Feisal shares that “washing with water alone is like taking a shower without soap—great as a quick refresh, but probably not ideal for most of us to do all of the time. Water will only help rinse the hair's surface of dust and debris, but will not do much else and especially won't 'wash' your hair.”
"With more natural oils lubricating the hair [from water-only washing], the hair shafts glide over each other, leading to less tangles." Skipping shampoo also allows for the hair's sebum to distribute throughout, and this may make hair appear more shiny and less frizzy.
“I don't think there's anything bad or wrong with [washing with water only], and certainly washing with water will remove actual dirt, pollen, and sweat,” said Hughes. But the water-only method also leaves out any moisturizing you get from conditioner or hydrating shampoos.
Keeping wet hair every day is possible if you style your hair appropriately. However, this is very different from washing your hair. Washing your hair every day can damage the hair, but wetting the hair every day does not pose much risk.
How Much Should You Wash? For the average person, every other day, or every 2 to 3 days, without washing is generally fine. “There is no blanket recommendation. If hair is visibly oily, scalp is itching, or there's flaking due to dirt,” those are signs it's time to shampoo, Goh says.
While most of you choose to use shampoo to wash your hair, do you know it tends to strip off your hair's natural lustre at times? Shampoo is great, but it can have damaging effects on your hair and scalp too. The good news is that you can wash your hair even without shampoo.
The scalp is the same. There's no scientific evidence to suggest that cold water makes your hair grow faster. Keep the scalp healthy, manage any internal issues, avoid over styling (high heat damage), and chemically process only with professional supervision and your hair will be in optimal health.
First, stop washing your hair every day and gradually add days between washes. If you need to rinse your hair daily, use cool water to preserve oils. At some point, your scalp will get used to this routine and you will achieve less greasy hair. Then, scrub well with warm water every 7-10 days.
Prolonged periods of not washing can cause cause buildup on the scalp, damaging hair and even impeding its ability to grow, Lamb said. Grime from dirt, oil and hair product can show up within four to six days for people with finer, straighter hair.
Cold water is good for hair as it seals the cuticle back up and locks in the moisture from your conditioner. This leaves your hair looking extra hydrated, frizz-free and shiny.
Cold water is good for hair as it seals the cuticle back up and locks in the moisture from your conditioner. This leaves your hair looking extra hydrated, frizz-free and shiny. Pros: Warm water gets rid of any build-up, dirt and grim. It's one of the best ways to clean the hair, dissolve the dirt and unclog your pores.
“Washing it more does not cause your hair to grow less,” says Yates, noting that washing your hair less could lead to follicle damage, not the other way around. “A build-up of sebum and/or styling products can clog your hair follicles, leading to follicle damage and ultimately hair loss,” she adds.
For more information, visit our medical review board. Rice water contains vitamins and minerals that nourish the hair and scalp and may encourage growth. To make it, let about a cup of rice ferment in two to three cups of water for one day.
The primary reason that second and third-day hair is better has nothing to do with styling and has everything to do with hair health. Skipping a shampoo day lets your scalp relax, and it stops working overtime to produce protective oils. Your strands also breathe a sigh of relief and soak up that valuable sebum.
Anabel Kingsley, a trichologist from the Philip Kingsley clinic in London, agrees that hair does not clean itself. "Imagine if you didn't wash your face or underarms for a week - the same logic applies to your hair and scalp," she says. "They are likely to become coated in dirt, smelly, greasy and flaky.
Scalp condition
Washing the hair less often can help the scalp remain healthy, prevent itching and flaking, and keep the hair soft and shiny. People with very oily scalps may develop acne on the scalp or along the hairline and may need to wash their hair more frequently to keep their hair looking clean.
“The average individual can typically go 2 to 3 days without shampooing their hair. However, if your hair is visibly oily, you may not want to wait that long,” she says. “Usually, you can go longer without washing your hair when your hair is styled up, but no one should ever go more than 14 days.”
Those with fine or thin hair, however, may find their hair looks greasy after just one day. It's all to do with the amount of oil your scalp produces, as well as how well your hair can carry that oil.
Second-day hair has a combination of product and the natural elements to give hair a better feel and look. This unique combination gives hair hold while allowing natural movement - the perfect balance between definition and volume.