Does anyone else do better washing frequently?

[ghilliegirl_an]

I have tried spreading washes a few times and while I know that it does take time for your scalp to adjust I think I've decided it's just not going to work for me. My hair isn't really all that oily in a day but if I don't wash my hair daily or every other day the top of my hair goes limp and my ends get dry and crunchy. I know many people here spread washings as much as possible because it works well for them but are there any of you here that do better with frequent washing? Just thought it might be an interesting thing to discuss like why you wash more frequently what other method you've tried etc.

-Ashley

[gogirlanime]

I honestly don't know when it comes to myself, but some people find that it does better for them because their hair isn't blocked by the sebum on their scalp.

[vanillabones]

I have tried spreading washes a few times and while I know that it does take time for your scalp to adjust I think I've decided it's just not going to work for me. My hair isn't really all that oily in a day but if I don't wash my hair daily or every other day the top of my hair goes limp and my ends get dry and crunchy. I know many people here spread washings as much as possible because it works well for them but are there any of you here that do better with frequent washing? Just thought it might be an interesting thing to discuss like why you wash more frequently what other method you've tried etc.

-Ashley

This is me too. And also because the sebum really clogs up my scalp and it'll get red bumps if I let it stay greasy too long. I have tried spreading washes. It's easier to do with longer hair and dry shampoo, I will stretch washes again once I'm APL probably... for now it's every other day sometimes everyday if it's really bad or I have somewhere to go. My hair gets really limp and crunchy and the roots are gross. :eyebrows:
I CWC with no cones, organic sls-free shampoo, and then cones.
Sometimes I CO w/ v05 instead even though I'm still kinda greasy after.

[Lianna]

Me. I tried sulfate free shampoos, and conditioner only for several months. It looked and felt fine, but I still had to do it everyday. After a few months I realized my hair wasn't growing as usual and the only thing I have changed was this. So I went back to using SLES shampoos everyday like I did all my life. Happy ending! :)

I also tried water only for about 2 months but just to experiment really. I couldn't manage to clean properly this way, I think.

ETA: I didn't come to the forum to learn hair care per se, but to learn about growth aids. I shouldn't have messed with what was fine before, but it's nice to have this knowlegde.

[Sundial]

I can't stretch washes at all. I get the same problems as you do - oily roots and dry ends. My hair seems to fare better when I wash frequently so I just try to choose washing methods that are more gentle, ie diluting shampoos, CWC, CO.

[Angel_Abby]

Mine is just the opposite from Lianna. :D I came for hair care, not length help, lol. Thats neat!

Anywho, I CO just about everyday. I do a honey mask twice a week, since I have SD and a VERY finicky scalp. But I use a styling gel just about every other day which needs washing out, and I also oil my ends and the CO really compliments that.

I don' t mind CO'ing everyday.; It smells nice and it makes my hair soft and I like caring for it. :)

If I wait too long, my SD flares up. If I use too harsh of a shampoo(to clarify) my SD flares up. If the seasons change, my SD flares... well, you get the idea! :p

[Vani1902]

I just realized today that I do better with frequent washes. I tried to only wash once a week but by the third day (today) my scalp was angry at me. I had do to a co wash to make it happy again. In general, I am used to frequent washes. I like to co wash every other day. It just keeps my hair moisturized and easy to manage.

[Lianna]

Hair care and length are very connected, but it's not like I couldn't grow or had problems growing, etc. I just had cut a 3 inch pixie cut for the second time in my life and regret it. I wanted to get to chin as fast as possible. Took me about 11 months the first time, but here, after a year, I'm almost APL. I appreciate the support a lot (and growth aids advice of course :D)

[xoerincolleen]

I wash every other day, too. If I don't, my scalp gets REALLY itchy. I've never had a problem with oily/greasy hair though. I usually CO wash so I figure it's not bad for the rest of my hair.

[monsterna]

I wash every night (or at least every night before work in the morning). Sometimes I skip a day or two on the weekends out of laziness.

