Another article: "Don't shampoo daily"

[ronandannette]

Where's RedAngie? I'm dying to know how often she washes out the bouffant...

 

[PollyannaMom]

I used to shampoo every day, but my hair seems healthier now that I do it every other day. I do rinse with water on the "off" days, though.

 

[mamamary]

I have always been a shampoo everyday for as long as I can remember. After reading this thread yesterday I decided to scrub my scalp using only water and then conditioning. Just finished blow drying and it looks like it always does. I absolutely need to at least do it this way as opposed to nothing. Maybe alternating days like this will help to keep my hair coloring a little longer. Interesting.

 

[focusondisney]

I don't think I could ever train my hair to go without washing. It's very fine and thin. Most days it's limp and starting to look oily by bedtime. If I don't wash it everyday it looks awful.

This is me too. If I don't wash it every day, it gets greasy & "clumpy". Looks even flatter & you can see scalp all over, especially around my face. Certainly not flattering at all.

 

[maxaroni]

I suppose, after 60 years, my hair seems fine by washing every day. I am sure it all makes sense but, for me, if I tried not washing every day, but still had to rinse with water and blow dry, etc., it is not a timesaver. Not sure it's worth it. My hair just looks awful not washing each day. Feels crappy too.

 

[Keli]

I use shampoo in my hair no more often than once every 3-4 months and usually not that often. It's only when I've got something in my hair and want to make sure I've got it all out (like tree sap if I've been working with hubby trimming trees in yard or something) or if I happen to be traveling and don't have my regular hair products with me. Normally I rinse it well with water, put a lot of conditioner on it and scrub my scalp really well and then rinse it out and usually put a heavy duty conditioner that you leave in for a few minutes on it and then rinse it out well again. My hair is so thin you can easily see my scalp through it unless I do this sort of hair care. It adds to the volume and my hair looks like I have a lot more than I actually do. It doesn't stink, it's not oily, and it doesn't break off at the ends like it used to when I shampooed it. Even using sulfate free shampoos didn't really help, it wasn't until I started this routine that I became happy with how my hair looked.

 

[aprilgail]

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 could never do that- I would just feel like a total skank not washing my hair. I hate when I am behind someone in line and you can smell their dirty hair! The WORST is a smokers unwashed hair- YUK!

 

[Cantw8]

I wash every day, always have. I look and feel awful if I don't. I have an aunt that rarely washes her but it is always styled and looks nice. However, she smells bad. I would never, ever say anything to her and hurt her feelings like that but no amount of product can camouflage a dirty smelling head of hair. You (general "you") may think there is no smell but I'm guessing you may be wrong

 

[low-key]

I wash every day, always have. I look and feel awful if I don't. I have an aunt that rarely washes her but it is always styled and looks nice. However, she smells bad. I would never, ever say anything to her and hurt her feelings like that but no amount of product can camouflage a dirty smelling head of hair. You (general "you") may think there is no smell but I'm guessing you may be wrong

I often seen you sniffing hair

 

[js]

I exercise, sweat and swim, like everyone else (maybe more than most). All it does is make my hair damp for a bit, then it dries out, gets fluffier, and then I comb it out and all is good. It feels clean, my scalp doesn't itch, and there's no smell. Sorry to hear that you get stinky hair! I certainly don't. If anything, exercise seems to improve my hair.

Now, being sick in bed is another issue entirely. Yes, that makes me feel funky and gross and my hair gets clumpy... but that's not normal. That's being sick.

WOW! Me too! I exercise and sweat six times a week and wash my hair once a week, depending if I have somewhere to go and I work Monday-Friday. Last I washed my hair was last Sunday. I go back to work on Tuesday so will wash on Monday night. I think my hair usually looks fine but yes, sometime My hair gets a funk. I always ask my dd-22 if it looks okay once Ive gone over my own limit (10 days was my record) and the girls at work think Im gross not because how my hair looks but because I dont wash it lol. If someone tells me my hair looks nice its usually about the 2-3 day of not washing it. When I have it blown out, it can last a very long time looking good. The girl that washes my hair usially takes about 20-25 minutes washing and massaging it.

