Woman Goes 11 Years Without Washing Hair

[Ms Lala]

THis is very interesting, others make fun of Blacks for not washing their hair often enough and this site is actually saying that its better for the hair. I use to many products to even think about this. I like straightening my hair and I don't want to attempt doing so w/o cones and cones needs to be shampooed out.

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

Well a lot of people think cowashing is nasty and unsanitary, but it works for my hair...if that works for her *shrug*

 

[Zenobia61]

If she was black and had waist-length hair, don't act like y'all wouldn't give up the poo for a while, just to see.

Girl, don't be keeping it real up in here on us. It takes all of the fun out of things

 

[KEWLKAT103]

If she was black and had waist-length hair, don't act like y'all wouldn't give up the poo for a while, just to see.

Nope
I would not and could not. I sweat in my head and need at the very least a rinse with water everyday. If my hair never grows and inch because of it, oh well, at least I won't have a dirty scalp.

As for her, whatever works. But it's not for me.

 

[LondonDiva]

I thought they preferred oily hair/oilier hair types and that's why Black women, in general, hardly get lice, b/c our scalp and hair are too dry for them to survive.

It's our hair type that make it hard for lice to survive. Lice generally love straight hair. Blacks kinkier, curlier, afro textures are not lice friendly.

 

[Bint Yusef]

I thought they preferred oily hair/oilier hair types and that's why Black women, in general, hardly get lice, b/c our scalp and hair are too dry for them to survive.

No they prefer clean hair, which is why black women dont get lice as often because of the oils and stuff added to the hair.

 

[Platinum]

If she was black and had waist-length hair, don't act like y'all wouldn't give up the poo for a while, just to see.

 

[Paradox]

I am ok with her not using shampoo, but to a me a rinse once a week would be much better.
She is doing the method from the 1800s, I remember reading an article of hair care tips from a women who had floor length hair who stated that you shouldn't wash your hair, it wasn't until later when hygiene started to become popular( even with doctor who didn't wash their hands and would spread disease, people also would go for long periods of time with taking baths) that another women with long hair began to advocate washing your hair.
Do I support using methods from the 1800s...not really.
Do I support the trend of using harsh detergents to clean now...not really.
We all just need to find our balance.

 

[wheezy807]

at least she wet it with water

yeah, atleast.. And how do you bush out smells? Someone needs to tell her about baking soda if she doesn't want to spend money on poos and cons.

 

[Nice & Wavy]

If she was black and had waist-length hair, don't act like y'all wouldn't give up the poo for a while, just to see.

Quote of the Year!!!

 

[Millahdoowop]

How can she bare it? Does she not use anything in her hair? My hair gets to itching if I go to long without washing it. Wow.

 

[camilla]

there is no way you can tell my that she does not smell she could at least rinse every few days with some JUICES AND BERRIES lol i wolder if she feels the same about bathing P........... EW

 

[poookie]

This was interesting. A lot of people over at the long hair community swear by a water-only regimen... and i suppose, if it works for them, then they should keep on trucking

however... she only wets her hair once every couple of months? if she sweats frequently, i can't see how her hair wouldn't stink.

and...
is it just me, or does she look a little musty in the picture

bad poookie.

 

[january noir]

This was interesting. A lot of people over at the long hair community swear by a water-only regimen... and i suppose, if it works for them, then they should keep on trucking

however... she only wets her hair once every couple of months? if she sweats frequently, i can't see how her hair wouldn't stink.

and...
is it just me, or does she look a little musty in the picture

bad poookie.

Actually she does... Or at least yuck mouth

 

[Cien]

Wet her hair every couple of months?

her hair HAS to stink!

I wonder if she washes the kids hair......

erplexed

 

[LondonDiva]

No they prefer clean hair, which is why black women dont get lice as often because of the oils and stuff added to the hair.

Yep you are right along with my hair type post.

