odd suject..washing hair (or not) - your views

[genie]

I thought ide come here and see what you guys thought.
I have been experimenting with the not washing my hair.
I wash my hair every week or so with warm water, and vigorously scrub it with my fingers (after brushing)i do not have dandruff, itchy scalp or dirty hair (in my oponion. I do not use hair products. i feel my hair is in good, healthy conditions and it is not greasy. i have looked around on the net to find out more, and not had much luck. (ps - i'm not a dirty person!!)

what are your thoughts on this subject people!!??
genie x

[Mare Owner]

Washing hair daily can really be drying to your scalp. I wash my hair every two or three days lately, depending on how dirty it gets working around the farm.

I know my Grandma only washes her hair once a week, has done that for years. I don't see anything wrong with less washing, as long as you're keeping healthy. :)

[Andy Hamilton]

I don't understand people who have a bath or shower every day, apart from maybe coal miners

Anyway, that aside. I wash my hair about once a week too. Any longer and it starts to stick to my head a bit. I have tried not using shampoo but it seems to get quite greasy and I have to use it. I am sure if I had the patience to leave it for longer I could do without shampoo. I have not tried to scrub it with my fingers though, perhaps that is what I am doing wrong.

So lets get this right
1.you wash with just water.
2.Brush it,
3.then scrub it with your fingers - Is that while it is still wet?

I can't see why we should have to use modern shampoo anyway really, it was not really around until the 1930's. I mean what do they use in the developing world?

[Thomzo]

I agree that we can get too paranoid about personal hygiene. I know some women who insist on washing their hair every day but I don't think that's necessary. I leave mine about 3 days but then it starts to get itchy so I have to wash it.

Zoe

[burek]

I think people must have different hair types and different oil levels (not a scientific term of course!). Personally, if I leave it 3 days my hair starts to feel and look greasy and is very difficult to brush... plus I can't swing it around luxioursly accompanied by slow music And shiny clean hair looks healthier IMO.

[chadspad]

I did read somewhere (a long time ago) that if you dont bother to wash your hair at all for 6 weeks it will, after first going thru a revoltingly smelly, greasy stage, be in the best condition ever with all the natural oils restored. Never dared to give it a go tho!

[genie]

hi andy!!

i brush my hair, wash it in the shower, scrubbing it then running lots of water through, theni towel dry and leave it to dry..
i ocasionally squirt it with tea tree and water to freshen up!! i cycle everywhere and i go to the gym at least 4 times a week, so i do sweat sometimes! im finding that it important to brush the oils through to the tips of my hair so it doesnt dry out.
some peoplehave suggested coconut oil, but i havnt tred it yet, as i dont feel i need to..

[wulf]

I know someone who once did the "no more hair-washing" thing. It largely went as described - about a month and a half of increasingly gross hair, followed by the longed-for self cleaned state. Then he did something adventurous like pot-holing, got it full of dirt and had to wash it, and ended back at stage one.

Ah, well...

Wulf

[Cornelian]

You can find an article on the not washing hair thing at this site, scroll down the page. This is an interesting article overall.

[Millymollymandy]

Ugh, argh, yuk, my least favourite smell in the whole wide world is greasy hair.

So many people do not realise they smell very BAD. Nauseatingly BAD. I can smell my own hair after 3 days - I usually wash it every 2.

A friend of ours used to leave behind his sick-making bad hair smell in my house after a visit.

Please ask someone to smell your hair to let you know if you smell or not! You may not realise it yourself!

[Jack]

Gidday

When it comes to me washing my hair I have a huge problem. Which one? But there is not very many left to choose from so I normally end up doing the lot.

[ina]

See, it can have advantages!

I keep my hair very short, and don't wash every day - well, it does depend on what I do. If I've been mucking out, especially on a windy day, and my hair is full of not just straw and hay, but smellier things, I do wash more often. With my kind of job I don't think I'd like to go through the not washing stages... Or I'd have to keep it covered most of the time, and I think that creates its own problems. Plus, I like to feel the wind around my head.

[Wombat]

Every 3 days using my home made shampoo soap!

Nev

[Nikki]

Hi,

What's your interest or intention in not washing?

Actually, you brush, wet, rub, rinse, and towel dry your hair. So it seems that what we're really talking about here is not not washing hair, just not using products on it.

I have very long hair and although I only wash it 2 times a week, I like to be clean. So I wouldn't be keen on trying not to wash it at all. But my interest would be eco-friendly, so I use homemade soaps or commercial eco-friendly products. Using only what's necessary.

I would be interested in trying to just use water and rubbing, and see how that works. Although I imagine I would still want soap for when I had been working with animals or heavy duty gardening, etc.
Hot water with a few drops of tea tree might be effective too.

After reading that article, I think I understand how the no washing works - by scalp oils being allowed to do their natural work rather than being distrupted by constant washing. Perhaps I'll try this when i'm up a mountain without neighbours. lol

Ultimately, if we don't smell to others and don't look disgusting, then anything is worth a try.

[hamster]

I've heard about the no-washing thing too, but I've always been too scared to try it! Don't like the sound of the icky greasy stage, as it always makes me feel miserable when my hair needs washing...

Hair does adapt to less washing though. When I was in Kenya, I only washed it about once a week, and it was absolutely fine, but as soon as I got home and started washing it every other day again, suddenly it needed doing every other day again... And I'm sure vigorous brushing and scrubbing keeps it cleaner than synthetic hair products, genie.

Just not a step I'm willing to take myself yet!