 

[cornflkgrl]

I wash my hair when I can. I'd love if this was daily. I don't use conditioner ever because it weighs my hair down. I can't imagine using ONLY conditioner. How does that work?! My hair would turn into a greasy mess. So roughly twice to three times a week (even up to four times a week if I'm on vacation or something) I shampoo with clarifying shampoo. No one complains. When I can't shampoo, I put it in a ponytail and put a baseball cap over it. I have never smelled my own scalp. My nose doesn't bend that way. No one has complained. But I get told I look beautiful when I put on actual clothes and makeup and I get asked if I'm "going somewhere" if I put on clothes instead of wearing my p.j pants around, so I don't think anyone is gonna make a deal over my scalp.

 

[porschegrl]

I wash every day, always have. I look and feel awful if I don't. I have an aunt that rarely washes her but it is always styled and looks nice. However, she smells bad. I would never, ever say anything to her and hurt her feelings like that but no amount of product can camouflage a dirty smelling head of hair. You (general "you") may think there is no smell but I'm guessing you may be wrong

Lucky me, I have a teenager who doesn't hesitate to point out my every flaw. I think I'm on pretty solid ground, head-smell-wise.

As PPs have noted, not using shampoo doesn't necessarily mean "unwashed." I cleanse with a baking soda solution and condition with vinegar.

Funny story.... I usually shower at night, but one Saturday morning I showered before a road trip to visit family. As soon as my son got into the car, he screwed up his nose and demanded, "What is that smell?!?" I had no idea what he was talking about, until he said his nostrils were burning. While my hair is wet, you can definitely smell the vinegar. The scent dissipates as the hair dries, and when it's completely dry, it has no odor at all. (If you're skeptical, I don't blame you. I was, too. When I first started using the vinegar rinse, I was super vigilant in trying to detect any hint of residual vinegar smell. Nada. And again, if I was just "nose blind" to it, I have no doubt my son would let me know.)

 

[LisaR]

I suppose, after 60 years, my hair seems fine by washing every day. I am sure it all makes sense but, for me, if I tried not washing every day, but still had to rinse with water and blow dry, etc., it is not a timesaver. Not sure it's worth it. My hair just looks awful not washing each day. Feels crappy too.

I jumped in the shower yesterday and remembered what I had read on this thread. I decided to give it a try and pass on washing my hair. I still scrubbed it really well with water. I skipped the conditioner because I don't use that often. Then I had to get out and put in my normal products and blow dry. No time saved whatsoever. I wasn't really sure what the point was. I already use chemical free shampoo. I exercise almost daily so there is no way it wouldn't get at least a good scrub with water. Since it didn't really serve a purpose for me, I washed it today and will stick to that routine.

 

[Poohforyou]

I have thick, coarse, curly hair which gets very frizzy using regular shampoo and conditioner. For about 10 years I've been using Hair One products. They're like Wen only a lot cheaper. I use it almost every day. The rare exception is a day that I haven't gone to the gym and am just hanging around the house. Then I wet my hair and scrub my scalp.

I also use Jane Carter's hair cream afterwards which separates and defines the curls.

 

[kmb584]

I shampoo twice a week and just rinse with water on the days in between. My hair is coarse and frizzy, and I find that this is what works best for me. The only time I make an exception is if an "ick" factor occurs in the office: uncontrollable epistaxis where I somehow manage to get blood in my hair, an uncooperative patient who likes to spit, a person in for vertigo who projectile vomits (typically on me, I'm just lucky that like).

 

[PlainJane]

I wash my hair daily. Every once and awhile I'll skip and use dry shampoo. I'm not super consistent with the salon or hairdresser that cuts my hair and I frequently get comments about how healthy it is when I get it cut. Washing less frequently is probably great for some hair types, but I have healthy and shiny hair with my routine. For convenience sake, washing less would be nice, but it would get too oily. I've had many tell me my hair would get used to it, but I tend to believe their hair is different than mine.

 

[mnrose]

I shampoo about once a week, sometimes twice even. But, I "condition" wash my hair everyday. I just use conditioner. By doing this, my color lasts a LOT longer than it used to. Conditioner doesn't seem to strip the color the way shampoo does (and I use a sulfate free shampoo so that's not it). It's not about saving time for me, but saving money and saving my hair.

ETA: This would probably NOT have worked for me in my 20's and 30's, but it does now that I'm of a 'certain age.'

