Daily Washing and Long Hair?

How often do you wash/co-wash your hair?

  • Very Often: 4-7 days a week

    Votes: 154 25.7%
  • Often: 1-3 days a week

    Votes: 267 44.5%
  • Sometimes: Once a week

    Votes: 137 22.8%
  • When Needed: Every two weeks

    Votes: 29 4.8%
  • Hardly: Monthly to never

    Votes: 13 2.2%

  • Total voters
    600
Two reasons why I havent decided to co-wash daily.

Quick hijack: How do you ladies deal with retained moisture in winter?

I warm up my car in the morning before I leave for work. It's like 10 steps from my back porch to my car so I don't spend much time in the cold. Also, when I get to work I park in the Garage so I'm not outside in the cold.
 
idk... but i'm not sure if this frequent co-washing/shampoo thing is good for those who are transitioning/relaxed. I would be afraid of excessive manipulation and breakage. BTW, only one of the girls in the group had relaxed hair, and she washed weekly to retain length....

Any relaxed ladies co-washing daily? If so, how is it doing??? (I remember somebody co-washed daily with great results.... idk who...)

Also, is this clean scalp trend similar to those who use MTG? I think if frequent washing is too much of a hassle, MTG will keep the scalp clean.... i suppose... just my theory...
 
idk... but i'm not sure if this frequent co-washing/shampoo thing is good for those who are transitioning/relaxed. I would be afraid of excessive manipulation and breakage. BTW, only one of the girls in the group had relaxed hair, and she washed weekly to retain length....

Any relaxed ladies co-washing daily? If so, how is it doing??? (I remember somebody co-washed daily with great results.... idk who...)

Also, is this clean scalp trend similar to those who use MTG? I think if frequent washing is too much of a hassle, MTG will keep the scalp clean.... i suppose... just my theory...

Im relaxed and the only benefit for me was that I was not using heat.(I wash, blowdry, and flat iron weekly) I think clarifying and really rinsing the scalp are beneficial. I also use mix of coconut oil and tea tree oil 2x a week, I think that may help keep my scalp clean, esp since it eliminated my dandruff. So basically I agree with you saying a clean scalp is the key:yep:. Looking forward to more responses.
 
I gotta get my grandmother and mothers words out of my head!! My mother would get on me about wet hair (in winter) saying the garage is still cold and there are no heating vents keeping the car warm.:lachen:

I think I need to invest in a silk liner/lining (what she said) for my hat because once I get into the parking garage (under ground, the sides are open for exhaust ventilation issues) cold air is still blowing around my ears :grin: so I'm hustling to the door even when my hair is dry:yep:.

I'll start with the silk lining for my hat because my hair/bun was still a bit wet this morning.

Thanks, Ladies
 
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The girl that washed her hair twice per day has a oily hair type and she works out very often. She washed her hair morning and evening after workouts. This was the one girl that grew her hair from SL to MBL in less than 8 months.

The one that's my friend just didn't like product build-up. She washed then rinsed her hair later in the day. Her hair is currently WSL.


I wish you could go and ask this person HOW did they do it. I mean 8 months?! How is this possible...you're not giving me enough here Tenacious!
 
Hmmm, interesting thread. Frequent washing does seem to be good for growth, I just worry about all the manipulation for my hair.
 
Frequent washing works wonders for me. I don't find the additional manipulation to be a problem because my hair is more supple and moisturized when I am washing a lot and it is easier to detangle when just washed.

For me, it is the manipulation of my hair when I haven't washed recently that is the problem -- when I try to comb my hair by the second or third day after washing that is when I get the most damage from manipulation.

I am transitioning and about 2/3rds of my hair is texturized.
 
I'm transitioning from permed hair (almost a year with no perm) and I co-wash as often as I can. Meaning, when I am not being lazy, I'll do it daily. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. The feeling of water on my scalp has become addictive (I'm excited just thinking about it). To combat overmanipulation, while I'm still in the shower I just pull all my hair back with the streaming water (while rinsing the condish out), put some castor oil in my hands, rub that over my hair and put my hair in a single braid until my next co-wash. I don't even comb or detangle it for sometimes up to 10 days (except for with my fingers). I just use a silk scarf to tie it down so that its neat. In the morning I put a barrette or some kind of clip on the plait to make it pretty and I'm off. Most days the plait is still damp when I go to co-wash again.
 
