Dirt makes my hair grow?!?!

[TwistedRoots]

So I was getting my hair cornrowed last night and the chick who was braiding it keeps her hair really low like faded normally...but she decided she wanted to see how it would do if she just let it grow naturally twa. Anyhow she made the comment on not washing her hair because "dirt makes my hair grow"...I was like. I didn't care to comment because home chick was in my head and I didnt' care to upset her. I couldn't help but think about that the entire time she braided. So my question how often do you all wash your hair?

----Wow I didn't see the other poll from 06'...feel free to ignore the poll...---

 

[skipper]

at least once a week

i had braid once and only once and i had no idea how to care for them so i thought i could just wash my hair normally so i did and a couple of them came out so i called the girl that did my hair and she said "dont wash your hair at all" the braids were promptly removed a week later i was already getting the itchies i couldnt imagine not washing for a good 2 months straight. plus they looked really bad on me

 

[*KP*]

Wash or no wash, your hair will grow regardless, I think it is probably because of less manipulation that you retain more length that's probably why people think you hair grows more when you don't wash.

I wash my hair weekly but when in weave or braids I tend to go for 1 month or longer and I see the same growth rate. It's been about 3 weeks since I last washed (currently have a weave) but my scalp is still very clean.

 

[Valerie]

I tried that not washing for six weeks and my hair was still short, however for me it is not about washing, but keeping your hair moist. I daily rinse and a wash once a week and there is a definite improvement in my hair.

 

[PureSilver]

Wash or no wash, your hair will grow regardless, I think it is probably because of less manipulation that you retain more length that's probably why people think you hair grows more when you don't wash.

I wash my hair weekly but when in weave or braids I tend to go for 1 month or longer and I see the same growth rate. It's been about 2 weeks since.

Its the exact same thing for me!

 

[Miss*Tress]

Wash or no wash, your hair will grow regardless, I think it is probably because of less manipulation that you retain more length that's probably why people think you hair grows more when you don't wash.

I wash my hair weekly but when in weave or braids I tend to go for 1 month or longer and I see the same growth rate. It's been about 3 weeks since I last washed (currently have a weave) but my scalp is still very clean.

I agree with this. I lose the most hair on wash days and once during a period of excessive shedding went 6 weeks without washing until I got through the worst of it.

Since then Indian herbs, have helped to reduce winter shedding, so I don't anticipate having to go so long without washing my hair again.

 

[Whimsy]

I dunno about her but a clean scalp makes my hair grow. If i'm doing the bunning/braidout thing then I wash every few days. The longest I'll go w/o washing is a week or 2 if I'm wearing my hair straightened w/ the maxiglide.

 

[Honi]

I guess her head is a plant then huh?

 

[Traycee]

If dirt makes your hair grow then I'd rather have short hair .....I have a girlfriend that washes her hair ever 3 weeks...and I can not stand the way her hair smells....she keeps it gelled in a bun..one time she used my brush to do hair and my brush was stinking .I had to throw it away...I told her, her hair stinks and she was like I don't smell anything and if it did my husband would tell me....her hair has a sour mildew smell to it

 

[Lucie]

I guess her head is a plant then huh?

I wash with shampoo 2x a week. And CW 2x a week. I am so tired of peoples misconception about black hair, I don't even bother anymore. I have heard of people scratching dandruff out of their hair and then greasing the scalp afterwards, not washing for 2-3 weeks and the list goes on.

You were smart not to disagree while she was cornrowing your hair! ^5

 

[*KP*]

If dirt makes your hair grow then I'd rather have short hair .....I have a girlfriend that washes her hair ever 3 weeks...and I can not stand the way her hair smells....she keeps it gelled in a bun..one time she used my brush to do hair and my brush was stinking .I had to throw it away...I told her, her hair stinks and she was like I don't smell anything and if it did my husband would tell me....her hair has a sour mildew smell to it

That is disgusting!! She must think grease/gel = shampoo! Yuck

 

[Sui Topi]

I've heard this before and I never understood.....how can dirt be beneficial...I understand the low manipulation aspect, but you can wash your hair and not comb it and yield the same results.

 

[Whimsy]

If dirt makes your hair grow then I'd rather have short hair .....I have a girlfriend that washes her hair ever 3 weeks...and I can not stand the way her hair smells....she keeps it gelled in a bun..one time she used my brush to do hair and my brush was stinking .I had to throw it away...I told her, her hair stinks and she was like I don't smell anything and if it did my husband would tell me....her hair has a sour mildew smell to it

Ugh.
You seriously grossed me out with that one.

