more than 6 months my hair has a tendency to get overconditioned post-CO healing and this helps maintain the balance.

[mira-chan]

While I'm waiting for the other poll to be fixed as it has the one that did work on it.

SC did not work, breakage past tailbone due to dryiness and sulfate sensitivity. Did not use non sulfate shampoo with this water long enough to know if that works.

CO, did not work. It was ok for 5 or so months then I developed sensitivities. Major itching and shedding was the result of that.

[FrannyG]

S & C did not work for me. My hair would very quickly become dull. It wasn't until I began COing that I've found my shine. Also my hair just feels better, and I never get static in my hair at all anymore.

[hurricane_gia]

You didn't have a button for C-COW-C, which is the method I've used for more than a year! It works great. It has all the things I liked about CO but none of the things I didn't like about CO.

[AprilElf]

I love CWC. The only other 'alternative' washing method I've tried is CO, but only once - I wasn't too keen on it.

[Nightshade]

You didn't have a button for C-COW-C, which is the method I've used for more than a year! It works great. It has all the things I liked about CO but none of the things I didn't like about CO.

I figured I'd miss one or two :( I think in this case you can vote CO and qualify it in the thread, otherwise you can vote cheese in the second poll :flowers:

[forgetmenotak]

I find that if I use a non- sulphate shampoo that works for me the best. I tried to use CO but I couldn't rinse all of the conditioner out- even when there was fire hydrant like pressure. :( Oh well, I've found what works for me.

[Juliet's Silk]

I think I have tried almost every washing method you covered except dry shampooing.
I'm reluctant to vote because I didn't try most of them for more than 6 months but this was because they were NOT working for me. Does your rule that you should only vote if you tried it for more than 6 months apply to routines NOT working as well? Because I wouldn't use a routine that did not work for 6 months straight...

For me, only SC and CWC worked. This is because these are the only methods that REALLY clean my scalp with rather harsh cleansers - I have to use sulfate shampoos as well. Everything milder than that makes my scalp act up big time. It's a combination of having an extremely picky scalp and extremely hard water. If our water were different, I think I could make other washing methods work.
It has nothing to do with my length. My length loved CO, but I couldn't keep it up for too long. My length would love it best if I would CO all the time. Since I can't do that, I alternate scalp washing (only using shampoo) with CWC (whole length).

[Isilya]

For me, WO and CO worked very well when I started them, but then my hair revolted and it became greasy quickly.

I'm on CWC now since December and my hair still loves it *fingers crossed*

[wolf girl]

I did WO for 6 months. I really liked for the first few months. I never got the "greasies" and actually only needed to 'wash' my hair once a week. I learned that with doing that method, your BBB becomes your best friend. My shed rate went to about 10 hairs a day which is why I stuck with it for so long. However about month 4, my shed went back to what it was when I was S&C. Since that was the reason I was doing the WO I decided to go back to S&C. Just this past week, I started S&C again (only twice a week though) and my hair feels wonderful. It loves me and I love it again! :cheese: So I will be a S&C girl (all natural and no cones of course)!!!

[KnightsLady]

Using a skin moisturising cream as a hair wash has been the most successful experiment I've ever undertaken. Almost a year now and no thought of turning back.

Shikekai didn't work well for me, but at the time I didn't want to admit that my hair was completely frazzled and kept using it for a year or two. :rolleyes:

[harley mama]

I CO most of the time. My hair loves the moisture and it is less drying
on my ends than when I used shampoo regularly.
I have only had to use shampoo a handful of times since I joined LHC.

[akka naeda]

CO didn't work for me, probably partially because I am always using the SMT mix as my first condish:) Anyway, it gave me a gunky scalp because I couldn't rinse it out properly so I am now using SMT on the length and diluted shampoo on my scalp. Haven't done this long enough for voting though. Plus I don't know what I'd include it as - S&C? or what?

[Nightshade]

Haven't done this long enough for voting though. Plus I don't know what I'd include it as - S&C? or what?

Had it been long enough for voting I'd put that under S&C :)

[lulabelle]

Shampoo and condition actually does work for me long term, though I don't think it's the best method. CWC works as well, but CO does not work long term. What I usually do, is a combination of CWC and CO. I will CWC on "day 1" then on day 3 or 4 I will CO, then I will CWC again when needed, usually day 7 or 8. I use cones and sulfates in my CWC but not my CO. I didn't vote on WO because I gave up on it after only about 2 weeks.

