# How Often Do You Wash Your Hair?



## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

I just read an article about NOT washing your hair all the time.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/30337386/

When was teen and into my 20s I used to wash and condition my hair nearly every day.

Now I wash my hair only twice a week.

I have super dry hair that responds MUCH BETTER when I dont wash it a lot. I realized I was stripping what little oils my head was producing by washing it constantly.

I am curious to how many times others wash their hair.


----------



## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

I should add that I will rinse it inbetween washings with a bit of conditioner. I use primarily Biolage products.


----------



## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Penny said:


> I just read an article about NOT washing your hair all the time.
> 
> http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/30337386/
> 
> ...


Daily.
Actually, for guys, I have heard that we should wash every day. The shampoo cleans off the extra hormones on our scalp that can lead to hair loss.


----------



## KumagoroBeam (Sep 15, 2008)

I wash mine pretty much every day. I'm a little paranoid about my hair being greasy so when I don't wash it every day I touch my hair all the time to check that it feels alright. And because I touch it all the time it gets greasy faster.


----------



## Scrub-Zero (Feb 9, 2004)

I wash my hair each time i take a shower. My head is shaved, so it's rather easy to wash 
Now i did say i was my hair each time i take a shower, but i won't get into details about how often i take one.

just kidding...


----------



## MaidMarian (Feb 18, 2009)

I have to wash and style my hair every day, otherwise it looks like crap.


----------



## sadsurvivor (Dec 5, 2008)

3 times a week on average

I used to wash my hair 1-2 times each day (2X/day when I worked out during the day) because it got greasy. Then my cousin told me that I should wash my hair only every 3 days. She said that washing so much actually makes your hair greasier and causes breakage (which is a problem for me because I have fine hair and like to keep it long). *If I'm going to be in public, 2 days is the longest I can go without washing my hair because I like to look and feel my absolute best. If I'm not going to be in public I can go as long as 3 days.* Since I started washing my hair less, I do notice less breakage and it doesn't get greasy as fast. So, I think my cousin was right.


----------



## Kelly (Dec 12, 2003)

What is the difference between using shampoo in the shower and using one teaspoon of baking soda mixed with one cup of water? These people are making it sound like they just stopped washing their hair and it made their life so much better, but they're still washing their hair. They're just using a different product.

Have a nice day,
Kelly


----------



## SAgirl (Nov 15, 2003)

I wash my hair every second day. I have eczema so going for a shower every day dries out my skin.


----------



## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

Kelly said:


> What is the difference between using shampoo in the shower and using one teaspoon of baking soda mixed with one cup of water? These people are making it sound like they just stopped washing their hair and it made their life so much better, but they're still washing their hair. They're just using a different product.
> 
> Have a nice day,
> Kelly


True, although I guess the baking soda is more eco friendly.

I only use shampoo and, as mentioned before, twice a week. I dont think I could use baking soda on my hair....I have never tried it but it sounds drying to me... :stu


----------



## Perfectionist (Mar 19, 2004)

Generally every second day.

I have really long and thick hair so washing it every day would be exhausting. If I want to style it, I need to wash it first. So my hair looks decent every second day.


----------



## shyvr6 (Feb 18, 2008)

Usually, every day.


----------



## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

I don't really see the need for daily shampoo use, but the woman in the artilcle that hasn't washed her hair since last September!!! Doesn't that, well, stink?

My hair doesn't have much of a problem with getting dirty given that I trim it down to 3 mm and cut it again by the time it get to 10 mm. I can dry my hair faster than I can dry my hands. I can remember when I was young and my hair was very long how sweaty my hair would get when exercising or working in the heat of summer and I simply can't imagine how one could avoid washing their hair for months on end if they had long hair that is going to be inherently more dirty than mine which is a tad more than a 5 o'clock shodow.


----------



## livinginfear (Jan 31, 2009)

I usually wash mine every other day.


----------



## coldmorning (Jul 4, 2007)

Every day, unless I'm being a recluse and in hiding. Then I'll wash it maybe every 2-3 days. It just feels wrong going longer than that.


----------



## Meli24R (Dec 9, 2008)

I used to wash my hair about 2 times a week because it was really dry, but now it gets oily and I can't stand to go more than 2 days without washing it.


----------



## Fairyxo (Jan 28, 2009)

I've always known you shouldn't wash your hair every two days or less - it gets rid of it's natural oils. Same with your skin.


