How often do you wash you hair?

lrobson555
lrobson555 Posts: 97 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What on earth has this got to do with exercise, you may ask!

I've been counting calories for a while now and have been exercising quite a lot too. I run or cycle 5 or 6 days a week and find that it works really well for me.

Not to gross anyone out, but when I workout I like to get my heart rate nice and high which means I sweat. A lot. When I get home I always take a shower and wash my hair meaning I wash my hair everyday - no one wants sweaty hair.

Anyway, last Saturday I went to the hairdressers for the first time in ages and she asked how often I washed my hair. I told her everyday and she looked horrified!! She said I should only wash it every 2-3 days MAXIMUM and that I should stop washing my hair everyday immediately!!

What on earth is that all about? Is washing my hair everyday really damaging it? Should I be putting up with the sweaty hair? How often do you wash your hair?!
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Replies

  • dbah2012
    dbah2012 Posts: 8 Member
    I wash mine a few days a week and use dry shampoo on the other days. If it's a non-wash day, I will just rinse the sweat out of my hair and put some conditioner on the ends.
  • VioletRojo
    VioletRojo Posts: 596 Member
    It depends on what type of shampoo you use. If you're using a shampoo with sulfates in it, I wouldn't shampoo more than 2 or 3 times a week. Sulfate free shampoos are much more gentle on your hair. I conditioner wash most of the time, and even then I only wash about 4 days per week.
  • JustMissTracy
    JustMissTracy Posts: 6,339 Member
    Every other day, unless there's something special going on, that requires me to be on top of my game. And I stopped using hair dryers and straighteners a few months ago.
  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
    You are stripping your hair of the natural oils that keep it from drying out if you wash it every day.

    Use a dry shampoo.

    I wash my hair 2-3x a week, condition the ends on a daily basis and use dry shampoo in between.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,646 Member
    I am a curly head and I wash once a week. Any more than that, for me, would be over manipulation and cause dryness.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I washed mine Saturday and will wash it again tomorrow morning. Dry shampoo yesterday and this morning
  • AmandaRose919
    AmandaRose919 Posts: 9 Member
    I only wash mine twice a week. On the high activity, really sweaty days, I just rinse my hair thoroughly in the shower with warm water to get the dirt and salt out of it. I also use coconut oil 1-2 times per month as a deep conditioner.
  • ChubRub93
    ChubRub93 Posts: 12 Member
    I wash once a week with shampoo, and twice doing a co-wash (conditioner only). but I'm black so what works for my hair rarely works for nonblack people lol! And vice versa- I still have nightmares about the time my friend tried some weird mayo hair mask thing on me at a sleepover! I've never had a problem with my hair post workout (beyond the halo of babyhair lol) but if greasiness is a factor, my aunt swears by the lush shampoo bars. If sweat is the only concern, I'd just rinse it with cold water (or hot- none of this warm nonsense. Hot water opens the hair follicles and cold water tightens but both have significant benefits over plain warm water) and throw in a light leave in conditioner or hair oil to keep it nice and moisturused. Water will take care of the sweat without drying out your hair like most shampoos do.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited September 2016
    dbah2012 wrote: »
    I wash mine a few days a week and use dry shampoo on the other days. If it's a non-wash day, I will just rinse the sweat out of my hair and put some conditioner on the ends.

    If you color your hair, and I do, it's especially important that you don't wash every day. It really dries out your hair and fades the color more quickly. I run every other day and I wash my hair when I shower after my runs. If I get sweaty enough that I think I need a shower on my non-running days I rinse my head with warm water and condition the ends.

    When I was younger I don't know that I could have gotten away with every other day, my hair was very oily. I still can't go more than two days without washing at the age of 50. Dry shampoo is my go to if I feel like my scalp is oily on the day between washings.
  • Alidecker
    Alidecker Posts: 1,262 Member
    I shampoo daily, my hair is still oily. My hairdresser has never said a word about it. I have tried dry shampoo, still looks like I haven't showered and my hair looks greasy. I sweat a lot, I get that water would get the sweat out, but I also use hairspray...water and hairspray don't look so good :D
  • subakwa
    subakwa Posts: 347 Member
    Every day. Your hair is dead, it cannot be nourished, moisturised or stripped of anything.
  • divcara
    divcara Posts: 357 Member
    I know, I have the same problem!!! I take a HIIT class 3-4 days a week and heavy strength train 2 days a week and I am gross. I used to love dry shampoo to stretch out washing my hair, but that's before I worked out like this and was a sweaty mess. My hairdresser also says my hair is so damaged. I got a really good leave in conditioner, but no I haven't solved what to do about washing my hair every day. I try to just rinse it, but then it is so hard to style.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    I condition every day, and only wash about once a week...the conditioner gets rid of the sweat, and my hair tends to be dry and brittle anyway, so washing a lot just seems to cause tons of tangles and split ends for me.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited September 2016
    I shampoo on Sunday and Thursday. The rest of the week, I rinse it well in the shower and condition. And I get really sweaty, use hair spray, etc, etc. At first, I could only do every other day, but as my scalp has adjusted I can shampoo less often.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I shampoo on Sunday and Thursday. The rest of the week, I rinse it well in the shower and condition. And I get really sweaty, use hair spray, etc, etc. At first, I could only do every other day, but as my scalp has adjusted I can shampoo less often.

    This^

    It's definitely an adjustment process. The first couple times it felt weird. Now it's just normal.

    Usually every other day for me, I can go 3 days if I don't use too much hairspray.

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