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So, I have been growing my hair for about 20 months now and it has been tough at times, but very rewarding. I have been using shampoo and conditioner, usually washing my hair twice a week since its extremely thick. The hair itself is dry though and my scalp is kind of oily. Im wondering if quitting with all products and using water only to wash my hair would be benefitial or should I stick to my normal routine? Thanks, what a great, inspiring site!
Everybody's hair is different, so it's impossible to say what will work the best. Your best bet is just to try various combinations of shampooing, conditioning only and water only. Most of us can get by with shampooing only once a week or so and doing a conditioning only wash on the days between shampoos. I've found that conditioner can do surprisingly good job of cleaning just by itself, though it won't remove oil. That's what shampooing is for. :-)
Give it a try and let us know how it works out. Good luck!
--Dale
Dale's Facebook Page
I have to agree with Dale. Everyone is different, and we all have different activity levels, requiring more washing, etc.
One product line I can really recommend is Neutragena Triple action Shampoo and Conditioner. (the one that comes in the tan tubes) Like Dale, I use a nickle-size blob of shampoo a couple of times a week, and the other days, I use a line of the conditioner. Great stuff; contains Olive, Coconut and another oil.
After a shower, I wrap it up for a few minutes in an old towel to dry, then I put a penny-size blob of leave-in conditioner from Mop Top. Its got mostly Aloe in it. Run it through the hair, and it is easily straightened out with a wide-tooth brush.
Presto, easy care, dries totally in an hour or so, and stays put all day. Hair is way past my shoulders and does not tangle anymore.
See what you think,
-Daniel
Like you, I have thick hair and conditioner only wash 2 out of 3 times and one out of three showers I use shampoo along with conditioner. Seems to work for me from keeping my hair from getting too dry.
Stick to your normal routine...water, been there and done that...no benefit...
You can try out the "No Poo" method, which is basically only using water to wash your hair. It honestly depends on your genetics but for the first couple of weeks usually it'll look greasy but it may fix itself since you're only using water what happens is the natural oils that are stripped via shampoo balances out over time. That's why I said in the first few weeks it'll look greasy is because there's an abundant secretion of sebum (I.E. natural oil produced in your scalp.)
Some even say after their hair "fixed itself" it not only looks cleaner but smells good too. Don't know how true that is but it's worth some experimenting, just remember to take this with a grain of salt.
I have to shampoo daily or my hair is glued to my head with grease. I tried the water-only thing for over a year. If it's not working after a month, try something else.
I have to concur with others that have responded. It depends on your hair.
I have tried water only and it doesn't work for me. I tried adding oils, but it just made my hair heavy and greasy. I tried many different shampoos and conditioners at different frequencies and eventually found something that works for me. I use Aussie shampoo once a week and water only twice a week. I found that Aussie causes buildup that eventually causes problems, so I end up stripping that off every six months or so. I know many longhairs freak out when I say it, but I found that mild dish detergent works really well for this. Again, I only do this about twice a year, and it obviously won't work for everyone, but it does remove silicones and other buildups rather efficiently.
You'll have to experiment until you find what works for you and your body chemistry. It took me several years, and I'm sure many longhairs have as well, so don't give up.
I'd say, give it a shot. Personally it didn't work for me at all - my hair got really greasy, smelly, and generally nasty - though some people have great results with it. Seems to work better for wavy/curly hair.
I've been water only for about 2.5-3 months now. I have incredibly curly wavy hair, Caucasian male with a semi fro. It didn't matter what shampoo or conditioner I used, from Jason's to prescription RX, I constantly suffered from a dry, dandruffy, irritated and itchy scalp. I finally gave up and decided to wash with a lukewarm water only rinse (roughly 1 minute of rinsing while lightly massaging / cleaning hair and scalp with nails and fingertips). I will never go back to using products, my hair feels healthier and looks better now than it ever has. I wash my hair only once a week(rarely twice), when I shower on non hair days I never let it get soaked; instead I allow the moisture from the shower to lightly wet my hair without letting the water hit directly. The recommended water only period induction is two months so if ou have wild untamable curly lion hair like me give it a shot.