"There are a number of possible explanations for the low infestation rate. One factor is the difference in hair characteristics between white and African American children. Head lice have problems latching on to curly and kinky hair. In addition, African American hair is more elliptical than white children's hair and head lice find it difficult to hold onto elliptical hair. In Africa, where the percentage of children with head lice is higher, lice have adapted their claws to better grasp elliptical hair.
Another explanation is that African Americans are more likely to use Vaseline, pomades, and hair gels. These products make the hair less hospitable to head lice."

 

[Keen]

If she was black and had waist-length hair, don't act like y'all wouldn't give up the poo for a while, just to see.

You are so right... I think I would skip a few washes but I just couldn't go more than a few weeks.

Some black women don't wash their hair when they have braids on for months. but 11 years? that's just not sanitary.

 

[Son26]

and...
is it just me, or does she look a little musty in the picture

bad poookie.

It's not just you.

*covers nose*

 

[poookie]

i bet if she washed her hair, it'd be blond or light brown underneath.

 

[jamaraa]

In most cultures, even desert based ones, there was always some sort of lathering plant that was in use long before anyone ever thought of shampoo. There were also herbs known to cleanse and condition which do not lather. The idea of shampoo came from these wide spread uses of plants.

What this woman is doing isn't so strange, but on African textured hair, esp left uncombed, you will get dread locks following this advice. This is how many people w/ uncultivated locks get and maintain them...just water.

The one issue here w/ water alone is the build up of body oils. While water will deal w/ sweat, body oils are a different matter. This is much more of an issue for people of non African descent, but oil and water don't mix so the oil is staying putting. Smell has to occur somewhere w/o removing the oils, sorry to say.

 

[poookie]

Re-Read original post. I found a second article

 

[jamaraa]

If she was black and had waist-length hair, don't act like y'all wouldn't give up the poo for a while, just to see.

LOL...this is funny and might be true for some, but they'd end up w/ uncultivated dreads.

Black people who are not seeking dreads would stop this immediately for two reasons. Their hair would be incredibly dry and breaking (if they some how managed to keep it loose) and if they left it entirely uncombed would start dreading up immediately.

Not everybody Black wants waist length hair or long hair at all, I should add.

In short, I'd never do this no matter who else did. It doesn't fit my lifestyle.

 

[MizAvalon]

Wow, I thought her hair would be disgusting but from the pictures it looks decent. At least she rinses it occasionally.

I won't be taking this advice for myself though.

 

[ladylibra]

____________________________

http://www.mirror.co.uk/2006/06/15/i-never-wash-my-hair-and-it-s-as-soft-as-dog-fur-89520-17235266/

TRICHOLOGIST, Glenn Lyons, of the Philip Kingsley Clinic in London, says natural oils do not protect hair...

"Oil is produced at the scalp and brushing will only spread it down a few centimetres, not the whole length of the shaft."

He adds: "We wear clothes to protect our skin and wash our face so why would anyone chose not to wash their hair?

"Also, we all shed skin which sits on the scalp unless shampooed away. If you have a dry scalp, massaging the glands when you shampoo it helps stimulate oil production and nourishes the skin."

For more hair care advice see www.philipkingsley.co.uk CELEBRITY hairdresser, Anita Cox, says hair is not self-cleaning..

"Rinsing hair does not clean it properly - hair reaches a certain point of dirtiness, then it remains the same."

She continues: "People need salon-formula products. A good shampoo will, with the first wash, get rid of dirt, then, with the second wash, nourish hair.

"It's fine to wash your hair daily but people ought to wash their hair twice a week at least."

For details of Anita Cox's salons see www.anitacox.co.uk

okay... my response on the bolded parts - shampoo is not the only thing that is going to clean your scalp IMO.

now the 2nd bolded part, ITA with. i think that's what makes co-washing so effective - my hair isn't totally clean, but the conditioner coats it so it's not really getting any dirtier either. my scalp however, gets cleaned of the shed skin and excess oils so it doesn't stink.

in any case, this was an interesting read OP...

