What's with the trend of not washing hair everyday?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, the pandemic did a number on people’s habits and mental health. Also, lots of other countries don’t value people being super clean all the time. I travel to Europe often for corporate work, and in elevators and trains you can smell exactly what you describe- the 2nd or 3rd day hair smell. It’s gross, so I am, unlike you, judging. And for people who have other type of ethnic hair, there are other ways to clean your hair that don’t require shampoo, so I’m not talking about those people (or the “good” dry shampoo people who are essentially brushing out the oil from their scalp).

People who don’t brush and clean their hair every day in some form need to realize it smells. I don’t every day, but I’m not under some nose-blind mis-impression that it smells great.

What does brushing have to do with smell? If dirty hair smells, wouldn’t brushing all the dirty smelly oil around make it worse?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I wash mine once a week and it looks great. Used to wash every day but it’s bad for your hair and scalp.

Ok, but what about the smell? People around you can smell the grossness.

Don’t know what to tell you, but my head doesn’t smell bad. I guess my scalp doesn’t overproduce oils. Tbf if I didn’t wash my face every day it wouldn’t develop a smell either. So it’s a weird question.

maybe you can't smell it? but others can.

No, you really cannot. Sorry but it’s simply not true. I worked as a shampooer at a hairdresser and many women came in with hair that had not been washed for days. They were fine; they did not smell. And I am super sensitive to perfumes, room sprays, candles, etc. This is in your head and you are not regularly close enough to random people to know one way or the other.

Ridiculous, you are telling: it's in my head. I can tell you the same; you are being ridiculous because you can't smell it. Plus the comment you answered is not mine.

Ok cool. Tell me the exact scenario where you are physically close to scalps (arms length) on multiple occasions where you could smell it and also knew enough about the person to know the cause was not washing their hair once a day.

I am often very close and talk to three coworkers. They are shorter than me. When we talk later in the week about work, clients, and projects, I can smell it, and it is strong. They also told me they wash their hair once a week. One of them has long black hair, and by Wednesday, it is plastered by her forehead and not looking good at all.

Didn’t your op say you had no idea how often they were washing? Interesting back pedal now

[Anonymous]

Op says she can smell dirty hair… but those of us with dry hair/scalp are not producing the oil and other food for bacteria which causes the smell. So which is it? The reason people can go for long periods between washes is because we aren’t producing those same things.

[Anonymous]

OP is trolling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP is trolling.

Yeah after reading the last follow-ups from the OP, I agree. They are either trolling or has serious mental issues associated with hair. I mean if the op had said BO, I would have been on board, but this hair/scalp smell is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

OP may be a troll but there are numerous other people who have responded (including me) who are happy that someone finally brought up this issue.

So many people think they can get away with using dry shampoo and not washing their hair for days, and frankly, they smell bad.

[Anonymous]

I can only go 2-3 days without getting a wash/blowout done in cooler temps. Summer all bets are off and sometimes I wash daily, but I will do extra moisture masques on my hair/scalp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I have textured hair, which is a white person's textured hair. It is wavy, and in humidity, it is very curly. It still gets dirty, like my DD's utterly straight hair. I understand that curly hair looks better without brushing and washing too often, but it should still be washed frequently, maybe every third day.

So we agree that our scalp gets all kinds of oils and dirt, but somehow, that part of our skin doesn't get gross. How come?

I do get it that my now-colored hair gets less gross as it is drier; however, until two months ago, my healthy, non-dyed hair was gross within 24 hours.

I am not talking about non-white persons' hair, clearly.
In the 1980s, we used to put baby powder in our hair to make it less gross. It didn't work; it just made it worse and more disgusting.

OP, YOU personally are probably a stinkier person and thus need to wash your hair more often. You are sensitive about it so you are constantly sniffing out others to try to find the telltale signs of “dirty hair” to prove that you are somehow superior with your daily hair washing. Get a grip. Worry about yourself and stop trying to sniff others hair. I have an incredibly sensitive nose, to the point that I struggle when traveling to Europe and other parts of the world where daily showers aren’t a thing. I always smell people’s bodies who need a shower, and I can differentiate when it’s a dirty butt v. dirty pits, but very rarely can I smell someone’s dirty hair specifically. Stop getting so close to others and mind your business.

[Anonymous]

White girl here with wavy hair that I let go "natural" in warmer weather (but dry bc in cold weather bc I can't stand on the train platform with wet hair.) Anyhow, I keep trying the no wash/wash every 2-3 days and I just can't stand it. My normally dryish hair looks greasy and even I can smell it. And it itches. I just can't go any longer and have to wash it.

As an aside, growing up my mom had a standing 1x week hair apt and that was the only day she washed her hair. As a teen I was appalled but honestly don't remember it smelling and it definitely didn't look greasy - just flat.

[Anonymous]

I am a PP but I really can’t get over the gaslighting on this thread. Dirty hair has a smell!! Get over it! If you smell because your hair is dirty, then don’t try to deny it!

(What’s debatable is the amount of time it takes to get a really noticeable dirty hair smell. A day, two, three? Depends on hair and scalp type.)

But there IS a smell!! And it’s gross!

[Anonymous]

I get a dry flaky scalp if I wash my hair each day. I can only go every other day, though. My hair gets too oily so that not even some dry shampoo can rescue me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a PP but I really can’t get over the gaslighting on this thread. Dirty hair has a smell!! Get over it! If you smell because your hair is dirty, then don’t try to deny it!

(What’s debatable is the amount of time it takes to get a really noticeable dirty hair smell. A day, two, three? Depends on hair and scalp type.)

But there IS a smell!! And it’s gross!

Of course no one wants to admit that they smell because they lack basic hygiene. I get it.

[Anonymous]

I wash my hair every day, and think this was very common up until the 2000s for lots of people. I really think the ban on cigarette smoking in enclosed spaces changed the equation for a lot of people. Whether you smoked or not, your hair would smell after being out, and there wasn't much you could do to cover that up.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:So is this only a white people problem? Seriously. I'm black and can go weeks without washing my hair and it does not smell. My Asian best friend can go at least a week without washing her hair and even at that duration, I've never smelled it.

Just seriously interested in what ethnic groups have this as an issue.

No. I promise I can smell your unwashed hair too. Unwashed hair/scalp of any race has a stench. It just does. Though it is variable how long it takes to develop it, but after a week, nearly all people have oils from their scalp giving off a smell.

PP. I say this kindly. This kind of seems like a YOU problem. I'm sorry you find the normal smell of human to be this offensive. It is not reasonable to expect people to shampoo more than is healthy for their own hair in order to reduce a smell that seemingly only you are able to detect. Carry a scented handkerchief around with you if you are this sensitive.

+1. I really think this PP is equating shampoo/hair product scent with a 'clean' hair smell, which is ridiculous.

Agree. What are you expecting to smell when you get a whiff of someone's hair? I use primarily unscented products because I hate the smell of most shampoos, so you would probably think my freshly washed hair smells dirty because you aren't getting a whiff of herbal essences.

[Anonymous]

I have a coworker who obviously doesn’t wash her hair regularly and I can smell it in the hallway when I go to the restroom and know that she has recently walked through. Another employee on a different floor is younger and rarely washes her hair because it smells so bad.
These days, if someone doesn’t smell, they get extra points in my opinion. That’s pretty sad.