I am really curious about what everyone else does.   I have tried, but I just can NOT make myself go for more than one day without washing my hair.  I just have this personal hygiene issue about washing my hair when I shower.  (If I am in there and don't wash it, when I get out it just *feels* icky to me and I wind up right back in there.)

So, how often do you wash your hair and why?  Is there really some reason I should not wash it daily or does it just depend on the hair?  I am very careful when I wash, I work the shampoo carefully through the length after washing my scalp and never do anything to tangle the hair.  To dry, I just squeeze the length in a towel and press the towel on my head then let it drip dry.

Does anyone else have a difficult time not washing their hair?

Also, I have managed to figure out 'CWC' but what do 'CO' and 'COW-C' mean?  I am feeling all kinds of  clueless here. ;)

I am really looking forward to everyone's input.  

Thanks!

I think it mostly depends on your hair whether or not it is damaging to wash it everyday.  I choose not to wash everyday, and could go a week or close to it when I was using shampoo.  If I washed my hair everyday my hair would always be wet, I'd almost never braid it (because of it being wet or damp), and it is just too drying to my scalp and length to wash that often.  

CO is the term for condition-only washing.  I'm working on switching over to this, and what it means is that I wash only with conditioner, no shampoo.   I use suave daily clarifying, and so far it is cleaning just as good as shampoo, but leaving my length soft and less dry.  I do have to wash every 3 days now.   I've tried to get to a pure CO routine several times over the last couple years, and after a while I seem to get too greasy and have to go back to some kind of shampoo washing.  I've only switched over for a few weeks this time, so I don't know if the good results will last.  

COW-C is a term and washing system that Anais came up with that works quite well for many people also.  I'm not sure how to post the link to her instructions, but basically you condition your length with a light conditioner, then mix conditioner, water, and a little bit of shampoo in a bottle and use that wash your scalp.  Once you rinse all of that out, condition your length again with a heavier conditioner.  I used this method to transition to CO washing, and will definetly go back to it if this doesn't work out for me.  

Well, maybe you can put your hair in a shower cap, then it won;t get wet and feel so icky.

As for why, it's because everday washing doen't let the natural oils spread to your hair.

It does depend on the hair if it is oily, then you can wash every other day, or every day.

you can go to Anais Satins web site to know all about the hair washing methods.http://anaissatin.freespaces.com

I have to wash my scalp-hair every day or else it is greasy the next day, and also my head gets this "cold" feeling because the dampness of the oil on my scalp.  

That said, here's my routine:

I have tailbone length hair, and I put it in a high ponytail and cover that with a plastic bread-bag, clinching with a sturdy long barrette. You could tie it too, I guess, but a metal barette works good.  I mix a dimesized amount of shampoo and some water in an old shampoo bottle (a clear one helps)  and I wash my scalp hair only, every day.  My length doesn't need it--I could go up to two weeks without wetting it in the shower.  But NOT my head!!!  When I DO do a total wash, I precondition with lots of coconut oil, and condition with a heavy conditioner.

If you are interested:
To do the scalp wash, you must hold the bagged ponytail up above your head while using your other hand to massage in the shampoo and rinse, etc.  When finished, your head feels nice and clean.  My length remains fine through all of this.  It took me a year to find a hairwashing method that worked!!! Well, that's my hair washing story and routine!  :)  :) :)

I have to wash my scalp hair after biking each day.  I use the method Christiana mentions - bagging up the length of my hair, so I can wash just the scalp.  

My hair takes hours to dry, so I would be wet all the time if I washed all of it every day.  Scalp washing allows me to have a clean head and not have wet hair all the time.

Until a few months ago I was washing my hair every other day (except for a short period when it was every day) and doing the regular shampoo-condition routine. This past summer I started to space the number of shampoos and now I usually wash my hair every 3 to 4 days using a CWC method with diluted shampoo. But because my length was bleached last year, I almost always use a conditioner on a daily basis. Rinsing off the conditioner helps to get rid of some of the sweat that accumulated during the day.

The adjustment period can be kind of gross, but if you try to increase the days between washes and don't like it, you can always go back to your usual washing schedule.

