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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to wash my hair once a week?

90 replies

ShiftyLookingBadger · 08/04/2017 09:20

Let me firstly just say, I'm aware this is a very non-important thread! But I'm curious to see what the norm is out there is mumsnet land.
I shower every single morning before work. At one point this also involved washing my hair every single morning too. However, I started to leave my hair longer and longer between washes using my trusty dry shampoo spray and low and behold - my hair is bouncy, luscious and so easy to style. Volume a plenty! Whether I smell like a Bob Marley wannabe or not I have no idea, perhaps people are too polite to say Grin
After my hair is washed it's incredibly flat, limp and lifeless and is generally a nightmare to style so I actually hate having to wash it now! But I think I might be starting to take the proverbial for how long I'm leaving it...
How often do you wash your hair? AIB an U dirty scrubber? Blush

OP posts:
Isthatwhatdemonsdo · 08/04/2017 09:24

I wash mine every other day. I'm fussy about my hair, I used to be a Hairdresser. My daughter washes hers once a week. She's got long, thick hair and uses dry shampoo like it's going out of fashion.

Clnz4fun · 08/04/2017 09:31

My hair is short and needs styled and blow dried only take 5 minutes than fully I wash it everyday as it's a horrid sticky up mess in the morning but only recently discovered that dry shampoo isn't that bad but will only use it if I've stayed out and want a quick freshen up before going home I'm iffy about using airosols.

KoalaDownUnder · 08/04/2017 09:34

I'd love to be able to wash my hair once a week. Envy

Mine is every day if I want it to look nice, every second day if I can handle it looking vile halfway through day 2.

I can't even imagine the state of it after a week.

Meekonsandwich · 08/04/2017 09:38

Once a week too, it's so thick and dry that it doesn't get greasy.
If I left it to get greasy I could easily go 2 weeks, but I like to wash it on a Sunday to make it go all big and fluffy again :)

SpuriouserAndSpuriouser · 08/04/2017 09:38

If you can get away with it (looks-wise and smell-wise) then I think it's fine to leave it a week. I wish I could, I can juuuuust about squeeze a second day out of mine but I usually end up washing it every day.

BeeFarseer · 08/04/2017 09:43

I'm a stay at home parent at the moment, so I admit I have days where it's too much effort and I can go over a week without washing it, just eking it out with dry shampoo or openly embracing the ming. Blush That's only if we're not going out.

I have very long, very thick curly hair which is a nightmare to detangle, wash and dry.

My ideal is three or four days between washes. If I straighten it I can go longer because the curls start to look shit as they break up.

Snap8TheCat · 08/04/2017 09:43

I wash mine about every 5/6 days. I last washed it on Wednesday morning and just gave it a good sniff, I can still smell the shampoo. It's long and poker straight so no styling issues.

Highmaintenancefemalestuff · 08/04/2017 09:54

I have very thick hair. Used to wash it everyday but it got so dry. It also takes over an hour to dry and straighten. I wash it twice a week. If I could get away with once I would.

user7298922193 · 08/04/2017 09:57

I have to wash mine everyday or else it looks greasy and gross. It's very thin and brown.
I typically shampoo everyday and condition every other.

catscurledupbythefire · 08/04/2017 09:59

Mine is lovely just washed.

It's grim if I leave it but sometimes I do leave it to maximise the freshly washed feeling!

HappydaysArehere · 08/04/2017 10:00

I wash my hair twice a week. I have discovered over the years that the more you wash it the more you need to. Also, I was brought up to understand that you wash natural oils out of your hair which isn't good. That is why your hair provides more each time you wash it and you need to wash more frequently. When I was young I washed it once a week which was the usual thing in those days. If I go back further my grandmother who possessed lovely hair advocated lots of brushing between washing which was even less frequent. I remember using dry shampoo when I was unwell but wouldn't like to use it on a regular basis. Suppose it depends on how you wear your hair. As I got older I decided that I would no longer have perms etc as hair becomes more fragile. I wear mine straight and just below my ears. I spend all available money on the best cut I can afford. I am 75 and strangely enough haven't gone grey! But even when I do I will not colour my hair.

Asmoto · 08/04/2017 10:00

I'm exactly the same as Koala - if I don't wash it daily, it looks awful halfway through day 2.

ChipIn · 08/04/2017 10:04

In the same as you, OP. I used to be pushing it to go three days but the wonder that is dry shampoo means I can go a week. If I do more exercise I might need to wash it on the 5th day but normally I can go 7. Having very thick hair maybe helps.

KingBob · 08/04/2017 10:07

I wash all of my hair once a week now because I just tie it up. But I have a thick full fringe which I wash every other day so it's not greasy. Best thing I ever did was get a fringe Smile

Yika · 08/04/2017 10:11

Daily. I've tried to leave it 2 days but it just goes lank and greasy and vile. Only when I was pregnant could I get a second day out of it. Really wish I could wash once a week. I hate doing it!!

TeaMeBasil · 08/04/2017 10:24

Twice a week for me - very long, very thick hair, curly if I leave it to air dry.

A wash, dry & tongs (to de-frizz but give a bit of curl & shape) takes a good hour - hour & 15 but then I can forget about it for days. I'd never manage all that more often!

TheWildRumpyPumpus · 08/04/2017 10:26

If I'm not exercising then it gets washed once a week, I have mixed Afro hair which does not appreciate being washed.

Unfortunately I'm going to the gym 5 days a week at the moment so am dealing with a frizzy uncontrollable nightmare.

FeliciaJollygoodfellow · 08/04/2017 10:28

I'm about every five/six days. My hair is curly and exceptionally dry - I could get away with longer if it didn't get horrifically tangled!

Even if I've blow dried it I can still get four days out of it. Which is good because drying my hair takes an age regardless of style.

fruityb · 08/04/2017 10:30

If it works for you then YANBU. I wash mine every other day. Used to be every day but since having DS that's not really doable plus it seems to be less greasy. I wash it every day in summer as it gets lank and I sweat a lot on the back of my neck.

I have a short hair cut so it does get dirty and I use product on it so can't leave it too long. I hate dry shampoo - my hair looks ok but I can't stand the feel of it. I feel like I've got a build up of powdery crud on my head!! I've tried loads and they just don't work for me at all.

sebashocked · 08/04/2017 10:41

Used to wash mine daily then started leaving for longer and longer periods between washes. Now I only wash it whenever it actually needs it - can be once a week or more often depending on how sweaty I've got or how much gunk my DS (3) has wiped onto it from his grubby mitts or snotty nose.

AwfulSomething · 08/04/2017 10:45

Daily, I exercise everyday so my hair gets very sweaty....otherwise I would leave it longer.

Wallywobbles · 08/04/2017 10:45

3 x every 2 weeks or there abouts. Unless swimming.

ememem84 · 08/04/2017 10:47

I can do every three days. I'm currently on day 4. And am going to see if I can go all weekend and hair wash on monday

RedStripeIassie · 08/04/2017 10:50

I can't do that. I was in hospital for three weeks and my very long, curly hair matted and stank because I wasn't looking after it and didn't want the nurses who washed me to touch it. When I got out I cut it all off and then went to the hairdressers and asked them to do something with what was left. They were Shock.

So to sum up: long, curly hair needs regular washing and care!

DevelopingDetritus · 08/04/2017 11:13

I used to wash my hair every other day but now I'm in my mid forties I just find that way too drying. So now do it a couple of times a week. Do what ever feels right for you OP. I don't think there's any hard and fast rules on this matter.