Washing hair
Posted by Peter on January 05, 2004 at 14:21:46: Previous Next
As I understand, it's best to wash hair once only (as opposed to washing, rinsing and washing a second time), and that it's best to use a conditioner. So far so good, and I must say, that conditioner is great! Wish I had "discovered" it before.
Now, I also understand that it's best to wash hair only once or twice a week. Other times, using cool or warm water only and towel dry it.
***Does this mean that we should only wash hair 3-4 times per week (one or two of those days with shampoo & conditioner). I usually take a shower every morning after working out, so do I need to try to keep water off my hair when showering for half the week? Or is it ok to just wash it in plain water most days? I know it takes long to dry, I'm noticing that already, but I really think I need to at least wash it after working out eash day, it's usually dripping with sweat.
Re: Washing hair
Posted by scaredresser on January 05, 2004 at 14:55:55: Previous Next
In Reply to: Washing hair posted by Peter on January 05, 2004 at 14:21:46:
Try rinsing it under water and giving your scalp a bit of a scrub (without shampoo) everyday. Takes a bit of getting used to, but the less often you shampoo your hair, the better your hair will look.
There's a lot...
Posted by FITMUS on January 05, 2004 at 16:54:39: Previous Next
In Reply to: Washing hair posted by Peter on January 05, 2004 at 14:21:46:
...of different opinions on the board regarding how often to wash, and with what. As many times I've read answers to these posts, it seems the answers are split into the 1) shampooing and conditioning everyday is ok, 2) only shampoo and condition a few times a week and 3) shampoo and conditioning shouldn't be done at all.
Personally, I side with #1--it's ok to shampoo and condition everyday. I, too, work out and my hair gets sweaty. I always shampoo and condition after working out, which is generally 3 times a week. On the other days, I may or may not even wet my hair, since my hair is now longer and it takes longer to dry. I think it all comes down to personal preference.
But I say: if your hair is healthy after shampooing and conditioning every day, then why not do it...especially if you want your hair to smell nice. I don't know about you, but my hair smells a lot better after shampooing after working out! :)
Re: There's a lot...
Posted by Peter on January 05, 2004 at 17:34:50: Previous Next
In Reply to: There's a lot... posted by FITMUS on January 05, 2004 at 16:54:39:
Thanks for the feedback guys. I can see there being good arguments for each theory. In the past, I used to shampoo my hair twice (no conditioner) pretty much every day. When I had short hair, I suppose it really didn't matter, because it would never be there more than a few months before it was trimmed and new hair grew in.
But now that I'm growing my hair out I want to treat it as well as I can. I've recently switched to a more gentle shampoo and started using conditioner. I definately see a difference between the days when I use a gentle shampoo and conditioner vs those days when I simply rinse my hair with plain water (which is still ok, just not as soft or fresh smelling).
I think I'll compromise between the two. On days when I need to look more presentable, I'll use shampoo and conditoner. On days when I'm just around home, I'll use plain water only. In any case, I can already see it's taking a bit longer for my hair to dry, and I certainly don't want to use a hairdryer unless I absolutely have to. I need to make sure to leave enough time for it to air dry (or at least enough for me to go outside in the cold.)
Re: There's a lot...
Posted by scaredresser on January 05, 2004 at 21:19:00: Previous Next
In Reply to: Re: There's a lot... posted by Peter on January 05, 2004 at 17:34:50:
: I definately see a difference between the days when I use a gentle shampoo and conditioner vs those days when I simply rinse my hair with plain water (which is still ok, just not as soft or fresh smelling).
On an in-between day, why don't you try water only, followed by conditioner.
Re: There's a lot...
Posted by Peter on January 05, 2004 at 22:41:48: Previous Next
In Reply to: Re: There's a lot... posted by scaredresser on January 05, 2004 at 21:19:00:
: On an in-between day, why don't you try water only, followed by conditioner.
I hadn't thought of that, I'll give it a try this coming weekend.
Re: Washing hair
Posted by Patrik on January 06, 2004 at 03:19:45: Previous Next
In Reply to: Washing hair posted by Peter on January 05, 2004 at 14:21:46:
: ***Does this mean that we should only wash hair 3-4 times per week
: (one or two of those days with shampoo & conditioner). I usuall
: take a shower every morning after working out, so do I need to try
: to keep water off my hair when showering for half the week? Or is
: it ok to just wash it in plain water most days? I know it takes
: long to dry, I'm noticing that already, but I really think I need
: to at least wash it after working out eash day, it's usually
: dripping with sweat.
This is quite individual and you will probably not get a straight answer to a question like this. Trials and errors are the best to see what works best for your hair. If your hair looks and feels best washing everyday, then do it. If it feels and looks best only once a week, then wash it only once a week.
Sure the more you wash it, the more you "damage" the hair. But unless you use some really bad shampoo I don't think you will notice any more damage by washing it once a day than washing it every third day or so... Just try not to scrub the hair when washing and you will be fine.
I wash my hair when I feel it starts to get too flat and oily/greesy. If I will be home the entire day and go out the next, I'll do the washing the next day instead. Some times it can go a week without washing, and sometimes it'll just be a day in between, it all depends on how it feels and what I am doing. If you are using a blowdryer, that is far more damaging to the hair than washing. So if you want the hair to airdry you might want to consider the time it takes for the hair to airdry every day. For me it takes about 6 hours for it to get fully dry.
I also don't think shampooing only once when you know it won't get fully clean the first time, just not to damage it is pretty stupid. If my hair is not too dirty I will only do it once, if it is very greesy I do it twice, or the wash would have been pretty usless, meaning I would have to redo it the next day anyway.
shampoo is addictive!
Posted by Sorted on January 06, 2004 at 10:22:46: Previous Next
In Reply to: Washing hair posted by Peter on January 05, 2004 at 14:21:46:
Personally I'm convinced that most shampoo's and conditioners are formulated to remove your hair's natural oils from your scalp and replace it with their own agents which last (person to person) 24-72 hours. Without sounding like a conspiracy theorist, this would certainly make financial sense to the companies who manufacturer these products as it means people will use the products more often.
Washing once or twice a week seems to be the answer, but living in a warm climate with pretty hard water, I always cave in and wash & condition my hair every two days.
Guess I'm Just a slave to the corporate marketing ploys I keep spouting about... one of these days I'm gonna have to find the will power to challenge this...
Re: shampoo is addictive!
Posted by Peter on January 06, 2004 at 16:39:15: Previous Next
In Reply to: shampoo is addictive! posted by Sorted on January 06, 2004 at 10:22:46:
: Washing once or twice a week seems to be the answer, but living in a warm climate with pretty hard water, I always cave in and wash & condition my hair every two days.
We used to live in a place with hard water, and my father bought a water softner. It gets installed at the point where water enters the house, although he didn't have it go to the outside water taps (no point really, unless you're washing a car and don't want water spots). So we always had nice, soft water for taking showers, washing dishes, etc.
On another topic, as Patrik mentioned, if you'll be home all day and not going out until the next, there's no point in washing your hair. I agree, and on occasion I do the same. But it's only been since I started visiting this board that I started using conditioner, and wow, what a difference! I try to stick to good quality shampooing products now that I need to care for my hair a bit better. As my hair grows longer, I'm noticing it's starting to take a bit longer to dry too, but so far I've been able to avoid using a hairdryer.