Anonymous wrote:Sorry, but I’m never doing every other day. It’s never the same. I grew up in a culture where cleanliness and freshness is a priority. I know a woman that insists she only needs to wash her hair every three or four days, because her hair doesn’t need it. Trust me, it does. She always looks…not so fresh. And then can’t understand why other women look so put together and she doesn’t.

Well, first, you don't know how often that other person washes their hair, so you can't generalize; maybe they do wash it every day and the smell still bothers you and you don't think it looks fresh. Also, I think maybe some people just have lower tolerance for normal human bodies, their smells, etc.

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, but I’m never doing every other day. It’s never the same. I grew up in a culture where cleanliness and freshness is a priority. I know a woman that insists she only needs to wash her hair every three or four days, because her hair doesn’t need it. Trust me, it does. She always looks…not so fresh. And then can’t understand why other women look so put together and she doesn’t.

Bull. This isn't true for everyone. I have good hair and constantly get compliments on it. My hair looks better and less wild a day after washing. We arent all the same. I have very dry hair and could never wash every day. My hair smells wonderful even after 2 days. A lot of us don't have oily scalps or hair.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I don't think hair smells at all. How close are you getting to these women? B.O. smells much worse.

Hair definitely smells.

I am the OP, and I am confused about how people cannot notice the dirty scalp/hair smell. It is pervasive.

I’m with you OP. Unwashed hair absolutely has a specific smell even though people continue to proclaim it doesn’t.

I would have to be about a foot from a person's hair to smell it and I'm rarely that close to random people. I do notice if someone's hair looks dirty.

I wash mine every 3-4 days. I have very curly hair and have found washing more frequently dries it out and leads to frizz. I’m regularly complimented on my hair AND the scent of my hair.

Do whatever works for you.

Curly girl here. Curly hair = dry hair, and washing it every day just dries it out more. I wash 2xs a week and condition my curls day.

It’s easier to style. I use dry shampoo.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to need to wash my hair daily, but menopause changed everything. My hair and scalp are much drier, and every 3rd day is plenty.

This. Plus I use a moisturizing shampoo followed by a leave in hair balm/conditioner. I also started braiding my hair recently (1-2 plaits) for part of the day. It’s been in much better shape since I stopped wearing it lose/in a ponytail and I can go 4 days plus easy. I use a smoothing serum in non wash days. It’s so much healthier. Probably could have done this before but didn’t think of it.

*loose not lose. Freaking autocorrect

Anonymous wrote:I used to need to wash my hair daily, but menopause changed everything. My hair and scalp are much drier, and every 3rd day is plenty.

This. Plus I use a moisturizing shampoo followed by a leave in hair balm/conditioner. I also started braiding my hair recently (1-2 plaits) for part of the day. It’s been in much better shape since I stopped wearing it lose/in a ponytail and I can go 4 days plus easy. I use a smoothing serum in non wash days. It’s so much healthier. Probably could have done this before but didn’t think of it.

I used to need to wash my hair daily, but menopause changed everything. My hair and scalp are much drier, and every 3rd day is plenty.

For me it’s hormonal. In my teens I had to wash it every day or it was so gross. I also remember going off birth control for the first time in over a decade in my late 20s and my skin and hair freaked out. I could wash it in the morning and by dinner time it was limp and greasy.

Then when I was pregnant my hair was thick and amazing. I could wash it 2-3x/week and it felt fresh, no greasiness.

Now I take spironolactone for hormonal acne and noticed it also helps with hair oil. I wash every other day now unless I work out or swim (then obviously more often). Sometimes I’ll go a third day without washing if it’s in a messy bun or I wear a hat.

Since everyone has different hormone levels and hair texture, it makes sense that hair washing needs are different.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I don’t get why people say this. From the 70’s through the early 2000’s we were all washing our hair daily and we had perfectly nice hair.
Why all of a sudden are people now convinced it’s damaging? Isn’t decades of women doing it with no harm evidence enough that it’s fine?

No we weren't. YOU were. Lots of people did not.

--early GenX

Anonymous wrote:I'm 53. I washed my hair pretty much every day in the 90s and 2000s. I'm so glad we are done with that nonsense. My hair doesn't need to be dried out and certainly doesn't need all that heat styling, especially given that it is much longer now.

I wash mine every 4 to 5 days now. More like a week if I've done a really good job with the blowout.

Hmm, maybe the damage everyone is talking about is the heat styling. I wash my hair every day but I don’t blow dry, curl, or put anything on it other than conditioner. No damage.

Anonymous wrote:My thick curly hair looks much better since I started washing it a couple times a week. My hair is very dry and never gets greasy or smelly.

Are you sure? What would the people around you think?

I'm 53. I washed my hair pretty much every day in the 90s and 2000s. I'm so glad we are done with that nonsense. My hair doesn't need to be dried out and certainly doesn't need all that heat styling, especially given that it is much longer now.

I wash mine every 4 to 5 days now. More like a week if I've done a really good job with the blowout.

Curly hair - wash whenever you want
Straight light colored hair - wash every day