new thread
Hi everyone,
I am happy to report that my hair seems to be doing okay without using conditioner. For the last week I have been washing every day with only shampoo. I have not had any problems with tangling. Just normal long hair tangling. When I do my final cold rinse, that makes my hair smooth again. Also, my hair does not poof out as much without conditioner.
My next experiment will be washing every other day with only shampoo. I want to see just how greasy my hair gets between 1 day of no washing. My hair seems to like to be washed frequently. I would be interested in any thoughts you all have on this.
Ted
Hi Ted,
I am glad to see that your no-conditioner routine is working ok for your hair.
I would also like to know what kind of shampoo you're using. I hope you're using a sulfate-free shampoo because washing your hair every single day with a shampoo that contains sulfates will end up damaging your hair.
Just remember that shampoo is "hair detergent" and it contains chemicals and products that when are used every single day can damage your hair .
Also, washing your hair every day will not make your scalp less oily, it actually works backwards. If you wash every day, your scalp will try to produce oil even harder and the oiliness will increase .
Other than that, I hope you're doing fine and please keep us updated.
Hi Dave,
Thanks for the info. Yes, I realize that shampoo is detergent. I have not noticed any more oiliness on my scalp believe it or not. However, I might try going a day or two between washes. I am using a cheap V05 shampoo for normal hair. The problem is when I go without washing, my hair becomes flat and lifeless.
I will definitely keep you updated with my experimenting. I do think I will have to change this routine when I get more length. I might try what Trolleypup does. He just applies conditioner to the length. That makes sense to me. It is kind of fun to see what different products do to our hair. My wife just got some Mane and Tail shampoo today. I will probably try that for a while. It's supposed to help the hair grow faster. We will see. I believe they use it on horses.
And I hope you're doing fine also my friend!
Ted
I'm not surprised! You shampoo it so often your scalp doesn't have enough time to produce much natural oil (sebum). But I dare say it would go to the other extreme and become much TOO oily after a couple of days, thus your observation: "The problem is when I go without washing, my hair becomes flat and lifeless". (BTW, when hair is flat and lifeless, a widetooth comb sometimes works wonders!)
What Dave said is absolutely correct for most scalps. The more you shampoo your hair (stripping it of natural oil), the more your scalp will try to over-compensate for what it sees as an emergency drought and produce far more oil far faster than usual.
It becomes a vicious circle. The more you shampoo, the faster it gets oily, so the more you shampoo ... and so on!
You need to shampoo far less frequently BUT you must be patient! It takes time for your scalp to adjust to the new routine (yeah, scalp is bit stupid!) - perhaps as long as THREE MONTHS, sometimes less and sometimes longer. It will NOT adjust overnight.
At first, after omitting shampoo for a couple of days or so, your scalp will work overtime producing oil - and it will keep doing that for weeks or months - UNTIL finally the penny drops and your scalp says to itself "Duh! I think he might have changed his routine. Maybe I should take it easy for a while." Then you live happily ever after. You shampoo less often - maybe only once or twice a week - AND your scalp produces enough oil to keep your hair in great condition but not so much that your hair looks like it's auditioning for a part in "Grease".
Damon
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Hi Ted,
I'm like you, always trying new things. It seems like if I use a lot of conditioner I notice more hair falls out. So, right now I just use a small ammount of conditioner daily, and a small ammount of shampoo/conditioner every other day. I'm still experimenting so I would be interested to see what you come up with.
Christian
Hi Christian,
Thanks for your reply! That is a very interesting routine you have! Right now I'm just using shampoo and washing daily. Seems to be working well for me. When I use conditioner it seems to weigh my hair down too much. Some people like that look and feel. I don't. I like for my hair to have more movement and life to it.
But I will definitely keep everyone updated on my experimentation. It should be interesting!
Ted
In my experience, how frequently you wash your hair depends on several factors.
The climate you live in is a big one. I live in lower Michigan, at a low altitude with higher than average humidity. I would likely have to adjust my washing practice if I lived somewhere drier, warmer, or at a different altitude.
Genetics are a large matter as well. How much oil your scalp produces can vary greatly from person to person, affecting how often you need to wash. Wash too seldom, and the oils build up. Too frequently, and the oils don't get to all the hair and it dries out.
The length of your hair also plays a part. Longer hair needs more time to receive oil from your scalp than short hair, so it doesn't need to be washed as often.
Your lifestyle is also a large player. I work in an office environment, where I get little exercise. When I worked in a machine shop, my hair needed to be washed much more often.
The type of shampoo you use, whether you use conditioner, how hard your water is, how much time you spend outdoors, and countless other factors all contribute to how often you need to wash your hair, whether you use shampoo or just water, etc. Nobody can tell you what's right or wrong. Only your own experience can do that.
I'm glad to hear you're willing to experiment. Good luck and keep growing! :)