----------



## tremelo (Oct 29, 2008)

i generally wash my hair approximately 2-3 times a week, depending. i have thick, curly hair that i tend to straighten (huge pain), so i try to stretch my 'straight hair' days as long as possible. dry shampoo (spray or powder) helps a lot. if i wear my hair curly, i rinse/condition every day, but still adhere to the 2-3 times a week wash schedule. like fairyxo said, natural oils are good.

also, since i dye my hair, that makes me prone to washing it less frequently. red is the quickest color to fade, so preservation is key!


----------



## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Daily.
I need to wash out all the **** i put in the day before..... only to put it back in :con


----------



## bowlingpins (Oct 18, 2008)

Every day or every other day.


----------



## IllusionOfHappiness (Sep 6, 2007)

If I don't wash my hair every day it gets stringy and greasy. It's thin.


----------



## Dreamcatcher (Nov 8, 2003)

Every day. I couldn't stand it to do it any less than that, my hair gets very greasy.


----------



## pita (Jan 17, 2004)

I used to wash it every day, but I'm down to every other day now. It takes too long to style it daily. Hell, it takes too long just to dry it daily.


----------



## Fluffy Bunny Feet (Aug 21, 2008)

2-3 times a week. I tend to dye it really bright colors, so I try to avoid washing it too much, or they'll fade right away.


----------



## kenny87 (Feb 22, 2009)

every single day, actually anytime I go to bed for more than a few hours my hair feels dirty,stiff, and greasy when I wake up so It HAS to be washed.


----------



## Bredwh (Jan 24, 2009)

Every day.

What exactly do those people in the article, and here, mean by not washing their hair? Do they still take a shower every day and just have their hair in a shower cap or something? Or do they just shower regularly but don't put shampoo in their hair? Or do they just only shower every few days?


----------



## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

Bredwh said:


> Every day.
> 
> What exactly do those people in the article, and here, mean by not washing their hair? Do they still take a shower every day and just have their hair in a shower cap or something? Or do they just shower regularly but don't put shampoo in their hair? Or do they just only shower every few days?


I am sure they mean putting their hair up in a shower cap; that is what I do. Some of us have very dry hair and washing it every day would only strip what little oil is produced by our heads. Not everyone has that baby fine hair; some, like me, have thick, curly, coarse hair that dries out super easy. :stu I dont think it means people shower less, just wash their hair less... :lol


----------



## Phibes (Mar 8, 2009)

I had long hair and did mine about twice a week. I hated it when it was clean because it was a bit puffy and it'd get in my eyes easily. The oil kept it nice :> 

But I shaved my hair off the other day so now I have pretty much nothing.


----------



## Amelia (Nov 24, 2003)

Every day, when I shower. I use only a small amount of shampoo, and mix it with water first. I'd be worried about greasiness or odour, if I didn't wash my hair. I find it a little hard to believe that there's absolutely no odour when someone stops washing their hair.



Kelly said:


> What is the difference between using shampoo in the shower and using one teaspoon of baking soda mixed with one cup of water? These people are making it sound like they just stopped washing their hair and it made their life so much better, but they're still washing their hair. They're just using a different product.


I was thinking that too. And baking soda doesn't exactly sound like a mild alternative!


----------



## tremelo (Oct 29, 2008)

Bredwh said:


> What exactly do those people in the article, and here, mean by not washing their hair? Do they still take a shower every day and just have their hair in a shower cap or something? Or do they just shower regularly but don't put shampoo in their hair? Or do they just only shower every few days?


lol, just b/c i wash my hair 2-3x a week does NOT mean that i shower 2-3x a week! i have to shower first thing every day in the am, and sometimes i take another one at night if i've worked out or it's been a gross, hot day.

i have thick, curly hair that i straighten, and it's damaging to do that (not to mention overly time consuming) on the daily. i tend to go the shower cap route.


----------



## rumjungle (Feb 13, 2009)

I wash about 3-4 times a week. 

When I excercise a lot it does tend to get greasy quicker so I'll wash it more often. 

Normally I prefer not to wash it too soon as it can dry my hair out and it's a real hassle to dry/straighten because of it's length and thickness.


----------



## nightwalker (Nov 20, 2008)

I used to be so lazy that i'd wash my hair once every 2 weeks...

It was horrible. My hair was greasy as s*** and it was sooo UNCOMFORTABLE!! It's only good if you care about having "volume" in your hair and crap.

