Enlighten me about benefits of stretching washes

[goldloli]

How does hair get damaged by washing even if you are following high standards of hair care/products.

I ask because I see a lot of people trying to stretch washes even more than 'usual'. Atm I wash every other day, I've done stints of washing every 4 days or whatever. Recently while staying in Texas I was washing every day and my hair was fine.

I personally couldn't imagine stretching more than every other day because my hair is so porous that it loses any moisture by the end of the first day after washing. My cuticle roughs up and starts tangling on the second day and is very fragile and breakage prone by this point. Going any longer leads to scalp itches and mass tangles even with leave ins/spritzes/oil.

Because of the acidity of hair I've been told that even water is bad for hair? Tbh my hair loves water, even a mist of it revives my hair on the second day.

I guess I'm just confused and wandering that despite my impressions of how my hair behaves, I am in fact damaging it? :confused:

[vanillabones]

I wash my hair every other day as well. Sometimes I wash it every day if it really needs it. I prefer washing over using dry shampoo/stretching washes which I always have tried doing even before this site. I will get itchy bumps on my scalp and an oily mess with gross dry yucky ends, too. Wash how often works for you, some of us just can't stretch up to a week! I am very lazy and wish it worked for me however. Don't feel guilty.

[Amanah]

I'm looking forward to reading the responses to this also.

Right now I'm washing M/W/F, stretching any more than that would result in a dry itchy scalp.
And since I oil my scalp and hair before washing, I sometimes wonder if wash day doesn't have more benefits then disadvantages.

[bunnylake]

I have read conflicting things about this. I've read that washing every day is very beneficial to the hair, and that washing daily is bad. So who knows!
I myself need to wash AT LEAST every other day. I just cannot stretch it longer than that. I feel icky otherwise.

[dawnss]

I know that the way some people wash is damaging. Hmm, maybe someone else can chime in.

[akilina]

The logic I can see if that you let your hairs natural sebum take over and nourish your hair. Also, less mechanical damage.
Personally, more and more every day I am learning that my hair simply does not like its washes to be stretched at least in these summer months and where I live now. Ever since I moved back to Cali I can't stretch worth a darn.
Before though, in Nevada (in the desert) I could stretch my washes by about 2 or 3 days from October to February. I don't know if it was the super hard water, and colder weather in those months and drier climate or what.
Believe it or not it snows in the desert and gets down to 12 degrees.

[DarkCurls]

I will be following this thread since I've never really understood it either. My guess was that wetting and manipulating the hair in the shower (since hair is more fragile when it's wet and all) causes damage, but I may be wrong wrong wrong.

Long hair takes ages to wash and dry so stretching washes may be a laziness thing. I know it is for me. I have no trouble stretching washes (lucky me) and can go from washing every other day to less than once a week easily, though my usual routine is twice a week, less if I'm feeling especially lazy. :p It's just such a hassle to wash my hair -- and it isn't even long yet! Ah, well.
I've also noticed that the longer I go without a wash, the softer my hair is. Which is weird since I CO-wash for moisture, but the longer I go between washes, the more moisturised it actually feels. It's soft, barely tangled, and very easy to put up (and it doesn't look greasy). So if I'm planning on wearing my hair up, then I don't bother with washing it too often.

[jeanniet]

I don't wash more often than every three days because my hair takes a long time to dry, and it's hard enough having it be wet one day out of every three. I really prefer to wash every 4-5 days when possible.

[auburntressed]

I think the argument is that less washing equals less mechanical damage.

Personally, I wash my hair every other day. The only times I "stretch" are when I'm off work and am feeling way too lazy to be bothered. And when I do this, it is NOT a pretty sight. My scalp also revolts.

When I was growing up, I was not allowed to shower more than very seldomly. As a result, my hair got washed maybe once a week. It was NOT beneficial. My hair felt disgusting all the time, and I itched and flaked so much that the one time our family came down with headlice, I couldn't even tell a difference. We only found out because of my brothers. Heh.

I think that any mechanical damage my hair gets from frequent washing is well worth the price to have clean, fresh hair and minimal itchies. Plus, my method is so gentle that I doubt my hair gets any damage worth counting.

[Madora]

Washing frequently can strip your hair of its natural oil (unless you do something to replace it).

Also, frequent washing can result in mechanical damage, especially if you aren't careful how you use your fingerpads when shampooing, rinsing and conditioning.

Added bonus...you can really save on your water bill!

Of course, if your hair is only, then it is best to deal with it as necessary.

