Faster Growth = WASHING or just WETTING the scalp?

[Muse]

I'm planning on seeking a more moisturizng SF shampoo so I can start pooing daily. I'm starting to love shampoo.

I know me too and I'm in the daily cowashing challenge. They might kick me out now, lol. I have been pooing with Jason Natural Normalizing Shampoo Rose And Chamomile lately. It's pH balanced and for daily use but I use it on my scalp every other day. I was using CON green label and every other moisturizing poo under the sun but I find that all moisturizing poos leave white build up on my scalp just like cowashing. This Jason poo gets rid of that and does not dry my hair out. I was driving with my window down today and I actually felt the breeze on my scalp. It was so nice! I hadn't realized how much build up I actually had on my scalp from cowashing and using poos that leave a film.

I asked the question a/b other races hair growing longer on average than blacks is it b/c of frequent washing. I have yarn braids and decided to test that theory. I have been co-washing 3 times a a week and at 6 weeks, I have nearly 2 inches of new growth. My hair averages not quite 1/2 inch per month so this is significant growth.

That's great!

 

[MaryJane3000]

I think this really depends on the product one uses for their hair. If you're using hair products that have a lot of cones in them, then I think you do need to use a shampoo at least once a month to prevent you from getting a build up which can lead breakage and unmoisturized hair.

 

[HoneyA]

I think it's just any sort of moisture that leads to good growth and retention. Just spraying or wetting the scalp and the length of the hair (especially the ends) with something moisturising and that doesn't strip the hair will promote faster retention. That has been my experience anyway.

 

[girlonfire]

I get the sense that a lot of the ladies replying to this post are relaxed. I am natural and i would like to wash may hair more frequently but it seems like a hassle.i do however believe that a clean yet moisturized scalp rears healthy hair care.
About the thing about other races and frequent washing, i feel that might me the key, it's just a matter of cleaning the scalp effectively and at the same time keeping my hair looking nice. Idk i just always felt like washing my hair 2 days after styling was like a redo button then I'd have to start all over. Thoughts ladies? Oh also the book, science of black hair says that a clean scalp is essential to hair growth and that the scalp is self regulating to heavy oils and greases may actually impede hair growth

 

[yuhlovevybz]

One of the biggest mistakes people make is not washing their hair often enough. You need to remove dirt and oil or your pores will be clogged. Oil is not water soluble so you need a detergent of some sort.

 

[southerncitygirl]

neither clean scalp & hair follicles equal a foundation for healthy growth as well as proper diet/exercise and maintanence/techniques.

 

[Kindheart]

The Scalp is skin .Would "you" just spritz the rest of your body with water instead of showering with soap?

 

[dicapr]

The Scalp is skin .Would "you" just spritz the rest of your body with water instead of showering with soap?

I've said this for years. Just because your hair isn't oily doesn't mean that your scalp and hair don't need to be cleansed regularly.

 

[koolkittychick]

I think shampooing (even with a mild, diluted shampoo) is necessary to maintain optimal scalp health. Even cowashing can leave a residue on your scalp that can impede growth, and rinsing (even frequently) will not remove the buildup of dirt, oil and shed skin that can accumulate on your scalp over time. Washing with a diluted shampoo in an applicator bottle and focusing just on washing the scalp, with the runoff doing most of the work of gently cleansing the hair, can mitigate some of the dryness you may experience from putting the shampoo directly on your hair to wash it.

 

[Muse]

I get the sense that a lot of the ladies replying to this post are relaxed. I am natural and i would like to wash may hair more frequently but it seems like a hassle.i do however believe that a clean yet moisturized scalp rears healthy hair care.
About the thing about other races and frequent washing, i feel that might me the key, it's just a matter of cleaning the scalp effectively and at the same time keeping my hair looking nice. Idk i just always felt like washing my hair 2 days after styling was like a redo button then I'd have to start all over. Thoughts ladies? Oh also the book, science of black hair says that a clean scalp is essential to hair growth and that the scalp is self regulating to heavy oils and greases may actually impede hair growth

Yup. When I replied to this post over 3 years ago I was transitioning so I had relaxed ends that made shampooing every other day less of a problem. I am fully natural now (and 4b at that) and cannot get away with shampooing every other day because my hair is now a beast to detangle.

 

[BonBon]

For the first 3 years on here (and most of my life) I washed 1-2x per week with shampoo.

The past two years I washed 1x per month with shampoo.

No difference in my growth rate.

 

[Kindheart]

Cleaning the scalp and get rid of build up is essential for growth.
This is my hair . I wash it and DC once a week and use butters every other day to seal moisture.

 

[Muse]

View attachment 240827
Cleaning the scalp and get rid of build up is essential for growth.
This is my hair . I wash it and DC once a week and use butters every other day to seal moisture.

Beautiful hair!

