If you follow me on Instagram and have watched my recent Instastories, you may have seen where I talked about seeing how long I could go without washing my hair.
Now, let me be clear, I’m not talking about trying to put off hygiene or walking around with dirty, smelly hair. Those of you who know me well know that I am kind of a clean freak. I mean, I’m the person who can’t stand to not shower or shave her legs every. single. day.
However, when it comes to washing my hair, I’m all about skipping as many days as possible while still having hair that looks decently clean, isn’t all greasy, and smells clean.
Some of you who have short hair are probably laughing that I’d think about skipping days washing my hair. I mean, it probably only takes you a few minutes to wash and dry your hair and you are good to go.
Because let’s face it: When you have as thick and long of hair as I do, it’s a process to wash and blow dry it. In fact, it usually takes me a good 25 minutes from start to finish to wash and blow dry it and then a little bit more time to style it.
Since I really have no desire to spend 25 minutes washing and drying my hair multiple times per week, I’ve gotten creative and found ways to go at least 4-6+ days between washing my hair.
Many of you have reached out to me and asked how on earth I manage to only wash my hair every 4-6 days, so I figured some of you might be interested in an entire post dedicated to answering this question. If you’re not interested in these types of details of my life, well, you can scroll right on past! 😉
Here are my top 7 tips for washing your hair less often (please note: these are just what work for ME. My hair and your hair are very different, so I can’t guarantee that these will work for you):
1. Don’t Wash Your Hair as Often
I’ve found this to be true and have heard this from multiple people: you can train your hair to be less greasy, just by washing it less. For real.
At first, this is hard. You’ll want to start by just slowly testing this out. Pick a week when you aren’t really going anywhere or can wear a ball cap and wait an extra day to wash your hair. The next week, do the same. By the 3rd or 4th week, you should notice that your hair is less greasy.
2. Don’t Use as Much Hair Product
Many hair products can cause your hair to be greasier and need to be washed more often. Try weaning yourself off of using as much hair product slowly and see if it makes a difference.
I usually only use a little leave-in conditioner and a little hair oil after I wash my hair. And then, on some days, I’ll use a little bit of hairspray. Any time I use a lot of hair product (such as when I have my hair in a formal updo or something), I notice that my hair is much greasier.
3. Don’t Touch Your Hair
If you have a hairstyle that requires you to be touching your hair (moving your bangs out of your face, etc.), it’s going to be a lot more oily because of the oil from your hands.
If possible, don’t touch your hair — move your bangs over to the slide, run your fingers through your hair, etc. as this will make it oily and mean that you’ll need to wash it more often.
This is one reason I love wearing it up… because then you just don’t touch your hair once it is fixed! 🙂
4. Wear Your Hair Up
I usually wear my hair down on days 1-3 and then I’ll wear it up (or wear a hat) on days 4-6. I’ve found that it’s much easier to get your hair up in a bun or a blob if it has a little grease and texture to it — which it usually will have a lot more of a few days after you wash it.
Need some ideas for ways to wear your hair up? Watch this video here (I did Messy Bun #5 in the photos above). I also love the braid updo look here and do something similar to that sometimes when I’m feeling fancy.
5. Wear a Hat
I told you how I’ve become a big fan of hats. They are especially great for when your hair is a little greasy but it doesn’t quite need to be washed yet. You can just braid it over to the side or do a side ponytail or do a low messy bun and then put on the hat.
People will probably compliment you on how cute you look all day long — and you can just smile and giggle over the fact that it took you all of one minute and meant that you didn’t have to wash your hair yet again! 🙂
6. Use Dry Shampoo
I actually don’t use dry shampoo that often, but it comes in handy on days when you workout and have sweat more or you probably really do need to wash your hair but you don’t have time.
I just sprinkle it on at the roots and then comb or brush it out. Dry shampoo is also great for adding some texture to your hair if you’re struggling to get it to go up in a messy bun.
7. Wear It Up When You Work Out
The biggest question I get about only washing my hair every 4-6 days is, “How on earth do you not have to wash your hair after working out??”
I do get really sweaty on certain work out days (especially my long run days). I try to plan those for the day I need to wash my hair since if my entire head of hair is dripping with sweat, it really needs to be washed.
