When you don't wash your hair...

So sometime in highschool I heard that if you don't wash your hair and can make it through the icky period, eventually all your natural oils rebalance and things come good again (I think it was something like 6 weeks but none of us were ever game to go that long). I'm a bit ashamed to admit that my hair has gone unwashed for a couple of weeks (definite morning sickness means I've just been having a quick shower of a morning and haven't been showering at night because my daughter sleeps early and don't wish to risk waking her up) so was curious about this, is it actually worth sticking it out? Anyone ever tried this or know a friend's hairdresser's daughter's boyfriend who did? I went to wash my hair this morning and then thought hmm, maybe I don't need to... so anyone? Or do I need to stop being such a terrible morning person and just take the 30 seconds to do it haha.

Any information appreciated.

I read an article about this a while ago, about a woman who doesn't wash her hair on advice from her hairdresser. She said it took about 10 weeks to get 'naturally nice' but now it really doesn't need it. My brother hasn't washed his for years, and doesn't use any products in it. I'm surprised by how nice it feels! I'm not game to try it myself though, my hair goes pretty feral after a few days lol

i remember someone on tv did this, for a documentary or something, and they said it worked and that after a certain period their hair had never been better!

The hairdresser who last cut my hair was telling me that she only ever washes her hair once a month, (or 4-6 weeks, so she said) the other girls were giving her heaps about it but her hair actually looked and felt fantastic!
She did say that it takes a while to "train" your hair to be ok with it.

I don't use any product and haven't since dance concerts many moons ago. Have naturally straight, darkish brown hair and usually only wash it once a week as is. I did colour it (blonde, of course haha) for almost my entire senior schooling but has been its natural colour for ages now. It actually isn't looking bad at the moment, it does feel a little oily though. Hmm maybe I should stick it out, no big events on the calendar as such, do a little experiment... for science...

mine doesnt get washed very often and it takes a while for it to become really unbareable i dont like washing it coz im prone to nits as in i come into contact with school aged kids and then i have them i have freaky hair im not sure not washing helps much though if i could remember i would spray with teatree oil but oh well lol

I was discussing this with my hairdresser recently. Basically she said it's a load of b u l l and pretty unhealthy to leave your hair unwashed for any length of time as you get abuild up of oils and dirt build up on the scalp and can end up with scalp problems because of it. You need to use soap (or a form of cleanser) on your body to keep it clean so why not your hair?
That said I don't use products at all in my hair - just blow dry and if I can be bothered, straighten.
I can't go more than 2 max 3 days without washing. And it's not only my hair that feels yuck, but I get more pimples on my neck and cheeks if my hair goes unwashed from my hair touching it.

from a daily hairwasher who would probably benefit highly from this (mine is running oil by the night of the day I washed it) I can't imagine the horror both in looks and feeling I'd have to go through to do it.

I have wondered about this as well. I can believe that it rebalances after a while but wondered about people who do a lot of exercise. My hair is feral after exercise and I can't imagine not washing it.

Some guys on tv did this once as an experiment. They did close up pics of their scalp before the experiment and then after 6 weeks of not washing it. May I just say the close up pics at the end looked :sick:. There was SOOOOO much build up of dirt and dead skin cells it was really shocking! So not washing your hair for that long might be awesome for your hair, but not for your scalp! :lol: HTH

Definitely not keen on skalp fairies, looks like I'm booking my personal hairdressing fingers in tomorrow for a 7am wash. Fairwell lazy dream.

i'm going to go and wash my hair now

i never use anything but water to wash my body(and my body isnt disgusting covered in dirt) and have done the 6 week challenge... i lasted about 14 months with out washing my hair. and now i wash my hair once a fortnight ish
You can use apple cider vinegar and bicarb with a hot rinse.
I think most hairdressers would tell you you have to wash your hair.. its their business and they want you to buy products!

Just water certainly doesn't cut it with my stinky feet or grubby body that's covered in sweat and paint and bubby spew and goodness knows what else at the end of a day. What's wrong with using soap or bodywash anyway.
And my hairdresser is not wanting me to buy her products, she never has ever tried to push anything on me - we were actually discussing how yuck it is for her to have to cut smelly, rarely washed sweaty workers hair when this topic came up.
To be honest, I don't know why anyone would not want to wash their hair anyway -- what's the value of not washing your hair for months and months on end? 14 months, gosh, that's just extreme - what does your hair look and smell like after not being washed for that long - I am truely curious.

it is soft and healthy and had no smell.
too many people are addicted to everything needing to smell like flowers or vanilla.. why can it not just be like hair?
water easily gets rid of dirt and smells, it also doesn't interrupt your natural PH levels and create other skin issues. using chemicals on your body is just that using CHEMICALS.. there isn't a need for it! everything we put on/in our bodies has a huge effect on our health, as women our eggs carry a lifetime of damage because of the toxins we are exposed to.. imagine what that can do to the children from those eggs....

I used to wash my hair daily. Then I decided I didn't have the time, went to washing twice a week. Now it only needs washing twice a week - going to start eking it out further soon! Took about 3-4 months to adjust to this schedule.

FWIW, soap helps get you clean, but scrubbing with water will do just as much good. You don't need lots of product - if any at all. My skin has never been better since I stopped using products on my face (well, eye make-up remover and moisturiser, but no soap or cleanser). Either that or I'm a cheapskate who uses very little shampoo, conditioner and bodywash! And only free bottles of eye makeup remover - although that comes with the pricey moisturiser.

I have naturally curly hair and because of this it has a tendency to be a little on the dry side, which can be made worse by shampoo. I also tend to get a dry scalp.
Although I am shampooing at the moment (once a week max), I have gone for extended periods (months) before without using shampoo and this has been during times when I have exercised frequently.
Wetting your hair and giving yourself a really good scalp massage helps to lift any dry skin and sweat off your scalp, and I find that once I get past the first couple of weeks, my hair is really soft and the curls have never looked better even though I am not putting any product on them.
Because it is mainly the shampoo that drys my hair and scalp, I have also just gone for periods where I only use conditioner. Again, I give myself the scalp massage and then just condition my hair.
I have to admit, during those couple of adjusting weeks, the smell of your own hair (instead of fruit, or whatever your shmapoo smells like) can be a little confronting, but you get used to the natural smell of your hair quickly.

My ABC local radio drive presenter Richard Glover hasn’t used shampoo or any other product in his hair for a while now. He did a “no shampoo challenge” few years ago and encouraged his listeners to join him.

You might find the following interesting:
The No Shampoo challenge - Richard Glover - Opinion - smh.com.au
UPDATE! Is shampoo a ripoff? The Final results are in - ABC Sydney - Australian Broadcasting Corporation
or just Google “Richard Glover no shampoo challenge”. There’s lots of stuff out there about it. :D