How often do you wash your hair?

Hi newbie here! :0) Before having our latest baby in June, I washed it every day because it's long, thick and oily. Since having her, I'm having HORRIBLE post-partum fall-out and wash it every other day but it's still really oily in between and gets greasy and gross looking. I use store-bought shampoo but since I like to make my own soap, I'm thinking of switching to a homemade shampoo bar and vinegar rince. and I read that baking soda rinses out all the build-up from conditioners and stuff so might give that a try. My hair is soooo funky right now! lol Great topic!

Diva makes two great products - no poo and low poo.  I bought samples of both and have to say I love it.  I will never go back to sulfate-laden shampoos again!   The products can be found at Ulta, occasionally at CVS and online.   I highly recommend them!   My curls have never looked better and if I need the lather (yes I still buy into the need for lather once a week), I use low poo.  Otherwise, I snag the no poo and am good to go!

-jeri

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e.e. cummings once said, "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." Please join me on my journey as I redefine my career and life goals at Lifeinflux ( http://www.lifeinflux.com ).

... is best for my cut, but it can go over the edge really quickly. As in, a matter of hours.

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I prefer to wash my hair once or twice a week, especially in the winter as I have very dry skin. But since I've been back to excercizing regularly I have to wash every other day. Sometimes I can get away with just rinsing with water so that I'm not gross and sweaty, but I still generally have to wear a scarf or hat those days. And since I colour my hair I think washing less really helps the colour stay fresh. I've has many women looked scandalized when they find out I don't wash my hair daily, but it's stick straight and tends to get static-y if I do.

I have thick curly hair (medium-large curls) and I wash my hair every night. I let it air dry until the morning, then use the straightner on my hair at a low temp (200 degrees) to straighten it out and make it smooth. If my hair gets dry, I spray Biolage leave in conditioner on my hair after my showers and put tiny bit of moisure blocking product on my hair while it's still wet. Works out great---I love the freshly washed feeling. :)

You can use a light conditioner on your non-shampoo days to clean your hair. I know it sounds odd given what we've been indoctrinated into believing, but it does work, and very well.

Laurie in Sri Lanka

Chilli & Chocolate ( http://food.laurieashton.com ) | A Canadian in King Parakramabahu's Court ( http://srilanka.laurieashton.com ) | LMAshton on Twitter ( http://twitter.com/lmashton )

I average out at around every 5 days.  Sometimes I will have a "greasy" week and do four.  Then again, sometimes the hair fairys look out for me and I end up pulling off 6 or even 7 days with a ponytail.

When I was younger I used to wash my hair everyday, but it was very short.  Now it would be so dry, I don't think it could take daily washing.

My cousin is a daily washer or she can't live with herself and she is totally grossed out that I am not.....but then again she has to admit that she can't really tell the difference.

Daniella - http://www.daniellaland.blogspot.com - Free corndog if you fall off of anything.

Sometimes Saturdays. Or if it's really in need of a wash. But basically it comes down to twice a week.

My hair's super-short, so if it's sticking up funny, I'll wet it down with water straight from the tap or with a spritz bottle of Jonathan "Re-Do" spray -- it's just water with essential oils in it, and instead of buying another bottle, I refilled it with water. That's it for products!

--

Jeanne

- The Periodic Elements of Style: http://periodicstyle.blogspot.com

i have naturally curly hair too and I can't imagine going more than every other day without washing. i don't get greasy, but i just feel dirty/gross. the thought of not using shampoo frightens me, yet a lot of curly girls just use water. i dunno. maybe it's just my ocd.

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I have long, dry, curly hair. Actually, I think curly hair is curly because it's dry. At any rate. I only brush right before I'm going to wash. I wash. I comb. I use Pureology Texture Twist. I never dry any way other than air-dry. I'll wrap it up in a bun or braid if I can't be seen with wet hair. I sleep with my hair up in a doubled-pony tail. On the next days I use my fingers to undo any tangles I need to. No brush or comb. I usually use some kind of product to calm the frizz. Aveda's Get Curly for dry hair (not the Get Curly you're supposed to use on wet hair) is the one I use most. 

I'm not sure I know what it feels like to have "greasy hair". I should experiment and see how long I could go. I do fairly regularly go four days. But not sure I've gone longer than that, and I probably could.

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I'm black and my hair is natural, so I wash it twice a week with shampoo.  Other days I rinse it out with conditioner, so it won't get too dry.  I need to wet it and comb it out each day.  On most days, I wear it as an afro with a headband.