However, on most days — when I’m just doing weight-lifting or shorter runs — I just wear my hair up and then let it air dry or blow dry it a little after working out and I’m good to go. On some days, if I’ve sweat more than usual, I’ll use a little dry shampoo, too.
Washing Your Hair Less Saves You Time & Money
It saves time. Time that I can invest in other things — like money-saving or money-making endeavors, or just being with my family or other more important things that rinsing and lathering my hair! Not only do I spend less time washing it, but I spend less time fixing it since I’ve found it’s so much easier to fix second day hair or third day hair or, gulp, sixth day hair, than it is to fix hair the day you wash it.
It saves money. It means less water used for showers, less shampoo used, less conditioner used, fewer hair products used, fewer electricity used for the blow dryer. (Okay, so if you’re looking for money-saving tactics, probably skipping washing your hair is not going to save you hundreds of dollars per year, but it will definitely save you at least some money!)
I make my own dry shampoo with cornstarch and cocoa powder and put in old seasoning jar and sprinkle it on. I have curly layered hair so hard to put it up. Keeping my hands out of my hair helps!
Thanks for sharing the tips! -Jordan, MSM Team
I wash my hair every four days or more l. I did this to get it back to being healthy after it fried during a highlighting session. I haven’t colored or cut it since July and washing only twice a week has dramatically improved my hair health. Also, when I DO wash it I use the medium setting on my blow dryer instead of hot. My hair has grown so long and is so healthy now!
Wow! Thanks for sharing your experience! -Jordan, MSM Team
I love this post! I am a mother of 5 (3 boys & 2 girls age 7mo- 12yr) and a Girl Scout leader, so I don’t usually have the extra time to take a shower more than 1 to 2 times a week. I always wear my hair up and it usually doesn’t get greasy until day 5 or 6.
Crystal, what do you do with your hair in the shower everyday then? Do you wear some sort of shower cap? Or you wet your hair, just don’t wash it? This is always my struggle – if I shower without wetting my hair, it ends up getting frizzy and hard to manage.
One other big money and time saver for less frequent hair washing is saving your hair color. I use semi-permanent hair color which washes out, and fades with time.
I love that you emailed about this today, because I have been testing some different natural shampoos to review… I was just thinking about how to share with my readers that I don’t wash my hair very often. Haha.
I did the ‘no shampoo’ thing a few years back, and went a whole summer only washing my hair once a week or less. Before that, my hair was greasy within a day or two after showering, but after my ‘detox,’ I could go a week without it looking greasy at all.
Now I wash a couple times a week with a more natural shampoo (no sulfates, parabens, etc.). My theory is that really strong chemical shampoos tend to strip the scalp of all it’s oils and also cause the scalp to absorb toxins. Then the body has to work extra hard to replace the oils on the scalp, and push out the toxins, which could be why some people (me) end up with extra-greasy hair in just a day or two. Genetics, individual hair type, and other things of course play a part too – I just notice how much of a difference natural shampoos make for me!
Thanks for sharing this Crystal. Very interesting to hear someone elses story on this. I admire you can go 4-6 days! I loved reading your tips on how you do it. Some of the tips I am coming to already realize so perfect timing. I used to wash every other day. Now I have gotten to where I can go 3 days sometimes 4. I would love to go even more! I bet your hair is healthier too? I hear when it can be nourished with its own natural serum and natural oils. I can tell my hair seems to be healthier. I also have done away with shampoos that have junk in them and use better product.
This article really hit home for me. I have long, thick hair. My issue is time. I have two small kids and not time to wash my hair!!!
I have almost floor length hair. I have found that washing it too often makes the ends very dry, probably because the oils from my scalp can’t possibly get to the bottom. I usually wash it twice a week, unless there are unusual circumstances (like when we swam in the ocean in Hawaii). I have a careful washing routine. I keep two different shampoos and conditioners at hand and alternate between them so that my hair doesn’t get too used to them. I apply conditioner only to the hair that is below my shoulders, as I feel the oils from my scalp can reach the rest. I use hairspray sparingly because I think it attracts dust, pollens, etc. I agree that your hair will adjust to the routine you give it.