DON'T LISTEN TO THE ARTICLE! :x


----------



## christ~in~me (Dec 18, 2008)

everyday. it feels dirty if i go longer than that..


----------



## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

I am not sure how long it would take for my hair to get 'greasy'. I know my husband cannot go for more than two days before that happens. But my hair is so excessively dry, I cannot even imagine what it would be like to have it greasy.


----------



## Phibes (Mar 8, 2009)

Girls & Boys, I encourage you to shave your hair off and have a little stubble (I guess you'd call it) showing.  It feels great because you can feel the wind hit your scalp and you can feel the raindrops hit your head


----------



## DeeperUnderstanding (May 19, 2007)

Once a day, or every other day. It feels greasy if I wait longer than that.

Going a month without washing your hair, yuck. I wouldn't want to touch someone's hair that hadn't been washed in a month. Unless you want to look like Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series, wash your hair.


----------



## FairleighCalm (May 20, 2007)

*Ever since Queer Eye I don't wash very often. I condition every day.*


----------



## SilentLoner (Jan 30, 2006)

How do you wash your hair every day? Twice a week at most for me. But it'll be more in the summer.


----------



## Fairyxo (Jan 28, 2009)

For the people that say you have to wash it everyday because it gets greasy fast, that's because you _are_ washing it everyday.

If you wash your hair everyday, your hair gets greasy very, very quickly because you have gotten rid of all of its natural oils.

So you need to break the cycle, don't wash your hair for a few days (and yes, it will be very greasy at this time) but after that, you will be able to go a few days without washing it without it being greasy.


----------



## Hot Chocolate (Sep 29, 2008)

Everyday. Sometimes if I have extra cash, I'd visit the salon for a wash.


----------



## Shauna The Dead (Jun 16, 2005)

Every other day usually. Sometimes every day if I want my hair to look nicer or something.


----------



## Bredwh (Jan 24, 2009)

Fairyxo said:


> For the people that say you have to wash it everyday because it gets greasy fast, that's because you _are_ washing it everyday.
> 
> If you wash your hair everyday, your hair gets greasy very, very quickly because you have gotten rid of all of its natural oils.
> 
> So you need to break the cycle, don't wash your hair for a few days (and yes, it will be very greasy at this time) but after that, you will be able to go a few days without washing it without it being greasy.


Not necessarily, when I was younger I would only take a shower twice a week because since I did no zero physical activity at all I figured I didn't really need to. My hair was always greasy though. I've been showering every day for years now and it is never greasy.


----------



## pita (Jan 17, 2004)

Fairyxo said:


> For the people that say you have to wash it everyday because it gets greasy fast, that's because you _are_ washing it everyday.


I've found this to be very true for me. Some people are probably oily no matter what they do, but my scalp got way less greasy after I stopped washing it every day.


----------



## Tez (Apr 21, 2009)

Everyday =]. My family think I'm crazy about making sure it's washed everyday, but they don't realize how bleh it gets if I don't.


----------



## Freedom2010 (Jan 29, 2009)

Daily.


----------



## citizenjane (May 5, 2009)

Penny said:


> I just read an article about NOT washing your hair all the time.
> 
> http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/30337386/
> 
> ...


Same here.
My hair looks, feels, and styles better when I wash it only every other day or every third day. It's much more manageable.
When I was younger, I smoked, so I had to wash it daily to get the smell out.
Now I don't smoke, so that's no longer an issue.


----------



## Blue Bird (Jun 28, 2004)

I'm Black and I think my hair is very different than the rest of you guys that have posted. I have really tightly coiled/curled/kinky hair that isn't naturally greasy or oily. The longest I can go is a week, but now I'm up to about 5-6 days between washes. If I washed everyday, it would be disaster for my hair.


----------



## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

Cerberus said:


> I exercise 5-6 days a week, and I sweat up a storm because of how intensely I exercise. So, I wash my hair daily because it gets drenched in sweat.


After exercise, I will rinse my hair in cool water and condition it but skip the shampoo (unless I have a bunch of styling products in my hair).


----------



## Coward (Jul 19, 2008)

Around every 6 months.


----------



## nubly (Nov 2, 2006)

i wash it 2-3 times a day. for those of you that dont wash it often, your scalp probably stinks. which makes huggin and sex not so fun


----------



## Blue Bird (Jun 28, 2004)

nubly said:


> i wash it 2-3 times a day. for those of you that dont wash it often, your scalp probably stinks. which makes huggin and sex not so fun


No it doesn't. Not everyone's hair is the same. You think the people who replied would walk around with stinky hair? It's right on top of you head, it's kind of hard mot to notice if it does stink.