I'm transitioning from permed hair (almost a year with no perm) and I co-wash as often as I can. Meaning, when I am not being lazy, I'll do it daily. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. The feeling of water on my scalp has become addictive (I'm excited just thinking about it). To combat overmanipulation, while I'm still in the shower I just pull all my hair back with the streaming water (while rinsing the condish out), put some castor oil in my hands, rub that over my hair and put my hair in a single braid until my next co-wash. I don't even comb or detangle it for sometimes up to 10 days (except for with my fingers). I just use a silk scarf to tie it down so that its neat. In the morning I put a barrette or some kind of clip on the plait to make it pretty and I'm off. Most days the plait is still damp when I go to co-wash again.

Have you seen better growth or retention from this? I really do think that some kind of wash frequently (co-wash or regular) has contributed a lot to my progress.
 
Have you seen better growth or retention from this? I really do think that some kind of wash frequently (co-wash or regular) has contributed a lot to my progress.

Right now I am retaining more hair. I can't say that it is growing any faster but it is definitely way less breakage. Additionally, it is stronger and just feels so good to the touch.
 
The OP must have read my mind. I went from a very cute short cut to chin length while in basic training (ex-military) without trying! All I did was wash daily, use an instant conditioner, put some moisturizer on it, and pull it back in a ponytail.
I know alot more about hair care now. Plus, other women (especially other races) wash at least daily without any problems. If all hair is composed of the same elements why would my hair be any different. I told a friend that I am going to wash daily for 30 days to see if it grows faste. Her reply was I would wash my relaxer out:lachen: WTH! If that's the case wouldn't my hair be natural by now? LETS STOP BELIEVING THE MYTHS. I'm going to try it and post the pics of my results.
 
Two reasons why I havent decided to co-wash daily.

1) Is the new growth issue. I co washed last night and I have this pile (is the only way to describe) of hair sitting at my roots of which I had to patiently wait for it to loosen up, while I detangled the relaxer portion.

This is not for the faint at heart, for sure...as more and more new growth appears it takes longer to deal with and just cringe at the thought of having to deal with if washed nightly.

2) Since my hair holds water like a jug, it's still damp in the morning, and I'm hesitant about leaving for work with damp hair in 10 degrees.

Quick hijack: How do you ladies deal with retained moisture in winter?


Paul Mitchell has a whole line of products called express style to help your hair dry fast. I use Round Trip (it's like a serum) and my hair is always dry when I walk out the door...

Sorry to co-hijack btw :lachen:
 
About getting your hair to dry faster, that is something I definitely have to figure out. Because it's possible for me to wash at night with my hair braided/banded, go to sleep, and wake up with damp hair. It doesn't help that I have to cover my hair. I use the most breathable silk scarf I have, but I have to cover it otherwise stuff will get in it. So I'm looking into getting one of those microfiber towels. Supposedly they cut your drying time way down.

I'm going to wash my hair tonight. It's going to be lovely. Washing gives me the opportunity to use all these wonderful (or not so wonderful) hair products that I've accumulated.
 
Any relaxed ladies co-washing daily? If so, how is it doing??? (I remember somebody co-washed daily with great results.... idk who...)

I'm not doing it now but a few years ago I was doing it and I was relaxed then as well. I wasn't necessarily co-washing every day but I did wet it in my morning shower before work. I'd just put it in a bun and go. It was summer time so I had no problem going out with wet hair. I forgot how long I did it, it was probably at least a month. Man all this washing is making me want to wash my hair right now! I just washed it day before yesterday. Maybe I will so it tonight.
 
Any relaxed ladies co-washing daily? If so, how is it doing??? (I remember somebody co-washed daily with great results.... idk who...)

