How long is ‘too long’ to go without washing your hair?

[JuneRoses]

As in, it still looks nice and doesn’t smell, but hasn’t been washed in x amount of days? I can easily go 3-4 days without washing my hair but I do it anyways because I think it must be gross not to, even though it looks and smells perfectly fine. For clarification, I’m just talking about hair, not bathing in general. If anything, my hair gets easier to manage and the style looks nicer if it hasn’t been freshly washed. I have straight hair if that matters at all, and I use dry shampoo which gives my hair nice volume.

TLDR; Gross, wash your hair regularly regardless! Not gross, only wash it when it looks/smells bad.

I need to wash mine every other day; it’s horribly greasy if I leave it longer.

I used to work with a guy that was 6ft and about 4. He had blonde dreadlocks down to his shins and hadn’t washed his hair even once in a decade. He had no smell at all. Regularly did business with him and sat near him every day. All good. Did a 1 hour away meeting with him in a car and it was all fine and dandy. Then it rained heavily on us both. He utterly reeked to vomit point on the way home.

this.

Once a week. I have mega thick hair, that rarely gets greasy. I do wash it more on holiday though but only because I've either been swimming in the sea or pool

My hair gets really gross if I don’t wash it every few days

I wash mine once a week, DD has curly hair and I wash it every couple of weeks but it can go longer.

Twice a week to wash my hair.

My hair gets drier the longer I leave it. Is frizzy day 1 then gets smoother next day and stays that way ...I was in hospital for 2 weeks once and hair looked better at discharge than if I'd just washed it.

My hair ideally needs to be washed everyday but I push it to every other day.

I went on roaccutane for acne a few years ago, it was incredible, it basically dries up oiliness and I could go a whole week without washing my hair and it would look as fresh as the day I washed it, it was so bizarre. Sadly it reverted to its normal self when I came off it (thankfully my skin remained clear at least!!)

Every day. I have very fine hair so gets greasey quickly. I also can't stand having a shower, getting everything else clean but not my head and hair. It makes it feel mankier in comparison to the lovely cleanliness.

Pre Covid it was every day. Now I wfh I do it every other day but if I was in the office foe three days for some reason or meeting friends would do it each day.

Curly hair. It just loses the definition and bounce after the first day.

Twice a week usually. If I leave it down I can go 4-5 days without a wash, but if I have it up, I have to wash it the next day.

I’ve got bum length hair and loads of it, roots done every 3 weeks so it doesn’t seem to get oily. Usually once a week, if I’ve coloured it then I have to wash it a few days after

This.
If you cook, especially on a hob, your hair picks up the smell. I wouldn't wear a top for a week without washing and hair is just as exposed to dirt.

Mine would look greasy after 3-4 days but not smell. I need to wash it every other day for it to look nice.

Day 3 dry shampoo and wash on morning of day 4. If running late on day 4, it gets tied back, held in place with hairspray so looks ok but I feel gross! I try and not leave it more than 3 days though. I have thick hair and it takes ages to blow dry otherwise I would do it more frequently.

I wash mine everyday. Long, thick hair too. Can't bear leaving it though I know it would be good for it!

It really depends on hair type. I’m mixed race with very curly hair which is naturally dry. I could easily leave mine for 3 weeks and at that point, I’d only need to wash it to get rid of product. It doesn’t feel or smell dirty. My sister has straighter, more Caucasian type hair and she has to wash it every other day as it’s really oily. It’s just whatever works for your hair type.

Usually twice a week. I wash it and blow dry it and it lasts well

Mine is fine but lots of it and it’s long. I’m mid fifties

I’m so jealous of people who can go days without washing their hair. I can wash my hair in the morning and by 4pm it’s grim and greasy.

I’m very oily as a person. I have never known what people mean when they talk about having ‘dry skin’. I’m like a newt. With hair.

I usually wash mine on Mondays and Fridays. Used to be every other day but as I've got older it doesn't seem to need it so often 🤷‍♀️

After a couple of days peoples hair smells 🤮 I can smell dirty hair on the bus or people close to me.
you might not be aware of it but others will be.

I have v thick wavy very dry hair, never needs washing more frequently than every 5 days max, I usually leave it 6-7, by day 8 I would feel a bit yucky and it would look a bit ratty.

Its always been a bit of a psychological issue because my mum (fine, oily hair) refuses to believe hair is acceptable/clean unless you wash it every single day; as a child/teen she insisted it was washed every day or every two days at minimum, which is likely why I was a 14 year old with hair like a loo brush 😡

She still thinks I should wash my hair every day and would never believe I usually only wash it once a week!

That's usually people with oilier hair or who haven't showered or washed their hair properly to start with
I've never sat next to someone with type 4 hair and thought their hair smelled. I cover mine if I'm cooking something strong which helps

3 days absolute max and that's with dry shampoo on day 2. I have thick shoulder length hair and a very dry scalp but after 2-3 days my hair starts to look insane if I don't wash and restyle it