Sasha, You already do a lot of hair friendly things. :) I just wanted to add... Consider gradually working towards a wash interval goal, instead of suddenly changing your wash routine and waiting for the scalp to adjust. It's easier to start first by diluting shampoo, then cutting down on the shampoo, then adding conditioner, etc. There's nothing wrong with everyday washing, but the finer the hair strands, the more likely it will be damaged by frequent washing.

HTH

Anais

wrote on Oct 12^th, 2005 at 12:43am:

I am really curious about what everyone else does.   I have tried, but I just can NOT make myself go for more than one day without washing my hair.  I just have this personal hygiene issue about washing my hair when I shower.  (If I am in there and don't wash it, when I get out it just *feels* icky to me and I wind up right back in there.) So, how often do you wash your hair and why?  Is there really some reason I should not wash it daily or does it just depend on the hair?  I am very careful when I wash, I work the shampoo carefully through the length after washing my scalp and never do anything to tangle the hair.  To dry, I just squeeze the length in a towel and press the towel on my head then let it drip dry. Does anyone else have a difficult time not washing their hair?

I used to wash my hair everyday, because I used to shower every day.  I showered every day because I have severe eczema - a skin condition where my skin is itchy, dry, and flaky all the time.  I really didn't pay attention to my hair, since how my skin felt was more important.

Since then, I've been on a treatment that has lessened my eczema symptoms.  I can skip a day of showering now.  I started to pay attention to how this effected my hair, and it didn't really make a difference.  

If I skip two days, my hair just feels coated and gross, which makes me itch more.  So I've determined that the I can only skip one day.

I think it's partly a personal preference, because some people do better with the natural oils in their hair, especially if it's wavy.  

Cynde

I'm using LouiseMarie Longhairs products-she recommends washing every day.  I do wash most days, but sometimes I don't get up early enought or just get lazy and I'm still OK.  My hair isn't that long yet-about 20" but I have a lot of hair and it used to take forever to dry, but it is drying faster since I've been using LML.  I think I started using her stuff this past June.

I wash my hair once a week, generally, though I have been known to go two weeks before.  I just don't find it really necessary to wash any more often than that.  It usually takes my hair about 12 hours to dry (sometimes longer).  Also, it takes 2 or 3 days to start getting manageable again.  The longer it's been since I've washed it (inside that week timeframe), the easier it is to put up in various hairstyles.  Plus, I'm cheap. :)  I bought some shampoo & conditioner that were each $9 for an 8 oz bottle, and it lasted for about 4 months.

My hair responds best when I have it on a routine.  I wash on Wednesday and Saturday.  The rest of the week I condition then do a vinegar rinse.   The vinegar rinse feels like it gets rid of the build-up that makes my hair look oily and dirty.  My hair shaft is very fine so if I washed every day my hair would be in terrible shape.  I also noticed it began to grow faster when I did not shampoo all the time.

wrote on Oct 16^th, 2005 at 1:45pm:

I wash my hair once a week, generally, though I have been known to go two weeks before.  I just don't find it really necessary to wash any more often than that.  It usually takes my hair about 12 hours to dry (sometimes longer).  Also, it takes 2 or 3 days to start getting manageable again.  The longer it's been since I've washed it (inside that week timeframe), the easier it is to put up in various hairstyles.  Plus, I'm cheap. :)  I bought some shampoo & conditioner that were each $9 for an 8 oz bottle, and it lasted for about 4 months.

I'm with bio_muse here.  Although I wash about every 5-7 days.  I find it much easier to put my hair up several days after the last wash, the first 1-2 days are always a struggle :P
Everybody's hair is different.  I found even with short hair washing every day was too much for my hair, and the longer it gets the longer between washes.

I wash my hair every 3-4 days, more often only if my scalp acts weirdly (as it sometimes does). When I take a shower on non-hairwash day, I use a shower cap.
I use SBV (shampoo bar+ mild apple cider vinegar rinse), which is a very gentle washing method.

When I first came here, I used to wash my hair every other day- after that it was dirty and had to be washed. But gradually I was able to stretch the interval to where it is now, and nowadays my second day hair is a zillion times better than it used to be. I've also changed my washing routine over time: before coming here, I shampooed twice and conditioned, then I switched to CWC, and since late spring, I've been a happy SBV'er. I think that this is really worth experimenting. :)

As you can see, almost everyone does things a bit differently. So take your time, and don't try everything at once. As others said, you're already treating your hair nicely, so there's no need to dramatic changes right away.

