QuoteReplyTopic: Frequency of hair washing...? Posted: February 19 2005 at 6:55pm
I heard that you shouldnt wash your hair too much but I also heard that you need your scalp to be extra clean to grow your hair out quickest. Which one?
I wash twice a week with a clay wash, and rinse the scalp with water every day, because I exercize. It works well, and looks good to, but then I bun almost all the time.
I think whatever works for you. Just remember that schampoo and soap overuse has lead most of us to feel that "dry" is the same as "clean", and that is just not so. I think having a scalp in good condition is probably promotional to having healthy hair.
You don't need to have a squeaky clean scalp all of the time. Just wash your hair regularly and use a clarifying shampoo once a month and you'll be fine. I feel that gunky scalp is only a problem when you actually put stuff directly on your scalp without washing it out.
Some people can go a long time without any problem. I tried going 3 days and my scalp never adjusted even after 2 months. (It sort of adjusted to be less oily on the 2nd day, but the 3rd day was just nasty and I felt terrible!). So, I have to do it every other day, but I have had excellent results with diluting the shampoo as suggested by Dave. It doesn't over-clean.
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eKatherine
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Some people can go a long time without any problem. I tried going 3 days and my scalp never adjusted even after 2 months. (It sort of adjusted to be less oily on the 2nd day, but the 3rd day was just nasty and I felt terrible!). So, I have to do it every other day, but I have had excellent results with diluting the shampoo as suggested by Dave. It doesn't over-clean.
A lot of people say that when they started shampooing less frequently, their hair became less oily. I am skeptical, as this was not my experience.
Now that I have less time to allow my hair to dry, I wash it twice a week instead of every other day. It's still just as oily on the third day, and by the fourth, the oily roots are about 3" long. But I've gotten used to having it that way, and I always wear it up on the fourth day, so nobody notices. That and the fact that nowadays people put so much obvious gunk in their hair that I could pass as being a product junkie.
Actually, many people use shampoos that are overly harsh to get their hair ultra-clean, and aren't used to normally clean hair. So some of them might just be getting used to this feeling, and never really had oily hair.
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Annalie
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I can go a long time without washing my hair. I could go more than 3 days without sufferening form oily hair. I like to do it every 3 days so that my naturally dry hair stays more moist.
It's prbably because I don't produce much sebum. I have dry skin all over, and I suppose that my scalp is also dry.
I can understand people having problems with waiting longer :)
me 2. I have dry skin and my scalp doesnt get oily until 4 days. I think it depends on your skin type and your activity, when you exercize it will get oily of course. I wash every 3 or 4 days, but make sure i get it really clean. if you give yourself scalp massages it can get oily too. Clean thoroughly but dont get obsessive about it, a little oil is always good. (kinda like food, just a little!) funny analogy
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I used to wash everyday but now I wash my hair every other day. I have tried to go longer but my hair gets really greasy. I condition everyday how do people go without washing at all? Does the oil get less over time or your hair gets used to it. Will washing every other day harm your hair?
Thanks
Later TLSF
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It could be your shampoo. Not all shampoos are created equal. Shampoos with Sodium Laureth sulfate listed as the second ingredient (note the -ETH in Laureth) are much gentler than shampoos with Ammonium-something-something or something-lauryl-something. L'Oreal for Kids, Suave Color Care, and Garnier Fructis Fortifying all have sodium laureth sulfate and are appropriate for this kind of "scalp training"
(ETA: Washing every other day might not harm your hair, but it could cause dryness on the ends if the shampoo is harsh enough to strip away a lot of oils. The scalp will overcompensate by producing a lot of oil, but the ends might still stay dry. Other than that, long run wear and tear on hair usually results from washing and handling. )
I quit shampoo for awhile, but my hair never dried fast enough for my likes... so I went back to a gentle shampoo 1x a week. When I first started "training" my scalp, I'd simply switched shampoos to a gentle one. Then after a couple months, you'll notice that your hair and scalp get less greasy. That's when you gradually start cutting down. It's hard to explain, but trust your instincts.
Diluting the shampoo (in a clear/translucent plastic bottle) with water helps avoid stripping out all of the natural oils. Plus, I feel that it trains the scalp not to crank out sebum so quickly.
Also, the less it's exposed to chemicals (even relatively mild ones such as are in shampoo), the healthier its condition will be.
Renee
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The ratio should be the one that works for you with that certain product.
Let's say you had this shampoo. These are only examples not real tried amounts. A journal might read.
"I bought a new shampoo friday, V05 Kiwi Lime Squeeze shampoo"
"Washed on saturday using 1 teaspoon S and 3 cups water. Decent results but not good enough"
"Washed on monday using 1 tablespoon and 2 cups of water. Cleaned really well but second day hair was dry."
"Washed on wednesday using 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon in 4 cups water. Perfect results both first and second day."
"Washed on friday using same method as wednesday. This time a bit too dry. I'll try cutting down to 1 tablespoon in 4 cups of water"
"Washed on sunday 1 tablespoon in 4 cups of water"
"Bought a new shampoo, V05 Tangerine Tickle shampoo and used it tuesday. I tried using the same amount as Kiwi Lime but it wasn't right. I'll have to try different amounts."
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