[Leisha]

I voted
S/C worked for me long-term
CWC worked for me long-term
CO didn't work for me long-term

Gaaah, I'm really sorry cause I think I shouldn't have voted that last one :doh:as I only ddid CO for about a month or so. I stopped cause it didn't work after the first two or three times. I had read your instructions but somehow I only realised it the second I clicked "vote"..
Sorry! :neutral: :o

Anyway, when I first started visiting hair care fora, I switched to CWC and did that for quite a while (at least a year I think), it worked fine.
But I've noticed that I can get equally good results by just S/C-ing (as long as I use fairly mild shampoo and a good conditioner), so I don't bother with coating the length in conditioner any more :)

[Loreyanne_H]

I'm rather conservative: a wash-conditioner is what my hair love better.

[Nightshade]

I voted
S/C worked for me long-term
CWC worked for me long-term
CO didn't work for me long-term

Gaaah, I'm really sorry cause I think I shouldn't have voted that last one :doh:as I only ddid CO for about a month or so. I stopped cause it didn't work after the first two or three times. I had read your instructions but somehow I only realised it the second I clicked "vote"..
Sorry! :neutral: :o




Oh no, that's perfectly fine! I don't expect anyone to use something that didn't work for 6 months. The "6 month rule" is more for the things that DO work, as many times something will work initially, but not long term.

[Medvssa]

Both CO and CWC have worked very well for me. Maybe I should have also voted that SC didn't work for me, but this is so dependant on product that I am unsure.

I've used CO for very long until I moved to another country, not finding a suitable product and maybe the change in the water influenced too, I had to settle with CWC, which also works nicely. CS tends to be too drying.

And I completely forgot to vote that WO didn't work for me. If the 6 months rule doesn't apply to methods that don't work, I should definitely have included WO there. I tried for several weeks, my hair has never been in worse condition! absolutely dried out, completely unmanageable, matted, tangled (my hair naturally doesn't tangle) and coated. I blame the water, very hard and laden with minerals.

[froglet]

Thank you for creating these polls, Nightshade, they are really fascinating!

I voted CO and S & C worked for me. I use both interchangeably now, although I S & C more often because it is easier.

Of course the S&C ingredients (particularly the surfactant) is a big factor. Jessicurl yes, suave NO! :lol:

[Gladtobemom]

I tried variations, though ant this worked best for me.

The massaging of the scalp seems to make a big difference for me.

My hair has never been in such good conditon.

[Phalaenopsis]

SC worked for me long term. Still does.
CO didn't work for me, already after a month, my hair got limp and lifeless.

[Leisha]

Oh no, that's perfectly fine! I don't expect anyone to use something that didn't work for 6 months. The "6 month rule" is more for the things that DO work, as many times something will work initially, but not long term.
Oh ok, phew! I was worried I messed up your poll already :silly:

[Buddaphlyy]

CWC and CO worked for me for the long term.

I don't remember when I initially started doing CWC (it was before I joined any hair board, so at least 4 years), but it worked for me so great initially, I didn't want to try anything else.

I started co-ing on accident. I would initially do the first C and sometimes if time go away from me or I was too tired to finish the rest, I'd just rinse the conditioner out. Pretty soon, it was "happening" regularly, so I just stuck with it.

Since I've cut my shampooing down to twice a month, I mostly CO. But when I do do use shampoo, I do a full on CWC.

[CaityBear]

I've been COing since September 2007? It's been working really well. I have done BS rinses and ACV rinces no more than 5 times maybe?

I've noticed lately though my hair is getting oily fast again. I'm thinking part of it is because of the weather now and part of it could be just because I've been using this conditioner for a while so I've got some other stuff because I keep switching it up.

Though what I've done for the moment that works really well is just put a little bit of BS in my conditioner and it's helped a lot.

[daydreamer]

SC works for me provided I use the right kinds and generally only shampoo my scalp. I also must note that WO worked rather well for me too, although I did it for more like 4 months instead of 6 or longer.
CO did not work well but I didn't try it for very long. It was too dull and filmy to try longer.

[Cinnamon Hair]

When I first found the long hair boards I started CWC and did that for a year or so. Then the CO method became the new fad and I've been doing it since (meaning probably around 5 years by now).