I don't use sulphates, though. Not good for me. I am avoiding protein now as well, since it makes my ends velcro-y. So I have a cone-, sulphate-, and protein-free shampoo I use, a coney yet protein-free conditioner, and Nightbloomings protein-free winter salve as leave in. It has been lovely so far. My hair gets just like yours if I don't wash every day.

I don't mind how it is on the days I may not wash, but those days it is almost 100% likely I won't be out in public. :D

[MsBubbles]

I tried so many things to try to stretch my washes, including changing my diet. Nothing worked! So I just do scalp washes every day (to clean my scalp yet leave my ends untouched). Just do what works for you. I also use cones shamelessly.

[Java]

I use what I believe to be gentle and cleansing enough. Lately, I use oil shampoos, CO if it is feasible, but not ever go without. My hair acts badly if I attempt to go without washing it at least once a day. I am not sure if it is climate and damage or other factors but I know were your coming from.

[Beatrice]

I inherited oily skin from both parents--the type that doesn't even dry up in middle age. Add to that living all my life in warm, humid climates, and I can go one day tops, if I wear my hair up and use dry shampoo. Even after one day, I get buildup, which often leads to flakes. I think it's healthier for my scalp to wash every day.

I'm now at BSL, I only trim twice a year, and I don't get split ends. So I wouldn't say it's been a problem.

[Honestwitness]

I use regular sulfate shampoo and regular conditioner every other day. I use hairspray on my bangs and a few growing-uot layers most days, so I need to get that out. Sometimes I wait until day 3 to wash, but I usually don't wait until day 4. Also, I need a scalp massage and warm water just to get the stiffness out of my neck and shoullder muscles in the morning. I would wash every day for that benefit, if I weren't so conscious of my fragile hair.

[ladyfey]

I wash every other day and my hair is knee length. It does just fine with that! I have oily skin (even though I'm 39 years old) and my hair can't go all that long between washes. I use Chagrin Valley shampoo bars and CWC.

[nocojojo]

I'm so happy to know this. I've been trying to stretch washes for a year (CO, BS/ACV, shampoo bars, diluted shampoo and plain ole shampoo). No luck. I thought I was a failure because I feel slimy if I don't shampoo daily. Slimy scalp, dry ends - no fair!

Maybe I'll go back to daily shampooing, guilt free.

[MonaLisa]

I was just gonna ask why do people stretch washes, I mean...how important is it? or how damaging is not doing so?
I ask because i know i could stretch to a week + , but i still wash every 4 days or so, just out of habit or because it feels nicer and it's kind of...time to deal with tangles.

[wtchmel]

I have to wash every other day, or the hair goes oily and straight/limp. My scalp will start to itch, and have alot of dandruff, and actually hurt if i scratch it.
I use Aubrey Organics, and have for years. I personally have an issue with oily/greasy hair, i feel there is no reason for this unless you're sick or something. It's gross to me.

[nocojojo]

I tried stretching because I have terribly dry skin, eczema and live in a very dry climate. The less exposure my skin has to water, the better. I guess that I'd rather heavily moisturize my skin than live with yucky hair.

[teela1978]

I'm mostly an every-other-day washer. Sometimes daily depending on what I've been up to. And sulfates are necessary for me. I get scalp pimples otherwise (itchy ones which turn into scabby sores over time).

[sugar&nutmeg]

I'm just now sort-of giving up stretching washes. I was finding I shed a lot when washing, even though I comb my hair daily. I wondered whether it was sebum and whatever that pseudo-testosterone thing is, building up on my scalp.

Also, I'm trying to walk several miles on the treadmill at least every other day, and I have to wash my hair afterward. I found myself not wanting to exercise, cuz I'd have to wash my hair "too often", and that's just silly.

I also just started oiling with coconut/castor before washing, and my shedding has reduced drastically. Bad science, I know, combining two variables, but...oh, well! For whatever reason, I'm getting the results I want. I have the luxury of letting my hair air dry, so I'm going to keep on with every-other-day (or at most every 3rd day) washing, and see what happens.