Hi Sasha, I am right on board with you when it comes to hairwashing.  I shower every day, therefore, I wash my hair every day.  It is definetly a hygiene thing for me, too- I've really got this issue with always looking, being and smelling clean.  If you were to check my purse, I'm the girl who's always got an extra deodorant, perfume, body cleansing wipes, and anti-bacterial junk- yup, that's me!  The way my body is right now, if I don't wash every day I become very greasy and yucky looking, usually by the morning of the next day, so every morning I shower and wash my hair.  However, since joining the boards, I have learned that I can just wash my scalp without terrorizing the rest of my length, and it REALLY seems to be working well.  I don't bag my hair, because it only about BSL length and I don't have the drying-time issue as some of the others do, but I do just lather my head and let the diluted shampoo rinse down the rest of the hair, then I condition the bottom half only.  So, I completely understand your issue here!  I also just tried a vinegar rinse for the first time (only once, so far), and really liked the results.  I think I will make this part of my routine once a week from now on.  As for CO, I have not tried this, I am afraid of my hair being too greasy with this method- so no input there.  There's gotta be hope for us!
;)

My hair is only 19 inches long but, like you and Maggie, I shower and wash/condition my hair every morning.  Sometimes on the weekends I'll go a day w/out washing my hair, but it's just seems so greasy that I'd be embarrassed to death for anybody to see me.  I'm hoping one day to maybe go CO and that only a few times a week.  Maybe I will get better results if I take Anais's advice and don't shock my hair with sudden changes.   ;)


Quote:

Consider gradually working towards a wash interval goal, instead of suddenly changing your wash routine and waiting for the scalp to adjust. It's easier to start first by diluting shampoo, then cutting down on the shampoo, then adding conditioner, etc. There's nothing wrong with everyday washing, but the finer the hair strands, the more likely it will be damaged by frequent washing.

One thing's for sure:  this is all a learning process and there is no one right way.  Good luck!

Trisha

I wash mine - roots, length and all - every single day. Sometimes twice. Sometimes with a vinegar rinse to follow.

The results are appalling if I don't.

But the shampoo that I use is a 2 in 1 (shampoo & conditioner combined), and I follow with a super-rich, moisturizing conditioner. So my hair stays clean and hydrated.

I also oil the very ends, so drying out is never a problem.  :)

Have you tried anything different in your washing yet, Sasha?  If you did, how's it working out for you?  Just wondering  ::)

Well, I have been experimenting with this a bit.  I am already using less shampoo and just letting it run down the length of my hair.  Over the weekend, I managed to go without washing my hair for a whole day.  It felt fine most of the day but I was really ready to wash it.  I will also wash my hair twice a day if I think it needs it.  

Monday night I tried CO washing.  After my hair dried it was really soft, but by the next afternoon it felt really oily.  I think I will try the CWC, and I also want to pick up some vinegar to try that.  I may try the pony-tail-in-a-bag method over the weekend sometime.  Last winter, my hair was taking upwards of ~8 hours to dry.  So far this year it is taking about 3.  If I comb it while it is wet, it seems to dry faster.  

I picked up some Nature's Gate herbal shampoo and conditioner, but I am not sure whether I like it or not yet.  Hopefully, I can get over to Whole Foods or the Co-op this weekend and look for something else organic and non-coating to try.  

Thanks so much for all the suggestions.  I am working my way through trying them out. :)

I'm glad to see you're trying some new things, I hope you find a method that really works for you.  Since I've been doing the scalp-only wash thing , the length of my hair is def. shinier, not all frizzy & overstripped looking like it would get sometimes.  So, I feel happy with that, as long as I get a full wash in every 2-3 days.  I just need to avoid looking or feeling greasy - I can't cope with that - then I'm OK!  As for skipping a day, the ONLY day I ever attempt it is on a Sunday, my day off, and I'm usually pretty miserable about it and just praying that nobody stops by to see me...then it's time to throw the bandana on!  Happy experimenting, keep us posted!     ;D