 

[leebee]

I have fragile, thick, curly hair- not curly as in "hanging in ringlets" but more like frizzy/fuzzy 24/7/365. It's also very dry and breaks easily. I wash and condition with Fructis "length and strength" about every 4-5 days, then use a small amount of "no-frizz" serum, blow dry to straighten it, and curl with my curling iron. I usually "tame" it every morning with the curling iron, also. I haven't had my hair cut in 24 years, but it's only down past my shoulders. I know the heat styling is bad for it, but if I just let it go, I cannot get a brush or comb though it- I've actually broken brushes trying to brush my hair. It hurts, and it rips the hair out. Now that I am 60, it's starting to thin out a bit so it's easier to manage, but I cannot imagine washing it every day, or even every 2-3 days. I'd be bald!

 

[ronandannette]

WOW! Me too! I exercise and sweat six times a week and wash my hair once a week, depending if I have somewhere to go and I work Monday-Friday. Last I washed my hair was last Sunday. I go back to work on Tuesday so will wash on Monday night. I think my hair usually looks fine but yes, sometime My hair gets a funk. I always ask my dd-22 if it looks okay once Ive gone over my own limit (10 days was my record) and the girls at work think Im gross not because how my hair looks but because I dont wash it lol. If someone tells me my hair looks nice its usually about the 2-3 day of not washing it. When I have it blown out, it can last a very long time looking good. The girl that washes my hair usially takes about 20-25 minutes washing and massaging it.

You don't wash your own hair, you get it washed and blown out every 10 days? Sweet.

I wash my hair when I can. I'd love if this was daily. I don't use conditioner ever because it weighs my hair down. I can't imagine using ONLY conditioner. How does that work?! My hair would turn into a greasy mess. So roughly twice to three times a week (even up to four times a week if I'm on vacation or something) I shampoo with clarifying shampoo. No one complains. When I can't shampoo, I put it in a ponytail and put a baseball cap over it. I have never smelled my own scalp. My nose doesn't bend that way. No one has complained. But I get told I look beautiful when I put on actual clothes and makeup and I get asked if I'm "going somewhere" if I put on clothes instead of wearing my p.j pants around, so I don't think anyone is gonna make a deal over my scalp.

I was so totally sceptical of this too but I've been using a cleansing conditioner for a few months now and the results are astonishing. My hair has so much MORE body that I've reduced the amount of product I use when I blow-dry. I don't know how it works; it's counter-intuitive and I only gave it a try to see if it would preserve my dye jobs (which it does). The added texture is just a bonus.

Lucky me, I have a teenager who doesn't hesitate to point out my every flaw. I think I'm on pretty solid ground, head-smell-wise.

As PPs have noted, not using shampoo doesn't necessarily mean "unwashed." I cleanse with a baking soda solution and condition with vinegar.

Funny story.... I usually shower at night, but one Saturday morning I showered before a road trip to visit family. As soon as my son got into the car, he screwed up his nose and demanded, "What is that smell?!?" I had no idea what he was talking about, until he said his nostrils were burning. While my hair is wet, you can definitely smell the vinegar. The scent dissipates as the hair dries, and when it's completely dry, it has no odor at all. (If you're skeptical, I don't blame you. I was, too. When I first started using the vinegar rinse, I was super vigilant in trying to detect any hint of residual vinegar smell. Nada. And again, if I was just "nose blind" to it, I have no doubt my son would let me know.)

Ah yes, snarky teens - without them how would we ever know how ridiculous and embarrassing we actually are?

 

[pat fan]

Lucky me, I have a teenager who doesn't hesitate to point out my every flaw. I think I'm on pretty solid ground, head-smell-wise.

As PPs have noted, not using shampoo doesn't necessarily mean "unwashed." I cleanse with a baking soda solution and condition with vinegar.

Funny story.... I usually shower at night, but one Saturday morning I showered before a road trip to visit family. As soon as my son got into the car, he screwed up his nose and demanded, "What is that smell?!?" I had no idea what he was talking about, until he said his nostrils were burning. While my hair is wet, you can definitely smell the vinegar. The scent dissipates as the hair dries, and when it's completely dry, it has no odor at all. (If you're skeptical, I don't blame you. I was, too. When I first started using the vinegar rinse, I was super vigilant in trying to detect any hint of residual vinegar smell. Nada. And again, if I was just "nose blind" to it, I have no doubt my son would let me know.)

What exactly is a vinegar rinse? What's the purpose?

What exactly is the fascination with sulfate free shampoos now? I admit to just wanting a shampoo that works for my hair, I don't generally read the ingredients. I just ordered some tea tree oil shampoo and conditioner since we're back at school. Super lice are around and this is supposed to help them stay away! Here's hoping!!