For CO I use VO5 or White Rain conditioner on my scalp and a good conditioner either cone or cone free (I like both, so swith back and forth) on my length. Put my hair up into a shower cap and rinse it out all in one step at the end of my shower while detangling under the shower stream. Once a week I shampoo my scalp and let the suds run down my length, then deep condition using a heat cap for 30 minutes. Occasionly I do a full length shampoo instead (maybe once a month) or use a clarifying shampoo (very rare) on my once-a-week shampoo day.

[KittyCat]

I CWC religiously. That way I can use whatever shampoo without having it dry out my hair. I've been doing it for years. I prepoo with light VO5 conditioners.

[boukje]

I cannot vote in this poll because I am just not sure yet what I like best.


When I joined LHC I started doing WO but eventually (2 months later I guess) I quite doing this as there was a spot at my crown with was so oily and horrible I couldn't get it clean.

Then I started using CO only (twice a week) which worked great, with the occasional SMT. but after a few months this didn't work and made my har extremely greasy (after one day) so I started using 'kesham' Herbal powder shampoo which worked very nice.

Last summer I started NW, which didn't work out ( I tried it for about 4.5 months but it still looked greasy), then I went back to the kesham and then I found out about shampoo bars. I bought a few (beginning of this year) and although I do like them I also hate them!

The shampoo bar makes my hair so shiny, but very squeeky clean which means I have the wash day and two days after that my hair is too soft and slippery so I cannot do anything with it and I have a halo of new hairs around my face. Then the day after that it looks like otter slick, ugh very greasy (I had to wash once a week with kesham but I must do it twice a week with a shampoo bar, and then half of the week inbetween it is also greasy).

Then I thought two weeks ago I would try kesham again. It made my hair squeeky clean and I had horrible flyaway for 3 days then it got greasy again. I was to fed up with all these products that I did a WO. I have done two more WO's after this, but my hair is horrible now. it doens't look greasy (while being in an updo) but down it does look very stringy and in the shower it feels like I have glue in my hair (very yucky) so I am very undecided.

It just looks like products and/or methods only work a certain amount of time on me :( Any ideas on this?

[Niphredil]

CO gave me hair loss and sticky hair (also better curls, but with the hair loss there would be no hair left to curl if i had continued with it)

SC works just fine for me. I do a CWC now and then, but on the longer term, my length gets either sticky or dry with CWC (depending on conditioner/cones used).
I have to add that I am usuing silicones since about last autumn, and I need full shampoo washes to remove the build-up. Otherwise the silicones really seem to work for my hair.

[yogachic]

I like s&c. I cannot go with out washing with both. My scalp got itchy when I tried co for just a short term period, so i discontinued. I will not try WO ever, not for me. I love washing my hair.

[Belisama]

Shampoo and conditioner worked for me long term at keeping my hair healthy, shiny, and clean. I shampoo my roots, scrubbing my head with my finger pads and then rinse. I follow with conditioning my length, which I put in a bun while I do other shower things and then rinse at the very end.

However, lately I have noticed my scalp being very dry as well as my hair on top of my head and am seriously considering switching over to the CO method. It may work, it may not, but I'll never know unless I try. :)

[PetiteHatter]

Shampoo and conditioner worked for awhile, but now I need more conditioner. I might go with CWC and see what happens

[bikerblue]

I love co it makes my hair feel smooth right down to the tips and give it good shine.

[DavidN]

My routine is a couple of weekly shampoos (with conditiner afterwards), and CO washes on the other days, with one or two "do nothing" days. Since my hair seems to prefer cones, one of the weekly shampoos is a clarifying shampoo to remove buildup from the cones.

[EvaSimone]

I s/c and that is the one method that consistently works for me long term. I don't use sulphates or silicones so my shampoo is rather mild and I S/C every two-three days. I also use a leave in with a very small bit of oil and I don't shampoo my length at all.

Every once in a while I will do a CO or WO wash to stretch my S/C out but I am about 98% S/C.

[RedElephant]

I cowash everyday except for one. On that day I cwc. Constantly cowashing weighed my hair down and s&c dried my hair out. CWC is perfect for when I do my weekly shampoo.

[sipnsun]

I wish CO worked for me because I like the idea of not putting any soap in my hair. After the first month, my scalp was so itchy I switched conditioners. By the end of month two, my hair looked horrible and dull. Around month 3 (after yet another brand of cond.) I started shedding terribly. My scalp was also still itchy. I finally gave it up and started dilluting an cone-free shampoo and this works great. Have been doing this for about 8 months.

