For context, I wash my hair every other day. Physically cannot go longer lol. Even with that, I’m sick of being self conscious about my oily hair, icky feeling scalp, and general griminess just as often, or more often, than I actually enjoy my hair. I have enough deep rooted self esteem issues and this is not worth it. If my hair hasn’t been “trained” in the 10 years I’ve been trying, it’s not gonna be. So my questions:
1) is it really so unhealthy for me to just wash my hair every day?
2) what (affordable) products do you recommend to keep hair moisturized and healthy with daily washes?
3) I am a natural brunette but enjoy getting my dirty blonde balayage done every ~6 mo. I can’t really afford to get it touched up more often than that right now. Considering the transition to daily washes, what are some quality color preserving shampoos & other products? I’ve been using “not your mothers” but it does not seem to clean my hair – it dries as greasy as it was pre wash.
ETA: the suggestions you guys have offered are so appreciated! I’ve already ordered neutrogena salicylic acid scalp cleanser and a scalp exfoliating brush. I’m usually obsessing so much over facial skin care but I haven’t stopped to think about doing the extra stuff for the skin under my hair lol. I can’t wait to give some of these strategies a try!
It’s ok to daily wash. Everyone’s hair is different and we have different wash frequencies.
I think some of the issue may arise with colour longevity since you mention that you have colour treated hair. If you’re going to wash daily, then the colour may not last as long. I would probably recommend the L’Oréal Ever Pure colour conditioner. I use that one for my ash blonde hair (natural brunette).
If you want to try prolonging your wash frequency, I would recommend double shampooing. My hair seems to last longer when I double shampoo.
I have super fine hair and if I go a day with out washing it gets super stringy and oily. I find washing my hair daily with a gentle moisturizing shampoo keeps my scalp from getting too dry.
I’m a hairdresser. If your hair needs to be washed daily, wash it daily. Just keep an eye on its condition, and use good products. Chances are good the oils will slow down as you age.
It’s also not necessarily bad to use a sulfate shampoo. Everyone is different.
I swear by Batiste dry shampoo for in between days. I wash about every other day. As for color, I’ve used some purple shampoo but it’s not excellent. Any of it. You can schedule a tone/glaze every couple months between coloring. It’s usually about 40$ and lasts about 8 weeks. Much cheaper than the full shabang.
Wash your hair.
Oil production is controlled by hormones. You can’t “train” your scalp to product more or less oil. I mean, you can just kind of get used to having greasy/dirty hair, but your scalp doesn’t react differently.
Per my dermatologist, it’s best to wash your hair as often as your hair type tolerates. Daily is best, but some very curly hair types cannot withstand daily wetting/washing.
So yes. Wash your hair.
I don’t know why this shit refuses to die. If you need to wash your hair daily, do it!
I washed every day for years. If you have to, you have to. It can dry your hair out though, so if you do go that route, use a salon grade shampoo.
You can possibly go every 2 days and use a dry shampoo in between?
If your hairstyle is shoulder length or shorter I’d just wash ever day though.
I’m in my late 40s and still have an oily scalp. Big bonus though, I have great skin and look a lot younger. Finally the pay off for years of oil slick but I had to wait a long time for it!
Everyone’s scalp is different so if you need to wash everyday, do it! Like others have mentioned, your only worry may be the longevity of your color so use a color-safe shampoo and conditioner when you wash.
If you don’t want to wash your hair everyday, consider getting to the root cause of the oiliness! Have you exfoliated your scalp? Used salicylic acid washes or even scalp brushes to try and slough off dead skin? Treat the skin on your scalp the way you treat the skin on your face – cleanse and keep it moisturized!
Not shampooing all the time could benefit with dryness in the hair strands themselves but if you don’t notice a problem, just do what works best for you and your lifestyle.
I don’t wash my hair everyday because I’m incredibly lazy and have curly hair, so I tend to wash only twice a week! But that’s because it’s what works for me and my scalp!
Please, stop hurting yourself and wash your hair as often as you need, yes even daily. It is really ok. You cannot train your hair – this is one of the most harmful hygiene related myths ever.
Try: shampoo with salicylic acid or a clarifying shampoo. Do you touch your hair a lot? Like run your fingers through your hair to get it out of the way? Do you blow dry it after washing or let it air dry?
