Another article: "Don't shampoo daily"

[minniecarousel]

I have shampooed my hair daily for decades. I try going every other day, but my hair seems so greasy, especially my bangs & the front/top. Is it true that I'll just need to suffer through a few weeks until my hair gets used to the less frequent washings? I had very oily skin & hair in my younger years. I have my hair color-treated every 4 weeks.

 

[Kae]

Have you tried any of the Dry Shampoos? do you color your hair?

 

[Magpie]

I shampoo about once a week and my hair (which is long, mostly straight and medium-to-thick) has never been happier. The last time I tried shampooing every second day (while on vacation at Disney, as it happens), my hair got disgustingly greasy and heavy, even though I spent increasingly longer times in the shower trying to rinse all the shampoo and conditioner out. It was awful, took a couple of weeks to fix, and I swore never again!

My hair just wants to be brushed a few times a day and left alone the rest of the time. I pin it up if I want to shower without washing my hair. I even once went two weeks without shampooing (while on training maneuvers with the military) and my hair was no worse for wear - I simply braided it every day. Though I was glad, in the end, to finally get all the twigs and leaf litter out.

I think different people have different hair needs. If you're happy with shampooing every day and your hair seems to be behaving itself, why not stick with what works?

 

[DiannaVM]

To echo what Magpie said, you gotta do what is best for you and your hair needs. My hair is pretty dry, so shampooing once a week keeps my hair looking healthier. However, depending on how much products (like gel, mousse, etc.) I put on my hair I may need to wash more than once.

 

[HM]

I must shampoo each day. I don't care what articles say. My tends toward greasy (but not nearly like it was when I was young) and looks horrible late in the second day if I don't.
I let my hair air dry so it doesn't get much damage.

 

[DLgal]

So, do people who do this (not shampoo often) just never exercise, sweat, or go swimming? Realistically, I suppose if you don't ever do those things, your hair doesn't need to be washed, but the absolute nastiness that would be my hair and scalp after even one day if I didn't shampoo... ewww. And what about the smell? When I go more than two days...like when I'm laid up sick, the funky smell starts getting to me. And my scalp gets so itchy too.

I mean, if it works for some, great. I just can't imagine myself doing it. I like to feel clean.

 

[lakelandgal70]

I think it depends on your hair. I know some people who can go without shampooing for a week or so. I was never one of those persons lol. Living in Florida and having a chronic illness means I have a sweaty head most days haha. So I wash everyday, sometimes every other day. But if I go out I do was my hair. They make dry shampoos but I still feel like my head is too dirty haha

 

[Hikergirl]

Could you post a link to the article, I'd love to see why they say that.

I wash daily, but I use a sulfate free shampoo. I could go a day without shampooing, and do occasionally but I have to throw my hair in a pony and put on a baseball hat. If I don't wash my hair, it looks like I didn't.

 

[Christine]

So, do people who do this (not shampoo often) just never exercise, sweat, or go swimming? Realistically, I suppose if you don't ever do those things, your hair doesn't need to be washed, but the absolute nastiness that would be my hair and scalp after even one day if I didn't shampoo... ewww. And what about the smell? When I go more than two days...like when I'm laid up sick, the funky smell starts getting to me. And my scalp gets so itchy too.

I mean, if it works for some, great. I just can't imagine myself doing it. I like to feel clean.

I shampoo every day even though I have dry hair. It is fine and it's short. I use lots of products to get it to look good. The next morning, if I don't shampoo, it's just bad. I can't make it do anything. It's not really dirty but it just won't behave. I guess if my hair was long with no real style, it would be okay.

But to the "funky smell." I'm apparently very sensitive to it. I go to the grocery store early every Sunday morning and there are obviously people there who haven't washed their hair. I can really smell it and YUK. I don't think I could live with that "scalp smell." Also, I agree that when I exercise it really messes up the freshness of my hair and scalp.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Oh yea, my hairdresser tells me to wash hair once a week, but I don't do it.

 

[pryncess527]

So, do people who do this (not shampoo often) just never exercise, sweat, or go swimming? Realistically, I suppose if you don't ever do those things, your hair doesn't need to be washed, but the absolute nastiness that would be my hair and scalp after even one day if I didn't shampoo... ewww. And what about the smell? When I go more than two days...like when I'm laid up sick, the funky smell starts getting to me. And my scalp gets so itchy too.

I mean, if it works for some, great. I just can't imagine myself doing it. I like to feel clean.