 

[kally]

I wash once every two weeks and my hair really like it. I tried the once a week and daily co wash and that dried my hair out to bad no matter what products I used.

 

[MizAvalon]

If dirt makes your hair grow then I'd rather have short hair .....I have a girlfriend that washes her hair ever 3 weeks...and I can not stand the way her hair smells....she keeps it gelled in a bun..one time she used my brush to do hair and my brush was stinking .I had to throw it away...I told her, her hair stinks and she was like I don't smell anything and if it did my husband would tell me....her hair has a sour mildew smell to it

ICK!! Bless your heart for trying to be a real friend and tell her though.

Her and her husband probably can't smell it anymore.

 

[Tenacious]

You know...I dont know of any other race/ethnicity of people that wait more than a week to wash their hair. I don't know about the "dirt makes hair grow" claim, but I mean, I don't know any other race of people that are able to go more than 1 week without some type of wash/cleansing of the scalp. Thinking about this makes me realize that this MUST be a myth. Just another reason why many Black women haven't been able to grow long hair for so long.

If you can wait 2 weeks to get your hair washed, more power to you, but I can't deal with the itchy scalp nor the idea that my hair is nasty on top of using products/oils and such. To me, it's a part of the body just like any other part of the body and should be cleaned as such. Long hair or not, I must wash my hair at least weekly. Besides, once I started washing my hair more often, my hair grew like a weed....

This lady came into Sally's one day and had her hair in a "bun" of some sort. She had it in this wet bun for days on in and eventually a patch of mold grew in her hair. This reminds me to keep my hair clean on a regular basis.

 

[JustKiya]

Now, I can't knock the girls idea that not using shampoo on a regular basis MIGHT have helped her hair grow, but it wasn't because her hair was dirty.

1) Low(er) manipulation...
2) Not stripping hair of natural oils/hair was more moisturized...
3) If the scalp is irritated from the shampoo she uses, it gets a chance to heal...
4) She might have hard water, and that was weakening/breaking off her hair...

So, yeah, I can definitely see how changing how/the frequency that she washes her hair could influence the growth rate. It wasn't the leftover skin cells, oils, and products gunking up on her scalp that was the cause, though.

Even when I had dreads, and didn't use shampoo, etc, on my head on a regular basis, I rinsed my scalp CLEAN everyday, and used practically NO products whatsoever - so I can see going for a while without using shampoo or conditioner, and still keeping your hair CLEAN.

 

[MizAvalon]

You know...I dont know of any other race/ethnicity of people that wait more than a week to wash their hair. I don't know about the "dirt makes hair grow" claim, but I mean, I don't know any other race of people that are able to go more than 1 week without some type of wash/cleansing of the scalp. Thinking about this makes me realize that this MUST be a myth. Just another reason why many Black women haven't been able to grow long hair for so long.

If you can wait 2 weeks to get your hair washed, more power to you, but I can't deal with the itchy scalp nor the idea that my hair is nasty on top of using products/oils and such. To me, it's a part of the body just like any other part of the body and should be cleaned as such. Long hair or not, I must wash my hair at least weekly. Besides, once I started washing my hair more often, my hair grew like a weed....

This lady came into Sally's one day and had her hair in a "bun" of some sort. She had it in this wet bun for days on in and eventually a patch of mold grew in her hair. This reminds me to keep my hair clean on a regular basis.

MOLD!!!

 

[AsTheCurlzTurns]

I've heard of this too, but it ain't for me!!
Smelled Sour Mildew? Check!
Seen Mold? On foods, yea, but hair? HECK NAW!!!
That's just gross!!
Now I've seen where some lil kids have them black rubberbands in their hair for some ponytails, and you know they collect dirt right where they sit at on the hair overtime. But they go days without being cut out or even combed. And when it does get taken down, it's a film of dirt completely all the way around and in the hair. What to do, what to do, what to do? They just brush it out, even though it's been some weeks they've been in there, knowing full well the hair needs washing!!!! Talk about sour!! UGH!!!

 

[Traycee]

I have heard of people with longer hair getting mold when they do full head weaves because they're hair never completely drys underneath the weave when washing...I wanted one and my beautician said my hair is to thick and long. The combination reeks disaster!!!!

