Alicia Ward of Naturallycurly writes;
It seems simple, right? Take a shower and wash your hair daily. Wrong! Washing your hair may seem like a simple task, but you would be surprised how many curlies are doing it wrong. Washing your hair incorrectly can lead to scalp irritation, dandruff, lice and other scalp issues. Certain hair types and textures only require washing once a week, where others work well washing 2 to 3 times a week. Learn how to wash your hair correctly and give your hair a clean and beautiful look. How often should you wash your hair?
Many curly girls don’t know how often they should be washing their hair. We’ve done the research and explain to you how often you should wash your curls.
Everyone should know when to wash their own hair. If your hair is dirty, smelly, itchy, or has build up from products, please wash it because going longer than a month without washing your hair is beyond gross.
If you find your hair is greasy and dirty then this will help alot http://howtofixstuff.blogspot.ca/2012/01/how-to-fux-oily-and-greasy-hair.html
I swim five days a week — so I wash every time I swim with Elucence then follow with grapeseed oil and knot today — then I'm out the door —
I don't follow rules about washing or not washing my hair. I find that I have to wash my hair if I plan to use a different product on 2nd or 3rd day hair that doesn't play well with the original styling product…Miss Jessie's is a good example of styling products that don't play nice with others. If I don't want sticky, white balls I have to wash my hair before applying new product.
I also have an issue with how my hair smells after a few days and I don't work out or sweat a lot…I just prefer the scent of freshly washed hair.
This is my second time going natural. The first time I would rinse my hair with water, slather light conditioner on just the hair, wash the rest of myself, then rinse the conditioner out with cold water. Every day. Then clarified once a month. I only wore a TWA so this worked, and I experienced what I think was a good amount of growth.
This time (2 months in) I'm living in a different place with hard water. I still working on my regimen but have been washing about 2-3x a week, sometimes with shampoo, sometimes co-washing. It seems to be working well. But I really love being able to wash and not worry about a little water ruining my style.
Any scalp issues I've had were when I was relaxed and/or washing much less frequently. As long as I'm just co-washing or using sulfate-free shampoo, washing more frequently works better for me.
that's gross. not washing your hair for 4 weeks? You know your scalp sweats right? And with time can produce a stinky odor. At least once a week. And if you work out like me, and seriously break a sweat, co wash daily. I only workout 4 days a weeks. & i'll rinse and cowash so my hair doesnt stick, doesnt dry out from all the salty sweat. And I think this is all to just preserve a STYLE. what about your hair and scalp HEALTH? You care more about your Style than your hair and scalp help???…..okay, whatever….
I just went 3 weeks without washing my hair and will attempt 4 weeks next time. I just did my first twist-out, so I will see.
http://politicsandnaturalhair.blogspot.com/
i used top wash my hair everyday when i was newly natural now i wash 3x week
@DrChuck24 – your scalp issues may be from an allergic reaction. Double check your shampoo to see if there are any ingredients that don't agree with you. You may want to do a patch test – put a little of your shampoo inside your elbow and leave it for a couple of hours. If it itches or gets red, you're probably allergic to something in the product.
I'm in a never-ending battle with my scalp, so I wash my hair weekly. I'm so jealous of people who can get away with bi-weekly.
I can't imagine my scalp would like it if I went without washing past 2 weeks. When it gets itchy, I give in.
@Andrea: No shampooing for 6 weeks or no shampooing/co-washing period ?
I shampoo and ACV rinse my 4a/4b hair every 5-7 days. Past that and my scalp feels funky.
i used to wash everyweek or everyother, but since being at college and having other things to worry about I have changed my routine to where I can go up to 6 weeks without washing, by doing continual twistouts.
its not ideal for most people but my hair has been growing with lack of manipulation and the less i wet it the longer it stays stretched
After getting annoyed by a persistently itchy scalp, I found a less drying shampoo and uped my washing to once a week as opposed to once every two weeks or four weeks with co-washes in between. Honestly, for me, I realized that my hair and scalp thanked me the most when I shampooed my hair once a week and co-washed during the week. Best regimen ever.
@ Angela – I can't get with all the different tips and tricks to keep your scalp from being itchy or smelling either. Just wash it!!!
@ Anon 10:02 – lol. That made me lol too. I think people need to check facts before posting articles by people who are not informed or educated. You don't get lice from shampoo. You also don't get lice from shampooing "too much." Sure, lice to prefer a clean host to latch onto because it's harder for them to latch onto oily hair. But tell that to all the people in India who oil their hair daily and only rinse with water once a week. You get lice from being exposed to other people with lice. The end.
As for the article, there are definitely different levels to the amount of time people can take between washes. Right now I'm *trying* not to wash my hair daily. After my bc a couple of years ago I started washing daily and L.O.V.E.D. it. Now my hair is longer and doesn't like the daily washing but my scalp does. So I try to pile on the conditioner before using shampoo and I try to skip shampoo and CO when I'm able.
anyhoooooooooooo…..
honestly I wish I could wash my hair every other day. My scalp is just annoying. It's easily irritated and dry and jus…ugh. After a wash it starts to tingle so I'm like, what the hell? Maybe I should get a more clarifying shampoo or maybe do an ACV rinse. But for the most part, I co-wash every 2 days at the most and I try to wash with shampoo once a week.
These are good guidelines/suggestions to help set up a regime but def do what your hair tells you to do. Some people can go weeks without washing. My hair was give me the finger.
Usually, white ppl are the ones that get lice
really, washing your hair too much can cause you to get lice?! is there lice in the shampoo?
I have type 4 hair and I try to wash every week. This article doesn't take into account if you are using some heavy products in your hair or oils like coconut or castor. They may give slip and make your hair grow but also cause build up. You could find yourself washing twice per week, even with naturally dry hair.
The longest I've ever gone without washing my hair was two months, I had in box braids and just did rinses instead. Normally, I wash my hair around every two weeks give or take a few days, which is usually when it starts to itch.
Just today I saw a video on YouTube where a woman proudly stated that she hadn't washed her hair in 5 weeks! I know that "everybody's hair is different, etc," but I couldn't- still can't- believe that anybody could STAND to go over a month without washing their hair. Instead of using washcloths and pantyhose to wipe your scalp and special sprays to mask the smell- use shampoo and water. (Of course, I'm not talking about people who physically cannot wash their hair due to illness.)
my scalp acts up if i don't keep on top of my washing, i have to do it once a week or so. definitely notice changes if i don't!
Vonnie
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