Hair washing

I suspect that you get used to your own natural body odour. Can't imagine not washing hair, do mine daily.

I have very short hair but my head sweats like crazy on a daily basis and I don't think just using water to wash my hair would be very effective. I wash my hair in the shower using a small amount of really good quality shampoo. It works and I think cutting out shampoo is one cost cutting measure I'll avoid.

I wash my hair with shampoo and then apply conditioner about every three days. Wouldn’t dream of just ‘washing’ with warm water.

You wouldn’t just rinse your hands to clean them after going to the loo or preparing food would you? You’d use soap (I hope). Your hair gets dirty too.

I try to wash my hair once a week,and i use a conditioner too.
If my hair gets wet from rain i have to wash it straight away as it makes my head itch,i blame pollution.

I tried washing my hair with just warm water on alternate days, but found that my short hair felt rough and didn't sit right. I use a shampoo which has natural products only and requires just a small amount and doesn't produce lots of lather. I just wash the hair and only massage into my scalp every other day.

Germanshepherdsmum

You wouldn’t just rinse your hands to clean them after going to the loo or preparing food would you? You’d use soap (I hope). Your hair gets dirty too.

Without trying to become too scatological (and failing) most people don't wash or rinse the part of themselves that actually has direct contact with faeces after going to the loo, but we don't have thread on that.

(And I don't poo in my hair...)

My dd was experimenting and did not wash her long hair fir 6 weeks when a teenager. After an initial few days of lank hair it settled and looked felt and smelled fine.

Funnily enough I was just reading this:

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10830399/A-problem-shared-mother-four-GP-Clare-Bailey-good-hair-stop-washing-it.html

(yes, it's the Daily Mail, but if it helps she is a doctor)

Suzannah Constantine also experimented with no washing during lockdown, and she said it took five weeks before her hair started to look good but the condition of her hair improved.

I have a friend who doesn't use any shampoo, and hasn't for some years. She has lovely hair. And no, it doesn't smell.

I never actually stopped washing my hair but did used to egg wash for about ten years. I stopped when I decided to let my hair curl again instead of straightening it, and started using products, but I'm seriously considering going back to egg washing again as my hair is going very dry.

Germanshepherdsmum

You wouldn’t just rinse your hands to clean them after going to the loo or preparing food would you? You’d use soap (I hope). Your hair gets dirty too.

Now that's a very good point and also why I could never wash my hair with only warm water!

I didn't use shampoo for several years when I was a 'curly girl' I just used conditioner to wash with. Shampoo can be really harsh and strip hair of all the natural moisture. Also I used to 'refresh' just using warm water and it was just fine. I got fed up of curls and I'm straight for now, but still only use shampoo sparingly and not every wash.

I have a shower every day, but only wet my hair every 2/3 days and then shampoo/conditioner. I've never tried other regimes so they may work.

Germanshepherdsmum

You wouldn’t just rinse your hands to clean them after going to the loo or preparing food would you? You’d use soap (I hope). Your hair gets dirty too.

My hair goes nowhere near the loo. It doesn't open doors, or shake hands, or prepare dinner, dig the garden, work in a greasy kitchen or a million other things.

Your hair is in the greasy kitchen though and you touch it…

WELL I’VE DONE IT ! ?

I washed my hair without any products in moderately warm water, as recommended, then added a little argon oil to the ends of my hair, then let it dry naturally. I gave my hair a 3 minute session with the dryer and to my amazement my hair wasn’t flying about as usual. I gave the sides a quick go with my curling tongs (not good I know but I have dead straight hair at the front). Left the curls to cool then lightly brushed my hair. The result was really good. It has lasted like that all day.

I was astonished in not having wispy fly away hair. Was it a fluke ? I will try the same method on Monday and report back.

I had a very lovely colleague years ago who showered her fabulous very long hair every day with only water. She was extremely particular about personal hygiene - and cleanliness generally to be honest - and her hair was her "crowning glory".

I think, as others have said there's a big difference between not washing and regular washing without any products.

My colleague was very different to those people described by some sbove who refuse to bathe/shower.
She told me she decided to take this "no product" route in her 20s. She said it took a few weeks to regain a balance but would not go back to shampoo. She was in her 50s when we discussed it.

Your scalp need washing It's not all about the hair!

Yes, the scalp sweats. Would you just rinse the rest of your body with all its sweat glands?

My hair is greasy, so I like to wash it regularly. But I always use conditioner afterwards. I can't imagine not washing my hair, but I do remember reading something about this years ago.
I don't think I will try this experiment.

P.S. I've put some pink streaks in this morning...

Haven't used just warm water, but I've switched to a "bar" shampoo. (No parabens, etc.) So glad I have done this. No conditioner is needed; simply an apple-cider rinse, once a week or so.

Sweat has no odour. It's only when sweat encounters bacteria on the skin that a smell can emerge. Sebum is similar. Only those with a hypersensitivity to smell can detect it c/f the nurse in Scotland who can detect a change in the smell of sebum in people with Parkinson’s. We know that dogs are being used to early-detect illness in people via smell. In that respect, stripping sebum and masking natural body smell smells with chemicals could hinder detection.

The only products I use are a natural soap bar to wash my hands and an aluminum-free natural deodorant for underarms. Otherwise, I just wash my body and hair in warm water. The people here knocking unshampooed hair seem to be those who haven’t tried it and are reluctant to try it which is hardly scientific. The fewer products I use on my body and the less grey water I dump into the drainage system is a sensible, healthy and environmentally sound choice for me.

I have naturally curly hair and use shampoo with no sulphate’s parabens or other nasties.

Wash my hair once a week, then on other days I wet hair, apply conditioner and rinse.

Even if you don’t have curly hair it’s a good idea to use gentle products, as most shampoo have the same ingredients as washing up liquid.

I love the noughty range.

lovenoughty.co.uk

For those of us who have eczema on our scalps, one of the best solutions is not to wash your hair. I was given that solution by a medical specialist but have never found a period of time where I didn't need my hair to look good so I have always ended up washing it.
There are other areas of your body, some intimate places, where you shouldn't be using soaps but we all do.

It’s often occurred to me that you hardly ever see dandruff on shoulders any more, though it used to be fairly common.

It must surely be down to people washing their hair that much more often, and I’m sure they don’t all use Head and Shoulders.