If I straighten it or blow it out, then I don't do the conditioner in the morning. I untwist it from the night before, moisturize, and wear it however.

Anali's First Amendment ( http://analisfirstamendment.blogspot.com/ )

I am a curly haired girl who was recently told shampooing every other day or two is the contributing factor to my hair's dryness.   I'm researching what to do and the best products to use before embarking on my no shampoo journey and had a few questions.   How long did it take for you to lose the greasy feeling in your hair?    Or do you still experience that from time to time?  I hate that oily feeling but I keep reading that it will eventually pass, with no real time reference for what "eventually" means.

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e.e. cummings once said, "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." Please join me on my journey as I redefine my career and life goals at Lifeinflux ( http://www.lifeinflux.com ).

My hair is neither curly nor straight. Somedays it's a bit wavy. I think it would be described as "having a lot of body" I guess. If I put it in a ponytail I get that stupid "bump" in my hair from where the elastic was. It's not a flattering look.

Sassymonkey ( http://sassymonkey.ca/ ) and Sassymonkey Reads ( http://sassymonkeyreads.ca/ ).

Years ago I use to believe I had to wash my hair everyday. I learned that most drugstore shampoos are detergent based and can cause your scalp to produce more sebum giving you the impression that you have oily hair. Using a plant based shampoo is gentler on your scalp and can allow you to go longer between shampoos.

I hair short hair and I wet my hair daily because it looks crazy after I sleep. However, I only wash it about twice per week. I am a runner and my hair is soaked after a run, but it rarely gets greasy. I wash it mainly because I do use some product in my hair to keep it in place. Using a vinegar rinse can really ramp up your shine as well!

Cheryl Miller 

www.newurbanbalance.com ( http://www.newurbanbalance.com )

My hair is long and thin. In the summer I usually shampoo everyday and in the winter every other day. If I go longer then I have to wear a ball cap.

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So far the consensus seems to be that slightly dirty hair is best. Does anyone know of a shampoo that leaves hair "dirty"? You know, something very light for those of us that have to wash more frequently but doesn't mask smell with strong perfume?

Have you ever been to a Dominican hair salon? They're famous! (Well, at least around Dominicans.) I'm half Dominican and your routine is very common there. I have straight, non-textured hair, and the Dominican ladies still recommend that I wash less often and braid it at night. It brings back memories of living there!

I love looking at pictures of retro hairstyles (like on Mad Men or here: http://myvintagevogue.com/) but then I have to remind myself that those styles were achieved by getting your hair washed and set at the salon and sleeping with the equivalent of a helmet on!

I like your rule though: "That's how you know when to wash your hair: When it is supporting life, it's time to get out the shampoo. Short of that, to each his own!" - I totally agree!

Isn't that weird how on the day you wash your hair you have to put in a ponytail? I find I have to do the same thing!

I'm like you in the "styling" department - the days I don't do anything to it are the days I get the most compliments. But if I sleep with it when it's damp, I wake up like Pete Wentz on a bad day.

Like Laurie I wash my hair about every three days. My hair is long. It's coloured. It doesn't usually need to be washed more than that. And I'm lazy. The shower cap is my friend. 

I don't do much by way of styling it either. Most of the time it's really wash and go, though with winter coming I'll have to start blowing it dry soon. Hair product lasts me ages because I use it so infrequently. 

I actually just had my hair done yesterday. My stylist asked if I style my hair every day. I told him that I was too lazy and that my hair generally looks better when I don't do anything to it. He laughed and me and told him most people lie when he asked them that. 

Sassymonkey ( http://sassymonkey.ca/ ) and Sassymonkey Reads ( http://sassymonkeyreads.ca/ ).

And let me tell you...it was awful the first time I told a friend in Jr. High that I only wash my hair once a week. Uh, black people don't. It's like in the rule book or something. Actually it's just that our hair will dry up and fall out of our heads if we were to wash it every single day. I use this spray stuff to keep my curls curly since going natural. And at night I just braid it up and in the morning some spray and I go.

Heather B. 

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On the one hand, I love story time. :)

On the other hand, I hate bugs. I especially hate bugs on me. I would, even more than anything else I can think of, hate bugs growing in my hair. O_o

Laurie in Sri Lanka

Chilli & Chocolate ( http://food.laurieashton.com ) | A Canadian in King Parakramabahu's Court ( http://srilanka.laurieashton.com ) | LMAshton on Twitter ( http://twitter.com/lmashton )

Depends on the length...