[Hairytale]

I voted both for SO worked for me longterm and SO didn't work for me longterm. I am SO more than nine months and I am still alive, so I guess it works for me. But I find my hair being not "perfect" and so I voted for "SO didn't work for me" because I think WO could be better. But I don't know, just have to try it out.

[rubyann]

I used CO exclusively for at least six months and had good results.

I recently bought some gentle organic shampoo and conditioners that I'm using now to CWC, just to switch things up a bit. I still do the occasional CO. I should probably alternate methods and see it there's a difference;)

I don't know why I can't seem to just pick one method and stick with it for perpetuity. Maybe boredom. Maybe I just think, in the back corner of my mind, that the perfect cleansing solution for me is still out there somewhere.

[Stagecoach]

The only two washing methods I've tried which worked for me long term were SC and CWC

However, when I SC I only put shampoo on my scalp hair, not below my neck.

Neither CO or WO worked long term. CO did work short term but it cause massive shedding for me so I quit and I consider it a failure for my particular scalp. WO I was never really happy with.

Baking soda worked sortof. In the winter it's great, but in summer I sweat too much for it to keep up with unless I washed every day. And I don't wash more than twice a week so it didn't work.

[rhysiana]

I voted for "SC worked for me long term," as that's pretty much what I've always done, washing an average of 2 times per week.

I also voted "CWC did not work for me long term" because I just tried that this week for the first time, and oooh, boy, did I end up with too much slip! The second day after wash day, it took me 5 tries to get my hair in an updo that would stay. I have to remember that I have fine, super straight hair. You think I'd remember that by now. I also don't have a lot of problems with dryness in the length (yet), so I'll hold off on trying that method again until it seems like I need it. (It'd probably also help not to do it again with a cone conditioner. Whoops.)

[Misso]

I voted SC cause it is what I do normally and without trouble. After joining LHC and learning about CWC I do use that if my ends felt particularly dry. I never tried anything else and I never shampoo the length just the roots.

[Naluin]

CO did not work for me long term. For the most part, it made my hair fluffy and dry.

WO and oilings work for me long term. I stopped WO washing because sometimes I would get a buildup near my roots, but my hair does loads better with WO than with CO. So far, I have taken care of the buildup by doing a scalp/roots-only wash with very dilute clarifying shampoo.

[granitbaby]

SC dries my hair out and CO makes my scalp itch.
I voted CWC because thats the closest to my long term routine. Instead of the first C I often use oil instead but it works with conditioner to.

[Stacy_E]

I alternate between CO washing and CWC. I tried exclusive CO washing for the first 2 months of trying it, but my hair ended up lank and lifeless. So for the past 1 1/2 years I've been doing a weekly CWC (CO washing most other days), and that has served me well. However, I like my hair best after CWC (it feels softer and lighter), and I'm thinking of increasing that to twice a week (still CO washing most other days).

[Nanni]

I've gone two weeks or so without wash but nothing more. It gets way too itchy, dirty and oily for my taste. My boyfriend didn't like it at all. So I'm sticking to the old shampoo-conditioner routine

[neon-dream]

S&C for me :)

[Birchbark]

I am currently SC, and haven't done anything else for perhaps a year now, barring the odd CO or WO wash. The trick for me is to use a proper sulfate shampoo, but only wash once a week or so. I didn't vote for CWC, though it did work for me, but it didn't provide any benefit for me to be worth the extra hassle.

I tried WO for the full 2 months, and even when the transition period was over, it wasn't manageable and consistent enough for me to be worth it, and was never "clean" enough to wear down. I've briefly tried it since then (this was in 2006) and I haven't bothered to keep up with it.

CO didn't get my hair clean enough to be worth the extra hassle, it would get greasy in the next two days which is too soon for me, even after a both of doing primarily CO.

Not in the poll, but shampoo bars didn't work for me either, even though I tried for a few weeks. I haven't had luck with any type of soap-based hair products (or body products, for that matter. We have pretty hard water here.)

[Bianca]

I just use SC, and it works fine. (Ofcourse without SLS and cones)

I've tried WO, and CO and it didn't work one bit.

I'll try the CWC next time :)

[1nuitblanche]

During the first thirteen years of my life, I only ever used shampoo on my hair. And, to be perfectly honest, my hair was probably at it's best. So, However, since starting to use conditioner, my hair has changed and it is best if I continue using it. (Puberty, and the difference in texture that it brought to my hair, or else the increase in washing frequency as more likely the true causes though.) So now SC or CWC are my best bets.

