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General health

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Original poster

Okay this is a bit gross, but has anyone heard of that thing where by if you don't wash your hair for six weeks it starts to clean itself?

38 replies

booradley · 09/01/2007 14:52

Or is it like one of those urban myths?
My neice has asked me to help her with a science project for school (biology, chemistry something like that where they're testing the effects of chemicals on the body I think ), and has asked me if I would see if it works.
I'm quite inclinded to help her as I'm in maternity leave and therefore it doesn't matter so much if my hair gets ucky, but I was just wondering if anyone had ever done this and if there was anything I specipically needed to do (or not as the case maybe).
Answers on a postcard! Thanks

OP posts:

Jimjams2 · 09/01/2007 14:53

2 (male) friends at univeristy did it. they just smelt.

expatinscotland · 09/01/2007 14:54

not something i'd want to find out.

eeewwwww.

Original poster

booradley · 09/01/2007 14:55

That's a cross between specifically and specially - opps

OP posts:

KezzaG · 09/01/2007 14:56

I saw this on This Morning once. A woman was on there and she hadnt washed her hair for years, and she said she didnt need to and it cleaned itself. Some top hairdresser, think it was Charles Worthington, was on too and he had a closer look and said actually it was very dirty. A close up with the camera showed it was all skanky at the roots.

It did look ok from a distance though.

janinlondon · 09/01/2007 14:58

It takes three months and you have to tolerate ghastly itching and smelling phase first. Google and you'll get various reports.

PinkTulips · 09/01/2007 14:58

afaik it doesn't work that well in towns and cities as the natural oils aren't strong enough to cope with pollution

shonaspurtle · 09/01/2007 14:58

I think the idea is you still wash it with plain water but just don't use shampoo.

It will feel disgusting though and I couldn't do it personally. I saw this on one of those science programmes in the 80s. It did work but the woman doing the experiment said she smelled like a wet sheep for weeks...

caffeinequeen · 09/01/2007 14:59

You're a much nicer aunt than I am.

DetentionGrrrl · 09/01/2007 15:09

a tricologist (or whatever a 'hair doctor' is called!) was on TV a month or two ago saying it's nonsense, and people should wahs their hair and scalp regularly.

bettythebuilder · 09/01/2007 15:10

yes, shonaspurtle, I must have seen the same programme!
As soon as I saw the thread title I thought "you'll smell of sheep..."

frumpygrumpy · 09/01/2007 15:12

I remember this on Tomorows World years and years ago.......I also remember later something about it all being a wind up and yeah, dirty and smelly.

Perhaps, since you are on maternity leave, you could offer to have bi-hourly spa treatments to see the effect of various chemicals on the body

fennel · 09/01/2007 15:14

I tried it for 3 months once, when travelling in Africa. It got really horribly greasy after about 10 days and then did become OK again. It looked ok in photos but it never really felt or smelt clean. Am not sure though if this was the African dust - it was a very dusty environment. But no, it didn't smell bad, just didn't have that clean shampoo-y smell.

Zofloyya · 09/01/2007 15:16

A friend of mine did this successfully when she lived up a mountain in Nicaragua. When she came back to live in Bradford, she tried to carry on, but found it didn't work because of the pollution.

Aloha · 09/01/2007 15:18

How could hair 'clean itself'? It's dead!

Lorina · 09/01/2007 15:20

Maybe if we stop hoovering our carpets will clean themselves

Lilymaid · 09/01/2007 15:26

I wasn't able to wash my hair for 6 weeks when I was in hospital on skull traction (in case of infection where the screws went into my skull!). My hair was really greasy - although it wasn't dirty, having not been outside or doing anything during that time. I wouldn't recommend it - and as for the length of the hair on my legs ....

grouchyoscar · 09/01/2007 15:27

Hello tghere

I've done it twice and it does work, at 8 weeks you end up with chip shop hair but then it turns a corner and looks beautiful. I managed 6-7 months of just wetting hair but
Gave in and washed it cos I had a really itchy scalp (no, not nits as we dealt with Ds's)...wish I hadn't now as I'm in frizzy hell land.

Big tip is don't tell anyone as they think your're a pig and feel smug when they say your hair looks fab

freedomfighter · 09/01/2007 15:30

yes it does apparently after its greasy horrid patch...but you get super shiny results from making sure that you alternate shampoos and rinse in cold water... ask niece to adapt her experiment!

grouchyoscar · 09/01/2007 15:30

Adam Hart Davies was advocating the no wash option on Radio5 last week BTW

aDad · 09/01/2007 15:33

hmmm better admit that i went a good few years washing my hair maybe every other month at most! [blush} Sounds bad saying it now, but it wasn't unpleasant honestly. In fact nobody believed me because it always looked clean, so i just didnt see the need to do it. also to this day i have never combed or brushed my hair in my adult life.

i would like to add that i did have a shower or bath every day.

satine · 09/01/2007 15:39

Hmmmm - I've never seen a homeless person or tramp and thought "My! Their hair looks fabulous!"

Original poster

booradley · 09/01/2007 15:59

Good points all.
I live in the country so pollution isn't so much of a problem but I do swim regularly, all be it old-lady-breast-stroke so I never get my hair wet.
I could always wear a headscarf thru the oh-my-god-why-did-I-agree-to-do-this-stage .
Kinda wish I'd ducked out of the room whilst she was trawling thru the rellies like most people did.
I'm gonna have to try it for her sake though, as I didn't say no straight away, I think she's gone off to do the "research" already.

Might have to change user names though, perhaps to thehairleper. That and get a big bell to ring so people can get out the way!

OP posts:

suzycreamcheese · 09/01/2007 16:17

why cant your neice do experiment? note all changes first hand in always to hand hair diary and get extra marks for dedication?

i thought rastas did this, just wash hair with water but suppose they are not going for soft, silky, is she isn't she look

ScummyMummy · 09/01/2007 16:18

"2 (male) friends at univeristy did it. they just smelt."
LOLOLOLOL!

Original poster

booradley · 09/01/2007 16:18

True, will have a chat with her.

OP posts:

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