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

[Silver Ether]

When I was nursing we had a very elderly lady come into the hospital and when we tried to wash her hair as the ritual was ... she just freaked so we gave up and had a word with her daughters ... She had never washed her hair in her life ... It was gloriuos hair, long, silver shiney very healthy.. She had brushed it with a bristle brush only... so every evening her daughters would sitt and brush for her braid it and that would stay done till the next day ... and no it did not smell ...

[Jerseymum]

I've been WOW for a week now.
My hair is half-way between my buttocks and my knees and it is an interesting experiment. I've always tried to wash only twice a week as I've been sensitive to detergent since my late teens, and a few weeks ago I started reading this thread and though 'f*** it, I'll give it a go'. We've never used shampoo on our kids and their hair is in great shape, why should mine be any different?
It's more exciting as I spend all day standing in front of classrooms full of teenage boys and I'm just waiting for a comment, but in fact my hair is clean.
It isn't product shiny, but it is still in great condition (in fact, I think, more so cos it isn't covered in silicone). It is oily at the moment, but doesn't look unpleasant. It doesn't smell.
I am finding a wooden comb brilliant for brushing it twice a day and we've all invested in our own combs. I'm about to buy a boar bristle brush.
I'm a real convert.
It also helps that even if it does start to go wrong, the school holiday is just around the corner and I can wear head-scarves until it sorts itself out.
I'm also finding my scalp isn't sore from exposure to SLS do I feel much better in myself.
We're also saving a bundle in shampoo and conditioner costs, cos using products on my hair was quite expensive - more so with organic/eco-friendly products available in the CHannel Islands.
Am off to brush my beautiful if slightly oily locks.
Sarah

[paddy]

Being a very sceptic ultra clean bloke this puzzles me.

If i dont wash my hair every day i fell like a tramp.

I can even smell my hair by the end of the second day.

If i wipe my face with a tissue after a couple of hours outside in normal conditions the tissue has a dirty film on it which i should imagine is air born dirt sticking to the oils in my skin........why doesnt this happen to your hair???

My dog smells if he doesnt have a wash and his coat feels terrible and oily sticky and he goes the same place as me every day and night.

I can smell other peoples dirty bodies and their unwashed hair..........are you sure you arent getting used to your own scent and other people are too polite to tell you that you may smell???

In the old days people where infested with all kinds of crawling lice which i suppose keeping clean got rid of.

I am not saying that you have to use the latest bottle of chemicals to wash with but i suppose just natural soap is probably the best way.

Dunno but i will keep on washing untill someone can prove to me otherwise.........interesting though

[red]

the idea is , that the hair sorts itself out.. there will be a period of oiliness, but thats *because* of the habit of washing it all the time before.. but that if left to its own devices, it will balance out and be clean again. Seems that there is enough evidence to say it does work.

On a different note - I do find the habit some are into to have a daily shower also unnecessary. depends if you are doing labour every day... or mucky work.

but hm.m... when we had our van, I was telling a friend about this great campsite we found.. really quiet yet in the centre of things, very cheap etc.. but when they heard there were NO showers.. horror...
we did have a sink in the van.. we did wash.... we only stayed there 2 nights...

[the.fee.fairy]

I can't shower every day. I've got excema in patches and the doctor told me not to shower every day. I used to shower every other day, but i'm trying ot stretch it out to every 3 days at the moment.

I don't smell! People would tell me otherwise (i have told them that i wish to know!).

My hair's looking better because i'm leaving it longer between washings.

[Annpan]

Do you tie your hair back to stop it getting dirty, or is it better to let the air flow through it?

I have a quick shower every day I also wash my hair every day... and it is not in very good condition.

I have struggled with cleanliness issues for my entire adult life. (moderate obbsesive compulsive I guess) I am now alot better than I ever used to be... though there is no way I could stop showering every day.

I have known people who shower every day and still stink, so I guess it is a matter of your biological makeup or what level of excersize you do.

[the.fee.fairy]

Try rinsing it through with water when you shower - that way, you'll think you've washed it - if you massage warm water in the same way as you would shampoo, then you're also loosening any dirt and debris/oil that's in your hair and rinsing it away. Use a bit of oil on the ends whne you get out - water itself can be drying if its hard water.

I usually have my hair tied back because its long, but i do give it a good brush twice a day.

From what i've read, a boar bristle brush is probably the best way to remove dust and dirt if you're not washing at all. I can't use them though - they make my hair static. I have foound that the best substitute is a horn comb.

You can also rinse with Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) to get out any stubborn smells/dirt. rinse with water again afterwards. There are loads of other rinses too - you can rinse with rosemary tea of you're dark, or with coffee if you're red, or with chamomile if you're blonde. I like doing mine occasionally (i'm still Co washing - got to dye it still!!) with an ACV rinse, then coffee, then water. I like the shine it gets.

There are sprays that you can make up using distilled water and EOs too, they'll get rid of lingering smells.

Some people like to use a distilled water/bicarb rinse, then the ACV for a deeper cleansing. I don't - i'm always a bit worried it might take the dye out!!

[Masco&Bongo]

What a result, my querys are being answered!!
My hair is still, happy, not itchy, flaky or dry (as mentioned above, i pull the oils to the end tips - )
anyway its working for me.