 

[lovenharmony]

She can do that if she wants with her 2A hair, but not washing and moisturizing didn't work for my 3c/4a hair back then and it sure won't work for me now If all I did was wet and put coconut oil on my hair every 4 months or so, I wouldn't have any hair to take care of.

 

[ladylibra]

LOL...this is funny and might be true for some, but they'd end up w/ uncultivated dreads.

Black people who are not seeking dreads would stop this immediately for two reasons. Their hair would be incredibly dry and breaking (if they some how managed to keep it loose) and if they left it entirely uncombed would start dreading up immediately.

Not everybody Black wants waist length hair or long hair at all, I should add.

In short, I'd never do this no matter who else did. It doesn't fit my lifestyle.

okay this is the 2nd person to say this causes dreds...

the lady didn't say she doesn't comb or brush her hair for Pete's sake. she just doesn't shampoo. and there are plenty of dred-heads who use shampoo, just like there are plenty of black women who don't shampoo their hair for 2 months and DON'T have locs.

 

[JustKiya]

okay this is the 2nd person to say this causes dreds...

the lady didn't say she doesn't comb or brush her hair for Pete's sake. she just doesn't shampoo. and there are plenty of dred-heads who use shampoo, just like there are plenty of black women who don't shampoo their hair for 2 months and DON'T have locs.

Indeed. And most people who follow this regimen actually clean the oils, etc out of their hair BY brushing it - the old 100 strokes a night? Yeah, it's another way for straight hair to be cleaned.

I doubt it would work on anyone higher than a 3a, or so, as being able to brush your hair thoroughly is an essential part of the process.

 

[~~HoneyComb~~]

It's our hair type that make it hard for lice to survive. Lice generally love straight hair. Blacks kinkier, curlier, afro textures are not lice friendly.

That's what I remember being said as to why we don't get hair lice, it's our texture, not because we relax/straighten or because we use hair grease.

 

[jamaraa]

I am ok with her not using shampoo, but to a me a rinse once a week would be much better.
She is doing the method from the 1800s, I remember reading an article of hair care tips from a women who had floor length hair who stated that you shouldn't wash your hair, it wasn't until later when hygiene started to become popular( even with doctor who didn't wash their hands and would spread disease, people also would go for long periods of time with taking baths) that another women with long hair began to advocate washing your hair.
Do I support using methods from the 1800s...not really.
Do I support the trend of using harsh detergents to clean now...not really.
We all just need to find our balance.

Most of the women w/ super long hair (below calf and longer) in those days had someone else taking care of it. They had ladies maids and/or slaves doing up stuff in the back...hair and corsets.

Before the 20th century, European people had much to fear of catching colds and the like, so they didn't bathe/wash their hair so much. Even now, they bathe alot less than Americans do because most of them don't have central heating.

Back then people used detergents like borax on their hair and did mixes which usually included something like lemon to remove some of the scalp oils. The 100 strokes w/ a brush thing was to distribute the oils, but they did wash it every few months. Depending on where you are in Europe, smell wasn't such an issue because the cold didn't let them get too sweaty. Considering the lengths of hair average women had back then....modern BSL being quite short and that almost no woman over 14 wore loose hair, drying time had alot to do w/ catching colds.

The modern woman probably uses far less damaging stuff, but more often. Euros, like this woman in the article, are generally closer to the Victorian methods than modern American women.

 

[jamaraa]

okay this is the 2nd person to say this causes dreds...

the lady didn't say she doesn't comb or brush her hair for Pete's sake. she just doesn't shampoo. and there are plenty of dred-heads who use shampoo, just like there are plenty of black women who don't shampoo their hair for 2 months and DON'T have locs.

I made it QUITE clear I was referring to African hair. Those women who don't use shampoo also COMB their hair, right? I made these distinctions clear in my post. I know many women here DO NOT comb their hair and if they try this method w/o doing so...guess what?

If you ONLY use water and nothing else and you don't comb, you're hair will likely dread. Is this clear enough?

They COULD try the 100 strokes method...LOL.