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Ok...I normally wash my hair every morning. My hair is about mid-back (15-20" long. Is this a good thing to do every morning? I really hate not washing my hair. If I don't, I can smell my hair in the morning..which is not a good thing! By me washing my hair every morning (plus conditioner), am I damaging my hair? I really want to know.
Miguel Angel in Houston, TX
some people need to wash their hair everyday. Lots of people do. My sister included, who has awesome mid back hair. Just be gentle, and don't worry too much about it. Some peoples hair just begins to smell a little quicker then others....anyone else have input??
If something smells bad, wash it. You won't damage it by keeping
it clean, but neglect will cause damage. :-)
It's not that it smells bad like a trash can or something like that....I get that bed hair smell. I have an extremely sensitive nose that can smell the change in the weather before it happens.
Personally, I have been around some of the women here in my office that have very long and beautiful hair but when they stand close to me or walk by me, I can smell their "bed-hair" which is offensive to me. With that in mind, I did try once to skip a day in not washing my hair with the advise of the women in the office. I noticed my "bed-hair" which I did not like. I am a person of true personal hygiene, and would never leave my house without good grooming. But, the ladies in the office keep telling me not to wash my hair daily. I'm just confused.
Wash it! Condition it...then you won't have to worry about it.
I wash daily...rarely skipping
it depends on the type of hair you have...if you have oily greasy hair, then please, by all means wash it ;-)
if your hair stinks after one day, then that is one thing, if it has a "hair" smell...not offensive, just a smell, then i would suggest every other day.
i don't have oily hair, mine is fairly normal...not oily, maybe a little dry, so i only have to wash mine twice a week...if i washed it every day, it WOULD be damaged, dry, unruly, etc.
"You see women who have very nice long healthy looking hair all around you every day. Now we all know that a lot of women subject their hair to washing, conditioning, brushing, blowdrying, hairspraying, etc. on a daily basis and they still manage to maintain very nice long healthy looking hair. Any questions?"
That is not an exact quote, but this is what he presented and I thought about that after reading it and said "Very true!" That observation has stuck in my mind ever since. So do what you do regularly and don't worry about it. Gentleness is the key. I do suggest using L'Oreal Vive shampoo and conditioner, but that is just my opinion on a very good product. Keep growing and do what you do, bro! Peace!
There's some truth to that. Keep in mind, however, that this is also largely a genetic issue. There are those who subject their hair to the gentlest treatment possible, using the most expensive hairproducts out there (which doesn't mean they're the best, but I'm just trying to make a clear statement), yet it looks as if their wearing a messed up wig. Others use "El Cheapo" hair products and their hair looks amazing.
By me washing my hair every morning (plus conditioner), am I damaging my hair? I really want to know.
I'll throw in my usual "there's no need to wash every day if your hair is that long" response. However, if you have high oil production then maybe it's the only way to go.
How does the length of your hair make any difference in the frequency that you should wash it, particularly if what you're worried about is smell?
Actually, I can amend the statement to be "there's no need to wash *the whole thing* every day if your hair is that long." Once a man's hair is long enough to make a loose ponytail the option to scalp wash only becomes available, though it would not be so worthwhile until there was a significant length of ponytail to be spared the soap. For those concerned about the cumulative effects of washing the oldest hair this can be a handy solution that does take away the scalp oils and their scent if any. An added bonus is the reduction in drying time if the hair is combed afterwards so that the dampness becomes redistributed into the dry ends.
Elizabeth
Hmmm. I'm not so sure about that. I think that would be more trouble than it's worth (I say this as someone with three feet of hair). The main problem would be that you'd have to rinse further towards the ends than you shampooed in order to get a thorough rinse. Additionally, it would be hard to hold the pony tail out of the way just to keep it dry. Then, when you let it go, it'd fall down on your wet back, thus getting wet. Drying would also be more difficult, at least using my technique, which is to first squeegy as much water as possible down the length of the hair. That obviously would not be possible if you had to keep the end dry.
Finally, the end is typically (always?) thinner than the roots so dries out faster anyway, the possible exception being right at the roots where warmth from the scalp and separation of the strands accelerates drying.
Starting from a slightly loose ponytail, the length can be placed in a plastic bag and tied with the bag handles above the ponytail holder. Just leaving the ponytail down the back works too if this is being done over a sink while bent forward, perhaps becomming part of a shaving routine rather than the showering part. The scalp hair gets lathered and the looseness of the ponytail allows just enough room to scootch fingers into the hair. Rinsing out with the head face downward draining away from the ponytail keeps it mostly dry and the ponytail holder can be moved further down the tail to expose all soaped areas to the rinse water from the shower head or poured if washing at the sink.
The drying time is reduced because the hair can still be squeegeed by pressing against the scalp while dripping bent forward and then towel pressing for more moisture removal. Those last to dry middle sections of the hair length that clump together and have less air circulation miss the water with a scalp wash as described. Another benefit is preventing a wet tail on your back which can result in a body out of the house sooner if not waiting around drying before getting dressed. Not all clothes react well to damp hair and the stink of wet silk comes to mind here, especially when the original question was about avoiding unpleasant (to some) scents.
I would encourage people to experiment with it and see if it works for them. I know people with hair longer than three feet (and it is a handsome length you have, Victor) who are able to easily use scalp washes as a regular part of their routine. The lower hair has different washing needs because it does not get the oils or sweat in the concentrations the scalp does. The length's random dust and dirt get mostly knocked off by combing or brushing. As I see it, saving on washing the oldest hair every time is handy depending on the level of hair delicacy desired, but everyone with significant length can benefit from the quicker nature of a scalp only wash.
Elizabeth
Interesting article, to say the least. OTOH it turns something rather routine into a science.
I never thought of washing in the sink. That would do it.
How does the length of your hair make any difference in the frequency that you should wash it, particularly if what you're worried about is smell?
I can only speak from my experience. I wash my hair in 4-5 day cycles and I've never been inclined to wash any more frequently. It's only on the last day that I notice the oil build-up in the first 2 or 3 inches of my hair from the roots.
Smell has never been a problem, my hair's mid-back length now. Apologies for the delayed reply - and thanks for the tutorial, Elizabeth!
Hi!
I ALWAYS wash my hair mornings, and for myself have had no trouble. I have found that doing it at night and sleeping on it makes it much worse to manage the following AM, plus......it doesn't exactly give you a "refreshed" feeling" during the day. I suppose if in doubt, you could consult with a doctor, as everyones hair is different. Stupid Question? No Way! (My Father always said that there was no such thing as a "stupid Question.") I rather agree with him now, even though he is long gone.
Good luck!
Why on earth should someone contult with a doctor when in doubt about washing ones hair and feeling "refreshed" in the moring?