[rdgrad15]

Just out of curiosity, is it bad to wash your hair without shampoo? I was told that if you wash your hair without shampoo, the water will actually make your hair smell worse. Wasn't sure how true it was. I take a shower every day, but every so often, I may run out and may go part of the day without it, which means I take a shower without it. Wasn't sure if it was wise to still get your hair wet or not. Also wondered if it depends if you have long hair or not.

Also, what is the longest an average person can go without washing their hair before it smells? I always thought it was no more than a day or so as long as you don't do too much physical activity or be anywhere that may make you sweat a lot. I know for everything else, it is best to wash every day, just wasn't sure about the hair part. I wash mine every day, I am just curious if what I was told is true or not.

The idea of washing hair every day or even two is a new one, pretty much only the last generation.

Personally I can't stand to get my hair wet and not wash it. It feels even dirtier and harder to work with. Even if I have no shampoo I will at least get a suds going with regular hand soap. Oh and it's every two days for me

[rdgrad15]

Originally Posted by justafriend306

The idea of washing hair every day or even two is a new one, pretty much only the last generation.

Personally I can't stand to get my hair wet and not wash it. It feels even dirtier and harder to work with. Even if I have no shampoo I will at least get a suds going with regular hand soap. Oh and it's every two days for me

Oh okay. And actually I never thought of using regular hand soap as a back up. I should do that next time I run out of shampoo. I would imagine that hand soap would work as well. Maybe not as well as shampoo but it would be better than nothing. I am the same way, I feel like I have to wash my hair when I get it wet. I feel gross if I don't.

[lizardlady]

When I used to work outside I washed my hair every day. It got so nasty dirty I would have scratched sores in my head it got so itchy.

Now that I work indoors it depends on what I've gotten into during the day. If I don't do anything to get sweaty I wash it every other morning. On the mornings I don't shampoo it I still wet it in the shower. My hair is very short (boy short). Wetting it in the shower helps me get it to lay the way I want.

[rdgrad15]

Originally Posted by lizardlady

When I used to work outside I washed my hair every day. It got so nasty dirty I would have scratched sores in my head it got so itchy.

Now that I work indoors it depends on what I've gotten into during the day. If I don't do anything to get sweaty I wash it every other morning. On the mornings I don't shampoo it I still wet it in the shower. My hair is very short (boy short). Wetting it in the shower helps me get it to lay the way I want.

Yeah I am like that as well. Although I shower every day, if there is a day when I don't take a shower on a rare occasion, it is on a day when I was not out getting dirty or sweaty. Basically just lounging around.

[Takeshi]

So, this was not a thread about No poo method. You can look it up and learn how to properly do it. Personally, I'd use a shower cap on rare occasion when I don't have the time to wash and dry my hair.

I've read sometime ago this one white girl tweeted that she hadn't washed her hair for over a year and that caused a sensation of some sort, and from what I've read, it's not that unusual for ebony hair to not wash often and keep the hair healthy and stink free by oiling it with some products, which is what this girl did.

Dry shampoo. I've never tried it, maybe it's an option for someone or in case of an emergency.

My general understanding is that the shampoo is made stronger to remove the oil from hair follicles than shower gels, so I'll have no problem using weaker products on my head to wash it clean. Personally, I'd just feel icky to just wet my hair, would be harder to manage thereafter too.

[Yoda]

Similar to dry shampoo you can sprinkle talcum powder in your hair, work it through and brush out.

I am one of those who does find the appearance of dreads rather cool. I do realize however the difficulty in keeping them clean - but it can be done. There is a fellow rider often on my bus and you can smell the stink throught the vehicle. I just wish I had the courage to hand him a tootbrush and tell him to wash his hair.

[Artchic528]

I wash my hair about 3 times a week. I don't do it every day, because that will strip it of vital oils that keep it healthy. I have longish hair too, like down to my mid back long, but it has been down to my hips before. It's also thick, so washing so much hair every day is too much of a chore for me.

[Nammu]

I've never ever heard that hair stinks if you get get wet and don't wash it. Dogs do though. I have read that washing too much strips the hair. I used to have long hair and maintained it by washing every 4-5 days and sun drying only. It never smelled. I used a shower cap when I showered.

I wash my hair once a week...I've never needed to do it more often. But if you just get your hair wet without shampoo I don't consider that washing. More of just getting it wet like when you swim.