When I first started growing my hair out (from shoulder-length hair), I started by washing my hair every other day, then finally adding one more day so I was washing it every three days.  At first, I really felt your pain (or would have, if I had read your post then--ha, ha).  It didn't look greasy, but I just felt gross.  However, after a few weeks of every other day, I noticed that my scalp seemed less and less greasy.  I read somewhere that your scalp will eventually adjust to less hair washing (to a certain extent) and produce less oil overall.  That was the case with me.  Now, the second day after hair washing, I notice absolutely no difference--it still smells fresh (often since I've worn it up anyway), etc.  By the third day, it is still clean, but let's just say if I let it go an additional day (because I'm not planning on leaving the house, etc.) then I feel gross and yuckky. So, for me, three days is the max.  But it's very individual. Every so often, I go through phases and wash it daily again (because I still enjoy freshly washed hair.  I enjoy washing my hair, for that matter. It's fun), but for me, I have noticed a difference. My hair is thick, but fine, and I DO have more damage when I wash it daily and I've recently made a note not to wash it daily anymore.

My problem is when I work out, I really sweat (and I live in Texas where it can be very humid in the summer), so I feel disgusting if I've been working out a lot.  I still struggle with this because like so many on this board, my waist-length hair would be permenantly wet if I washed it every day.  In the summer, I have experimented with alternating shampoo/condition washing with condition-only washings, every other day.  I have also tried scalp washing, but even then, the water "wicked" up the rest of my hair so that half my hair got wet anyway and for me, it just didn't work (I might as well have washed the entire head of hair).  So, in the summer, I'm still not entirely sure what to do. I will probably experiment with a CWC  or Condition Only type more often.  

Good question. :-)

Kim

Hi RedKim, sounds like you've got a plan all figured out! Welcome to the board :)

Anais

Welcome to LL, Redkim!  I had the same thing happen to me when I stopped washing my hair as often.  I can go a week without washing, now.

Thanks for the welcome. :-)  

I tried CO washing all this week (every other day, once with a ACV rinse afterwards) and my hair has been SO soft!  From what I have been reading about CO washing, you are supposed to use a lot of light conditioner and leave it on at least five minutes--I wasn't doing that before.

So, CO washes might be a solution for a person who likes to wash her hair more often but doesn't want the damage of too much shampoo.

Kim

There are also a lot of variations on CO. It is also possible to dilute the CO conditioner, shake to a froth, and apply it from a squeeze bottle.

If your original method works better, go for it :)

RedKim--I'm glad you found a routine that works for you! I forgot to mention this earlier, but welcome to LL!  :)

Speaking of CO-ing.......I'm not totally clear on this whole thing.  When you do this, are you supposed to apply it all over your hair or just the ears down as you would normally condition?  Here's what I did:

Last night I showered & washed as usual...shampooed scalp and roots only, and conditioned from the ears down.  When my hair was like 95% dry I applied a few drops of jojoba oil also from the ears down, but mainly focused on the ends.  This morning when I showered I did not shampoo, but rinsed my scalp & length really well, and conditioned again from the ears down.  Is this considered a CO?  My hair feels and looks very healthy and shiny, not greasy thank goodness!  I'm a little leary about putting conditioner on my roots, I think it would weigh my hair down too much.

Anais - I like your idea of frothing it up first, I may try that next time!

Redkim -  welcome to the "salon" & thanks for the insight!  :D

Good question...I am new to the CO washing and I wondered if you are supposed to put condish on the scalp?  Somewhere, I read that you WERE supposed to, but I have also read that you shouldn't. The first time, I DID put it on my scalp, but this last time, I just rinsed my scalp in water and massaged my scalp, then put the conditioner on the outer layer of my hair near the scalp (and massaged it through on the rest of my hair).  

I have read that the condish cleans the hair, so it would seem to make sense to put some on the scalp for that reason--but would that harm my scalp?  I wouldn't want any weird scalp issues.

Thanks,
Kim

Technically yes. CO does involve putting conditioner on the scalp. However, CO involves a very light conditioner. You can also dilute it if it's too rich, or follow with diluted ACV to rinse out the remainder of the conditioner.

Different conditioners treat the scalp differently... it might take a bit of experimentation to find one that doesn't cause negative reaction (or oiliness).

Hugs,
Anais

...so the conditioner does actually have cleasing properties too?

I don't think it can really be called "cleansing", but it does remove some amount of gunk by dissolving it.