No wash hair-self cleaning? It's bollox no?

[SlinkyVagabond]

I know someone at work who today joined a conversation about shampoo (I know-gripping)by saying they hadn't washed their hair for 5 years. Just wet it and that's it as shampoo strips all the oil. Tbh their hair looks terrible, lank and greasy. I've heard this before (from friends of the hippy persuasion) but it is a load of tosh isn't it?

to wash frequently

Haven't used shampoo for about, erm, probably 8 years, and was generally using bicarb as shampoo with lemon juice as conditioner for about 3 years before that. Shampoo gives me dandruff, and painful red weals all over my scalp, so it was more self preservation than hippy weirdness. I use soap on my body like a normal person. Stopped with the bicarb because it was a faff and, actually, it is totally fine washed in just water.

My hair is thick and straight - lots of hairs, and the hairs themselves are thick also.

BUT

I wash my hair every 2-3 days; every day if I'm exercising. I give my scalp a really good scratch all over with my fingernails to get any dead skin and general muck off it, and shower it off. So I'm making sure it's clean.

I think that's where people go wrong with the no-poo thing - they just leave their hair skanky rather than washing their head thoroughly with water.

started making my own soap and using it for hair also when i got my hands on a bottle of shampoo that listed ALL the ingredients . They edit the list usually. Now rub my scalp and hair vigorously with water only. No smell, lovely, thick, healthy hair and $$ to spend otherwise.Maybe the intermediate stage helped me ween off the chemicals.

ive done it when I was forced to Duke of Edinburgh Awards, Expedition north wales lots of trekking and camping outside. I did take the plunge and wash my hair with cold water from the lake on the mountain top once, no big deal i usually use cold water to rinse off, makes hair more shiny. unfortunately my teacher clocked on and gave me amouthful. she was right though I could have got pneumonia, it was winter and the weather was horrendous damn rain and gale force winds, lol.

When I did my gold expedition I'm sure it was almost a week long and my hair is straight sleek within 2 days of no washing it can get greasy. I was itching to wash it, but after day 3 we walked past a campsite with toilet facilities and showers. Since we were just passing teacher said we could use a toilet for once a real toilet no squatting behind rocks and bushes it was heaven lool. I didn't have time to wash my hair teacher made sure of that.

I was surprised upon looking in the mirror my hair didn't look greasy at all, it didn't smell sweaty either. It may have been a bit muddy walking through forests but it didn't stink, I'm sure my body did but I never spent time testing that lol.

1 of my girls has 50s style curly hair, it looks less frizzy and beautiful the least it is washed. ive never gone a week without washing her hair, but I really doubt it would ever go greasy its not the same texture as mine.

There's a difference between not washing your hair and not using shampoo. If you stop using shampoo, you still need to 'wash' your hair. It takes about 6 - 12 weeks for your hair and scalp to 'adjust' - stop itching and smelling. Afte that, it has a distinctive but not unpleasant smell. And shouldn't look greasy or lank.

Ok so if you are using the conditioner method does your hair smell of conditioner or does that disappear once dry? Or is there something that i could spray on or add to the conditioner that would make it smell nice?

I wash my hair every day currently, but I definitely agree that it seems to get used to regular washing and therefore needs washing frequently and is greasy if I don't wash it. I don't know what causes this but at different times in my life I have washed less frequently and my hair has taken longer to get greasy. I know of many people who wash it weekly and it doesn't get greasy. So I would say it it's the pattern of washing that your hair is used to, then no, it won't smell or anything. But if you wash every day and then don't wash for a week, then yes it will probably be revolting.

I have fine hair but lots of it and I need to wash every day. It was with reluctance that I realised this as a teenager having washed it twice per week as a child.

It really is unmanageable after 24 hrs, horrible and slick to past my ears. Also it feels horrid and unclean and I can't bear to touch it or have it touch my face. I have tried to use dry shampoo to combat it but need about half a can and I hate how my hair feels with it. If I am going to be travelling for more than 24 hrs I pack a mini bottle of talc which I can get away with because I am blonde.

With my second pregnancy I had about three moths of only needing it every second day. It was lovely to wake up in the morning and not have my hair feel disgusting. Soon reverted back to greasy after I gave birth though.