Oh my goodness! I keep hearing this in my real life. Maybe Someone is trying to tell me something….I just love my hot showers! And I’m kind of afraid my face would be too greasy as well, if I skipped a shower every day. Maybe one month this summer I’ll try it out. Also, our bun up-dos always look AH-mazing! #hairgoals
I have just started this process, but I make sure I wash and moisturize my face really well daily and haven’t noticed any adverse effects or extra greasiness to my face.
I recently started using Batiste Dry Shampoo in “Beautiful Brunette” and I love it! I’m on day 5 hair, which is a little long for me, and it’s looking a little sad, but I’m still able to wear it down using the dry shampoo. It has a little bit of color to it, which I haven’t actually noticed on my hair, but I DO notice there’s no white streaks or powder residue as with other dry shampoos. It definitely makes a HUGE difference in how long I can get away without shampooing, and I definitely did notice how much less greasy my hair was after I prologed washings (if I didn’t wash daily, my hair used to be super flat and greasy). I definitely recommend the Batiste to anyone with brown hair…it also helps to add volume when my hair is not its cleanest. Good post!
I am not able to wash my hair very often at all right now due to pregnancy restrictions. (Record is several weeks). I have found that my hair is no longer as dependent on washing to keep from getting greasy, but my scalp hasn’t adjusted as well and is still a bit flaky. Ick!
I am looking forward to implementing some of your tips even when I have the ability to wash my hair more often. My hair is long and thick as well so I am open to anything that reduces my time spent blowdrying or walking around all day with wet hair.
I am on restricted activity right now due to my high-risk pregnancy so I am not able to wash my hair very often at all. (Record is several weeks). I have found that my hair is no longer as dependent on washing to keep from getting greasy, but my scalp hasn’t adjusted as well and is still a bit flaky. Ick!
I am looking forward to implementing some of your tips even when I do have the ability to wash my hair more often. My hair is long and thick as well so I am open to anything that reduces my time spent blowdrying or walking around all day with wet hair.
I was able to wash 2x a week but then I got a fancy haircut that requires styling. Also I have always looked terrible in a baseball cap, they never seem to fit my head no matter the style. Now I usually shampoo the bang area and condition the rest almost veryday.
You are so fortunate you found something that works so well for you! Sadly, I have pollen allergies and must wash my hair every evening to get the pollen out.
Oh! That would be hard. 🙁
Hi! I discovered this process about six months ago…and I love it. I have long thick hair and trying to wash it each day or even every other day was more than I could take. With four young kiddos, and I have to be out the door by 7:00 each morning there just isn’t time so I’ve relegated my hair washing to Sunday. I usually wear my hair down 3-4 days, dry shampoo and up in a high bun days 5 & 6. Its such a relief not to have to worry about washing my hair all the time!
A great side affect when you get old you will have more hair than most other’s your age. Washing using lots of product and blow drying or curling iron heat tend to destroy the hair. If you wash less, dry less and treat less you end up with more later on. I have about as much hair as most 35 to 40 year olds and I’m in my 60’s and most folks think i’m forty something. Today while I was out shopping with my grandson who is 5 a mom stopped me and asked if he was my youngest. I said no his father is and she just about dropped.
Has anyone tried brushing her hair with a boar bristle brush? I have curly hair & it looks better un-brushed, but I find my scalp itches much less (& looks a little less greasy at the crown) if I brush it thoroughly right before showering and on off days when it’s going to be in a braid or something anyway.
I definitely think it has to do with hair type and skin type, as well. I agree with a few people above that fine hair in general (there are always exceptions) doesn’t do well without daily washings. Mine looks terrible if not washed daily. I’m not a believer that you can ‘train’ hair to be less oily. I have a couple of fine-haired girls at my office that CLEARLY only wash their hair every other day (I know for a fact because we’ve all discussed hair-washing frequency!), and on the non-wash days, you can most definitely see the grease. If it could be trained, then considering that they wash every other day as a standard, there wouldn’t be any grease, especially after only 1 day has passed. However, there are other full-haired girls at my office who can skip washings for several days with no obvious signs… I haven’t personally met or seen (that I personally know) any fine-haired girls that can pull off the skip days, but I’m sure there are some out there!
if your hair is normal to dry consider co-washing – using ultra light or cleansing conditioner between shampoos to keep hair shiny, soft, scalp clean. check out the ethnic co-wash hair care section. i personally use carols daughter brand. my dull, dry post menopausal hair is now soft and silky, only use shampoo 1-2x per week.
