# How often do you Shampoo your hair? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 13, 2000, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181 "2000-08-13T09:03:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@chief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chief)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/1 "2000-08-13T09:03:07Z")
and is it bad to shampoo every day? ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/2 "2000-08-13T09:12:20Z")
Probably, but it depends on your hair. A good brushing w/ a natural-bristle brush is better for your hair and scalp. But no more than every other day for me. I _loathe_ the stringy, dirty, oily hair look, but mostly I hate the way it feels. (I also **hate** the feel of mousses, gels and sprays.::shudders:šŸ™‚ Good hair is clean hair, and moves along with the rest of a person. Buzz cuts are as grotesque as oily, rancid locks. Veb ---
**Author:** ![JavaMaven1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/3 "2000-08-13T10:18:12Z")
I wash mine about every other day, unless Iā€™ve gone to the gym and have had an exceptionally sweaty workout. Iā€™ve got nearly waist-length hair, and itā€™s a hassle to wash, but Iā€™m with TVeblenā€“I hate the feeling of greasy, oily hair. It really does depend on your hair/skin type, though, where the line of too much washing needs to be drawn. I do believe that daily hair washing, unless _really_ necessary (mechanics, sweaty workouts, coal miners) isnā€™t really that necessaryā€¦ just the shampoo people trying to make up more sales, trying to get you to use up your supply in half the time. Iā€™ve talked to a few hairdressers, and all of them agree with the every-other-day routine. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/4 "2000-08-13T12:52:10Z")
I havenā€™t stopped yet. The instructions say ā€œlather, rinse, REPEATā€,so Iā€™m stuck in an infinite loop. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/5 "2000-08-13T12:53:05Z")
Another waist length hair person who washes every other day. I set my calendar by it. ---
**Author:** ![ultress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7c8e57/32.png) [@ultress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultress)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/6 "2000-08-13T12:53:33Z")
Most of the time every day in the summer, because of getting hot and sweaty. In the winter maybe every day, at the least every other day. ---
**Author:** ![lolagranola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea5d25/32.png) [@lolagranola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lolagranola)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/7 "2000-08-13T15:17:08Z")
Every other day, unless itā€™s a hot and sweaty day, or I feel rather gross for some special reason (god forbid it be a work out). ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/8 "2000-08-13T15:46:05Z")
Sometimes every day. Depends on the oil content & work, where one can get pretty dirty. what about you chief? You didnā€™t answer your own question. ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/9 "2000-08-13T15:50:01Z")
I wash mine every other day. If I do every day my hair starts to resemble a big red 'fro, ala Yahoo Serious. Does anyone remember him? OTOH, when my hair is very short I have to wash it every day in order to get it to lie down. ---
**Author:** ![Nightingale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@Nightingale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightingale)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/10 "2000-08-13T15:50:51Z")
For my very thick, very straight hair, every day washing is a must to avoid that greasy look (blecchh!). Also, after spending my day surrounded by patients who are sneezing, coughing, bleeding, snotting, and generally spewing contagion into the air, frequent hairwashing seems like a wise idea. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/11 "2000-08-13T16:12:58Z")
Every day. I have to, if I skip one day, my hair looks like a greasetrap. Donā€™t ask me to explain it. ---
**Author:** ![Nacho4Sara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Nacho4Sara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nacho4Sara)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/12 "2000-08-13T16:56:38Z")
I wash mine every day too. I have thick, shoulder-length hair and if I donā€™t wash it, it gets oily. But if I do, it gets frizzy and I have to tame it with gloss and mousse. But hey, it looks good. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/13 "2000-08-13T18:04:25Z")
My hair will look greasy if i donā€™t wash it daily, but having hair so long I need to not wash it daily. I skip days at least twice a week. I then pull my hair back and wear it in a netted bun. I lightly hairspray it and then it looks just like i gelled ti smooth. It seems to help the ends not to dry out so bad. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/14 "2000-08-13T18:16:06Z")
A wise old hairdresser once told me that if I insisted on washing my hair every day, to buy the biggest container of a generic Ph balanced shampoo that I could find. Shampoos that get your hair really clean are especially good at removing natural oil from your hair. Consequently, the little gremlins that provide the oil work extra hard to replenish the supply. (They need to earn their keep, ya know?) So if youā€™re going to wash it every day, use something gentle. I wash mine every other day, and sometimes not at all on weekends if Iā€™m staying home. My hair is short though, and I donā€™t sweat if I can help it. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/15 "2000-08-13T18:49:44Z")
I get my hair cut about once every six months, being a cheap sonofabitch, so it varies from unattractively short to unattractively long. I always shampoo every morning. A nice light, herbal shampoo, usually chamomile. Iā€™d feel really gross if I didnā€™t. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/16 "2000-08-13T18:53:46Z")
I wash mine every day. It looks a bit greasy if I donā€™t. Even when I had long hair I washed it every day. ---
**Author:** ![Sangria](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@Sangria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangria)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/17 "2000-08-13T19:10:53Z")
Every day and I do the suds-rinse-repeat that people complain about. You can feel the hair get less slick after the second sudsing. If your hairā€™s clean and hairdo simple, you donā€™t need a lot of conditioners or treatments. Split ends? Get a family member to cut them in 10 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Tzel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Tzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzel)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/18 "2000-08-13T19:22:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kat \* > \*\*Every day. I have to, if I skip one day, my hair looks like a greasetrap. Donā€™t ask me to explain it. \*\* I know you didnā€™t ask _me_ to explain it either, but I can give you a partial explanation. Your hair gets that greasy, in part, _because_ you wash it every day. If you switch to every other, every third, whatever, your hair should eventually adjust. Of course, everyone is different. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/19 "2000-08-13T19:24:45Z")
I wash mine every time I shower, usually every day. But if I donā€™t shower for a few days, and then I wash my hair, it comes out looking and feeling absolutely wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![Anniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cc9497/32.png) [@Anniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anniz)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181/20 "2000-08-13T19:55:07Z")
Every outher day and I hate it, because itā€™s long and it takes to long time to dry. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shampoo-your-hair/29181.md?page=2)