Shampoo only Scalp? Or entire head?

[DarkAlice]

I usually shampoo entire head, from root to ends and always thought i just had "dry" hair, but i've heard recently your only supposed to wash your scalp? Could my so called "dry" hair be from me not washing it correctly? Does everyone get dry hair from applying shampoo from root-to-tips? thanks...I also heard that if you apply conditioner to your roots its bad for them, but i'm afraid of frizz if i don't..

[jacqueline101]

I shampoo my whole head. My ends get dirty due to sweating

[pink.sara]

If I shampooed my hair from root to tip everytime it would absolutely kill it. Also if I condition roots I have to wash every single day.

I find diluted shampoo on the roots only then conditioner only from the ears down means softer cleaner hair that needs washing less, even with heavy gym sessions.

Everyones different though, try some of the methods here on the boards after reading the newbie advice and see what works for you! Just don't try it all at once ;)

[Firefly]

No, I only shampoo the scalp, and then let the diluted shampoo run down my length while rinsing. For a while I would hold my length out of the way so that not even the diluted stuff would reach the ends, but it didn't seem to make a difference so I stopped. The only time I shampoo the entire length is when I'm clarifying. I would imagine that, for many (and depending on what kind of shampoo you're using), shampooing the length regularly would be very drying.

[Lucky_Lucy]

I only shampoo my scalp, it feels better. Since my hair tends to get a little greasy I try not to get too much conditioner on my roots, but I don't think it's bad for people whose hair isn't greasy.
If your hair feels dry after shampooing your whole head, I think you should try only shampooing your scalp for a few times(maybe you should try CWC, it worked wonders on my hair, but everyone's hair is different) and see if it makes a difference. You wouldn't know unless you try!

[Covet]

I don't let shampoo touch my hair any more because it made my hair as dry as hay. Shampooing all of your hair could be exactly what is making your hair dry and you could indeed try just shampooing the roots.

I think you need to work out what works best for *you*. Using conditioner on the roots isn't bad for them but some people find their hair looks really lank and greasy if they do. I apply conditioner all over and my roots don't look greasy or anything. If your roots look fine after you use conditioner on them, then I don't see any problem with it!

[TheMechaGinger]

I used to shampoo all of my hair everyday and then condition all of it and wondered why my hair was dry but greasy when I was younger. So now I try never to put shampoo directly on my ends. I mean, they get washed because the suds from my scalp rinse down into my ends but it isn't nearly as harsh as putting shampoo directly on them for me. And I never put conditioner on my roots either. If I do that then my roots get super greasy and my hair just looks horrible. I also really don't like having anything on my scalp either, that's just my preference. But finding a routine that works for you is all about experimenting!

[Madora]

I use my diluted GM shampoo this way:

first shampoo, to cleanse the the hair from top to tips

second shampoo is concentrated on the scalp and head hair.

The hair needs a healthy scalp.

[Amber_Maiden]

I only shampoo my scalp- and that's with diluted shampoo. I find that if I shampoo all my hair it is drier. It's also bad for the hair. Just shampooing your scalp and letting the water wash it down your length is enough.

[EdG]

Same here - I dilute the shampoo and apply it only to the scalp.
Ed

[Darkessa]

Whenever I have my wash day, I heavily oil my length with Coconut Oil at least a few hours before I plan to shower.
Then when I get in the shower, I wet my hair and add a moisturizing conditioner to the length.
Then I shampoo just the scalp and rinse. The rinsing allows the suds to pass through the length, making it clean but not having time to really strip it of the moisture.
Afterward I put conditioner on just the length again, slightly massage it in, then leave it while I finish my shower duties. I rinse it out while on my knees actually, so I can better control when I stop rinsing. (The water pressure is lower the farther towards the shower floor, therefore it doesn't rinse out as fast)

Everyone's hair is different, and likes different things.
I say try just shampooing the scalp, and see how your hair likes it.

ALWAYS listen to your hair. It will tell you exactly what it wants and needs.
And if you can't understand your hairs language, ask people on here. So many people here will have so many ideas for you. Then you can slowly figure it out until you get the perfect routine!
Good luck!

[lapushka]

It is a little drying, yes, but either scalp wash only, and let the suds travel down the length *or* just clarify the length along with it and then just condition twice. :)

[MonaMayfair]

I've used shampoo just on my scalp since I was about 12, and read in a magazine that's what you were supposed to do!