I tried not traditionally washing my hair and it did not go well. I made it 6 weeks and gave up. My hair looked horrible the entire 6 weeks and felt like a grease cap. I used dry shampoo and that was a disaster. Then I tried a little baby powder with cornstarch another disater. I tried scrubbing in plain water and my hair still looked horrible. When I gave up and shampooed my hair it looked great. So my hair needs shampoo. I wish it didn’t it takes me 20 minutes to style it.
Christine, I’m guessing that you have long hair? Cut most of it off — shorter hair is so much easier to take care of. Wash it when you shower, towel dry, shake your head, and you’re done! And if you suffer under the myth that men prefer women with long hair, just watch them when an attractive woman with short hair walks into the room. Their eyes will all be on her… The truth is, regardless of what they say, they find short-haired girls to be sexier. And I love your comment about not washing for 6 weeks — I’m hoping this was tongue-in-cheek?! It probably did look like a grease cap, and just think what it smelled like!! I’m saying this in jest, so please don’t take offense — love your experiment!
Thanks Faith. I’ve tried cutting it short and I look ridiculous. Short hair makes me look much older. My hair is not especially long now. It is just past my jawline. However, it is extremely thick. Part of my hair is curly and part of it is straight. The combination is hard to manage.
By not washing for 6 weeks, I meant the traditional route 🙂 Not offended. How could I be when you took the time out to offer help 🙂 Thanks for your thoughts 🙂
Faith, I don’t think that anyone can make an accurate blanket statement about what is attractive to all men. My husband certainly doesn’t feel the way you stated. I often ask for his thoughts about whether or not he likes my clothing and hairstyle, and I trust him to be honest. 🙂
I think a lot of this depends on your hair type and color. I have blond hair which really looks visibly darker and dirty on day 2 already. Dry shampoo does seem to help. My hair is fine too and it sounds like maybe on average, just from my experience and the comments above, the fine hair people have a harder time keeping their hair looking clean. There’s less hair surface area to absorb the oil maybe? I agree with the “don’t touch your hair” idea and wear it up so it’s not resting on your scalp as much.
I loved reading this! I thought I must be the grossest person alive since I can and do go 4-5 days between hair washes. I have long hair (past the middle of my back), live in a humid climate and usually wear my hear up…that means I can wash my hair and it will still be wet at night when I take it down. Going around with consistently damp hair drives me crazy and I don’t think it’s that good for my hair or scalp – I’ve actually smelled a musty smell before when my hair went too long without fully drying (I don’t blow-dry in an effort to keep it healthier). My tips for going longer without washing are: train your scalp to produce less oil, find the right shampoo for your hair/skin, don’t stay with the same shampoo too long (my hair gets used to the same shampoo, so I switch it up every once in a while), don’t use conditioner on your scalp (this includes 2-in-1’s for me), and use dry shampoo to give body and freshen it up on days 3-5. I love having the freedom from HAVING to wash my hair every 1 or 2 days!
I have been washing my hair 2x’s/week for years. I have always been embarrassed to tell people this even though the hair dresser I had at the time (about 15 years ago) advised me to go a few days without washing my hair. My hair is on the dry/thick/wavy side, so she said washing it everyday would dry out my hair even more.
I haven’t timed it recently, but it used to take me an hour to dry/flat iron my hair – now that I have better tools and have gotten better at using a round brush, I think it takes me between 30-45 minutes to dry/flat iron it.
And, like you, I will go an extra day or two (or three) without washing my hair so I can wash my hair the day of (or the day before) when I have to go somewhere (meet up with friends, holiday gatherings, etc.). If I go too long I usually will use a clarifying shampoo to really clean it (not every week though).
Thanks for posting here and sharing on Instagram about this – it’s nice to know I am not the only one who doesn’t wash her hair every day or every other day.
