How much hair do you lose by co-washing regularly

[carolinetwin]

I used to co-wash every 2 days, but have fallen off due to laziness. I now cornrow my hair under a wig, washing once a week and every time I comb out my hair I experience shedding. When I wash and then detangle and I loose hair. So my question to those ladies who co-wash 2-3 times weekly, how much hair do you loose by all that washing and doesn't this go against the principle of low manipulation?

 

[leigh.hill]

I am a newbie so I am by no means an expect, but I have been co-washing 3 to 5 times a week since last summer. I have not experienced much shedding or breakage from the actual act of co-washing. I use a condition that instantly detangles my hair. Co-washing has been my saving grace since I exercise so much.

I co-wash to get the sweat, salt, and overall funk from the scalp. Before I discovered co-washing and I washed my hair 2 times a week. With all the exercise my hair was extremely dry, brittle, dull, and weak. I have a scalp/skin condition and what I have learned from that is that I need to have a clean and healthy scalp to have healthy hair. I hope this helps.

 

[Serenity_Peace]

I wanna know, too!!!

 

[NikkiGirl]

I sometimes co-wash four or five days a weeks. I don't really lose any hair because I do not comb at all.

 

[Dposh167]

i've been co-washing religiously for the last 1.5 years. and overall, i'd say i lost a lot. That's why i stopped. Not completely. but i stopped washing every 2-4 days...to just 1-2x a week

 

[CurlTalk]

I am a newbie so I am by no means an expect, but I have been co-washing 3 to 5 times a week since last summer. I have not experienced much shedding or breakage from the actual act of co-washing. I use a condition that instantly detangles my hair. Co-washing has been my saving grace since I exercise so much.

Spill, sis! What conditioner are you talkin' 'bout?

 

[EMJazzy]

When I was wet bunning I co-washed everyday, I just recently started co-washing twice a week because I am currently experimenting with dry hair styles....but in answer to your question I didn't lose much hair at all, in fact my hair thrived.

 

[afrofaithful]

bump......

 

[tri3nity]

I am a newbie so I am by no means an expect, but I have been co-washing 3 to 5 times a week since last summer. I have not experienced much shedding or breakage from the actual act of co-washing. I use a condition that instantly detangles my hair. Co-washing has been my saving grace since I exercise so much.

Spill, sis! What conditioner are you talkin' 'bout?

Bump! I wanna know what conditioner this is too!

 

[yora88]

When I co wash I don't lose a lot of hair because I don't comb my hair. I let the water detangle my hair and then I put a headband on or throw it in a ponytail and I let my hair do whatever it feels like doing. I LOVE cowashing. My ends always look moist, I don't have to get trims as frequently, my hair has a natural sheen to it, and when I do straighten my hair I can see how much my hair has improved.

 

[OhSoOthentik]

I have been co washing regularly (4-6x a week) since November, and my hair seems to thrive from it. I experience more breakage when I try to stretch dry styles (two strand twists).

 

[leigh.hill]

Oh sorry...had to go to work! I use Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner for co-washing. Here are the first few ingredients (all organic): Water w/ tea tree, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, nettle oil, thyme oil, birch leaf oil, chamomile oil...A 16 oz bottle is only $4.99!!! Unfortunately, the store is not everywhere and they do not sell products on their website: http://traderjoes.com/ (but who knows, maybe another site sells their products).


The only other conditioner (not including my deep conditioners) that does not leave my hair in a BIG KNOTTED CLUMP is KeraCare Moisturizing Conditioner.

 

[chrisanddonniesmommy]

Other than shedding, I don't lose hair when I co-wash twice a week.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

I Co-Wash once a week. No Hair Loss. Perhaps you need to engage in less manipulation (until your hair becomes a bit 'stronger').

I alternate my Co-Wash Conditioners too, based on what I 'feel' my hair needs that particular week. Sometimes, I'll use a Protein Conditioner to Co-Wash and sometimes a Moisturizing Conditioner for my Co-Wash.

But, I always, always, always use a Light/Medium Reconstructor as well weekly, and I think this combination greatly reduced any type of breakage, shedding etc...... And.......I Deep Condition Weekly too.

 

[Triniwegian]

Hardly anything. I co-wash and detangle every day.
If I don't co wash frequently my hair breaks.

How do you co-was and not detangle? How does that make a difference than detangling every time you co-wash???
I never understood that because if you use condish, you won't be ripping out hair (because of the slip) but by not removing shed hair doesn't you hair tangle???

 

[danigurl18]

I don't really lose any hair at all when I cowash..and I cowash almost everyday

 

[aquajoyice]

I actually loose less hair the more I wash and co-wash. I think the constant detangling gets rid of any excess sheddng.