Some people have to wash their hair less often than others, it depends on how oily it is. When you do need to wash it, shampoo is necessary to get rid of the bacteria and dirt off your scalp. It also will make your hair look nicer in general.

[gina_re]

I think it depends on the texture of your hair and you level of activity.

[SingDanceRunLife]

I wash my hair about once a week. On occasion it's 2 weeks between washes. Just all depends. When I shower I usually use a shower cap because my hair is annoying to deal with when wet.

[88Butterfly88]

You may want to consider using coconut oil or aloe vera when you run out or shampoo. Or perhaps one of the other alternatives in this article: http://www.motherearthliving.com/hea....aspx?PageId=1

I've also heard of people using beer in their hair, though you may smell drunk if you do that.

[PsychNitrous]

I shampoo my hair every 2-4 days, depending on what the weather's like. My bf very, very rarely does his, and I've never noticed it smell bad. He rinses it out in the water but doesn't use any product.

[guilloche]

I've heard of people going completely shampoo free ("no poo!" as mentioned earlier). Some people have really great results - they claim that their hair is softer and much more manageable. They tend to wash with just water (and lots of vigorous scrubbing to remove any dirt or dry skin from the scalp).

I tried this... the problem was... your hair will get very, very greasy before it reaches the amazing soft and manageable stage. After about a month, I couldn't do it anymore - so I can't say for sure if it works. It's definitely worth googling around to see what others have experienced.

HOWEVER... I don't use regular shampoos/conditioners. I think they're filled with a ton of chemical crap, and I think that they strip your hair of natural oils, forcing your scalp to have to produce a ton more.

Instead, I use... baking soda and vinegar. I have two small plastic bottles, the size of juice boxes (got them at the grocery store). In one, I put about 1 Tablespoon (or a little less) of baking soda. I fill the other about 1/3 of the way up with white vinegar. Then, I fill both with warm water.

Use the baking soda one like shampoo - wet hair, dump in baking soda mixture, and scrub your scalp (it won't bubble, but you can scrub anyway). Then rinse with water. Then rinse with the dilute vinegar (be very careful - even diluted, the vinegar burns really badly if you get any around your eyes. I keep my eyes closed, then splash water on my face 2-3 times before opening them... )

I leave the vinegar in a bit while I clean/shave/etc, then rinse it out, rinse with some nice cool water.

The first time I tried it, I was amazed. I have fine hair that knots badly even with conditioner, but it was really easy to comb through. I do use a tiny bit of Morrocan oil after, b/c my hair gets frizzy... that makes it super soft. Otherwise, I usually just let it air dry.

It does an *amazing* job of getting my hair clean. The vinegar smell doesn't stick around (unlike the one time I tried apple cider vinegar, and couldn't get the smell out), and it just makes me hair feel really great!

And, I only have to do it about 2x/week. When I'm too busy/depressed, I'll do it once a week, but I don't like letting it go that long, as it does get a bit greasy.

I'm guessing baking soda and vinegar are tons cheaper than most shampoos and conditioners, and it's super easy and has much less chemicals. Give it a try, and let me know if it works for you!

Edit: I wanted to add that you can use baby (talc) powder as a dry shampoo - but it's best to use it the night before, i.e. put a generous amount on your head, around your scalp, rub it in, comb/brush it out, then go to bed... I find that I can't get it all out when I do it, but it seems to disappear at night and is fine in the morning. Works well for me, but with the recent news about talc powder possibly causing cancer (some people won a lawsuit) - I don't do it as often as I used to. But, it was pretty easy and worked well, and I'd use it in an emergency to make my hair a bit more presentable for the next day.

[adhd-viking]

I went the other way. I used the baking soda and vinegar for several months, and then it just started getting longer and longer between using it, I mostly just washed my hair with water. Finally I ended up going without any shampoo completely. I have used shampoo maybe 12 times in the last 5 years. I still "wash" my hair very thoroughly with water, scrubbing and brushing thru it, I just don't add any man-made products to the process. My hair is thick and curly, I think that helps with it not looking or feeling greasy. I don't think it smells, but then, you never smell your own stink .

If I wet it in the shower and don't use conditioner, I won't be able to comb it. I have wavy hair.

WIX? Has anyone used it? Also, anyone old enough to remember spray on 'refreshing cleanser'?

