What would happen if you did not wash your hair for a month with a relaxer?

[SleepyJean]

Some of my friends said they have done this in the past. What are the side effects? Breakage? Shedding? I am not going to do it, but I am curious about everyone's pass experiences with it.

 

[lexi08]

Smelly hair

 

[Nanyanika]

the longer i leave my washings is the drier my hair gets, even with using products on a daily basis. i wouldn't wait four weeks before washing my hair

 

[KhandiB]

I know 2 girls that have done that

One just cannot do her own hair, never has in her whole life. So if she doesnt have any money and cant go, she wont touch it

 

[vslady]

I don't think anything happens "per se" from not washing one's hair for a long time. I just think one would not have "optimal" hair and scalp health. But I know I did not grow up washing my own hair in the shower and was not immediatley comfortable doing so when I went off to college and would wait until I went home to go to the salon. A lot of black women have this experience.

 

[silverlotus]

I don't think anything happens "per se" from not washing one's hair for a long time. I just think one would not have "optimal" hair and scalp health. But I know I did not grow up washing my own hair in the shower and was not immediatley comfortable doing so when I went off to college and would wait until I went home to go to the salon. A lot of black women have this experience.

Agreed. Until I got to the boards, I wouldn't touch my hair. So if I couldn't make it to the salon for a month, then my hair wouldn't get washed. There was one time I relaxed and didn't wash again til i relaxed 8-9 weeks later.

To answer the OP, your hair and scalp would just be really dirty & itchy. It would probably also cause breakage too, since your hair wouldn't be getting d/ced on a regular basis. I know before I hit the boards, after two weeks without washing my hair would break all over the place.

 

[HoneyA]

After two weeks my hair gets a lot of dry scalp, dandruff...whatever you call it and my scalp looks horrible. The flakes also then start to show through the hair when I comb and they get on my clothes. It also gets a very dry, matted feel to it. So I wouldn't go for a month without washing.

 

[dlewis]

SherryLove said she didn't wash for a long period of time and her hair grew faster.

 

[Misseyl]

With a relaxer, my hair would break.. The longest I've every gone w/out washing is 3 weeks and I experienced breaking because of this...Nope, I wash every week w/a new relaxer and every 2 weeks after 10 weeks..

 

[Legend]

the longer i leave my washings is the drier my hair gets, even with using products on a daily basis. i wouldn't wait four weeks before washing my hair

ITA. I'd need an H2O infusion, stat! My hair would start breaking off. And, there's only so much S-Curl my hair could take before I needed to have a good shampoo.

But, I know some people that do this all the time. But, then, they usually wear their hair in a bun and pretty much leave their hair alone outside of a weekly scalp oiling.

 

[tenjoy]

I have done this. For a long time. I always hated salons (the wait is uuugghh) But know that I found LHCF I am upping it to once every 14 days. for low manipulation reasons and the fact that I use a clarifyer with every wash (not to mention my products cost too damn much)

 

[Junonia]

When I worked a p/t job during the holiday season. I would never have time to get my hair done. All I wanted to do was sleep and do laundry. I would not dare wash my own hair. I went three months without a wash and relaxer(Don't think my hair was stinking or my mother and g'ma would have told me). That was the most growth I ever received aside from pregnancy. My stylist couldn't get over how much my hair grew. I often wonder if not washing frequently helps promotes growth?????

Of course I had shedding and my hair was dry but that's my hair anyway.

 

[*KP*]

When I was much younger, maybe 14 or 15 I once went without washing for 8 weeks. I was also oiling my scalp with something similar to Sulphur 8. Its funny because my hair didn't smell (either that or I got used to the stink!!). My hair GREW so much and it was so thick that it broke my comb! I was around APL back then.

I don't even know how I managed it but I don't think I'll be doing it again. At the time and for most of my life I've been washing every 2 weeks but now I wash every week. My hair starts misbehaving 5 days after a wash but I normally hold out a few more days until the weekend before I wash it.

 

[Lovelylocs]

When I was much younger, maybe 14 or 15 I once went without washing for 8 weeks. I was also oiling my scalp with something similar to Sulphur 8. Its funny because my hair didn't smell (either that or I got used to the stink!!). My hair GREW so much and it was so thick that it broke my comb! I was around APL back then.

I don't even know how I managed it but I don't think I'll be doing it again. At the time and for most of my life I've been washing every 2 weeks but now I wash every week. My hair starts misbehaving 5 days after a wash but I normally hold out a few more days until the weekend before I wash it.

U probably did just get used to the smell. Grease definately has a musty smell to it.

 

[sunshinebeautiful]

Your hair would dry out and start breaking off. Not to mention the rancid smell.

 

[newflowers]

I can't imagine it. Are we talking not even rinsng it in the shower? I am imagining the smell, the itching, the flakes, the breakage - ick. I know there are some cultures that do not wash with water with frequency because of a lack of water. I hope to never live in such a place - not sure how I'd make that transition.

 

[glamazon386]

I did it before when I was relaxed. I used to go to the salon every 2 weeks and I missed one of my appts so I went at 4 weeks instead of my usual two. It's funny bc when I got there and the stylist looked at my hair she was like who redid your set (I had a wrap) for you? Your mom? I was like nobody. I haven't washed it. She was like really? Your hair didn't look dirty. I thought somebody had washed it and rewrapped it. I didn't put any products in it. I didn't use grease in my hair (still don't) All I did was wrap it every night and comb it down every morning.