My hairdresser recommends that you don’t wash your hair more than twice a week. He said the key was to condition it before washing and your hair will hold on to the healthy moisture. I wear a hat at work so my hair is in a bun 4 days a week, at least. Love hats and looking forward to investing in one of the “Choose” ones. Three of my boys have long hair and we only wash it once a week because that is what it needs. I condition their hair first and then wash it and we are good for the week. Now as for their bodies, that is another story!
I have incredibly THICK hair and live in Louisiana. Y’all don’t want to smell my hair if it’s been more than 2 or 3 days after a shampoo. Gross.
I’ve tried dry shampoos, but they make my scalp itch so badly that I’ve made myself bleed.
I’ll stick to every-other-day shampooing and be happy if I can get a third day out of a shampoo.
I’m in the same situation as Crystal and many of you ladies! My mother used to insist that we only wash our hair on the 6th or 7th day, and cover it up in the shower the rest of the week. She told us we would thank her when we were adults, and she was right! My hair is my best feature; I thank my Mom to this day! 😉
A tip I have not seen mentioned here yet is . . . SWIM CAPS, ladies, SWIM CAPS. I remember giving my mother so much grief over swim caps – now I force my daughter to wear them and tell her, “You’ll thank me one day!”
Finally, it bears repeating – invest in those silk pillowcases. We sleep on our hair all night, every night – hair needs to be treated gently during those long hours. Silk pillowcases last for YEARS if you care for them properly.
God bless you.
My hair doesn’t need washing as often when I am eating a healthier diet. More potato chips equal greasier hair.
I love the look of your hair it looks really healthy.
I also minimize the number of times I wash my hair I wash it once a week.
I also avoid the use of too much heat in my hair as it causes damage to the hair gradually.
I have long thick hair. I’ve never washed my hair everyday. I let it go and wash every other week. . I braid it or wear it up. I rarely use a blow dryer. I let it air dry after wrapping in a towel. I get a lot of compliments on my hair. So glad you shared this, thank you.
When I changed to a much higher quality shampoo, my hair stopped getting greasy so fast! Plus, since I have curly hair, washing it daily would dry it out.
Curious, do you still wet it in the shower but not wash it? My hair stylist told me I should wash less but I could still wet and should always condition but not always wash. I have very thin, fine, oily hair…was hoping getting older it would dry out. Not yet…I’m 50.
It also depends on the climate you live in. I tried for almost a year to lengthen the time time between washes, but because we lived in a subtropical climate at the time, it felt gross and oily after skipping just one day, and never acclimated. However, whenever I’m staying with family in the Midwest in the winter, my hair is drier and I can go 4 days without really needing to wash it (though the static electricity is really annoying).
Love that you posted this! My mom always told me you could “train” your hair to go many days without washing. I have a dear friend(who went to school to do hair) tell me this is not true. We will have to agree to disagree 🙂
Anyways, I normally go up to 3 days without washing. Do you ever have problem with build up or your hair “hurting?” I find after not washing for a few days my scalp hurts/is sore when hair gets moved a different way. I may also be crazy…haha
I totally get the hair “hurting” thing. Happens to me on day two! I normally wash Every. Single. Day. But I don’t think of it as a time waster or chore. I just love the feel of clean hair! I sometimes skip a day here and there, mostly for a few minutes extra sleep. But laying in bed reading this makes me want to get up and wash mine! Lol!!!
I totally understand what you mean about your hair “hurting.” This is part of why I wash my hair daily…my “2nd day hair” always hurts when I take it out of a ponytail, etc. Plus I love how my hair looks freshly washed and dried…I don’t like how my hair looks or feels after not washing it, and my hair is very healthy even with daily washing. But I think it’s great that people can save time and energy by washing their hair less often…just not an option for me 😉
I get that, too! I generally wash every other day. A few times I have stretched to day three and my hair “hurts” and my scalp gets itchy. I use dry shampoo on day 2, and still feel like I have odor. I’m intrigued at trying to stretch it further. I have short hair that I cannot put up, nor can I wear a cap/hat to work. But love the time saved on days I don’t wash my hair.