[ArienEllariel]

Oh wow, if I used shampoo from root to tip, my hair would be parched! I think daily root to tip washing contributed to my inability to grow my hair past shoulder length for the longest time. So no, I only shampoo my roots.

[ChloeDharma]

You only really need to shampoo the length if you are using styling products that need to be removed. I just shampoo my roots and scalp and let the suds run down the legth. I do try to make sure my length is heavily oiled before washing though to protect them otherwise i'd have a dry breaking mess.

[Othala]

I only apply diluted shampoo to my scalp. The length of my hair is heavily oiled before I step in the shower and although the rinsed shampoo removes some of the oil, most of it stays put.

I wash my entire scalp and hair once a month only and then apply a deep conditioner.

[Renate]

I used to be in the same situation as you! I started using less and less shampoo, and I realized that my ends were slightly less dried. Then I started to only wash the very top of my head and my ends showed progress again. But then one day I did the same thing, washed only the top of my head, but instead of rinsing it off with the hair down, I holded the ends above my head so the shampoo wouldn't get in them, and rinsed the shampoo. Turns out my hair isn't dry, it's normal. I have been doing this ever since, and my hair has improved a lot.

[jesis]

I shampoo my scalp and kind of let the suds run down a little and if my hair is especially dirty, I will rub a little bit into my ends. I condition my whole head though, root the ends.

Also, if you are having trouble with dry hair, try adding a bit of coconut oil to your entire head about an hour before you wash your hair. It helps a lot.

[heidi w.]

Your answer tends to depend on how much length you have AND what hair type you are.

Shampooing just the scalp is known as Scalp Washing, and helps those with hair length like mine or Madora's or Ed G spend less time washing hair. If you're short, it's kind of hair to successfully scalp wash when the hair is say BSL and shorter. Perhaps around waist or tailbone is when you can successfully scalp wash.

I shampoo the head of my hair only and allow the suds to fall down the length in a full hair wash. And that's about all the shampoo my length receives, although on occasion I apply shampoo to the length as well -- around twice a month. THEN I apply conditioner to the length only. I do not apply conditioner to the scalp skin because of my problem with Seborrheic Dermatitus. This is what I do for a full hair wash.

Scalp Washing I apply no conditioner, allowing the sebum to do its job on my head related hair.

I think you heard of Scalp Washing and have this idea that this is what you're supposed to do instead of applying shampoo to all of the hair.

But, me, Ed G have fairly straight hair whereas Madora has a bit more wave than we do.

Curlier hair types need far more moisture in general than say straight haired types. This hair type tends to be a bit drier than straight hair by its nature. So curly hair types tend to do better with Condition Only washing in some form and perhaps also with oiling the length somehow. Such as spritzing the oil on while the hair is still wet or damp.

One's hair type really matters in concerns of how to wash hair. Curly hair types tend to have less curliness when they use shampoos that contain sulfates, for example. Curly Girl runs Devashan Salon and on there one can purchase no-and low-poo shampoos that are favorable for curlier heads of hair.

Lots of people dilute their shampoo or simply apply shampoo to ONLY the head related hair, and never to length. Some do amendments; some sometime clean the length at times. There's all kinds of methods, and what you choose to do has a whole lot to do with one's hair type or hair texture.

Scalp washing can certainly save time, but it can also present other woes such as not as great of a rinsout of the shampoo as compared to a full hair wash. I use it when working to not have to wash all of my hair during the work week since it takes so long for my hair to dry and when working, I wear my hair up. In a bun my hair never dries.

I hope this helps you a bit to understand better,
heidi w.

[molly_grue]

I shampoo my scalp and condition the length. Then I rinse and condition from ears down again.

[heidi w.]

I shampoo my scalp and kind of let the suds run down a little and if my hair is especially dirty, I will rub a little bit into my ends. I condition my whole head though, root the ends.

Also, if you are having trouble with dry hair, try adding a bit of coconut oil to your entire head about an hour before you wash your hair. It helps a lot.

I just want to caution readers that for those of you that have a scalp skin issue, as I do, that applying conditioner to the scalp skin can pose problems for those who may have scalp skin problems such as Psoriasis, Exzema, Seborrheic Dermatitus, etc. Just be careful, and know your condition.

heidi w.