Oiling or streching?

[linnepinne]

Hi all!

I've been having some success with streching my washes lately (every 6 days with some WO-washing/rinsing in between). Yay! :cheer:WO makes my hair really soft, but leave my somewhat damaged ends super dry. But my scalp is very happy! Oil and sebum production has decreased alot.

But, this also means that I don't do as many heavy oilings as I used to beacuse I try to keep my hair as clean as possible between washes. I even rarely do light oilings on my ends (the oil seems to travel some?). My hair really benefits from oiling since it seems to keep it strong and prevents damage. But I'm not sure It does anything for adding thickness.. (which is relatively important for me).

I now have a question for all of you experienced LHC:ers: Which has been more benficial to your hair growth (thickness and/or growth rate); streching washes or doing heavy oil treatments often? And what are your specific reasons for choosing this path?

I like both ways, but I'm not sure which is better for my hair.

Thank you!

[suleika]

I oil and strech. I find it most beneficial for my hair. I have been doing this for half a year. And I think my hair has been growing faster now.

[MegaMystery]

The first few days after washing i just stretch (no extra oil). When my roots are too greasy for my liking to wear my hair down and i start putting it up i put extra oil on the ends because by then it won't matter if it looks a little extra greasy. The day (or a couple of hours) before washing i oil heavily. This way i can stretch my washes for a week or more :)

[Rhodugune]

I do both, I co-wash may hair once a week, and I also have a bit of oliveoil in my conditioner.
The first few days I just have a little bit of coconutoil in the length and and add alot of it to my ends before going to bed, you can hardly tell the next morning that the ends where drenched in oil the night before.
A day or two before wash day I usually put a more and more into the length, as long as I were it up and don't put it in my hair above the shoulders, it's hardly noticeable.

[Madora]

Brushing my hair every day with a clean pure boar bristle brush has made it possible to stretch washing to once a month.

Of course other things factor in during the stretching period..but the brushing certainly helps!!

[PrairieRose]

I have been oiling often, but it does travel on my hair since it is fine texture. Because of this I do wash more often then I would like. I am working towards stretching it out more.

[katsrevenge]

I heavy oil right before washing.. and right now I do that maybe once a week or so. I'm, not stretching washing though.

[Amber_Maiden]

Oiling my hair, probably.

[Diamondbell]

It's a difficult question because I do oiling and can stretch washing up to a week sometimes and at other times I do oiling and yet wash frequently. Light-oiling and stretching the washing is OK for me. Right now I am planning to stretch washes if possible for a week but oil hair (not heavy oiling). If necessary I can do a WO in between ... Stretching washes have been better for me so far, because I do the BBB and scalp massage which is not possible for me, if I wash too frequently. That is possible only while stretching.

[linnepinne]

Thanks for all of your replies so far. I guess I'm trying to figure out which is better: Oiling often, and thus, washing often (I've learned that washing often is supposed to be damaging for hair?) - From this my hair would be strengthened from the oil, but possibly damaged/dryed out/producing too much of its own oil from all the washing. Or: Streching washes and oiling less often - I don't get the deep treatment of the oils as often, but I don't irritate my scalp with excess washing. My hair is soft when "marinated" in its own oils between washes, but my endss are super dry.

Have any of you tried both these strategies? What made choose one or the other?

[white.chocolate]

Between the 2 options you gave, I chose stretching washes (up to 4 days maximum otherwise I'm a greaseball). I used to do heavy oiling before, but I saw no effect. And with the hair products I am using now, I don't see the need of continuing it.

[spidermom]

I wait until the hair at my scalp looks oily, then I oil the length and put it up. Most times, I wash the next morning, but sometimes I wash an hour or more after oiling.

[mira-chan]

Both at the same time. I've always washed my hair once a week. So there's the stretching. I could wash once every two weeks but my scalp gunks up badly. I do a heavy oiling before each wash. So both.

[melusine963]

I stretch and oil, but only lightly as a leave-in conditioner. I've never tried heavy oilings, so I don't know what effect that would have. I do have to be very careful not to over oil the length, because I also have problems with it travelling. I've been getting around that lately by 1) using my bbb to distribute the oil through the hair from my chin down. 2) Letting it soak in for a little while. 3) Using a different brush to detangle to top part of my hair. 4) Putting my hair up and handling as little as possible.