I wash mine about twice a week or so. Depends on what sports I have been doing. I don't use a strongly scented conditioner and have no idea how long the smell stays. My DH and DC would definitely tell me if it stunk though so I assume it doesn't!

I think before shampoo people wore hats/caps/headscarves a lot more so you rarely saw anyone's hair that much.

My hair still actively smells of shampoo after four or five days, and doesn't smell of anything else for a few days after that (nowadays, with everywhere being smoke free). I've trained it to about a week but I wouldn't like to ditch the shampoo altogether. Curiously, when I tried conditioner only it was much less manageable sooner.

No itching and definitely never gets greasy. It is the opposite to be honest, very dry. In fact I put oil on it between washes to help with the frizz.

Its not just about hair looking well and whether it smells or not. It must get dirty and pick up pollution, the same as your clothes or anything else does. Water alone isn't an effective way of getting anything clean.

Years ago people brushed the dirt out more with a fine comb or brush. Hence in fancy old tv dramas you see rich women having their hair always brushed by a ladies maids.

I wash my hair with shampoo around once a week. Just a small amount. Inbetween it gets rinsed with water when I shower and brushed well.

Same with my children.

Makes sense about brushing. I don't brush mine so probably why it needs washing more often. Doesn't go greasy but just feels like it needs a wash

I never brush my hair so it is probably a good thing that I wash it every day!

I used to wash it every day and ended up with really greasy hair then dandruff. I weened myself to washing it every 6-7 days by adding one extra day on every two weeks and wearing a head scarf. now my hhair stays clean 4-5 dayys and i wear a hat on the last couple and it feels much nicer - less split ends generally shineier :)

About 13 months ago I stopped dying my hair through necessity and now it has all grown out I have also started using natural shampoos. I am using Lush's New shampoo bar and Lush's Daddy O shampoo at the moment, alternating between the two. I have fine fair hair.
I used to be a wash and condition every day person.
I now can if I want to skip a day, no grease. I still do tend to wash most days cos it's not a hassle, i have fairly short hair which now air dries really well. No conditioner needed.
My hair is so soft. It's gone back to my teenage hair. Silky, shiny, sleek.
I spent 25 years dying my hair uneccessary - it's a lovely colour, fortunately no noticeable grey. And a fortune on hair products trying to make it look good/behave well. And all along I could have just kept it simple and looked better 😃

I knew a woman who did this - well, didn't wash more than once a fortnight. She thought her hair was glossy. It was so greasy that I thought she was a keen swimmer and left it to dry. And then I got close to her and had to step back to not retch. DISGUSTING.

Its not just about hair looking well and whether it smells or not. It must get dirty and pick up pollution, the same as your clothes or anything else does. Water alone isn't an effective way of getting anything clean.

I'm not sure this is true actually, thinking about it as I have slightly sensitive skin on my face, I never wash it in anything but water in the shower/bath or out of the tap. I don't wear make up often. The only thing I put on is moisturiser when needed. My face is not dirty and neither does it smell. So I think water can actually do a good job of washing some areas of the body. The rare times in my life that I have tried regularly washing my face with anything more always results in spots.

This thread makes me want to try the "no-poo" method again, but I think I learned from this thread that my hair may be a little too thin to pull it off.

Good for those who can make it work. I like the PP, didn't use anything on my face for 25 years (except Botox!!) and my skin was in the best condition in my life. Now I use a mild cleanser three times a week.

I think that's the reality ruby. They just think their hair looks ok and others are too polite to tell them they smell. I also used to work with someone who didn't wash her hair very often at all, just rinsed it with water and she smells stale all the time. Its really horrible. Unless you have afro hair which is just different in texture and thus requires different treatment, it doesn't work.

The stink of greasy hair makes me barf. URGH.

hard to beleive anyone stuck their noses so close to someone's hair to justify those offensive comments.

Oh. I just bought apple cider vinegar to try the 'no poo' method (which is a horrible name for it!). But that's not quite the same as not washing it at all, is it? I was swayed by two separate bloggers swearing their hair was growing faster and thicker since they'd started doing the bicarb and vinegar thing.