[divine1966]

I have pretty thick hair, and it is good quality. I wash my hair everyday and I use shampoo and conditioner. My hair is same good quality at 50 as it was at 20. My moms hair is just as good at 70. I wonder how much this fear of washing hair daily with shampoo is true

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[Artchic528]

Originally Posted by guilloche

I've heard of people going completely shampoo free ("no poo!" as mentioned earlier). Some people have really great results - they claim that their hair is softer and much more manageable. They tend to wash with just water (and lots of vigorous scrubbing to remove any dirt or dry skin from the scalp).

I tried this... the problem was... your hair will get very, very greasy before it reaches the amazing soft and manageable stage. After about a month, I couldn't do it anymore - so I can't say for sure if it works. It's definitely worth googling around to see what others have experienced.

HOWEVER... I don't use regular shampoos/conditioners. I think they're filled with a ton of chemical crap, and I think that they strip your hair of natural oils, forcing your scalp to have to produce a ton more.

Instead, I use... baking soda and vinegar. I have two small plastic bottles, the size of juice boxes (got them at the grocery store). In one, I put about 1 Tablespoon (or a little less) of baking soda. I fill the other about 1/3 of the way up with white vinegar. Then, I fill both with warm water.

Use the baking soda one like shampoo - wet hair, dump in baking soda mixture, and scrub your scalp (it won't bubble, but you can scrub anyway). Then rinse with water. Then rinse with the dilute vinegar (be very careful - even diluted, the vinegar burns really badly if you get any around your eyes. I keep my eyes closed, then splash water on my face 2-3 times before opening them... )

I leave the vinegar in a bit while I clean/shave/etc, then rinse it out, rinse with some nice cool water.

The first time I tried it, I was amazed. I have fine hair that knots badly even with conditioner, but it was really easy to comb through. I do use a tiny bit of Morrocan oil after, b/c my hair gets frizzy... that makes it super soft. Otherwise, I usually just let it air dry.

It does an *amazing* job of getting my hair clean. The vinegar smell doesn't stick around (unlike the one time I tried apple cider vinegar, and couldn't get the smell out), and it just makes me hair feel really great!

And, I only have to do it about 2x/week. When I'm too busy/depressed, I'll do it once a week, but I don't like letting it go that long, as it does get a bit greasy.

I'm guessing baking soda and vinegar are tons cheaper than most shampoos and conditioners, and it's super easy and has much less chemicals. Give it a try, and let me know if it works for you!

Edit: I wanted to add that you can use baby (talc) powder as a dry shampoo - but it's best to use it the night before, i.e. put a generous amount on your head, around your scalp, rub it in, comb/brush it out, then go to bed... I find that I can't get it all out when I do it, but it seems to disappear at night and is fine in the morning. Works well for me, but with the recent news about talc powder possibly causing cancer (some people won a lawsuit) - I don't do it as often as I used to. But, it was pretty easy and worked well, and I'd use it in an emergency to make my hair a bit more presentable for the next day.

I heard talc powder usage is linked to ovarian cancer.....then again, what doesn't give you cancer these days!

[~Christina]

I use a cleansing conditioner. It's very healthy and my hair is in best shape ever. I color my hair and it doesn't wash out or dull my color . I use a color safe shampoo maybe once a week if my hair is really dirty or I use hairspray , which I avoid at all cost. I wash my hair generally 2 times a week. Washing daily is very harsh on your hair

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[*Laurie*]

For many years I had dreadlocks, long and thick. I washed my hair once a week, usually with baking soda and an apple cider vinegar rinse. My hair was so healthy, it was a joy.

Last year I shaved my dreads off and went back to the shampooing every other day, or every third day. Now my hair is very dry and damaged. I'm trying to find a way to go back to washing only once/week. Maybe the cleansing conditioner would work for me.

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by ~Christina

I use a cleansing conditioner. It's very healthy and my hair is in best shape ever. I color my hair and it doesn't wash out or dull my color . I use a color safe shampoo maybe once a week if my hair is really dirty or I use hairspray , which I avoid at all cost. I wash my hair generally 2 times a week. Washing daily is very harsh on your hair

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I bought and tried the CoWash (cleansing conditioner) and LOVE it! Thanks, Christina

[~Christina]

Dry spray can shampoo ? Even baby powder can help absorb oils and of course I love that smell.

I use to color every 2 weeks and washing daily just had my color running down the drain.

I recently decided to let my natural silver shine. I am thrilled I will never have to color again unless it's a rinse that will wash right out.

My hair is super short now , was a shock tbh ... But it now take about 5 mins to fix lol