----------



## citizenjane (May 5, 2009)

For the person who claims they wash their hair 3 times a day, I'm surprised you don't have really bad dandruff. I would think washing your hair that often would dry your scalp out really bad, not to mention make your hair dry and brittle.


----------



## nubly (Nov 2, 2006)

Blue Bird said:


> No it doesn't. Not everyone's hair is the same. You think the people who replied would walk around with stinky hair? It's right on top of you head, it's kind of hard mot to notice if it does stink.


not the hair. the hair smells ok. the scalp smells funky


citizenjane said:


> For the person who claims they wash their hair 3 times a day, I'm surprised you don't have really bad dandruff. I would think washing your hair that often would dry your scalp out really bad, not to mention make your hair dry and brittle.


no dandruff but it is dry but i dont think its brittle. its ok though cause im a guy so i keep my hair very short


----------



## Blue Bird (Jun 28, 2004)

nubly said:


> not the hair. the hair smells ok. the scalp smells funky
> 
> no dandruff but it is dry but i dont think its brittle. its ok though cause im a guy so i keep my hair very short


The stinky scalp is probably from product build-up, this happens to me, but not as ohten as everyday.


----------



## Iced Soul (Jan 28, 2009)

Twice a week.
I hate when my hair gets all gunked up with product and want to wash it more, but when you wash it too much it gets rid of oils that your hair needs, so I restrain.


----------



## Globe_Trekker (Jan 29, 2009)

Every day...because a hairdresser told me my hair was greasy and needs washing every day. But after reading Penny's article I'm not so sure anymore.


----------



## imt (Sep 22, 2008)

Wash hair?
.
.
.
.
j/k


----------



## scriabin221 (Nov 16, 2008)

Every day. I have a lot of trouble getting up in the morning and the only way I can fully wake up and not feel like crap all day is to wash and condition and then style. It just makes me feel good. It's very therapeutic. Sometimes, if I had a really bad day I wash it at night too.


----------



## Hoofservant (Apr 15, 2009)

How often I wash my hair depends on the time of year. Since I ride just about every day and we're coming into summer, it has to be washed every day. If I don't, the heat combined with my helmet and the aroma of horse sweat can make my hair smell like an old saddle blanket. In the winter I can get away with washing it every 2 to 3 days.


----------



## Blue Bird (Jun 28, 2004)

fissionesque said:


> Every day. I have a lot of trouble getting up in the morning and the only way I can fully wake up and not feel like crap all day is to wash and condition and then style. It just makes me feel good. It's very therapeutic. Sometimes, if I had a really bad day I wash it at night too.


Interesting, I never thought of hair washing as therapeutic.


----------



## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

Nubly said:


> i wash it 2-3 times a day. for those of you that dont wash it often, your scalp probably stinks. which makes huggin and sex not so fun





Blue Bird said:


> No it doesn't. Not everyone's hair is the same. You think the people who replied would walk around with stinky hair? It's right on top of you head, it's kind of hard not to notice if it does stink.


^^Agreed. If my hair smelled I would wash it all the time. However with my thick, curly super DRY hair it would damage it to wash it every day.


----------



## OneIsALonelyNumber (Mar 28, 2005)

I wash my hair every day... although sometimes I skip taking a shower on Saturday and/or Sunday, in order to save a little money (less hot water = slightly lower electricity bill). 

My hair looks bad every day, so I don't think the added damage of shampooing every day is anything worth commenting about.


----------



## Iced Soul (Jan 28, 2009)

fissionesque said:


> Every day. I have a lot of trouble getting up in the morning and the only way I can fully wake up and not feel like crap all day is to wash and condition and then style. It just makes me feel good. It's very therapeutic. Sometimes, if I had a really bad day I wash it at night too.


I understand what you're saying. When I wash my hair, it lasts for a long time because I love the way it feels. Makes you feel so calm and relaxed, well, for me, anyway.

At one point I was washing it way too often and the hairdresser I was going to at the time told me I was doing it too much and causing damage.


----------



## caithiggs (Jan 11, 2009)

Every single day. I have oily and this hair, so if I skip a day you can really tell. I have to wash and style every day.

Everyone has a different hair type too, so if it's dry washing your hair frequently will dry it out, but if it's oily you'll want to wash more often.