[Tota]

Co-washing was the best thing that happened to my hair. I tried to stretch washes to 5 days but it didn't work with shampoo. Now I said farewell to my shampoo and I CO every third day and my hair actually looks better.

[midsummernight]

I cannot go without shampoo everyday. i am a shampoo addict. so I oil my hair at least for an hour to prevent my hair drying out even more. I wonder if this is harmful to the hair...

[longcurlygirl<3]

I do both, I wash twice a week ( I workout) and oil heavy (because of the curls it needs moisture). Both have benefited my hair very nicely. I shampoo once and then CO Wash my second wash day :) Has made my hair so much better :)

[LiveYourDreams]

I shampoo once a week and then the day before I wash it I oil my hair heavily. I found that both stretching washes and doing heavy oil treatments works great!

[sumidha]

My hair is very dry, so oiling the ends has been hugely helpful, I've never had much of a problem with having to wash my hair too often.

[gazelle]

Both at the same time. I've always washed my hair once a week. So there's the stretching. I could wash once every two weeks but my scalp gunks up badly. I do a heavy oiling before each wash. So both.

Does yor hair absorb the oil before a wash? I know most of the LHCrs do heavy oiling before a wash.

Before a wash day, my hair includes lots of chalk dust and many other dirts from the outworking. So will it help to heavy oil before a wash?

I usually do my deep oilings after clarifying my hair. But I cannot have that chance every time. I wash, wait to dry my hair, oil, wait with the oil and wash. But it is impossible these days, because 6 days I am out of the home.

[LissaJane]

I do a bit of both. I deep oil about once a fortnight... sometimes once a week depending on my time management. And I stretch my washes as far as I can take them. I usually wash my hair about once a week. I put a teeeeeeeeeny tiny amount of coconut or olive oil in my hair most days, depending on how it's feeling.

[Anastasiya24]

I stretch my washed to every 4 days. So every 8 days I wash my hair twice and oil twice.
Since I wash my hair every 4th day I leave it alone the first 2 days, and on the third day I do a heavy/medium oiling with coconut oil that I leave on all day and all night. Then I S&C then ACV rinse. Then repeat the 4 day cycle. I used to wash my hair every day so I'd say my hair is thanking me for this change! I'd like to stretch the washing days more but I find it impossible because my hair gets really bad by day 4 even if I wear it up.

[az_sweetie01]

I tend to stretch my washes about a week if I can but, sometimes, only three to four days. As for the ends of my hair, I do something similar to Spidermom-- I will oil them up the day of my wash, bun and let things marinate until the evening. If I feel like they need a hit of oil before a wash day, I'll put a scant amount on but, I find I can't stretch as long if I do that because I get kind of stringy looking.

[Anje]

The most beneficial thing for me, by far, was switching to CO washing.

Light oilings make a difference in how well my hair handles, but I've never been impressed with the results of heavy oiling. WO washing left my ends dry, even with oilings. CO reduced my sebum production compared to shampoo while leaving the length more moisturized, so I got healthy hair and managed to stretch my washes out a bit.

[danceri110]

I oil, stretch and neglect :joy:
I wash on Sunday, then oil the ends, then put it up for most of the week. Then on Friday, I oil the whole length up to about my ears and keep it in it's updo for the next 2 days until the next Sunday when I wash :bounce:

[elfgirl]

I started stretching my washings to every 4 days at the start of the year, and I've noticed a difference. Even though I'm only washing my hair every 4 days, it seems like it's in better condition, and feels better overall, then when I used to wash it every other day.

I've gotten so used to the every 4 days, I'm considering seeing about adding one more day, so it would be every 5 days, and then seeing how that goes, and if I want to stretch it more or not.

I've also taken to oiling my hair the night before wash day. I use coconut oil currently, but am looking into getting some Nightblooming Triple Moon oil to add into the mix. Am thinking I'd apply that after washes, and maybe in the oiling the night before. Not sure though. Any tips or advice would be appreciated ^_^

Due to time issues (ie getting to bed really late the night before wash day, and having to get up at 5:40 the next morning ) I haven't oiled the night before wash day for the past 2 washes (aka the past 8 days), and I've noticed a negative difference. My hair seems not as soft, feels kind of dry, and isn't happy with me :/ I'm going to start doing the oilings again on my regular usual basis :)

[Lipbalmbabe]

Oil and stretch is the way to go!