Stretching washes is more than just refraining from washing. It means taking active measures to keep your hair clean..i.e. keeping your hair tools squeaky clean by washing them frequently, wearing a scarf or hat to protect your hair from the elements, and brushing your hair daily to remove lint and dirt (combing only, if you are a curly).

[tiarefleur]

I think we have similar hair, and I deal with the exact same issue of my hair becoming dry and brittle if I wait too long in between washes. I always thought there might be some underlying problem causing it but so far I haven't figured it out.

I can only stretch to around every other day when I'm wearing my hair natural too. When I used to flat iron I stretched washes to reduce heat styling, and I didn't have any issues so I could go as long as 4 days.

Now, I try to stretch washes because it means less manipulation (combing etc) which can lead to mechanical damage and less drying shampoo on my hair (if you CO or CWC that's probably less of an issue), but it's not really working for me for the same reasons you mentioned so I might just accept that I need to wash it more often, which is still better than using heat.

[salamander]

I think it's a personal chemistry thing in a lot of ways. I've never washed my hair more than once or twice a week; my skin and hair are both quite dry, and more washing tends to exacerbate that (as long as I keep them well moisturized so that they don't need the frequent addition of water). The primary motivation for stretching them out longer than normal is usually to avoid mechanical damage, but if you get serious tangling from stretching washes then that would counteract the benefit, so do whatever works for you.

One caveat, sometimes people's scalps react to frequent washing or washing with certain ingredients, so if you have scalp issues that bug you then less washing might be worth looking into for that reason, even if it's initially tricky for your hair.

[nobeltonya]

I have found nothing but problems from stretching washes.. and my face and scalp are just gross.. my hair seems to be healthier than it's ever been, and I wash with SLES shampoos daily. I also use a LOT of conditioner and a small amount of leave-in, in addition to nightly oilings with coconut oil. And, I leave my hair down as much as possible. :disco:

[Shiranshoku]

Subscribing!

I'm trying to stretch washes myself, because I assumed it was better. But I'm in doubt, right now.

I don't think I have the right tools to deal with my oily scalp. I mean, nw/so people preen, scritch or something like that and I don't. So I'm thinking the sebum build up on my scalp when I stretch is probably worse than the cwc washing routine every other day I normally do. I notice that lately I shed more than I used to.

So I'll be keeping an eye on this thread :) meanwhile, I'm slowly going back to my regular washing routine. As with most lhc tips, ymmv and I think for me, stretching washes isn't the best option.

[SnowGhost]

It's really a case of what works for you at the time. When I was working out everyday I washed every day (but my hair was only shoulder length at the time) Now my hair is waist length and if I wash every day it soon starts to dry and break. I average about once a week now. I didn't have to force it - it just seemed to need washing less. Just do whatever feels right. Everyone is different

[goldloli]

Haha oh wow, I went to cook dinner and this thread really took off!

So it has nothing to do with the ph of water? but rather mechanical damage and people who wish to preserve natural oils?

In may case more damage occurs if i do stretch washes, so it it okay to not bother? Or am i going to reach hip with straw hair?

Edit: just saw the 2 posts since writing this, i guess its okay then :cheese:

@tiarefleur
Indeed a hairtwin!!

beyond the zone noodle head helps with porosity tangling! loreal everpure poo & dish is just to die for on my type hair, perfect volume to moisture shine and silkyness. also a squirt of castor oil added to conditioner really amps up moisture and body of a regular moist conditioner.

feel free to post up hair miracles itt!

[Shiranshoku]

Haha oh wow, I went to cook dinner and this thread really took off!

So it has nothing to do with the ph of water? but rather mechanical damage and people who wish to preserve natural oils?

In may case more damage occurs if i do stretch washes, so it it okay to not bother? Or am i going to reach hip with straw hair?

Edit: just saw the 2 posts since writing this, i guess its okay then :cheese:

@tiarefleur
Indeed a hairtwin!!

beyond the zone noodle head helps with porosity tangling! loreal everpure poo & dish is just to die for on my type hair, perfect volume to moisture shine and silkyness. also a squirt of castor oil added to conditioner really amps up moisture and body of a regular moist conditioner.

feel free to post up hair miracles itt!

I'm not sure if you have oily scalp, but as soon as my hair is bsl, I put it in a loose ponytale and keep it out of the way so I can wash and rinse my scalp. I used to do that to avoid having wet hair the entire day, and I'm planning on doing it again to avoid needless damage to my ends in the future. Best of both worlds :)

[goldloli]

I'm not sure if you have oily scalp, but as soon as my hair is bsl, I put it in a loose ponytale and keep it out of the way so I can wash and rinse my scalp. I used to do that to avoid having wet hair the entire day, and I'm planning on doing it again to avoid needless damage to my ends in the future. Best of both worlds :)

Oooo I hadn't thought of that one. Seems like it would most definitely prevent ends getting all tangled during shampoo (even massaging of scalp with fingerpads does this with mine.)