Also, how do you place your conditioner? Do you use it at the very ends of your hair or all-throughout? Definitely double shampoo if you don’t already, like the other commenter mentioned.
I washed my hair every day from the time I was 14 until I was 45. There’s nothing wrong with daily shampooing if your hair is oily.
Batiste dry shampoo saved my life. I use it for years and finally i can have fresh hair for up to 3 days!
Double shampoo, like it says on the directions.
Conditioner only from ear length below.
Don’t use too many products. And I advise watching Blowout Professor on yt. He really gave solid advice on how to go without washing at least three days. Most of the time poeple just don’t know how to wash their hair.
Maybe try conditioner first, then shampoo once or twice? It might be built up conditioner that weighs down on your hair and makes it seem even more greasy. Also, maybe try getting your hair away from your face during night, putting your hair in a braid or a bun, it made all the difference for me.
Double Shampooing will help your hair be less greasy, as that’s helped me immensely with my greasy hair
I use a shampoo with no harsh detergents. It’s runnier and doesn’t lather as well, but it unlike regular shampoo with parabens and sulfates etc, it doesn’t strip my scalp of natural oils, which in turn means my scalp doesn’t over produce oils. I’ve been using this method for about a year now? It’s seriously made a huge difference, I used to have really oily hair and now I wash my hair once a week.
Same when I tried. Join us over at r/dailywash. 🙂 I wash my hair daily and regret the 2 years I spent trying to wash every other day.
The dirty scalp smell is unholy People with dirty hair cant smell it so they dont realize it. Please wash your hair as soon as it gets Greasy – at least for people around
A little late to the party but I’ve had the exact same issue for all of my life with oily hair. I could never understand how people went days or weeks without washing… Then I read in this sub where someone recommended double shampooing and it has been a game changer. I still wash my hair about every 3-4 days for preference, but it’s no where near as oily by then and still healthy/not dried out. Between washing days, I’m using a little Bumble & Bumble dry shampoo powder when going out or want to freshen up.
If your hair is dirty then wash it. I’m in the same boat as you. I’m way too oily not to wash everyday. They only way I will skip is if I shower in the late afternoon or evening. I will put dry shampoo in the night before. I find that it key. I’m still self conscious though.
I have very fine hair and my scalp gets rather oily too. I look best when it’s washed every day due to my hair type and oil production. It’s ok to wash every day if your hair type needs it, and I think “training” is a myth.
If you want to try one more thing to extend the life of your color treatments, you could try the double shampoo others mentioned. And, you can also try sectioning your hair in the shower and shampooing each section. That way, you’re washing your hair and scalp more evenly. This method removes dirt and excess oil better, so it is possible you might extend your length of time between washes.
If you find your hair to still be lifeless and oily despite these efforts, you can wash everyday. Even if you still need to wash every day though, double shampoo and shampooing sections of hair I’ve found has made my hair look much nicer, though I still have to almost daily wash.
The good thing about blonde baylage though is that there’s purple shampoos you can buy to keep your blonde colors looking fresh even with daily washing. You don’t have to use the purple shampoo daily, but you can use it weekly or every few days to avoid brassiness.
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I’ve been a hairdresser for 32 years. There are a lot of different factors that can contribute to greasy hair. The 1st for me is the wrong shampoo! My favorite shampoo that I’ve been using for years is Biolage Normalizing shampoo. It’s a PH balanced shampoo. Well water can also change the ph balance of your scalp as can city water. You can wash your hair everyday. You just need the right product. I would start with a proper shampoo. You can get the same brand conditioner but the most important thing is shampoo. Also, some products can leave a build up in your hair and make it greasy. Buy some good ole fashioned clear vinegar and add that to your shampoo to take any buildup out. Lather your hair with shampoo and add a 1/2 cup of vinegar and massage it in. Rinse and condition. Hope this helps.
You have a moisture resistant hair aka low porosity…Try sheamoistue’s new low porosity shampoo and conditioner. Helps the scalp and hair. I found it at Ulta. Right now it’s on sale, buy one, get one 40% off. Good luck!!
A friend of mine went on acutane and her greasy hair disappear.