[Remke]

SC is what I use for like almost forever. That's the best for my hair.
CWC is what I did for some months, it was ok, but when I did go back to SC There wasn't a change, only that it's less work in the shower.
CO I tried some times, but not really my thing.

[RedFrizz]

SC dried out my hair and made it frizzy and dull, but I just didn't realize it. I thought that my hair's supposed to look like that.

CO really rescued my hair. I started doing COs instead of SCs and oh boy how much my hair loved it! It gave the long longed for moisture back to the lengths and shaped the curls beautifully. I really didn't need to SC anymore, which was quite an eye opening experience.

[burns_erin]

Doing the standard as directed on bottles shampoo & conditioner always made my hair a mess by the time I hit just past shoulders. Now i condition the length, wash the scalp with diluted shampoo, rinse repeat. then condition the whole shebang and let it sit. This far it has been working for me down to APL with no trims.

[Bubbleguppy]

I always have both shampooed and conditioned my hair every time I wash. I now know that there are other ways of washing, though this has worked for me for 23 years, so I'm reluctant to change....it was hard enough weening myself off of washing my hair every single day. I'm a very habitual person.....I think it's the OCD. haha :)

[Raven69]

As BubbleGuppy said, I too have been shampooing and conditioning my hair since I was able. It has worked for me wonderful. Though, I have to change up my shampoos and conditioners every now and then, though when using this certain shampoo, moisturizing shampoo, conditioner - I never had to worry about changing up the shampoos and conditioners - don't remember the names though, or I'd have them and I'd share the names with you all. I don't see how every other day shampooing and conditioning your hair is bad/damaging it? I understand about washing it so often can strip it of the natural oils and ect. but I don't think I do it that often. I have been looking (maybe in the wrong place) but I can't find where there is a thread for the 'proper' or 'tried and true' hair care for LHC's.

EDIT: Just 'realized' that the infamous 'articles' I have been hearing about in the threads is actually a link I can click on...whoah! (Yeah I can be such a blond sometimes!)

[suziwon]

SC did not work for me long term. This is the method of washing that I'd used until I found LHC, and you think I would have thought to try something else in the 30ish years I'd been using it, but you'd be mistaken. Variations to this method included leaving conditioner in my hair after washing it in order to help with the dryness, which didn't really work well, regardless of how "heavy" or "good" the conditioner.

I'd heard of CO before coming to LHC, and tried it when I heard about it. Apparently I was doing it wrong because it resulted in my hair being ewww after the first couple of tries. Once I learned how to do it right, I tried again, and it irritated my scalp something fierce. So, yeah, no.

I'm currently onto CWC, but I don't think it's been 6 months quite yet. My only variations have been with the shampoo and conditioner, because I haven't learned to leave well enough alone when I've found something that works. :o At least I've undone the mess I created...

My huge breakthrough came in the form of a small white container that was a sample of something called Panacea's Hair Salve. Maybe you've heard of it? ;)

Anyway, I've got 5" until waist (which is my goal) and it's taking way longer than I'd like, but for the first time ever, I'm not wanting to hack my hair back to shoulder length. I consider that in itself a small miracle.:bounce:

[dearladydisdain]

I have had the best luck with SC and CWC. CO really didn't work for me.

[MerryKat]

Was SC (weekly) before finding LHC, but hair / scalp were often unhappy - dry, itchy, frizzy, flakey.

After finding LHC I tried CO (every 2 weeks) for over a year - success. My hair and scalp were happier. Just time consuming letting the conditioner soak for a while.

I then tried WO (once a month) for around 9 months - success. Hair & scalp happy and much more consistant. I did use a vinegar rinse to counter act the hard water. I did not enjoy my hair for the first week after washing.

I graduated to full SO for around 6 months - super success. My hair and scalp were never happier, but it took a lot of daily attention - scritching, combing, preening, massaging.

I have now settled on NW (No Water - use a little coconut oil on scalp and ends as needed) with a 4 -6 weekly henna and a WO (no final vinegar rinse thanks to sebum and coconut oil) if needed due to being in a smelly environment. I still scritch, massage, preen and comb daily but I can do it once a day without it being a problem when I add a little coconut oil as needed.