I don't know if any of you do this, but if around my hairline is oily on the second or third day and i dont want to wash. I tie back all of my hair except the oily baby/bang hairs and wash them with my cleanser when I do my face. Then a quick blast of cool blowdryer. You cant even tell its second day hair after that.

[Shiranshoku]

Oooo I hadn't thought of that one. Seems like it would most definitely prevent ends getting all tangled during shampoo (even massaging of scalp with fingerpads does this with mine.)

I don't know if any of you do this, but if around my hairline is oily on the second or third day and i dont want to wash. I tie back all of my hair except the oily baby/bang hairs and wash them with my cleanser when I do my face. Then a quick blast of cool blowdryer. You cant even tell its second day hair after that.

I do that a lot! Or I twist my bangs out of the way, braids hold really well on day 2 hair :)

[spidermom]

Every time your hair is wet, the shaft swells and the cuticle lifts. The cuticle closes as it dries. After many cycles of lift-close-lift-close-lift-close .... the cuticle starts to wear out. Bits of it chip away, the scales warp, and it no longer closes as tightly as it did before.

My conclusion is don't wash more often than necessary, but definitely wash as needed. Practically everything you do contributes to the slow loss of optimum hair condition. It's not like you can keep it under glass in a darkened room.

[Carolyn]

I've said it dozens of time in my blog and in a lot of threads out on the boards...stretching washes isn't always all it's cracked up to be. I can only speak for my own hair of course. I've gone from almost daily washing to 3-4 times a week most of the time. My dry ends need to be wet and wet often. Stretching washes, even with oiling or a leave in does not work. My ends get dry and brittle. CO washing has been a godsend for my ends. I'm not about to try to "train" my scalp to go more than 2 or 3 days at the very most. It's not happening. I've never seen a reason to work at it. My ends would suffer the consequences and it's not worth it.

I've learned how to wash my hair and not damage it. It's pretty simple to take it easy. I don't find careful manipulation in washing and styling to be damaging. When my ends get dried out, they break off. I don't think that's a good thing!

I have never found the idea of sebum coated hair to hold any allure. It smells nasty and feels nasty. My hair looks gross and disgusting with a coat of sebum. I think darker hair and curlier hair may be better suited to the stretching thing. But my straightish blonde hair? Um no. I want to enjoy my hair and sebum coated hair is not enjoyable to me in the least.

[earthnut]

This is my understanding:

the pH has nothing to do with it. Your hair should be slightly acidic (hair's natural acidity is 4.5-5.5). Commercial shampoos and conditioners are "pH balanced" for hair. Water is too alkaline really but it's not damaging.

Wet hair is more elastic, more fragile, and more prone to breakage if handled. I've noticed for myself that if I start running fingers through my hair as soon as it's wet, I get a lot more shed hairs than if I hold off on handling my hair until it has conditioner in it.

Shampoo strips off your natural sebum, so the more often you shampoo the more your natural oil production is getting disrupted. When too much sebum is stripped away, your scalp can start over-compensating. Therefore, over shampooing can lead to both dry scalp and oily scalp, depending on how your scalp responds.

Other than that, washing is not bad. I myself wash every day at the moment, because I'm trying to bring my hair to full moisturization as quickly as possible. But I shampoo very little, with only very mild products, and I do not handle my length at all unless its covered in conditioner or completely dry.

The reasons to stretch washes are a) to prevent mechanical damage, and b) to allow the scalp to reach a balance in oil production. You're not going to reach a perfect balance unless you stop washing completely, but you can feel more in control if your oil production slows from stretching washes.

[spidermom]

I agree about the sebum - yucky stuff.
It would be kind of like not washing my armpits. Ewwwwww!

[earthnut]

Every time your hair is wet, the shaft swells and the cuticle lifts. The cuticle closes as it dries. After many cycles of lift-close-lift-close-lift-close .... the cuticle starts to wear out. Bits of it chip away, the scales warp, and it no longer closes as tightly as it did before.

My conclusion is don't wash more often than necessary, but definitely wash as needed. Practically everything you do contributes to the slow loss of optimum hair condition. It's not like you can keep it under glass in a darkened room.