 

[nappity]

I ordinarily co-wash every 3-5 days. Now cause I have my hair in tiny twists. I will wash my hair every 3 weeks. Ive gone for 2 months without "washing my hair " Ive rinsed my twists and worked Giovanni direct leave in and shea butter on the ends. I also will grab some witch hazel in a cotton ball and clean my scalp with that. Its really about dealing with keeping my scalp clean.

 

[Peaches75]

I was told that a clean, healthy scalp grows hair and when I use to have a wash & go style it seems like the more I wash it the more it grew along with me conditioning & moisturizing it. I wash my hair 2x's a week and deep condition both.

 

[indigo378]

If dirt makes your hair grow then I'd rather have short hair .....I have a girlfriend that washes her hair ever 3 weeks...and I can not stand the way her hair smells....she keeps it gelled in a bun..one time she used my brush to do hair and my brush was stinking .I had to throw it away...I told her, her hair stinks and she was like I don't smell anything and if it did my husband would tell me....her hair has a sour mildew smell to it

that could more so be because of the gel and products, not nececarily not washing it.

 

[Cichelle]

*shudder* some of these posts have really grossed me out.

I wash my hair at least two times a week and it's never been longer. I find that clean hair and a clean scalp works better for me. But to each her own.

 

[TwistNMx]

I wash my hair every 5 days (used to be up to 3 days a week).
There's no difference. Although I've heard this before many years ago ...IMO it's uttered nonsense.

 

[Anancy]

I wash my hair once a week, however if im wearing cornrows then i wash once in 2 weeks because i keep them in for 2 weeks and i want them to look as good as new.

I would love to condition wash in addition too my 1x a week wash but i just can't see how i can.

I also will grab some witch hazel in a cotton ball and clean my scalp with that. Its really about dealing with keeping my scalp clean.

I like that idea Nappity, i'll have to try it when im wearing my extentions.

 

[GirlywithCurlies]

My ex's sister said that to me while she was braiding my hair. Another one of her gems was that "leave-in conditioners dry your hair out".

I was like,

I wash my hair weekly and use a leave-in, things have been working for me so far!

 

[beautifulreality]

I wash at least once a week now, but when I was younger I used to wash once a month and sometimes longer than that!
I used to think my hair would grow too if it was dirty and that shampoo simply dried my hair completely. I'm glad I know better now.

 

[CocoGlow]

I do not agree w/ your stylist that dirt makes your hair grow!

I also do not agree that you need shampoo to have a clean scalp!

There are many cleansing options out there other than shampoo that I am soo glad I found out about b/c shampoo--no matter how gentle--strips my hair. ...

I think methods like, prolonged rinsing, co-washing, cleansing herb rinses or pastes, baking soda rinses, even Sea Breeze or witch hazel are wonderful cleansing options that will not strip the scalp but will get rid of any gunk & allow for HEALTHY growth...I personally choose to use prolonged rinsing, cleansing herb rinses, & baking soda rinses...

If she is not using anything on her scalp, she is asking for all kinds of infections later on..

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:
I had locs for 3 years prior to educating myself about proper hair care and I washed my scalp/hair maybe once a month w/ any old shampoo....the rest of the month my scalp itched like CRAZY!!! So my scalp was both dry from the shampoo & dirty!

I was ignorant so I slapped grease on my scalp hoping that would help...it didn't help at all...but I had no clue that what I was doing was wrong..I just assumed something was wrong w/ my scalp....I developed alopecia and a scalp infection due to the infrequent washing & slapping grease on a dirty scalp!! Eventually i had to chop off my locs!

****
For those that wear weaves, extensions, even natural braids or twists for a long period of time without using ANY form of cleansing your scalp, I strongly advise against it. I know that you may not want to destroy or frizz up your style, but do something to clean your scalp. Your hair does not need it as much as your scalp. Personally I think anything longer than a week without using some form of cleansing is a bad idea...

EDITED TO ADD: I have recently started to do prolonged rinsing everyday + spritzing my hair & scalp liberally as needed...cleansing herb rinses + deep conditioning every 5-7 days, and clarifying baking soda rinses + deep conditioning 1x a month

NappyRina

 

[Bliss806]

I am the total opposite. The closer i get to going a week without washing the more my hair breaks. When I first wash my hair there is no breakage at all.