Ahhh OMG I can't believe what my mother just said

[drasgrl]

I was just talking to my mother about how much my hair sheds. I washed it today and used Motions CPR. I wash once a week but lately I've been washing a few times a week (not actual washing more like wetting with no shampoo).

I just can't believe my mother just told me washing my hair once a week is too much! She told me to go a couple of weeks without washing. The horror . Of course I'm not listening to her at all. My mother has never had hair past her neck. I just was in shock. That is nasty! She told me that I'm washing all the natural oils out and that if I didn't wash it basically it would clean itself.

I'm just disgusted. Sorry I needed to vent.

 

[TrustMeLove]

I sometimes wait 2 weeks before washing my hair. I dont' see that as "nasty" or reason to be "disgusted". You gotta do what works for you. And sometimes you won't know what works until you try it.

Also some people with long hair do believe too frequent washing does get rid of the natural oils from the scalp. I've noticed by cutting down my washes (i'm talking about w/ straight conditioner) my hair feels much better and is soft and shiny. Didn't have this when I was washing every three days. And I stopped washing soo frequently, because detangling my natural hair was becoming a burden. Turns out my hair likes me for it.

 

[iris601]

My mother said the same thing to me before. If it's cold winter time, she will take cotton balls and push them through a comb, then pour alcohol on the cotton balls and wash her hair that way. Says if you wash your hair during the winter time, you'll get sick.

I gotta wash my hair because it'll get all gunky, then I can't even put a comb through my hair. When I changed to Joico K-Pak, that made a world of a difference for me.

 

[drasgrl]

I'm just not used to it. I've washed my hair once a week since the time I was born. Maybe I'll try an experiment and see how long I can go without washing it. Who wants to join me in a no wash challenge.

 

[buttaflye03]

I wash my hair every two weeks. It's what works for me. I have done once a week before but in actuality I felt it was too soon and I was wasting my time. It wasn't unril I came to LHCF that I learned that some do it daily, every few days, weekly, or every twoo weeks. Nothing nasty about it to me. We just have to find what works with our own hair.

Motions CPR is great for the shedding issue. Also try cinnamon oil (aceite de canela) on your scalp and Alter Ego Garlic treament. Best wishes.

 

[Maynard]

Unfortunately there are alot of people who think like this.

The "Keep it Dirty" Crew...

I went to school with a chick who would only wash her hair when it was time for a relaxer, cause she didnt want to "wash the perm" out.

ETA: I've washed my hair once a week since forever, I had a standing appt at the salon, so whether it got washed at home or at the salon, it got washed every week.

 

[HoneyA]

That's not surprising. Some people think that you shouldn't wash your hair every week and twice a week is just way too much, That's what a stylist told me once. I can't go past one week without washing my hair. It gets unmanageable and my scalp gets flaky. But some people are perfectly happy with washing 1x every two or three weeks. To each his own I guess...

 

[envybeauty]

I'm just not used to it. I've washed my hair once a week since the time I was born. Maybe I'll try an experiment and see how long I can go without washing it. Who wants to join me in a no wash challenge.

so at what point did your mother switch since i assume she was the one washing your hair every week when you were little. why would she wash hers so infrequently and yours frequently?

 

[Traycee]

I Co-wash almost every other day and it used to drive my Mom crazy....She would say I swear this child thinks she's white....LOL....I hope it doesn't start breaking Traycee...Well after she saw my hair starting growing like weeds ..Now she brags about it....My daughter's hair is just growing.....Tell them what it is you do to it!!

Give it time .....The more your Mom sees how your hair is flourishing she'll leave you alone!!

 

[GoingNatural]

A lot of black people associate washing with dry hair because they associate washing with shampoo, and shampoo does dry out your hair. When i tell people i wash often i often get a look of shock followed by "oh you have 'good hair' so it doesn't matter". Then i tell them cowashing works for people of all hair types, because conditioner and water put moisture back in the hair unlike the drying affects of a shampoo that strips the hair in order to "clean it".

 

[Soliel185]

I used to wash my hair every 4-7 days. I would get wash to get rid of product build-up. Now that I workout 4-6 days a week I started co-washing every day-every other day to get the salt out.

Depending on your activity level, hair type, and products I don't necessarily think it's nasty not to wash for 2 weeks at a time. I just know that I couldn't do it.

 

[naturalmanenyc]

My BFF and another woman I know both wash every 2 weeks. They both have long hair - MBL. It works for them. I may try it since I now have a new protective style that does not require me to rollerset to get the look.

 

[krissynick]

I Co-wash almost every other day and it used to drive my Mom crazy....She would say I swear this child thinks she's white....LOL....I hope it doesn't start breaking Traycee...Well after she saw my hair starting growing like weeds ..Now she brags about it....My daughter's hair is just growing.....Tell them what it is you do to it!!

Give it time .....The more your Mom sees how your hair is flourishing she'll leave you alone!!

Lol mothers man.. they too much

 

[gn1g]

Everything grows in dirt!

 

[drasgrl]

so at what point did your mother switch since i assume she was the one washing your hair every week when you were little. why would she wash hers so infrequently and yours frequently?

I really don't know. I'm pretty sure she washes at least once a week maybe once every two weeks herself. She wears weaves sometimes and said it makes her hair grow and when she has a weave she doesn't wash it. She keeps it in at least three weeks at a time most times.

 

[Traycee]

Everything grows in dirt!

 

[Duchesse]

I'm not even gonna lie. In highschool there were times when I would only wash my hair when I relaxed..like every 2 months. My hair would be so limp and greasy, it wouldn't even itch my scalp would be so coated with nastiness.