I also say finding the right shampoo is a good idea. I personally like Redken the best. Recently I've been using Herbal Essences because I'm too broke and lazy to get the good stuff, but all types of drugstore shampoos weigh my hair down. I'm big into professional products, and Redken and I think Joico are the only ones I've found that don't strip your hair or do other negative things. If the shampoo doesn't have the same PH as your skin and hair, it's not going to treat your hair well. And frankly, most shampoos don't have that PH.


----------



## Hot Chocolate (Sep 29, 2008)

Anyways, I've started to condition my hair and well..just a day before yesterday, I actually didn't shampoo my hair at all! 

I have very drying hair so I think these two days of conditioning without washing actually shows a bit of difference, it was a lot shinier (not oily) and less dry.

I actually had my inspiration from this article and thread to do this. I don't know about you, but my instinct tells me to try it out and see how it works.


----------



## dawntoearth (May 12, 2009)

Blue Bird said:


> I'm Black and I think my hair is very different than the rest of you guys that have posted. I have really tightly coiled/curled/kinky hair that isn't naturally greasy or oily. The longest I can go is a week, but now I'm up to about 5-6 days between washes. If I washed everyday, it would be disaster for my hair.


Me too. Looove your fro. I used to have one but went back to relaxing this spring.

Anyway, I use shampoo about once a week or once every other week. I condition wash about 3-5 times a week when it's not straight. When it is I'll usually leave it for 6-10 days. My hair responds well to this.


----------



## melancholyscorpio (Aug 14, 2015)

Every three days. I use talcum powder as a dry shampoo on the second day.

I've been washing my hait with baby shampoo & my hair looks healthier.


----------



## Myosr (Apr 8, 2016)

This thread is so old, lol.

--

I feel like I need to shower before going out, otherwise I just feel uncomfortable. If I'm staying home it depends on my mood really. So generally 5-7 times a week. 

It's kind of depressing now though since my hair has been falling off like crazy since last year. If I wash it and see a hair or two in my hands I'm like _"why?  why can't you just stay for a little longer, hair?"_


----------



## firelight (Jan 31, 2019)

I shower daily but try to only shampoo every other day. I read that shampooing removes the oil that is healthy for hair and scalp. 



Myosr said:


> It's kind of depressing now though since my hair has been falling off like crazy since last year. If I wash it and see a hair or two in my hands I'm like _"why?  why can't you just stay for a little longer, hair?"_


My sister had that happen suddenly and they found out she had a severe vitamin D deficiency. When they gave her supplements it grew back... might be something to check out.


----------



## Blue Dino (Aug 17, 2013)

Shampoo/conditioned once a week. Rinse daily. 

I use to shampoo daily or every other day when I lived in a place with a hotter climate. I've always have very dense & brittle hair. A hairstylist once remarked this and advised me to shampoo my hair less which will help. And I felt like it does. My hair and scalp felt better since I shampoo less. It also was much easier to do so when I started living in a milder climate.


----------



## JH1983 (Nov 14, 2013)

Every day. I shave my head with clippers anyway, so not much to wash. I use two-in-one body wash and shampoo.


----------



## either/or (Apr 27, 2020)

It depends. I pretty much always wash it if I'm going out somewhere that day. But if I'm just WFH then maybe every other day or every 2 days. I've heard that it's better not to wash it daily so the oils build up. And honestly I think washing it every day is overkill. Unless you exercised or something that day, otherwise I think rinsing is enough.


----------



## harrison (Apr 14, 2012)

Same as above.


----------



## Myosr (Apr 8, 2016)

firelight said:


> My sister had that happen suddenly and they found out she had a severe vitamin D deficiency. When they gave her supplements it grew back... might be something to check out.


thanks for the info.


----------



## snow_drop (May 15, 2021)

whenever i bathe/shower...which varies, but usually every other day


----------



## Socialmisfits (May 14, 2021)

just once a week because it itches too damn hard when I wash it more often, drives me crazy.

I make it wet every day though and scrub it without shampoo


----------



## Mlt18 (Jun 29, 2016)

Mostly twice a week now, but might be 3 times or once depending on the weather and how dry/ greasy it feels. I have colored wavy hair so it’s mostly dry and doesn’t get greasy for a while. Years ago when I was a teen I would use hot water and blow dryer a lot which would screw it up and make it over greasy so I had to wash it like 5 times a week. It would also get thin, at least now it’s thicker.


----------



## Shiny-appocalypse-cookies (Jul 4, 2021)

Once a month 😇


----------