I do, but I find that water is enough to clean the sweat out of my hair and get my scalp feeling fresh. Swimming is another story though, my hair feels like gross straw after swimming no matter what I do it seems

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I spend far too much time at the gym to even go one day without shampooing. I would smell like beast!

 

[sonnyjane]

So, do people who do this (not shampoo often) just never exercise, sweat, or go swimming? Realistically, I suppose if you don't ever do those things, your hair doesn't need to be washed, but the absolute nastiness that would be my hair and scalp after even one day if I didn't shampoo... ewww. And what about the smell? When I go more than two days...like when I'm laid up sick, the funky smell starts getting to me. And my scalp gets so itchy too.

I mean, if it works for some, great. I just can't imagine myself doing it. I like to feel clean.

I'll come out of the closet since I always get compliments on my hair, so I'm not ashamed haha. I wash my hair maybe once a month. The only times I wash it really end up being when I have gone swimming in the ocean or a pool. Otherwise no, I don't work out/sweat. But admittedly, my hair is NOT oily. It's very very very very very very dry. In fact when styling it, sometimes I'll add a teensy dot of oil to my hands and then run it through the ends.

 

[JJZMgailey]

A friend of mine did this experiment where she didn't wash her hair FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR! I know!!!!! She blogged about it here: http://amyoztan.com/2015/10/15/what-happens-when-you-dont-shampoo-your-hair-for-a-year/

 

[SC Minnie]

I used to wash my hair every day. I started letting it grow out and now only wash it every 3-4 days, usually Mon and Thurs. My hair used to be oily and I only used sulfate free shampoo. I start skipping a day when it around shoulder length-- I could freshen up the front part every morning. I suffered through a couple of weeks. The longer it got the more days I would go in between. People have no idea I don't shampoo everyday. If I do sweat or go in the pool it does get washed.

 

[sonnyjane]

A friend of mine did this experiment where she didn't wash her hair FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR! I know!!!!! She blogged about it here: http://amyoztan.com/2015/10/15/what-happens-when-you-dont-shampoo-your-hair-for-a-year/

It looks like after reading it that she still was washing her hair every 10-12 days she said.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

To the posters who don't wash everydayand claim that nobody can tell...maybe its just that nobody has said anything? I can usually tell if someone is unwashed, but I would never say to them that they need a shower. Maybe people are just being nice to you? That's something I would worry wbout.

 

[aprilchem]

So, do people who do this (not shampoo often) just never exercise, sweat, or go swimming? Realistically, I suppose if you don't ever do those things, your hair doesn't need to be washed, but the absolute nastiness that would be my hair and scalp after even one day if I didn't shampoo... ewww. And what about the smell? When I go more than two days...like when I'm laid up sick, the funky smell starts getting to me. And my scalp gets so itchy too.

I mean, if it works for some, great. I just can't imagine myself doing it. I like to feel clean.

When I work out, my hair and scalp don't sweat. Do yours? I just put my hair up and then take it down again once I'm done. And I've never noticed my hair having a bad smell either - it usually smells like my styling products.

 

[BigAlsGal]

Cleanliness comes before looks for me. I wash my hair twice a day. Not because I'm obsessed. I just wash everytime I shower. My hair gets very oily. There's no way I could let it go more than a day.

No offense but I'm totally grossed out thinking about people not washing their hair for a week and then getting in a pool.

Your hair collects dust, dirt, pollutants, sweat, scalp flakes. It causes odors you might not smell personally. (I'm a stylist). If you're a smoker it's almost unbearable.

I gotta go wash my hair now.

 

[pryncess527]

To the posters who don't wash everydayand claim that nobody can tell...maybe its just that nobody has said anything? I can usually tell if someone is unwashed, but I would never say to them that they need a shower. Maybe people are just being nice to you? That's something I would worry wbout.

Not using shampoo isn't the same as "unwashed" -- I can't speak for everyone, but I bathe daily and that includes scrubbing my scalp and rinsing my hair with water (and the occasional vinegar spray to condition and detangle). Water cleans more than people give it credit for.

He hasn't sold me yet, but my dermatologist actually says we should stop using soap to bathe, that all it does is strip our skin of natural oils that are important and can't be replaced by moisturizer. He says all you really need is soap for your underarms and groin area, but that we shouldn't use it on the rest of our bodies, water gets us clean enough. He hasn't sold me on the idea for bathing, but I can absolutely tell my hair is cleaner after being washed with just water and no soap.

I'm confident my mother, sister or husband would have told me by now if my hair smelled bad as a result of not using soap. My mother was quite skeptical and doesn't hold back