 

[NatRel]

Neither washing with shampoo or keeping the scalp moist with affect the actual growth rate of the hair because the speed that hair grows is genetically determined. In the same way that washing or moisturising your hands wont affect how fast your nails grow. I wash my scalp once a month with a clay based cleanser. My scalp doesn't really sweat or get greasy and I don't use alot of product on my hair so I don't have to wash my scalp more frequently. I can go (and have gone) three months without washing my hair, my growth rate is never affected... No external hair practice affects growth, they can only influence length retention and retention has more to do with the strength of the hair shaft vs the amount of mechanical stress it is subject to.

 

[SunRai Naturals]

I've measured my hair consistently over the past five years & have documented my growth rate with frequent washing/co-washing & without. My hair grows out of my scalp faster when water hits my scalp frequently.
Also I've seen my husbands hair fill in from being bald (follicles still present) with the use of a water based leave-in spray with essential oils like peppermint. External factors do influence growth rate IMO.

 

[NatRel]

But see the thing is hair grows randomly. No two hair strands are in the same phase of their hair growth cycle so even if your measuring (which I do as well) discrepancies are due to the randomness of hair growth and not your practices. In the same way your skin cells will replenish themselves despite the shower gel you use.

Even though essential oils are known to penetrate the scalp (and so are able to have some kind of internal action) unless your hubs had an identical bald spot that he didn't apply the leave-in spray to how would you know it was the spray that helped?

But that's not the issue because I use essential oils in my hair care routine because they are known to be able to penetrate skin but I mean external acting factor do not influence growth rate.

 

[NatRel]

Oh and it could be that you're retaining length better when you are wetting your hair rather than it is growing faster. That's much more likely...

 

[iVR]

But see the thing is hair grows randomly. No two hair strands are in the same phase of their hair growth cycle so even if your measuring (which I do as well) discrepancies are due to the randomness of hair growth and not your practices. In the same way your skin cells will replenish themselves despite the shower gel you use. Even though essential oils are known to penetrate the scalp (and so are able to have some kind of internal action) unless your hubs had an identical bald spot that he didn't apply the leave-in spray to how would you know it was the spray that helped? But that's not the issue because I use essential oils in my hair care routine because they are known to be able to penetrate skin but I mean external acting factor do not influence growth rate.

Yea but you just mentioned the fact that you only wash your hair once a month. Even if you don't really sweat in the head by not washing more frequently you receive the penetrating power of essential oils. You skin is exposed to water and moisturizers daily. So you can't really compare the two. Also moisturizing your hands everyday with the right lotion or moisturizer does make your nails grow faster.

 

[Pinkicey]

Washing helps the hair to grow so that way the hair won't have a bunch of nasties clogging the follicle. If you only put water on your scalp than it will just act as a home for the nasties to accumulate.

 

[PinkSunshine77]

My hair needs to be clean with shampoo and moisturized regularly. I couldn't vote.

 

[CICI24]

I could imagine washing the hair more frequently would rid the scalp of excess dht which would allow the hair to grow faster. In addition, I read somewhere that washing with warm water then rinsing the hair with cool water causes a stimulating effect on the scalp.

 

[almond eyes]

Personally, I see a big difference in my hair from washing and wetting daily. Now my hair when I was younger was very soft and coily, curly and long. As I got older it started to look dry and I no longer had coils or curls. Mum started saying my hair looked rough and I hated to have my hair combed. I used product after product. I relaxed thinking it would make my hair less dry but that didn't help. Then I would go natural and my hair was still dry. Even when my hair grew past a bit past APL it would remain dry.

I tried on several occasions the washing your hair daily but I still didn't see changes. For me the only way my hair would be moist would be through glopping on lots of oils and products. I think at that time it didn't work because I used a stripping shampoo and my hair was still very damaged.

Now that I am natural again through having shaved my hair, I began washing my hair everyday and conditioning it. My barber told me to use a mild shampoo. At first, I resisted and my mother would always scream out, "are you washing your hair again?, you know our hair can't be washed that often." Then I was like Mum when I was younger you washed my hair everyday and my hair had a different texture then.

So, it's been two months and I can't say that washing my hair everyday has made it grow faster but I will say the following, that washing my hair everyday and rinsing it in the evening with water has turned my hair into a completely different hair. My hair is soft and the cuticles lie low and it doesn't look dry. I think the key is to wash the hair everyday or several times a week to prevent dryness and snapping. I think moist hair accepts products much better.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[Willow00]

I usually scrub my scalp and hair under the shower with warm/hot water and without shampoo (sensitive skin and scalp...can't use most things). I think the act of removing dirt from the scalp while moisturizing the scalp and hair is good for hair growth regardless if shampoo is used.

 

[Neomorph]

I have been washing my hair twice a week with shampoo for about 2 months now. I've noticed a significant increase in the overall health of my hair and scalp. I have eczema on the scalp so keeping it free of flakes has helped contribute to my hair health. My hair also is really moisturized so I don't have to add a leave in or oil every day. I just do it on wash day and my hair is good until the next time. I've had better length retention with this process as well.

I imagine the scalp to be like soil for our hair. Healthy soil makes for a healthier plant. A healthy scalp makes for a healthier head of hair.