[Fizz]

I wash my hair 6 nights out of 7.
I work on an acute medical ward, and the little old ladies love to reach out and grab hold of my braid. (... and you can imagine where their hands have been!)
I like to feel clean before I go to bed :)

[ange1ito]

I wash mine every other day as the ends get super dry even though I have change to BBB to help and castor oiling. I use dry shampoo by Batise when I don't wash sometimes if it's too oily.
I use sulphate's and cone's too.

[Liss]

I wash mine every day and I don't feel guilty about it becasue I know that my hair can't go a single day without being washed. I tried all sorts of things in the past after being told that it's bad for my hair etc, etc, but nothing worked, so I do what is right for me.

[Corvus]

I did try and stretch my washes, but 3 days is the most I can get, and then I feel really icky and my scalp is oily. So routinely I wash every other day and I've recently started using Chagrin Valley shampoo bars instead of sulfates, and I use leave-in conditioner and cones.

[kidari]

I wash everyday without shame. With or without SLS, cones, proteins... doesn't matter. My hair likes it all but it likes variety. The next day if I don't wash my hair my scalp gets super itchy, if I don't wash my hair by the third day it's dull, not shiny as usual, greasy with brittle ends and by the fourth day I develop dandruff. As long as I use an oil as a prewash I think it's fine. My hair never really tangles either and it's super easy to keep it tangle free while washing, also when I shampoo I give myself a scalp massage daily.

[EbonyCurls]

I used to try to stretch my washes out to a week, but then I would get greasy, oily, flaky red scalp. My ends would dry and I would have the worst knotting, especially at my nape. I stopped because I just didn't see any positive changes, just negative ones.

To be honest, I don't know why I tried it in the first place, my hair was fine washing every 3rd or 4th morning. I feel lucky enough just to be able to stretch it that much. I find my hair to be more consistently supple, moisturized, and my scalp more balanced and healthy with at least a few times a week scrub down. Also, it helps that I never really wash my "hair", but rather I do CWC and scrub only my scalp. It works for me.

[BlueMuse]

I was every other day and sometimes every day depending. In the summer it's much harder for me to stretch washes since I end up sweating more and that does not make my hair very attractive. The thought of stretching washes beyond a day or two makes me cringe a little because my hair looks pretty nasty on day two of no washing. It'd be nice if stretching washes worked for me, but it really doesn't, so such is life I guess :)

[Jeni]

I also tried to spread out my washes but gave up after realizing my scalp really likes to be clean (I break out into a red itchy painful rash by the 3rd morning) and my hair seems to LOVE being wet. Not to mention its almost impossible to get my bun to hold in dry hair.

I wash (CWC) everyday with SLS/low SLS/no SLS shampoo (depending on what I have) and cone conditioner then top with a cone leave in. My hair and scalp couldn't be happier!

[PraiseCheeses]

I've just discovered that while I can stretch washes to a week, I prefer washing every three or four days. My scalp is fine with the stretch, but my ends start to get dry after the third day, even with misting. I think washing more frequently will enable me to do more deep treatments that need to be washed out - like the avocado that's on my head right now. :D

[Ermine]

That would be me. I CO every day, so I'm not concerned about drying my hair out, so I don't really have much motivation to try stretching washes for the sake of hair health. Also, if I don't wash every day, not only is my hair limp and strandy, my scalp is itchy and flaky. Also, I try to work out every other day, and I definitely want to wash the sweat out.

[Masara]

My hair isn't really all that oily in a day but if I don't wash my hair daily or every other day the top of my hair goes limp and my ends get dry and crunchy.

This is me.
When I first joined LHC I tried stretching washes because I felt that it was what everyone did. My hair didn't appreciate it and I felt headachy all the time. Then I realised that there was no point in growing my hair if I didn't like or enjoy it, so I went back to what I felt comfortable with.
There was a thread for frequent washers a while back and I was pleasantly surprised to see how many of us there were. It turned out that many of us have finer hair and just can't stretch washes.