Also, is this clean scalp trend similar to those who use MTG? I think if frequent washing is too much of a hassle, MTG will keep the scalp clean.... i suppose... just my theory...[/quote]


I am texlaxed and I co-wash daily and wash with shampoo at least once per week. I detangle my hair before I rinse the conditioner out, towel blot my hair, add Aphogee pro-Vitamin Leave-in (I love this stuff it makes my curls pop:drunk:), seal my ends with EVOO and I'm out. I do believe that daily co-washes make the hair grow faster. For Example, alot of ladies have been receiving good growth using MN. MN is an anti-fungal cream used to kill bacteria which results in a cleaner scalp ...well co-washing and frequent shampooing also cleans the scalp.
 
This is a key element in the Crown and Glory method spoke of by the person who created that method.

See site here: http://growafrohairlong.com/shampooingnatural.html

I think many miss this part of the challenge that she recommends and demonstrates on her site.

With all of the health issues I have had lately I am going to start this up again while in my protective style of twists. I have not had the opportunity to wash may hair often of late because of my surgery but I will start doing this now.

Hopefully will report back with great results.
 
OT ^^^ Mscocoface I hope all went well with your surgery and feel better!:mmmchocolate:

I havent really done co washing long enough to see growth(due to laziness) but, I can say it leaves my hair soft and moisturized! I will try it for a longer time and see if it really works for growth:yep:
 
I have gotten excellent results washing daily.

When I first found hair boards (2001-ish), I co-washed daily. My hair started breaking excessively. I couldn't understand why. I believe my hair was being overconditioned.

Then I started washing daily. I would wash and condition every day. I was also following the crown and glory method with no extensions added. Once/week, I would chelate and deep condition. Hair grew like at a decent rate and I retained a lot of length.

Fast forward to this past year, I stopped daily washing and my hair did not thrive at all.

I am relaxed/natural 4a with some b mixed in that. The key to relaxed heads washing daily is washing in braids. Make 6 plaits and wash and condition your hair in the braids. Then when you rinse, let a towel sit over your hair for a few minutes to soak up the excess. Then comb each part of the braids separately. It will be soooo easy if you do it this way.

Also, when I was washing daily, my new growth relaxed soooo much. It got easier and easier to manage. Since this past year, my scalp has bothered me so much and I can tell me hair is not retaining as much length.

Another tip is to make sure you use a mild shampoo and a conditioner that has a good balance of moisture and protein. I used Paul Mitchell SSS during the time that I washed daily and I had no issues with dryness at all.

I am going back to what benefited me the most because this once/week thing just doesn't work for me.
 
I've been CW daily for a couple years now w/ great results. However, I tend to CW in the morning, moisturize and then put the hair in a low pony w/ a turtle shell clip (the kind that has plastic on the inside so your hair doesn't touch the metal). I noticed that over the past year, my hair grew to MBL all except for the spot where the turtle shell clip goes. Because of it, in November I had to chop off all the hair to make it even which brings me to just about APL. The hair was awfully uneven and there was nothing I could do. If I put the hair in a braid you'd still see that something weird about it. It was embarrassing actually.

Anyway, since November I've been CW every other day at night and just braiding. In the morning I just brush and gel the sides of the hair put the rest in a bun. I'm so sick of this. I miss my daily CW. Plus my hair seems to be growing at snails pace since I stopped CW daily.

Besides a braid or a bun, what style is everyone doing? I miss my ponys so much! I have noticed that since I stopped w/ the turtle clip on wet hair (I think the hair got so heavy that it was just so much weight and broke off) the spot that was broken off is showing some promise. It seems a bit more thicker, like a patch of hair just sprung up or something. So it was definitely the weight of the wet hair that broke it off. How are you containing your hair in the mornings? I hate not wearing some of my hair pulled back in some way. My relaxed by the way but my hair still retains it curls/waves.
 
I voted: Very Often

For the past month I have been doing daily Prolonged Warm Water Rinses + Herbal Tea Rinses and I would not have it any other way! I also do weekly Herbal Tea Washes (using ayurvedic cleansing herbs) + deep conditioning treatments + ACV rinses...

I learned about the prolonged rinses from sisters w/ Locs, a lot of them do this daily to retain moisture and to ensure that there is no buidup stuck in their Locs...

Since I am wearing natural box braids all Winter which resemble Locs due to my 4b texture, I decided to give it a try. My hair is EXTREMELY dry, especially in this weather and I love the way it feels when soaking wet so this is perfect for me....I am not saying this prevents my hair from getting dry at all b/c if I do not do it everyday my hair will naturally get very thirsty, but this is honestly the only routine that keeps my hair moisturized longer than any other method.....