When, after my ENTIRE life of having long hair, I cut mine to my jawline last Christmas, I was shocked to find that I have to wash my hair FAR more often than I used to.

My husband used to give me flak for washing my hair maybe once or twice a week, tops. But it took that long to get oily, and I was a stay at home mom with a baby to wrestle in the shower, and hair always looks nice in a ponytail.

Now, I have to wash it every other day, or when I wake that 3rd day, I look like one of those poor penguins they pull out of oil spills. It's not nice.

Like Laurie/LMAshton, I don't use any products, and just let it air dry. I never brush it when it's wet, and it often would still be damp when i woke in the morning.

STORY TIME!

My mom used to be a hair dresser, in the 50-70s. She's seen some crazy hair styles come and go. When she first started working, she did a mean beehive, and the women would schedule with my mom a month in advance. Usually, they would get there and still have the same beehive my mother had given them a month/6 weeks ago.

This one lady said that she was so glad to see her because her head had been getting itchy, and she knew it was time to get it redone...

Earwigs (EARWIGS! EARWIGS!) were living in this woman's hair. Not just one or two, either, a bunch of them.

So, that's how you know when to wash your hair: When it is supporting life, it's time to get out the shampoo. Short of that, to each his own!

Every second day, but I use a dry shampoo on the non - wet-wash days as my hair goes limp an greasy looking otherwise.

Imogen Lamport

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I use shampoo once or twice a week, but otherwise slather in the conditioner from roots to ends. The conditioner is, honestly, enough to get rid of all the accumulated oils and dirt and whatnot, but my conditioning (no pun intended :D) along with my analness makes me use shampoo at least sometimes. Using less shampoo is better for my hair anyway and means less buildup and more curl along with less damage. :)

If you check out forums on hair communities like the Long Hair Community, there are a lot of discussions on just this topic. Some women never use shampoo, but instead use conditioner only for cleaning. Others use water only. Some use shampoo sometimes. There's a huge variation.

I use no products except henna to colour and no styling devices. Yep. And I have incredibly thick hair, which means that it takes hours to dry. It's also healthy and shiny. :)

Laurie in Sri Lanka

Chilli & Chocolate ( http://food.laurieashton.com ) | A Canadian in King Parakramabahu's Court ( http://srilanka.laurieashton.com ) | LMAshton on Twitter ( http://twitter.com/lmashton )

Like Laurie, I have long, colored hair, and I wash mine with shampoo & conditioner every 4-5 days.  I find that the first day is hopeless & I just wear it long or in a ponytail, the second day I can do some fun rolls, the thrid day I can sculpt it, and the fourth day I can do a fun upsweep of some sort.  I tend to get more compliments around day 4-5.

Black Phoebe :: Ms. Jen ( http://www.blackphoebe.com/msjen )

Okay, fair warning has been given.

Depending on the school of thought you follow, curly girls either don't shampoo at all or don't shampoo frequently. I'm in the not frequently camp. Usually once a week or week and half, depending on how my hair is feeling.

I use a spray on conditioner (Botanical Boost by Ouidad, if you're wondering) to keep my curls looking good.

The beauty of this plan is that I don't have a halo of broken hair around my head anymore and my hair looks the best it ever has.

Lately, more like three. It's long, it's on the dry side, it's colored - it doesn't need more than that. And when it's "dirty" I get more compliments so that has to mean something, right? Oh validation, give me some. ;)

I do not use a lot of product in my hair and try not to blow dry it more than three times a week at most, and even then I try to let it air dry as long as I can. When I wash it at night and sleep on it damp, and do almost nothing to it, that's when I unfailingly, again, get the most compliments. Kind of annoying, actually. :) And also a lesson in simplicity, I guess. This really sounds like I think about it a lot more than I do - should be noted that my hair has always been my one (minor) vanity and after this many years it's unconscious activity for the most part.

I know some people whose hair tends more towards the oily who have to wash it every day. Like any other thing it just depends on you.

Laurie
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I wash mine about every other day. Unless I've been around someone who smokes or a campfire... but neither of those happen often. So about every other day. ;)

I think the people who don't wash their hair actually do wash it with water - but they don't use shampoo.

I wash my hair twice a week. With shampoo.

Kelly

I blog about trends in women’s shoes ( http://womensshoesblogs.blogspot.com/ ).