However, I have recently come across NEEM!!! and its amazing qualities!!

check out http://www.neemfoundation.org/

natures answer to everything!!

guys, if you havnt heard of neem, check it out and spread the word!!

I use neem oil soap on my dog, instead of chemical stuff...

His dandruff has disappeared and we get lots of comments about his beautiful shiny coat....

Hmmm, maybe I should use it on me....

[paddy]

Listen i am not avin a dig at people who dont wash their hair.

I agree that the natural oils are produced by the body can be good for the hair and your skin, but anything like oils will also attract and trap substances like dust and dirt which i suppose can also lead to smells ( is that why hair smells after a few days )????

Most animals wash frequently so i see nothing wrong with washing every day or even more than that.

Maybe the problem you are referring too is using chemicals to wash not how often you wash.

A hot shower per day would remove most dirt and smells without chemicals what's wrong with that? and what's wrong with a natural soap???

[rag_grrl_nz]

I use baking soda to wash my hair with a rosemary tea conditioner. I use vinegar if I get any 'flakes'. I only wash it 1-2 times a week.
Have a look here at this no-poo community:
http://community.livejournal.com/no_poo/

And if you like that there is also the natural skin community too:
http://community.livejournal.com/naturalskin/

[farmerdrea]

Interesting thread! I only wash my hair once every 7-10 days, and usually with regular shampoo, but I've experimented with the baking soda and ACV methods of hair washing (which became too time-consuming at the time I was giving it a go - I also had very long hair then). If I wash my hair with shampoo more often than I do, it gets really dry and frizzy (I also have very thick, wavy hair). I have also fallen out of the daily habit of brushing (laziness?) and found that my hair is much happier for NOT being brushed every day. I only use a wide-tooth comb when it's wet, and run my fingers through it a couple of times a day. And I always keep it tied back.

I think I'd like to go back to the no-shampoo washing again... perhaps I'll give it a go again!

Andrea
NZ

[autumnleaf]

The smell issue is interesting cos everyone is a bit different. Smell has a lot to do with levels of stress and more especially diet I think. Some people who have lots of meat in their diet for example tend to pong more than a more moderate meat diet.

Personally however I wash or not wash I find that my hair gets really greasy if I've been under a lot of stress or prolonged stress. Its a handy indication that I've been pushing myself too hard in one way or another.

Also smell can indicate that the might be some internal health problems that need clearing up. The type that are hard to recognise like mild constipation or mild infections can ooze out smells through sweat and skin. The skin is in fact the largest excretory organ we have - lots of wastes are gotten rid of that way. Just as lots of toxins come into our body through the skin. So a sauna or a good soak in the bath or rinse in the shower or wipe down with a damp flannel is usually good enough if healthy.

So don't worry and be happy

[autumnleaf]

oh by the way that wipe down with a damp flannel followed by a vigorous drying with a clean towel is very effective and quite invigorating if there are no other facilities available. There's no need to be dirty if there is no shower around!!

[Millymollymandy]

Being a very sceptic ultra clean bloke this puzzles me.

If i dont wash my hair every day i fell like a tramp.

I can even smell my hair by the end of the second day.

If i wipe my face with a tissue after a couple of hours outside in normal conditions the tissue has a dirty film on it which i should imagine is air born dirt sticking to the oils in my skin........why doesnt this happen to your hair???

My dog smells if he doesnt have a wash and his coat feels terrible and oily sticky and he goes the same place as me every day and night.

I can smell other peoples dirty bodies and their unwashed hair..........are you sure you arent getting used to your own scent and other people are too polite to tell you that you may smell???

In the old days people where infested with all kinds of crawling lice which i suppose keeping clean got rid of.

I am not saying that you have to use the latest bottle of chemicals to wash with but i suppose just natural soap is probably the best way.

Dunno but i will keep on washing untill someone can prove to me otherwise.........interesting though

Hey Paddy - we must have very sensitive noses! You're the only other person on this thread that can smell greasy hair smell! I can smell it at 10 paces.

I smell all sorts of horrible things that my other half can't smell, like our new laminate floor in the bedroom that exuded a cat pee smell when the weather was warm..... I hate having such a 'good' (ha ha )sense of smell sometimes.

[Peggy Sue]

This is an interesting thread, I read a bit a week ago and have been pondering. I ahve 4 bottles of shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and whatever sitting there as overpriced chemicals in plastic bottles- but I don't want to smell!
Rather than suddenly stop washing my hair and have 2 weeks greasy, 2 weeks dry, 2 weeks greasy then eventually nice hair provided I never wash it again- has anyone tried progressively either using less and less shampoo and/or washing it slowly less and less often for a less dramatic apporach?

It also occurred to me one of the things people often talk about is smelly feet. Well I am in the habit, and always have been since a kid of washing myself all over except my feet because I'm standing on them and it's just inconvenient. But I ahve never had smelly feet, not even a tiny bit. So my feet have only seen water, no soap for at least 25-30 years. So there could be something in this more you soap more you need.
There is also a gruesome story of a clean lady I know with a horse who kep washing his 'bits' with soap, this indeed aggravated the problem. No kore details required!

Regarding washing dogs- why? Mine doesn't seem to need it. I throw her in the lake if she rolls in something horrid, but otherwise she never sees soap and has a beautiful glossy coat with no smell.

Personally I think water is good, but soap is like an addiction