[Rosetta]

Count me in, too :)
I usually wash every other day, sometimes stretch to a third day.
(Actually, now that it's been really hot (+ 28-30 C), it feels even every other day isn't enough, but this is exceptional.)
I just can't stand the look and feel of my hair if it hasn't been washed for longer than this, simple as that. I can't see any point in stretching washes if it makes me feel yucky and not enjoy my hair at all...
And yes, my hair does better with sulfate shampoos, too (preferably SLES).

And I have tried almost every trick in the book, CO washing (which I used to do for months, some years ago, so it was a long enough period to see how it suited me), non-sulfate poos, etc. But the above is what suits my hair best.
In fact, maybe surprisingly, with a frequent washes using sulfate shampoo & coney conditioner combo I have managed to reach longer lengths than ever before, compared to stretching washes, CO washing, etc... :)

[tabby28]

I wash almost every other day. I've cut down from every day and occasionally I'll leave it two days, but no longer than that because my scalp has to be cleansed or it starts to have major issues. I actually find that my hair feels softer (I dont get the dry ends from not washing) if I dont wash for a day or two, but after that it gets greasy so I wouldnt want to leave it any longer anyway.

[beccababesx]

Less often washes aren't meant to make your hair better/nicer, they're meant to protect your hair from the damage of washing.

[lesbia]

- I tried to wash my hair every day with conditioner only method: my hair became very frizzy and I stop use this method after more or less a week. Not for my hair.

- I usually had washed my hair every other day with shampoo and conditioner. It works well for my roots which never gets greasy and oily. But it is a little bit damaging for my ends. After a long period of time washing my hair so frequently made me split ends, expecially now that I have longer hair. So I decided to start to reduce my weekly washes.

- now i'm trying to wash my hair three times a week...let's see!

[Toiréasa]

I CO wash everyday and clarify once a week,if my hair is really feeling dirty I might wash with a sulfate free poo in between. I will be lazy on the weekends sometimes if I'm not going out.

[Safira]

I was every other day, or every day. It depends, it´s summer and I really get swet at work and home. I don´t like sweaty feeling in my scalp. I tried to strech washes, but it didn´t work: ends got tangly and dry.

[MaryRose]

I am still experimenting with my hair. I always washed and Condition my hair everyday in the past. I have tried washing and conditioning my hair every other day and it seemed to be working fine. Then I thought I would CO only and that worked fine. When I mean it worked fine, I mean, that my hair was not oily and looked healthy and shiny and tangle free. I know right, everything seems to improve my hair no matter which method I used. Since nothing really seems to change my hairs temperment, I have become really laxed with my hair care. I only wash my hair with shampoo if I really sweat, if I sit inside the house all day then I do nothing to it. If I sit around the house 3 days straight then I may just water only or CO depending on what I feel like. It has been 4 days since my last shampoo and conditioner wash. Day 1- I washed and conditioned my hair. Day 2- I did nothing to my hair, Day 3- I water only my hair and Day four I water only my hair and it still looks good. I am a spontaneous personality, so I do with my hair spur the moment. I didnt plan this routine and my hair seems to love it.

[Corvus]

In the summer it's much harder for me to stretch washes since I end up sweating more and that does not make my hair very attractive.


I totally agree! In winter I may be able to stretch my washes another day or two, but in Summer, by the second day, it really feels like it needs it.

[giuditta]

I really prefer washing everyday. I tried so many times to do it every other day but then the day I don't wash I feel so miserable, it's just not worth it.
I wash in the evening and if I sleep on it durig 2 nights the roots look like I haven't washed in weeks.
I also have oily skin, the advantage being that I don't have any wrinkles so far, but all the more pimples...

Now on the forum I learn more about nice natural haircare and I'm loving to experiment, which makes washing everynight even more fun! I even CO every now and then and am happy that it works as well

[tabby28]

There was a thread for frequent washers a while back and I was pleasantly surprised to see how many of us there were. It turned out that many of us have finer hair and just can't stretch washes.

Do you think having fine hair makes a difference to this? just wondering because my hair is very fine and it never ocurred to me before that it might be part of why it likes frequent washing!

[MandyBeth]

Due to freaking out my scalp with a PPD burn, plus meds that give me scalp problems, plus cat fine hair - my scalp is happy only with SLS shampoo daily.