Not every hair can be trained to be less oily. I’ve read reports from different doctors and such, and I’m in the minority. I have tried to do that method and it made the symptoms worse. Boo! I have fine, straight, oily hair with dry ends. I do wash my hair every other day, but even at the end of the first day, my hair is still a bit oily. By day 2, my scalp gets itchy. I do like to use Bastise dry shampoo shampoo on day 2 and that helps some, but it still doesn’t look like as clean and fresh as day 1. When I do wash, I use like warm water with gentle shampoo. I also air dry and don’t use any products, other than a bit of hair oil on the ends of my hair. I wish my hair could be trained to be less oily, but it just isn’t possible for some.
My dermatologist also told me it is untrue that you can “train” your hair to be less oily. There is no scientific or clinical way of measuring scalp oil production, so claims that a certain product or routine resulted in less oil is speculation at best.
What is usually true is women figure out different products, hair care and styling methods to make their look cleaner and less greasy. I too have cut back on shampooing the last few years, but I also use completely different products and styling methods. It took a long while for me to figure out exactly what works so my thin, wispy blonde hair doesn’t look dirty and dark all the time.
Yah I mean working on finding the perfect products for my hair. Paraban free isn’t working for my hair. My hair actually feels the healthiest when I wash it every day. I was told by a dermatologist that it’s ok to wash hair every day. I just don’t becuase I’m lazy and I’m a mom of a toddler! ?
I have had this same experience. My hair could honestly be washed twice a day. I’ve tried waiting 3 days several times and simply had a homeless looking mess. You can wash away oil, but stopping the production is a different story for some of us….especially those of us who don’t have tons of thick hair to distribute the oil and “share” the burden. BUT I love that it works for some, and I LOVE this post and everyone’s suggestions for products and tips. I’ve heard that every 7 years your hair can change in some way. So far, I’ve only had pitiful fine, thin, oily hair, but hope springs eternal!
You are funny!
Now that I’m in my mid 40’s I’m losing a lot of hair. About a year ago, I started washing my hair less frequently to help combat this. I can go 4 or 6 days now. Any longer and it’s super greasy and the dry shampoo doesn’t seem to help after that amount of time. One of my daughters sleeps with a satin pillowcase, I might have to try that as well. My hairdresser told me to brush my scalp every night to help distribute the oil, it’s also supposed to stimulate your scalp so your hair will grow slightly faster. I’ve been doing this since last fall and it really works for me. My hair seems to have grown faster and it’s less greasy. But I also combined that with washing less frequently. Still need to find the best shampoo and conditioner combo for my hormonal hair, lol. Great post.
Just wanted to suggest something a hairdresser told me for your hormonal hair. Depending on the cause and how big your bottles of shampoo are. Once a month or at the end of your bottle wash your hair once or twice with a new type of shampoo mixed with a drop of dawn and a little vinegar. This works as a clarifying shampoo and gets any build up off including the natural oils our bodies produce and build up even when washing. Trust me as someone with a wide range of hormonal issue’s this really work. Afterwards I usually do a coconut oil treatment root to tip and massage it in my scalp while wet, wrap it and sleep with it that way. The next day I wash it again (about the only time I was it two days in a row). Then it has that nice bounce and light feel to it that you usually only get right after having it cut.
I giggled a little when you mentioned not touching your hair and two out of the three pictures following that tip showed you touching your hair. A little irony there!
I can go 3-4 days with dry shampoo each week. When I want/need to stretch that, it’s Hat Time! I bought a few really cute caps just for my weekly “hat days”. ?
I have very thick hair, and when I was younger, I *had* to wash it every 2nd day. If I absolutely had to go a 3rd day, I would tuck it up under a baseball cap and feel kind of icky all day. I did find that keeping my hair shorter (somewhere between chin & shoulders) helped – somehow the natural oil distributes itself more evenly that way.
With young kids always around and not being able to take a full shower without being interrupted, I have accidentally “trained” my hair to be less greasy. 3-4 days is now the norm for me.
I used to have really bad dandruff and stupid oily hair. I heard that washing my hair less could help. I thought that was crazy, but tried it. It took a couple of weeks, but it is totally worth those first few awkward weeks. My scalp is very healthy and my hair doesn’t start getting oily until day 4 or 5. I only get a dandruff occurrence, if I eat too much sugar. Go figure.
