Looking Good, Feeling Great - To Wash or Not to Wash...

I have heard/read that it is not good to wash your hair everyday. My question is this..I workout normally 6 days a week and get a good sweat going on..how do I keep my hair clean if I don't wash it everyday? I do wash it everyday but I am just wondering if I am doing the wrong thing.


Hugs
Michelle

I wash mine twice a day when I workout - once in the morn before work and once after the everning workout. Doesnt seem to bother it too much :)

I'm a bit-okay-a lot older, and if I wash my hair more often that every other day, it is way too dry! But if I recall correctly (when I washed it daily), as long as you use a moisterinzing shampoo and conditioner, it should be okay. It also depends on whether you blow dry/curling iron your hair (damaging).

I wash about every fourth day. My hair is just too dadgummed dry. I do sweat when I work out but not usually noticably so around my hairline and scalp. I also have to use coconut oil on my hair to keep moisture of any sort. I really think it depends on each person as to whether or not they are able to wash daily.

I wash daily but I have a friend who colors her hair and because that dries it out, she only washes every couple days. When she gets in the shower, she rinses her hair very thoroughly (like she was washing it, but no shampoo) and then uses just a dab of conditioner to untangle it. She says it works great and her hair never looks dirty!

It's not the washing of the hair that can damage it, it's the detergents in shampoo. I wash my hair daily but only use shampoo about once per week since I rarely use styling products. The other days I wash it thoroughly with water and conditioner. My hair is clean, conditioned and not stripped by detergents. If I used styling products often I think I'd use shampoo about every 3 days.

I wash my hair every day, and have always had to - my hair is fine (I mean each hair is not thick) and I don't have a huge amount of it, so if I don't wash daily my scalp starts to show through, ewww.

I scrub my scalp every day with a no-sulfate shampoo, and condition daily - but I don't actually wash the length of my hair. Rinsing my scalp off washes the length enough. I also use coconut oil once a week on the ends. If I don't wash my scalp daily, I look greasy. But if I actually wash the length daily, it gets very dry, brittle, and frizzy.

I have curly(ish) hair and my sister who is a hairstylist told me to only wash with conditioner. So I use my conditioner just like shampoo and scrub my scalp and then work more through the length of my hair and leave it in until the end of my shower.

My hair is much easier to control and style since I've been doing that. I will usually use a sulfate free shampoo right before I get my hair colored (about once a month).

I wash my hair every day, sometimes twice too if I work out hard. My hair is also color treated. Naturally, it is very oily, so the color brings it a little closer to normal, the washing every day hasn't seemed to damage anything. My hairdresser always tells me how great it looks! :)

If you are concerned washing your hair everyday may be damaging....you might want to consider Wen Cleansing Conditioner. It is made especially to cleanse your hair but, it is not a shampoo & it will not bubble up the way a shampoo does. It is costly....but....you can find some good deals on Ebay. Its also great if you color treat your hair because it "revives" the color.

Michelle,
Don't worry about it too much ... I myself have fine hair and I sweat like a pig when I exercise ... so I wash my hair every single day and sometimes even twice in one day. My hairdresser always comments on how much hair I have (I don't see it that way, LOL) and how healthy it is. My hair is colour-treated on aregular basis (highlights). I simply wash on an as-needed basis.

Thanks everyone for the great tips and advice :hug:

My hair is really fine/thin so I HAVE to wash it every day, less I look like a complete bum at work.

I'm another who has to wash my hair at least once a day. I've got fine hair and super oily skin. I use a "clarifying" (aka moisture-stripping, super-harsh) shampoo and a really light conditioner. I went a year and a half without getting my hair cut and had zero split ends, so I guess it works well enough for me. :)

Thanks ladies :D

your hair needs oil to stay healthy, and you strip it when you shampoo. dont wash every day with shampoo, you can just use water to get the excess grease and oil out. if your hair is long, you never need to work shampoo into the ends, just work it into your scalp and the suds when you rinse will get the ends clean. also, make sure you're always using a good conditioner and leaving it on for a few minutes!

I used to wash it every day but I've noticed my hair is much healthier when I don't. I usually wash it every day. One thing you could try is rinsing your hair (and use a comb in shower while it is wet, but not a brush!) and not shampooing it.

Also, lots of shampoos have harsh ingredients and cleansers in them. They're definitely not all equal.

Thanks Julia, nelie and Julie :D

i wash every other day or every third day if I'm not working out but I have to wash if i work out! My hair gets really sweaty. I use the herbal essence hydrating shampoo (not the new hydrolicious ones that are swirled, but the solid blue one) it seems to keep my hair in much better condition with multiple washes than others I've used. Also, I very rarely blow dry or straighten my hair (and I try to keep it to one or the other if I do to save on damage).

And I agree with those who say don't work the shampoo into the ends of your hair.