[Carolyn]

I used to be an every day washer and now my hair looks it's best if I wash it every other day. I'll go 3 or 4 days once in a while if I'm not doing anything special. I find my sebum coated hair to be ugly and stinky. I hate the way it smells, looks, and feels. My length does well if it's washed at least 3 times a week. It gets so dry and brittle if I don't get it wet and use conditioner. Going a week without getting it wet and using conditioner would be disastrous for me.

[chickpea]

My scalp is fine with being washed less frequently, but the length of my hair gets awfully dry if I don't rinse and condition every other day. I noticed more damage and splits when I washed and conditioned less often. I use shampoo bars or a mild shampoo on my scalp once a week, and CO wash the rest of the time.

[Lianna]

People really worried about damage could always pre-poo everyday too. :)

[Eolan]

I am very happy about this thread. I have thought about washing moore often, as I ideally would need to, due to scalp issues and the fact that I exercise all the time and get sweaty. A simple rinse does me no good, as my scalp kills me afterwards. Seeing that others wash their hair often and still have healthy hair gives me hope! I could too, then. :D

[Teufelchen]

Shortly after I joined the LHC I tried to strech my washes. It left me with greasy itching scalp with pimples. Then I switched to my routine, which constists of 2 CO washes per weak plus one CWC wash.
Since then my scalp has adjusted and I am feeling fine.
My growth is also highly affected if I wash less frequently.

I am really happy now with my routine and my hair likes it. It is shinier then ever. :)

[Lianna]

My growth is also highly affected if I wash less frequently.

I don't remember if I said this already in this thread, but mine too! :hifive:

[oktobergoud]

I have to wash frequently as well. I always try to stretch it to every 4 days with co-washing in between, but I have fine AND short hair, so it most of the time looks awful.. If I had long hair, at least I could pull it up! Now it's just hanging there, being gross :P
I also still haven't found my perfect routine and I have TONS and TONS of shampoos & conditioners that I want to finish first! Sigh..

[Teufelchen]

I don't remember if I said this already in this thread, but mine too! :hifive:
Ok, that's good to know. Before I found this thread I thought I am the only one and it is just a bias, but if others observe it too, there must be a relation.

[oktobergoud]

I used to be an every day washer and now my hair looks it's best if I wash it every other day. I'll go 3 or 4 days once in a while if I'm not doing anything special. I find my sebum coated hair to be ugly and stinky. I hate the way it smells, looks, and feels.


Ugh me too! I really don't like how my hair smells after a few days of not washing, so.. moldy? :P Well not moldy maybe but just.. not good!

[Lianna]

Ok, that's good to know. Before I found this thread I thought I am the only one and it is just a bias, but if others observe it too, there must be a relation.

You're the fourth person I encounter that has this issue too. :D Perhaps if there was a thread about we could find more people. I'm a little afraid to touch the subject though.

[Lize]

I wash every other day, I never managed to stretch that and still feel good about my hair in the 5 years I have been at LHC. I have managed to switch to CO though and still wash every other day. Before when I was on CO I had to wash every day. But even if I shampoo and condition I have to wash it every other day or it will look and feel so horrible that I just feel like chopping it all off.

[Persephone94]

I'm washing my hair once a week and my scalp is less irritated than before (with every two days).

[celebriangel]

It's interesting...my hair seems pretty indifferent to how often I wash it *shrug*. It used to get horribly greasy, but then I had several months of SO with monthly washes (illness-related), and now my hair takes a really long time to get greasy. It doesn't seem to care how often I wash it now. I end up washing it every week normally just because I feel like it.

[Stub]

In winter I can wash about every three days. But in summer I just can't stand to not wash my hair when I shower at night, after a day of sweating in the sun. Even if it LOOKS fine in the mirror before I get in the shower, it FEELS greasy and nasty and I have to at least CO every day. I still use BS/ACV about every three days though.

[Teufelchen]

You're the fourth person I encounter that has this issue too. :D Perhaps if there was a thread about we could find more people. I'm a little afraid to touch the subject though.
I am very much like that.