This is true, but water isn't the only thing that raises the cuticle. Shampoo does too, in fact the amount the cuticle is raised is a measure of a shampoo's harshness. So cutting out sulfate shampoos will lessen this damage. Also, it depends on your hair's porosity. Highly porous hair (either naturally or from chemical damage) has the cuticles raised all the time, the amount of cuticle movement is much less than for a non-porous hair that fully opens and closes every time.

[goldloli]

Jeebz thanks for the posts guys!!!! :D I think all my confusion is cleared up :cheese:


This is true, but water isn't the only thing that raises the cuticle. Shampoo does too, in fact the amount the cuticle is raised is a measure of a shampoo's harshness. So cutting out sulfate shampoos will lessen this damage. Also, it depends on your hair's porosity. Highly porous hair (either naturally or from chemical damage) has the cuticles raised all the time, the amount of cuticle movement is much less than for a non-porous hair that fully opens and closes every time.

So in cases like mine and Carolyns where out hair dries out unless frequently wetted (assuming its an issue of porous raised cuticles) then we won't have the issue of warping that spidermom was talking about? Just curious :) Obvi even if it does cause damage, I too would continue washing and wetting frequently as the dryness causes 10x more damage.


(btw carolyn, do you have an online photo album?)

[Ligeia_13]

Ever since I moved back to Cali I can't stretch worth a darn.
Before though, in Nevada (in the desert) I could stretch my washes by about 2 or 3 days from October to February. I don't know if it was the super hard water, and colder weather in those months and drier climate or what.

Same here but with different locations and amount of days :p I've even found that I can't do ACV rinses here because it does NOT agree with the water.

I'll go ahead and add another bonus for stretching washes. If you're anything like me, you save tons of conditioner by washing, say, once a week!

[Amber_Maiden]

I wash once a week. It saves me money on conditioner- which my dry thick hair needs tons of. And washing my hair is pretty time consuming- because it's thick. So I save time/money.

[Mayflower]

To be honest, the number one reason I stretched my washes is because I want to be able to have impulsive trips or last minute sleep-overs without having to worry about greasy hair. Because for me greasy hair is the worst and I won't even try to "cover it" by putting it up in a bun. It's still nasty to me. But I want to be free to go somewhere impulsively, so having to wash my hair every night is not desirable.

Also, laziness. My hair is thick and it takes ages to wash, rinse and dry it.

[Indigostreams]

I can't stand the smell of sebum, on others or myself. This is why I don't stretch washes. Sebum is such a gross word!

[Dang3rousB3auty]

I guess it depends on the person or their hair. Me personally my hair doesn't look that great the day I wash it. It gets kind of puffy and frizzy. It starts looking a lot better on the 2nd or 3rd day after washing. When I used to wash my hair everyday my hair would get a lot oilier a lot faster which I also did not like whatsoever. Holding off on washing it allowed my hair to get used to not being washed as much, so it would produce a lot less oil. To me your hair should have it's natural oils there to help nourish your roots, but when you wash your hair everyday you are constantly stripping away the oils. I suppose if you are always using the most gentle and pure products it wouldn't hurt as much. All I know is my dry hair hates over washing! I think it is all a choice. If you love washing your hair everyday and your hair is fine then do it. If it hates being washed everyday then don't do it! No one is going to be the same. One other thing I like about not washing my hair everyday is if for some reason I get up late, stay at a friends, go camping or some other activity where I cannot take a shower then my hair doesn't look like complete crapola the next day.

[earthnut]

Every time your hair is wet, the shaft swells and the cuticle lifts. The cuticle closes as it dries. After many cycles of lift-close-lift-close-lift-close .... the cuticle starts to wear out. Bits of it chip away, the scales warp, and it no longer closes as tightly as it did before.

My conclusion is don't wash more often than necessary, but definitely wash as needed. Practically everything you do contributes to the slow loss of optimum hair condition. It's not like you can keep it under glass in a darkened room.

According to this site (http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2009/07/part-2-of-2-porosity-can-you-fix-it.html), the cuticle does not open and close when wet.

However, the more water the hair soaks up, the more it's prone to hygral fatigue (loss of elasticity), according to this post (http://pedaheh.blogspot.com/2012/06/what-to-do-if-you-have-dry-hair.html).

[longNred]

My hair is much less greasy now that I can stretch washes, my scalp was definitely overcompensating. I did it slowly, now about 2x/wk, which works best for me. Fits my schedule, much shorter showers when I don't wash it. Updo's are easier, my hair simply won't do much when squeaky clean. And now I don't have to leave the house with wet/damp hair every day, which will be very nice once winter gets here, long cold wet hair is no fun.