I can only go 2-3 days. My daughter is 13 and has thick,curly hair. She can go 5-6 days in between. In fact her hair gets really dry if she washes it more than that. We use the Honest Good Waterproof Nylon Eco-Friendly Peva Shower Caps. You can get them on Amazon Prime. It fits well and doesn’t fall off. Also she sleeps on a satin pillow case so her hair doesn’t get frizzy.
Oh! Thanks so much for the shower cap tip and the satin pillow suggestion!
Unfortunately I feel like I look awful with my hair up. I am a homeschooling mom but still have to do my hair daily. I’m trying out a hair product now in hopes that it will help my hair become more healthy and in turn I have to wash less. Otherwise, I think I’ll need to find other ways to save time in my day 🙂
That would be frustrating! Have you tried hats or ponytails or side braids? I used to not like my hair up, either, until I just made myself do it like that for awhile and got used to it. It grew on me and now I like how it looks (most of the time!)
Hi Crystal! I also have very thick hair and I know the work it takes to wash, dry and style! I wash once a week, too! On the late afternoon that I wash my hair I usually let it mostly air dry. When it is just damp I then blow it all the way dry before going to bed. The next morning is when I use the straightener in it. My hair stays pretty good all week with just a few touch ups here and there with the flat iron. I don’t use many products either as they just make my hair really dry. I wash with Matrix Biolage and also condition with that. After rinsing the conditioner out, I usually rub a little in my hands and finger comb a little of it in my hair….especially on the ends.
So glad to know there are others who only wash once a week, too because most people think I’m crazy!!
I know what you mean about people thinking you’re crazy!! 🙂
I wash my thick/fine/straight hair as infrequently as possible, usually getting 5 days or so. I find frequent HOT showers = much greasier hair. I typically use a 2-in-one followed by conditioner, then air dry or blow dry depending on time constraints, and a light touch up with a flat iron and some heat protectant spray.
My DD has thick/fine/curly hair and we use shampoo, conditioner, and leave in conditioner; wash every 7-10 days and air dry in braids. I think we can only get away with that because she is still quite young. That schedule might not work when she is a tween, because, well… Hormones… Lol
Oh! That’s a great tip about the frequent hot shower = greasy hair! Thanks for sharing!
I learned a tip from Lysa Terkheurst in one of her events that changed my life ? I used to was my thick, wavy hair nearly every day. I also work out 5 days a week. It takes me 45 mins from washing it til I’m done styling it. No one has time for that!
What Lysa mentioned is just washing your bangs on maybe day 2 or 3, then if your roots are looking greasy later in the week just wash the crown.
I put my hair in a pony tail to shower and separate out the hair on either side of my part. Wash it and blow dry it, then blend it back into the rest of the hair.
My style looks super fresh with a minimal amount of work.
I read your comment about a week ago and thought, “that’s a great idea!”. I was visiting family in Missouri this past week and found out my sister does the very same thing!! She showed me how she separates her hair and puts the rest in a pony tail. I’m going to start doing this! Thank you for mentioning this!
This is funny – Lysa Terkeurst was the first person I thought of when I saw this post! She was so funny describing the days of her hair!
I used to wash mine 3 times a week, but got tired of it. I also have long hair, but wear it up. So I gradually cut back, and it is true. The less you wash it the less you have to. So now I wash it once a week and sometimes use a little dry shampoo in the 6th day.
Oh yay! I’m glad to hear that it worked the same for you, as well!
What dry shampoo do you use? I just use the dove spray. I’ll do it before I go to bed then use a little baby powder in the morning. I usually go at least 3-5 days without washings. I have very fine hair though so it tends to get limp and greasy fairly quick. But I used to wash every other day so this is an accomplishment for me! I can get my hair to look good the longest if I wrap it in a Headband while still damp. The next day it’s curly (I have straight hair) so I pin up the curls and add an accessory. The following day I brush it out and have pretty waves, and the day after that I’ll usually pin it up. Then wash again on day 5! I also rarely use product besides leave-in conditioner and a tad bit of argan 🙂
Great tips! Thanks so much for sharing!!
I use Shampure, when I use dry shampoo. One bottle lasts me at least 2 years: http://amzn.to/2rhL03Y