Have you tried a leave in conditioner.Might help.

i wash my hair every second and sometimes third day - and it has never been healthier or in better condition.

what you need for in between washes is klorane dry shampoo - it's a spray shampoo that you spray on your roots that freshens them up without having to do a full wash. this is honestly a god send product. i love it because my hair is so much easier to style the day after washing - yet i don't want it to look unwashed. (i have bra strap length dark hair). if you check out MUA you'll see it's got loads of great reviews.

another tip is to only condition the body of your hair - not the roots, as these are naturally moisturised by your scalp oils.

something you can do is put a treatment in your hair every other day when you work out, like coconut oil or olive oil and tie up your hair or braid it, then do your workout. afterwards the oil must be washed out, it will help keep moisture in your hair even if you must wash it so often.

For the past couple weeks, I have been just conditioning every day and shampooing once a week. I have been using Herbal Esscence leave in conditioner as well - None of Your Frizziness - and John Frieda's Frizzease. My hair still seems...frizzy..but it does look a bit shinier and feels softer so maybe maybe one day I won't look like Richard Simmons.

I'm with Darby1, my stylist suggested not washing except for every few days but conditioning every day. I use Aveda products and this process works wonderfully for me. My hair is much more manageable when not squeeky clean and it helps my color last longer too. I work out 6 days a week for an hour to hour and a half and sweat like crazy but still have no problem.

Thanks for the input :) :hug:

I have very dry hair now and I use shampoo about two or three times a week.

The other days I just get it wet in the shower and use a small amount of conditioner to freshen it up (it you're concerned the sweating might make it smell).

It your hair is oily and looks dirty to you, then I don't think there is any harm in washing daily, because you have enough natural oils to help condition it.

When I was younger I had very oily hair and even though I washed it every morning it looked dirty by the time I got home from work - and I had a sedentary job and didn't workout.

I've also heard you're not meant to wash your hair every day, but mine gets SO gross when I work out. So I have also invested in dry shampoo - if I am going out after the gym, I will blow dry my hair quickly, then use dry shampoo. It works wonders! (It's also really helpful for long distance travel!)

Another quick fix I like when I'm trying to shampoo less frequently is just plain old baby powder. I sprinkle some along my hairline and in my part, and then brush it out thoroughly. That only works for me on days when I pull my hair up though.

I conditioner "wash" my hair 6 days a week & lightly shampoo (1 sudsing) once a week. I follow up with a spray on, leave in conditioner (Dove Daily Moisture Therapy). My hair has never looked better & the color lasts much longer too:)

This has been an interesting thread to read. Until now, I always assumed that when people said they only washed their hair once a week, that meant they didn't even get it WET the other 6 days and just had to keep re-styling dirty hair. That just sounds so gross, because my head gets itchy and my hair looks unstyled and gross after just 1 day. So it was like a revelation to read that "not washing the hair for several days" means not SHAMPOOING for several days.

My hair only looks good when it's freshly styled. After I've slept on it it looks like.....well, like I've slept on it. Brushing, curling, spraying....that doesn't work so well on my hair if it hasn't been washed. I haven't tried just wetting, rinsing, and applying conditioner, though. Since my hair does sometimes get frizzy on the ends and underneath, I think I'll give this a shot.

The idea of not washing your hair comes from the hair has a natural ability to clean itself. So, if you were to not wash your hair for say three months, your hair would gradually go back to the natural state, before products were introduced to it. Saying that the reaction is that your hair will be oily and your scalp will react with itch. It will be oily at first because your hair has had the oils stripped from it with washing. So, eventually your hair would level out and thus you would have naturally cleaning hair. Of course you can do rinses and what not, comb oils into the hair, etc. There are many options and methods. It is exciting to try though! :D

Saying that, I do have to wash my hair every day mostly because of my scalp, which has issues. I have many skin related issues and have to scrub down every single day, I cannot go a day without a shower. Just how it is for me, but I do use a shampoo that is designed for my scalp condition, fragrance free, and I use a conditioner that is just organic and natural. I have gone two months without washing, but I found that with my skin issues it just doesn't work for me, my scalp didn't get better. My hair was very soft though, not very oily at all. I did rinses and things, sometimes with essential oils and that made my hair smell so good.

Now my hair is thick, wavy, and soft. That is from washing every day. My scalp feels a bit better, I will always have issues though. Allergies and what not! :D

I am going to start doing coconut oil treatments again. I did like that. You rub the coconut oil into your hair and scalp, let it sit, then wash it out. :D

I wash my hair almost daily (every once in a while I'll skip a day) with a gentle shampoo followed by a good conditioner. I think it looks and feels best on that schedule -- any more than that and it starts to get dry, and less than that is an oily, itchy mess.

My hair has always needed to be washed every day, I just did it. I've now started to leave it for 2 days but I still wash my bangs in the morning with a touch of soap.
I still like it best washed every day but thought it would be better to leave it if I can. I have very oily skin, face and hair which people say is good. I'm not sure about that however.

2 days seems to be the max, 3 days and I just can't stand it anymore. My hair is also long and straight so the part looks greasy after 1 day.

I use gentle shampoo and use tons of conditioner because I get highlights put in.

Since this thread came out I decided to do an experiment. I used to be one of those people that had to wash my hair every day or else it would look greasy and limp. I was obsessed with getting my hair squeaky clean. But I decided to just rinse my hair every day and shampoo only once a week and see what happens. I also bought one of those little gadgets that remove the chlorine from the showerhead too.

