Sunday, March 2, 2008

How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?

Lately I've read, online and in magazines, advice about NOT washing your hair every day. Apparently this is very drying for your hair and leads to a lack of luster as you age--the lady that sits across from work is in her fifties and her hair certainly subscribes to this theory (I haven't asked her how often she washes it, but I believe that it is daily). As someone with an extremely oily scalp, I get dandruff if I go too long without washing, so I was skeptical about going a day or two between shampoos. On the other hand, the idea appealed to me. One of my goals in life is shiny hair, and if all the products I have in my bathroom to create such ACTUALLY WORKED, you would be able to see my hair reflected in satellite photographs taken of Earth. Unfortunately these companies' advertising agencies appear to be much more effective than their lab scientists who formulate the stuff, thus my continual search for glossiness (and no that Clairol Natural Shine stuff was a bust for me too). SO. I started to experiment with not washing. At first I did get my usual dandruff, and rather than starting back on my regular washing regime to regulate the flakes, I picked up some Head & Shoulders at Walmart. Lo and behold, one application and I didn't have to worry about wearing black shirts and sweaters. Now I regularly go 2-3 days between shampoos and boy howdy has that freed up a LOT of time for me. I am one of those shave everything, fall into meditative reverie, and use a minimum of eighteen different products until the hot water runs out kind of gals so deleting every day hair washing has totally worked for me.

perhaps not so much TODAY, when my locks could best be described as LANK, but boy has my hair gotten a LOT softer over the past 2-3 weeks as I've been playing around with this concept. Considering how much dinero I've shelled out over the years (particularly before I cut my hair, back when it was down to my butt) in conditioner, it's great being able to just wash. My natural hair oils, brushed through my hair on a daily basis, are doing a better job of softening and conditioning my hair than any product or salon service I've ever shelled out for.

4 comments:

Madame Queen said...

I just don't think there's any way I could do this. If I go ONE day without washing, my hair looks like poopie by the end of the day, and actually looks greasy. My hair is extremely fine. What is your hair texture like?

1blueshi1 said...

My hair isn't very fine, it is thick and HEAVY, I have a hard time keeping it in an updo because it wants to head straight back down.
for fine hair, you could try a dry shampoo, that goes just on your roots to absorb the oil, you could brush through your hair to redistribute your scalp oils and then apply dry shampoo at the roots only. I believe Jen at DeLush, she also has very fine hair, has had much success with this regimen. also if you ever use a curling iron or other styling tools, your hair will hold the curl/style better if it is second day dirty.
some dry shampoos I have seen recommended online (though I have never tried one) are Ojon (Ojion?) and Oscar Blandi. try delush.com and search for dry shampoo.

Tootsie Farklepants said...

I'm usually an every other day hair washer-er. Sometimes I can stretch it one more. The exception to this rule is if I work out and get kind of gross.

for a different kind of girl said...

I've got the thick, thick, heavy hair. And did I mention thick? I can, at best - depending on how grungy it may have gotten while I slept - go a day without washing. It helps with the goal of updos then, but by the end of the day, it starts to look a little stringy and the updo dies a tragic death.

I've not tried any more than one day sans wash, for the benefit of my family and strangers!