I try to rinse w/ warm water for a full 5 minutes...it's harder than it sounds...I thought 5 minutes would be a piece of cake until I realized how impatient I really am :rolleyes:...anyway, I make sure my braids are soaked, not damp but completely drenched w/ warm water...I also massage my scalp gently to make sure there is no gunk .... then I do a quick Herbal Tea rinse....

I follow up w/ my MN serum on the scalp and plain old castor oil on the length & ends of my braids...I like to do this at night so that my braids are pretty dry by morning--they may be slightly damp but not wet at all....

I have to figure out how this routine will work in the Spring/Summer when I am not wearing braids though :perplexed

oh and my hair is growing faster than normal...it could be the daily rinses or the MN or both, but whatever it is, I like it!!! I think the key to daily washing promoting faster growth is both the moisture from water and the inherit scalp massages that come w/ washing!

NappyRina
 
This is what these girls had in common:

1. 6 out of 7 washed their hair daily (I kid you not)
2. 4 out of 7 exercised 4-5 days/week
3. 7 out of 7 wore their hair down or clipped up, no fancy styles
4. 5 out of 7 barely used hair products (one girl used BB Castor Oil only)
5. 6 out of 7 used NO CHEMICALS
6. 6 out of 7 used NO HEAT
7. 6 out of 7 did not go to salons
8. 6 out of 7 had NO TRIMS

And what I found interesting; the two girls that were biracial and black were natural and had the longest hair out of the group.

I do all but two of the things you listed and my hair is quite long now :yep:
I do slather on one hair product: Avocado Butter. That's all...sometimes a little Carrot Oil Cream. I don't wash every day either and rarely use shampoo.

I'm not surprised that the black girls had the longest hair, since our hair can be very strong if we treat it this way! :)
 
I wash my hair a few times a week (about 3 or 4) using a shampoo bar. This is something relatively new. Before that I cowashed daily or every other day from my big chop on...

I do not use many hair products and haven't since I decided to transition, excepting that I was a conditioner junkie...but I've finally also given that up. My products, besides shampoo, are oil and natural butters. Henna every six weeks. That's it.

I too at the very least wet my my everyday for about 3 years. i would just moisturize with a leave and seal it with some sort of oil from Kemi to Olive.

Now I wash with shampoo once a week and conditioner 3 - 4 times a week. Except for when I flat iron. My hair never suffered from washing, it suffered from other things. :grin:


When I relaxed I washed with shampoo 3 times a week minimum.
 
I wash my hair a few times a week (about 3 or 4) using a shampoo bar. This is something relatively new. Before that I cowashed daily or every other day from my big chop on...

I do not use many hair products and haven't since I decided to transition, excepting that I was a conditioner junkie...but I've finally also given that up. My products, besides shampoo, are oil and natural butters. Henna every six weeks. That's it.

May I ask what shampoo bar you use?
I have used Trichomania from Lush before, which is very good.
 
... I noticed that over the past year, my hair grew to MBL all except for the spot where the turtle shell clip goes..
I have noticed that since I stopped w/ the turtle clip on wet hair (I think the hair got so heavy that it was just so much weight and broke off) the spot that was broken off is showing some promise. It seems a bit more thicker, like a patch of hair just sprung up or something. So it was definitely the weight of the wet hair that broke it off...
I just had this happen to me. i couldnt understand what caused it I kept thinking: why that one area? Reading your post a lightbulb went off in my head. I wll totally starting washing daily or every 2 days. I want to move past this setback already.
 
Isn't it a horrible experience. It's like it just hits you at once, you don't notice that over time you are breaking off hair in one spot until it's gone. This week I've started wearing my hair in a low braid to have some change for the daily bun. I'm afraid to put any clips in the hair at this point. I did try just making the turtle shell clips looser but I don't want to take any changes. How were you styling your hair?

I just had this happen to me. i couldnt understand what caused it I kept thinking: why that one area? Reading your post a lightbulb went off in my head. I wll totally starting washing daily or every 2 days. I want to move past this setback already.
 
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