Your mother was probably only trying to help in the way that she knew how.

 

[drasgrl]

Everything grows in dirt!

.......

 

[Lady Esquire]

I Co-wash almost every other day and it used to drive my Mom crazy....She would say I swear this child thinks she's white....LOL....I hope it doesn't start breaking Traycee...Well after she saw my hair starting growing like weeds ..Now she brags about it....My daughter's hair is just growing.....Tell them what it is you do to it!!

Give it time .....The more your Mom sees how your hair is flourishing she'll leave you alone!!

Yup. Same exact story for my mom and MIL...now they both are eating their words.

The "keep it dirty" mentality is just another myth that is plagueing black hair.

 

[MizAvalon]

Well, lots of people go 2 weeks, sometimes more, without washing their hair and their hair is fine.

But unwashed hair certainly won't clean itself!

 

[Lady Esquire]

Yeah, I agree that some of the longest, healthiest heads of hair on this board go 2 weeks or more without washing. But these women have a SOLID REGIMEN ON LOCK, so they are retaining growth in the interim.

However, if one is not washing for such periods of time, while abusing heat, gels, and other bad habits....well we all know that is just asking for breakage. I was one of these women. Hell, even if I go back to washing every 2 weeks or more, now that I know what I know, I am better off than most of those women who are keeping it dirty for the wrong reasons.

 

[Barbara]

I have almost waist length type 4a/b hair, so my hair should not be washed more than once a week, according to my stylist. Less manipulation is better. Once every two weeks or twice a month has been the norm for me.

 

[Isis]

I have almost waist length type 4a/b hair, so my hair should not be washed more than once a week, according to my stylist. Less manipulation is better. Once every two weeks or twice a month has been the norm for me.

That is interesting. I'm still doing 2x each week (Cathy Howse method) which has been working very well for me. I make sure I dilute my shampoo which makes a big difference. I would so love to wash less and still have my hair look great. My hair just doesn't look as good or fresh after 4 days.

 

[jada1111]

That is interesting. I'm still doing 2x each week (Cathy Howse method) which has been working very well for me. I make sure I dilute my shampoo which makes a big difference. I would so love to wash less and still have my hair look great. My hair just doesn't look as good or fresh after 4 days.

Mine doesn't either. I need to wash my hair twice a week, because I get bad itchies. Also, I just like having CLEAN hair.

 

[marla]

I'm not even gonna lie. In highschool there were times when I would only wash my hair when I relaxed..like every 2 months. My hair would be so limp and greasy, it wouldn't even itch my scalp would be so coated with nastiness.

Your mother was probably only trying to help in the way that she knew how.

Gurl,
I did that one time, and I stress one time. My hair was so dry and brittle and my scalp was so full of dandruff. I will never do that again! I too was under the impression the more you just leave it alone, the more it would grow! WRONG! I wash twice a week, with one of them being a cowash. It works for me, maybe I will have to change it, but until then....

 

[SleepyJean]

It's not nasty. I NEVER have dandruff. I really only get dandruff from grease ne ways. I've washed my hair every two weeks for a long time. There are many people who do. I don't think it stifles length retention at all. My hair is actually retaining more .

 

[metalkitty]

I think most people who say that dirt grows the hair and that washing dries out your hair is misinformed to an extent, but I think in their heads they're assuming you use a harsh shampoo like Suave all the time and skip conditioning products and just blowdry and flat iron. THAT I'd imagine would make alot of people bald quick in theory .
Most of my life I had super thick, mid back length hair ( until I was 17 and almost killed it) but when I was a child and through most of my teenage years I'd just go get my hair washed and pressed at the 'salon' about once a month at the most. This was the only time I'd get my hair washed, in between visits I'd gently scrape the dandruff/ dry skin off my scalp with a small comb and grease with Blue Magic. My hair always has shedded and broke a bit but I had alot of hair so it wasn't noticeable.
Nowadays, I'd prefer to wash my hair every other day or so, but I do it twice a week since I live with my parents and my mom would flip if she even found out I wash my hair twice weekly. Overbearing, misinformed moms ftw erplexed, lol...

 

[RosesBlack]

For me it really depends on the weather. I am still bunning ohwell and for the last month and a half or so have gone every two weeks. When we had cold snap (cold for WA) my scalp was like WTF and washing made it worse. So I left it alone and it feels a lot better now.

That said, I think it also depends on what other products I'm using. Lately I've been all about straight coconut oil and my growth mix and my scalp wasn't feeling dirty or gross. Your mileage may vary as they say.

 

[dicapr]

I had a similar conversation just last night. A lady at my church was saying how her color had taken out her hair but it was her fault because she had gone 4 weeks without washing and conditioning her hair because she couldn't get to the hairdressers. I told her that was way too long go without washing. Her reasoning was that she does not use any grease or oil on her hair (just her scalp) so her hair isn't dirty. I just said that if I wore the same item of clothes day in and day out for a month without washing it you would be like . I don't think that product/greasyness is the true measure of dirt. After being out in the environment, I personally believe hair needs to at least be rinsed through at least every 10 days.

 

[blazingthru]

I guess you have to find what works for you. I co wash almost everyday. I shampoo whenever, I keep the shampoo in the shower along with the conditioner so I just decide when I want to shampoo and usually thats if I feel I have product built up. I use to once every two weeks then once a week but when I changed to co washing I saw the difference in my hair growth---finally after many years of doing the same thing. When I changed my hair took off. After three days of no washing I start to withdrawal. So I immediately get in and wash my hair. More power to those who can go every two weeks, I would never attempt it again, I been there and it wasn't pretty.