[dalriada-lady]

Tried all the methods ( CWC; was too mild to clean my scalp. CO; left my hair limp and stringly. WO: eeek! what can i say, my scalp stunk so badly after a week i had to use shampoo three times in one wash to clean my scalp. SO; hair tangled and matted and had to cut 16 inches off to get the tangles out. but the only one that has worked well enough is Poo and Condish. ) so i wash with poo once or twice a week, use a deep moisture condish after every wash. I do CO but only once a week to add moisture to my hair.

I've been thinking of trying CWC and CO in winter instead of summer and see how it works. maybe my hair will adjust to either since the weather is cold and my scalp isn't as demanding and sweaty in winter as it is in summer.

[saak86]

I voted for SC (shampoo & condition) worked for me long-term

[nowxisxforever]

I liked shampoo bars when I was using them, but probably the most "successful" method has been regular old S&C with "good" shampoo and conditioner, not full of -cones and all that guck.

I shampoo the top half, let the run-off cleanse the last half, and then condition the bottom half.

[GlassEyes]

I've been doing CO for nearly a year now, both with and without cones, with a clarifying shampoo whenever necessary, no more than once a week and as less as once a month.

I voted for the 'CO worked for me long term' option.

[feralnature]

I shampoo and condition with cone-less products. I have tried CSC, but now just SC and that works just fine for my hair and that is what I have done for over a year now with good results. I use Suave or VO-5.

[Charlotte]

I'm pretty new to all of this and for the past three weeks have been doing the Conditioner Only method. I love the texture of my fine hair with this method - much less fluffy fly aways and very soft and shiny. One problem....my scalp is starting to itch me :undecided so I think I shall SC next time and see if there's an improvement. Maybe I will need to alternate between the two methods...? :)

[zen_oven]

CWC has been by far the best thing I've done for my hair. S&C was what I'd done most of my life, but I think it was the main reason my hair was dry and too wild. I tried WO but water by itself didn't have the desired effect--again, dryness. CWC keeps my scalp clean but doesn't strip my length. I haven't tried sebum only and don't really want to go there. I may try CO at some point, though I'm not sure about leaving out some kind of shampoo.

[dragonfrog]

Shampoo & condition works great for me, particularly when sulfate- and 'cone-free, so that's what I voted for.

However, shampoo only (not an option I see around LHC much) also works great for me. For at least 6 months (probably more like a year) before I found LHC I washed my hair exclusively with Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat shampoo. I washed only my scalp, letting the suds run over my length. I did not condition, or use any sort of leave-in or oil. My hair was great, about hip length and as healthy as can be expected, considering past abuse.

I am currently experimenting as to whether or not conditioner will be part of my regular routine.

[JamieLeigh]

I've been doing CO since January...so that's almost 6 months, and I'm still ecstatically happy with it. I've since added coconut oil to my routine, and that's made it even nicer. :D

[iceyblue]

hello,
is there an official thread for CWC? i cant find it.. thank you!

[EtherealOde]

I am closest to CO so I voted for that. I only shampoo to clarify, maybe twice a month at best and usually much less often than that. I CO wash generally every other day, but would be ok with doing it more often if I needed it. I just don't like dealing with the long drying time after washes because I don't use a blowdryer, I let it air dry naturally.

But to get back to the poll question, it has worked very well for me, cleaning oils and leaving my hair shiny and my scalp clean. Shampoo did the same, but it left my scalp itchy and dry, and tended to make my hair more frizzy and prone to break. Plus I had to use a ton of leave in when I shampooed regularly.

For a comment on other methods I can't vote on, CWC helped too but I didn't do it for 6 whole months. I only did it for 3 or 4 before just going to CO. But it did work nice for keeping frizz and breakage away, just didn't help with the scalp dryness. I have delicate skin with allergies to a lot of products (LOTS of products *cry*) so that may have something to do with it.

[rose_in_bloom]

S&C with the occasional CWC works great for me. I CO sometimes too, but not very often or it gunks up my hair.

I'm currently using either soap-based or a very gentle shampoo with sodium myreth sulfate as the main cleaning agent. I use cone-free conditioner most of the time.

[82exoticbeauty]

Shampoo and Conditioner worked with my hair! Even I try the CO wash as conditioner wash only for every other week, still as effect as both Shampoo and Condtioner!

[Capybara]

I have used CWC for the past 8 or 9 months and love it!

CO has worked for me in the past, and I got very nice results, but I haven't used it since I started CWC again because it takes too much time for me to rinse it out :o I would be happy to do it again, though!