 

[MissLawyerLady]

When it's warm, I cowash every other day by saturating my wet hair in condish, letting it sit while I shower and then rinsing. I don't manipulate at all so my hair is hanging down straight after rinsing. I don't comb; just put it in a wet pony or bun and go.

 

[SVT]

I used to lose a lot. At that time I was bagging my hair at night frequently.

The shedding lessened once I stopped using my shower comb and began using my wider tooth bone comb on wet hair and also when I stopped the nighttime hair bagging.

 

[Bouncin&Behavin]

I loose very little hair. I am 12 weeks post, so I only detangle under running water when my hair is loaded with conditioner. I part my hair (with my fingers) down the middle and co-wash/detangle in 2 sections. I used to loose a lot, but I do Aphogee treatments every 6 weeks and my shedding has stopped drastically.

 

[hair4romheaven]

wash in cornrows keep it braided for 4 weeks once a month you will detangle. on that day you will wash in cornrows dc or what ever you do let dry 80% take braid out one by one add moisturizer with slip blow dry with hot sock using hand tension method and fingers to detangel roots. once 90% dry comb. I am 6mnths post and I loose about a nickel size ball of hair a month! this has worked for me!

 

[empressri]

I lose the same about that I would say, if my hair was straight and I was combing or brushing it occasionally throughout the day.

Now if you're cowashing and detangling every couple of days, but the amount of hair that's coming out is equal to the amount that you'd lose say if you were to be washing your hair about once a week then you have a problem.

 

[DaR3alM3]

I Co-Wash once a week. No Hair Loss. Perhaps you need to engage in less manipulation (until your hair becomes a bit 'stronger').

This. When my hair was low boy I co washed almost daily, now that it has grown out some I co wash 1x wk. I usually let water hit my hair in the shower though every day.

 

[beans4reezy]

I'm in corn rows, so I cowash 1-2 x week. I think with cowashing, a good detangling technique helps with breakage.

 

[a_shoe_6307]

I lose less hair cowashing. And I usually do it 4-5 days a week because I workout a lot. Doing it more I lose a lot less hair from shedding because I detangle more often. I use a lot of cheapy condish and detangle gently while in the shower. When I'm in a hurry I use something a little more powerful that detangles fast. After it's detangled I pull it back and leave it alone until I cowash again.

 

[brucebettye]

I did not lose hair when I cowashed daily, but I got so many single strand knots that I had to cut my hair and I am not natural. So I do not cowash often, maybe once every couple of weeks.

 

[supermodelsonya]

cowashing too often when I was relaxed was way too much manipulation for me. But as a texlaxed head, I can cowash every three days without any problems.

 

[Prudent1]

Other than shedding, I don't lose hair when I co-wash twice a week.

ITA with above statement. I co-wash about 3 times a week. For me this works best. I take my time detangling and usually am sporting some sort of PS. Like someone else mentioned, I also alternate between protein condish, lite weight or cheapie, condish, and heavy (DC) depending on what my hair tells me it needs. Your results will be different perhaps. I think the general consensus is that most benefit from CWing. Detangling is big no matter the frequency. Find the widest tooth, sturdiest comb you can. Start at the ends and work your way up to your roots. Know the difference between shed hair and broken hair. If it's broken hair you may need to try garlic or other things to help. Use the search feature here to find out answers to any questions and feel free to keep posting questions as well.
HTH

 

[carolinetwin]

Thanks Ladies for all your responses. For those of you who don't loose any hair while cowashing... Do any of you wash over the sink or over the tub? I don't loose hair while washing my hair in the shower, but that's probably because I can't see it in the shower as the water runs down the plug along with any lost hairs. If I wash over the tub, then I can see lots of tiny broken hairs. Anyone else notice this?

 

[leigh.hill]

Carolinetwin - I did notice that same as you. Little/no breakage in the shower, but small hairs when I stuck my head under the facet in the tub. I think my breakage is due to the fact that I have never done a protien treatment, I am going to do one this weekend and see what difference will be, if any.

To be honest from your pic, it looks like you may need to consider going to a dermatologist. Just a gentle suggestion. When my hair was breaking off severely, I discovered that I had a scalp condition (seborrheic dermatitis). I was really stressed at work and that did not help either. If the weather is really try and cold my scalp really itches. I went to the doctor in time for it not to get to be too bad. I got some medicated treatment and shampoo to treat the scalp and that cleared up the breakage issues. I only wish I knew about this LHCF back then because the treatment/shampoo really dried my hair and I knew nothing about DC'ing. Oh well, you live and you learn. Again, just a suggestion.