I've also done it when I had a weave in and didn't know how the hair was gonna hold up once I washed it. I didn't have a problem. My hair wasn't smelly. But again, I attribute that to not using products.

I think it just depends on your hair. Also, what products you're putting in your hair. If you using more products you need to wash more frequently. Some people sweat a lot. Some people don't cover their hair at night, don't wash their scarf frequently. Some people have dandruff, etc. Those things could make your hair dirty and smelly.

I generally wouldn't go that long between washing now (I usually wash my hair once a week) but to each his own. The majority of the ladies on this board are frequent washers so I'm sure they're gonna tell you how disgusting and nasty it is. It's really not that serious. There were plenty of us who went god knows how long before washing our hair before we came to this board. YES I SAID IT! I know when I was a biweekly salon goer I did not wash my own hair on that inbetween week. It didn't get washed until I went back to the salon. And my hair grew fine. My mother is still that way and she goes to the salon infrequently. It only gets washed when she goes. And her hair is perfectly fine and healthy. And it's not smelly.

 

[ClassicBeauty]

Back when I was relaxed, I did it a few times. No problems. As long as I avoided the curling iron and blow dryer, my relaxed hair didn't break off. It didn't smell all fresh and clean, but it wasn't aweful. Now that I'm into hair care (and natural), I wouldn't do it, but I have in the past.

 

[SouthernTease]

Ew... not a good look.
I couldn't even go more than a week.
What about buildup?
What about good hygiene?
Lisa Akbari & Cathy Howse both
talk about how you should wash your scalp more
frequently in their books and there is a proper
way to wash so that you don't have to manipulate
your hair so much... the key to retaining length
is less manipulation... not less washing.
I mean think about this... what if you didn't wash your face
for a month? or your sheets? or your towels?
or your socks? or your undergarments?
Get the picture??? Hair can get bacterial infections too.
It's called folliculitis...
That is not cute... not cute.

 

[locabouthair]

i would get breakage galore and my hair would smell.

 

[Key]

I wouldn't leave the house. I would have way too much dandruff.

 

[tenjoy]

Well my hair didn't smell. And I went weeks. It was packed with cream oil though. Dandruff, I had it. Im not even frontin. But even as kids (and kids are waaayyyy grosser tha adults) you didnt get your hair wash like that. If you had a sew-in or cornrows, you cannot tell me you have not gone a month without washing!

 

[EMJazzy]

Prior to LHCF I used to wear my hair in individual braids all the time....the only time I'd wash my hair was when the braids needed to be redone. The only time I wash my hair while it was still braided was when I started a workout regimen, by day 3 my hair was stanking from the sweat and I didn't need anyone to tell me that my hair stank because I could smell that nastiness myself. To avoid messing up the braids I would cut one of the legs off of a pair of panty hose, cover my hair then wash my hair that way. Fast forward to today I went from infrequent hair washing to daily hair washing. Drastic huh?

 

[MiWay]

Back when I wasn't as educated, and quite young, I wouldn't wash my hair between relaxers for fear I'd wash the relaxer out. Nothing really happened to my hair. If it smelled, I sure didn't smell it, and it never broke off. I think it depends on what your hair is used to. I wouldn't try it now though.

 

[SleepyJean]

Oh my...this is the most responses I've ever gotten. Thanks for your opinions!

 

[glamazon386]

Well my hair didn't smell. And I went weeks. It was packed with cream oil though. Dandruff, I had it. Im not even frontin. But even as kids (and kids are waaayyyy grosser tha adults) you didnt get your hair wash like that. If you had a sew-in or cornrows, you cannot tell me you have not gone a month without washing!

I have a few times but you can wash a sew in too. I usually wash mines once a week when it's in. I just wanted to add that because some people really think that you can't wash a sew in at all.

 

[MizzBrown]

Oh my gosh, how can some of yall go so long w/o washing your hair? Especially after a relaxer since the chemicals strip your hair of everything. I can only go about 4 days. 7 Max if I don't comb or play w/ it. My hair will itch like like i have lice and the big flakes will show through and my scalp will look like it needs medical attention. If my hair isn't clean, I don't feel clean.

For that reason alone, i cannot get micro braids, cornrows, or twists or anything that requires me to NOT wash it for more than a week. Forget it!

 

[tenjoy]

Oh my gosh, how can some of yall go so long w/o washing your hair? Especially after a relaxer since the chemicals strip your hair of everything. I can only go about 4 days. 7 Max if I don't comb or play w/ it. My hair will itch like like i have lice and the big flakes will show through and my scalp will look like it needs medical attention. If my hair isn't clean, I don't feel clean.

For that reason alone, i cannot get micro braids, cornrows, or twists or anything that requires me to NOT wash it for more than a week. Forget it!

cuz we nasty

 

[rdm]

i would get breakage galore and my hair would smell.

Same here. I would not want anyone to get on an elevator with me on a warm day. The funk would be overpowering.

 

[MariposaSexyGirl]

my hair would be so nasty . My scalp starts itching after 3 days signaling me to wash it. And it has that smell to it when I rub my finger on my scalp....ugh. Then my hair gets sticky feeling.​