I think there’s a disconnect here between people with fine or oily hair who need to shampoo every day, and people with dry hair who will get a dry scalp with daily shampooing.

At any rate, however frequently you wash your hair, you should still wash your body every day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have thick hair and wash it twice a week. It doesn't smell unless I have been working out a lot and in that case I use a dry shampoo until I can wash it.

Do you think dry shampoo makes the smell of sweaty, post-workout hair go away?

Omg. I see 20 somethings doing this in the gym locker room regularly. Gross. Just wash your hair

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Oh, heads smell for sure. I used to volunteer in the hospital and pushing old folks down to surgery or recovery it could be nauseating wafting off their head.

Most people don’t smell like that. My hair never does and I wash it every 5-7 days.

This. Some people in the world smell more than others. The vast majority of people don't smell, even if they wash their hair once a week. I think OP is either thinking of the one random person who smells no matter what, and is assuming that person smells because they don't wash their hair, or OP thinks anything less than shampoo smell is smelly.

dcum busy bodies never cease to amaze me with their obsessions, like daily hair washing and there's some lady on here who washes her whole household's towels daily.

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.

Oh, heads smell for sure. I used to volunteer in the hospital and pushing old folks down to surgery or recovery it could be nauseating wafting off their head.

Most people don’t smell like that. My hair never does and I wash it every 5-7 days.

Not a trend. I have super thick straight hair that literally takes a day to air dry. I’ve been washing it every 5-7 days since high school. I’m now 49, same practice same results.

People with thin fine hair or an oily scalp may be different. It’s usually over washing that leads to over production of oils.

This obsession with over-cleanliness is insane. I am not sure where it is coming from. I keep getting this woman in my instagram feed who is a "cleanliness expert" and she said that you need to wash your hair daily because if you don't, people will be able to smell your sebum (???).

Not to mention every few years the outraged discourse over people not washing enough is revived. If you aren't scrubbing your ass hole with lye and a piece of steel wool you're not clean enough. Grow up. Showering with hot water and soap is more than enough for the average white person who isn't working in a corn field all day (I believe Black people need to exfoliate more to prevent ashiness but white people do not).

Yes, my teen has great hair! 😍

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.

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.

When I was a teen with oily hair, yes, I did have to wash it before school every morning.

Now as an adult without oily hair, I do not wash it every day. I wash it 2-3 times a week. it's fine.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Because it's taking longer to get to gross than 24 hours for most people. You have a standard of clean hair that equals just-shampooed, and others do not.

This.

Like OP and others: what if suddenly someone told you that hair is "gross" and smells bad if you don't wash it every 12 hours. So if you aren't washing your hair twice a day then you are walking around with dirty hair and it's gross. I'm guessing your response to this would be that of course your hair isn't dirty after just 12 hours -- your hair doesn't feel dirty until after you've slept on it or after you've worked out. Well people who wash hair every 2-5 days instead of daily feel the same way. Their hair isn't dirty it's just further along between washes. They don't consider their hair dirty on day 2 or 3 since washing it just like you don't consider your hair dirty at 3pm after taking a shower at 7am. It's very individual and expecting other people to conform to your standards is actually unreasonable because it's not your body.

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.

Because it's taking longer to get to gross than 24 hours for most people. You have a standard of clean hair that equals just-shampooed, and others do not.

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.

The trend is washing too much, OP, and stripping off natural oils that are protective and beneficial, in the name of an unnatural and unnecessary hygiene standard.

Across the ages, people have never washed their hair every day. Or their bodies. Your hair won't stink if you wash it once every few days, but you do have to let your body adjust to that new routine.

In our modern society, people do need to watch out for stink in armpits, groin and feet areas, so a daily shower is the standard for the developed world. But again, no need for frequent scrubs and peels, which then necessitate oil/lotion/cream applications! You do realize you're a victim of marketing here, right? You don't need that hamster wheel of products.

Less is more.

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

Yep!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m 50 with thick colored hair. I’ve washed every three days all my life. I don’t want to blow out every day and I look my best with a blowout.

Never smelled dirty hair on anyone. I can see dirty hair but not smell it . Also, the clean hair smell is shampoo and product, not any inherent clean hair smell.

You are likely around people who wash their hair. It is hard to smell your own hair.

I've SEEN plenty of dirty hair though so you'd think it would smell dirty if it looks dirty, but I don't feel it.