I can't emphasize how much more volume my hair has now, just 3months after starting this. It is not dirty at all, it does not feel greasy but it feels like I have more bouncy fluffy hair!

My shampoo bills have gone down drastically, my showers are faster and more economical, and I just realized.... I don't have to load up my head with chemicals just because shampoo companies want to make more money. Rinse, lather and repeat THAT Pantene!!!

wannabeskinny, thanks for posting your experience. Interesting idea, I might test it out. My problem is my scalp gets not just itchy but also painful after more than a couple days. But I never tried rinsing.

Since this thread came out I decided to do an experiment. I used to be one of those people that had to wash my hair every day or else it would look greasy and limp. I was obsessed with getting my hair squeaky clean. But I decided to just rinse my hair every day and shampoo only once a week and see what happens. I also bought one of those little gadgets that remove the chlorine from the showerhead too.

I can't emphasize how much more volume my hair has now, just 3months after starting this. It is not dirty at all, it does not feel greasy but it feels like I have more bouncy fluffy hair!

My shampoo bills have gone down drastically, my showers are faster and more economical, and I just realized.... I don't have to load up my head with chemicals just because shampoo companies want to make more money. Rinse, lather and repeat THAT Pantene!!!


That is what I have been doing as well for the past couple months and I can definitely see a difference in how my hair looks and feels.

Okay I'm in for the rinse everyday and wash once a week :)
Might as well try it if it works so well.

Do you put any conditioner on???

I'm kinda worried though.........:dizzy:

What I do is this..

Sunday night I wash with shampoo and deep condition my hair. Mon - Sat I only rinse with warm water. My hair looks healthier and shinier and feels softer and doesn't stink and is not oily at all. But this is me and I am not in any way, shape or form saying everyone should do this or that everyone will have the same results but it can't hurt to give it a try anyway :)

I keep my hair very short, (a bit longer than a marine), color it regularly, and shampoo 6 days a week.

That being said, I use a minimal amount of shampoo, and rinse well.

The thing I don't do is use the hair dryer a lot or load my hair up with gel, mousse, spray, etc.

My hair is in good shape.

The other thing that is good for your hair is omega 3 fatty acids. Not an issue to work into your food plan. Just eat some tuna or salmon once or twice a week.

FYI, when I had long hair, I conditioned once a month with full fat, regular mayo, smear it in hair, cover with a plastic grocery bag and a towel hot from the dryer, wait 20 mins and rinse. Yeah, I know, you smell like potato salad, oh well.

Every other weekend, I would shampoo and then rinse with vinegar to strip all the soap, detergent, etc.

To this day, no matter what shampoo I'm using, I use as little as possible, rinse well, warm not hot water, and try not to subject my hair to, too much hair dryer, gel, mousse or spray.

It works for me.

Okay I'm in for the rinse everyday and wash once a week :)
Might as well try it if it works so well.

Do you put any conditioner on???

I'm kinda worried though.........:dizzy:

I guess it would depend on your hair. My hair is very fine so I only condition once a week when I shampoo.

I'll be honest, it took a while to get used to. When your hair is abused by shampoo every day it just learns to automatically produce more oil to replace the oil the chemicals strip away. So it takes a couple of weeks for your hair to readjust. I'm no scientist but that's what makes sense to me. Good luck with this, it doesn't hurt to try it out and at the very least you'll be giving your hair a much needed break from soap.

Thanks Wannabeskinny and Janelle :)

I scrub my scalp every day with a no-sulfate shampoo, and condition daily - but I don't actually wash the length of my hair. Rinsing my scalp off washes the length enough. I also use coconut oil once a week on the ends. If I don't wash my scalp daily, I look greasy. But if I actually wash the length daily, it gets very dry, brittle, and frizzy.

hmm, I'm going to try that!

I tried the "just rinsing" thing for a couple of days and my scalp itched so bad that I couldn't stand it and I had to shampoo. My hair has been looking and feeling really dry on the ends lately, and I suspect that it's all the blow drying and product that I put on it. I could try to cut back on that, but if I don't use hairspray, my hair just lies there, flat and lank. (I have a lot of hair but it's kind of heavy and just lays there if I don't fuss with it).

I've been doing the conditioner only washes for over a month now (I shampoo once a week)....and my hair is in much better condition. Even DBF noticed!!!:carrot:

:D Thanks Kim for sharing

I'm amazed at the change in my hair since I stopped shampooing daily - I only shampoo once a week but rinse my hair everyday. I'm getting compliments from several people on a daily basis. Everybody wants to touch my hair, it's soooooo weird.

The hardest part is day 2-3 after I shampoo. My head feels greasy and itchy. But I spend that day in a pony tail and once I get through to the next day my hair is.... I don't know how else to say it but its glorious.

Or maybe I'm just getting those compliments because I've lost a bunch of weight and people are finally able to see it but can't pinpoint exactly why I look so good so they think it's the hair. My face is a lot slimmer now so maybe that makes my hair look better? Who knows... but anyway my hair feels amazing.