S/C worked for me for years, but I prefer to baby my hair more (:

[ArienEllariel]

Shampooing and Conditioning overly dried the ends of my hair. That is so far the only thing I've done for 6 months at a time. I'm currently 2-3 minths into a CO ruitine and that seems to work wonders provided I do acidic rinses weekly and a CWC weekly.

[RedStripe]

SC is the only method I've every really used, and I'm happy with it. I have, however, tweaked the method a little bit since being on LHC. My length had been getting very dry, but after I started shampooing the scalp only and not the length, it has really improved. Also, I concentrate conditioner mainly on the length, especially the ends.

[mellie]

I don't see mine listed - shampoo only.

[Irishred]

I used CO for over a year. I stopped because we moved to a new home with harder well water. Well, My hair started getting thicker. Didn't really pay much attention to it as my DD was 1 and starting to wean. Well, tried CO again over a year later and had a massive shed after about a month. Have never COd again and probably never will.

I wash one of 2 ways, I shampoo then condition (S&C) OR condition the ends, shampoo top, then condition all (CWC?). Some depends on how much coconut oil I have used that week or if I am doing a treatment of sorts.

[*Aoife*]

I found SC worked best and I could get 4/5 days without washing. CO makes my hair feel nicer though but I can't go longer than two days without washing or it looks awful.

[habioku]

I miss the option: shampoo only works for me ;)

[Anywhere]

SC worked for my most of my life, but CO works better. SO worked well at first but after a while.. not so much.

[virgo75]

So far only CWC or S&C have worked for me longterm.

WO & CO don't work for me.

I'm scared to try SO.

[enfys]

S/C worked for my for...14 years? Something like that?

I started doing CWC when I first read about it in 2003, kept that up until about 2006.

I moved through several very cold houses doing norma S/C again.

CO didn't work for me, even though I really wanted it to for ease's sake; my hair needs shampoo and actually looks better for being shampooed twice!

CWC is great but I currently swing between that and S/C when I don't have time or am in the bath!

[Leoslaire]

I've been doing baking soda/ACV rinse for two years. I use a little Dr. Bronners if my hair is dirty, and condition before my ACV rinse

[ooo]

I like c/o best, but SC and CWC work well too.

[Shrew]

I've been using CWC and CO methods and they really work for me :)
But - with CO I can't wash castor oil and cosmetic kerosene, and this is why I use also CWC.

[Henrietta]

When did I vote for SC? Probably in March, when I joined. Now I'd change it for CWC, after...11 months of using it?

[Aaroo]

Well after 3 weeks of something other than SC (I switched to CO) I know that SC didn't work for me. My hair is definitely better now! It is much softer than the SC time, and shines more. My scalp itching has reduced tremendously, and I feel much better :)
But about the long therm effects of CO, I need more time to decide.

[Jcv-Shelley]

I found almost no transition in my WO shift. I ended with a happy, healthy scalp.

I might try other methods soon though, like CO for example :)

[Pantha]

Workign outdoors and on building sites I find anything other than shampoo and conditioner leaves my hair still quite dirty and grimey. Conditioner only was fine whilst I was at uni and my hair wasnt getting full of dust and dirt etc.
I do coconut oil before I wash as well, when I started using the coconut oil I noticed a major improvement, I guess its because the dust dries my hair or at least absorbs part of the natural oils from my hair so it seems to counteract that.

[Theobroma]

CO has been working for me for the past ten months. I never even had a transition period, and I use conditioner pretty much exactly the same way I used to use shampoo (i.e. I don't let it sit for any length of time before rinsing out). It cleans my scalp just as well as shampoo ever did, and doesn't dry out my hair or make my scalp itch the way shampoo did.

[jlo8937]

I tried conditioner only and my hair always ends up so greasy. The only thing that I do is shampoo and then condition just because nothing else has worked for me.

[lm119]

I voted CWC.

[Clelia]

I usually do SC or CWC, depending on what my hair wants... CO doesn't cleanse my hair and leaves it greasy, sadly.

[arith]

SC, but I only use diluted shampoo on the scalp NEVER on the length, unless I have build up.

[MJheals]

I'm a lifelong devotee of CO, and can't even think of my hair on SC! In weeks after switching to CO, I went from poufy, frizzy, dried out locks, to shiny, moisturized, soft (and tame!) hair. I've become a CO evangelist and am always trying to get others to try it. :)

[melusine963]

Shampoo and conditioner work well for me. I'm too scared to try going CO, never mind WO or SO.