[Schipperchow]

I do both in the wintertime, but I only do a a very light to light oiling. Depending on my hair's needs, I might put some avocado or shea butter on the ends. I haven't done a heavy oiling in years as I always noticed excessive shedding after applying the oil.

[annamoonfairy]

I now wash once a week

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w428/annamoonfairy/Hair021420121.jpg

[Vanilla]

The last time I grew to waist, I stretched my washes 3 days. I had been experimenting with heavy oiling or oiling in general, and I'm not sure if it has worked out for me so much. I was washing every other day and I think my hair was starting to dry out regardless of the oil.

This week, I am stretching my washes to 5 days. I am scritching, detangling and brushing twice a day to try to move my natural oil down the length of my hair. I'm glad I will be washing tomorrow, and I don't think I'll be oiling beforehand.

[Vanilla]

The last time I grew to waist, I stretched my washes 3 days. I had been experimenting with heavy oiling or oiling in general, and I'm not sure if it has worked out for me so much. I was washing every other day and I think my hair was starting to dry out regardless of the oil.

This week, I am stretching my washes to 5 days. I am scritching, detangling and brushing twice a day to try to move my natural oil down the length of my hair. I'm glad I will be washing tomorrow, and I don't think I'll be oiling beforehand.

[Lipbalmbabe]

Natural oil is the best oil, but sometimes hair needs a little boost so oiling and stretching

[lostchyld]

I like to stretch, because I'm lazy. It takes at least 5 days before my scalp gets greasy enough that I feel like other people notice. I've been washing more often, every day or two, recently due to an extremely itchy scalp, but am going to try just intensive scalp massages with conditioner or oil up to an hour before I wash and see if I can go longer than a day and a half without the demand for a shower.

While I've been using an anti-dandruff shampoo, I'm going to try switching back to conditioner only while I'm experimenting with scalp massages. I may get out my spray bottle and dilute some conditioner with water to moisturize between washes, especially with the weather as dry as it is.

[diamantenstaub]

It depends on my mood and how much time I have... but I like both ways. Both have advantages and disadvantages for me - so can't choose one!

[sjshelt]

before joining LHC I already stretched washes so I found the oilings to be the most beneficial!!

[kidari]

oiling has helped me more, I always oil the ends lightly and do heavy oilings about once a week... stretching washes irritates my scalp and gives me dandruff, I tried stretching washes once in a while but the benefits were outweighed by the cons for me

[owlathena]

I said other, because I think its best to compromise. Light oiling and slightly stretching has been best for me. I lightly oil my length pretty much daily, and wash about 2x a week.

[einna]

I voted "Other", because I do kind of a combination. I stretch my washes, just spritz the ends with water and then apply some oil when needed, as long as I only oil the lenght/ends, my hair dosent need to be washed. I also do pre wash oilings.

[Charlotte:)]

I stretch washes to twice a week, and I lightly oil the night before washing.

[nobeltonya]

I alternate b/w heavy and light oiling every night, wash every morning.. once a week or so, wash w/o oiling to get rid of build-up. Using conditioner and leave-in also has helped significantly. My hair is just gross if I don't wash it... dandruff, oily, dry, dull and limp..

[DancingQueen]

I voted stretching washes. Although, technically, I didn't stretch them really, as I never washed my hair every day (not good for curly girls). I find that 3 days work for me, and I don't aim for stretching more.

I did use a cone-free routine, washing every 4 days and oiling the night before wash. It did moisturize my hair, but it thinned out a LOT, I lost almost 1 cm in a few moths. :( The thinning stopped when I stopped using oil, but it tangled a whole lot. Since I went back to cones (but still no heat) my hair seem more happy than ever before.

I guess it is different for everyone what works for them, but this works for me. :)

[Diamond.Eyes]

Oiling has been a lot more beneficial for my hair. Where I live, the air is dry and hot. If I stretch my washes without applying oil, my hair will be a dry, tangled, mess after about 3 days. I oil my hair and keep my ends especially drenched. I will often leave a lot of oil in my hair for a couple of days and just keep it up. :)

ETA: I use shea butter as my main "oil". I sometimes mix coconut oil with it.