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Wash or not wash everyday??


Guy73

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I’ve always debated this and not sure which is the correct stance. When I have shorter hair it’s much easier to skip washing a day, but now that I’ve grown my hair out (I went from after surgery to no haircut in six months), I would prefer to wash it every day.Part of me thinks if DHT builds up on the scalp washing it every day would be a good thing? Although I see many people with no hair loss only wash their hair twice a week. I do use essential oil’s in a spray bottle on my hair after every wash so drying out my hair does not seem to be an issue. Although one thing I hate with lighter hair like myself is when your hair is long and wet it does seem to clump together and the weight of the hair pulls down resulting in showing more scalp but when my hair is dry the density looks near 100%.

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19 minutes ago, Guy73 said:

I’ve always debated this and not sure which is the correct stance. When I have shorter hair it’s much easier to skip washing a day, but now that I’ve grown my hair out (I went from after surgery to no haircut in six months), I would prefer to wash it every day.Part of me thinks if DHT builds up on the scalp washing it every day would be a good thing? Although I see many people with no hair loss only wash their hair twice a week. I do use essential oil’s in a spray bottle on my hair after every wash so drying out my hair does not seem to be an issue. Although one thing I hate with lighter hair like myself is when your hair is long and wet it does seem to clump together and the weight of the hair pulls down resulting in showing more scalp but when my hair is dry the density looks near 100%.

If your question is purely from a stand point that washing daily may lead to more hair fall. Even I have long had this dilemma and what I learnt is it realy doesnt matter how often do you wash your hair, Hair which are in Telogen phase will fall regardless whenever you are washing your hair. So if a hair has to fall daily it will fall daily. If it has to fall after a couple of days it will happen then. I have heard and read Doctors saying washing your Hair should purely depend upon your comfort and convenience, you can do it whenever you want. On a Lighter side I have also seen a video where in the Doctor is giving an example of having Sex, It really doesnt matter when you want to have it, you can do it whenever you want to and how many times you want to !! lol !!

Edited by augustya
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Just now, Guy73 said:

That makes sense but what about DHT buildup on the scalp? Some people say it builds up on the scalp not sure if that’s true or not? So washing up every day?

DHT is not something that you can see with your eyes ! So I do not know what you mean by DHT builds up on Scalp ?? It is a Hormone how can you see a hormone with eyes ?? when it acts on your Hair Root it is beneath your Scalp Skin nothing on the surface !! It is not a Injury that you can see with your eyes. Like I said the same DHT which is gonna make your Hair Fall can also do it on daily bais and also whenever you decide to wash your Hair. On the contrary I have also read that infact a good and a clean scalp is also a good skin condition for hair to grow and remain healthy.

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I wash my hair everyday, as of late, I've been noticing an increase in sebum, my hair gets greasy, and it looks a lot thinner when it's greasy. I really don't see a problem with washing your hair every day. 


I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice.

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24 minutes ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

I wash my hair everyday, as of late, I've been noticing an increase in sebum, my hair gets greasy, and it looks a lot thinner when it's greasy. I really don't see a problem with washing your hair every day. 

Same thing is what I have been noticing when I don't wash my hair it looks more oiky and greasy and looks more scanty !

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Think this can vary from one person to another. If I wash my hair everyday, it can start to look very straw like and lifeless. Leave a day or two between washes, and the hair looks healthier and has more life to it. Saying that, I guess the shampoo that is being used can make a difference. May try experimenting with washing everyday but alternating my regular shampoo with one that is very mild and maybe doesn't include a lot of the usual harsher cleansing agents.

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1 hour ago, Fozzie said:

Think this can vary from one person to another. If I wash my hair everyday, it can start to look very straw like and lifeless. Leave a day or two between washes, and the hair looks healthier and has more life to it. Saying that, I guess the shampoo that is being used can make a difference. May try experimenting with washing everyday but alternating my regular shampoo with one that is very mild and maybe doesn't include a lot of the usual harsher cleansing agents.

I use nizoral every other day and either a biotin or bamboo shampoo inbetween. 

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I used to wash my hair for about 3 years straight only with WATER! Yes, that's right! Although I didn't use any hair products...
What I've noticed when I did the switch is the more you washing your hair with Shampoo, the faster it will get greasy a.k.a. extra sebum production. If you will slowly decrease amount of time you're washing your hair/week you will notice less and less sebum production.
At first it was extremely difficult, it was very greasy on a second morning, but I used a bit of dry shampoo to help me out. Slowly I decreased my shampoo days from 7 to 5 to 3 to 1. Eventually I went all in and started washing only with water. No shampoo &  no conditioner. What I've noticed is sebum production was so little, that I could make my hair look fresh by just being under a small rain. Also my hair felt healthier than ever. Really didn't had any problems.
I think shampoo is not something we absolutely have to use it, but rather is created as something "additional" and obviously to make money.

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1st FUE28/01/2020 - 3659 grafts - Dr. Bruno Ferreira
2nd FUE - 03/06/2021 - 2881 grafts - Dr. Bruno Ferreira

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I'm not a medical professional, thus any information given by me is my own observation and should not be treated as professional advice.

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Yeah not sure about the no shampoo thing🤔 when your hair gets greasy I agree with Melvin about it looking thinner because of the weight pulling it down and clumping together which will show more scalp. Although I must say after having a 3rd pass even that which used to happen before is almost non existent now. I could go a day or 2 but it’s definitely a flatter look. 

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There's absolutely no way I can go without shampooing. It depends on the person, some people of dry scalps, i'm not one of those people. A day without washing and I can literally feel the grease in my hair, makes my hair look like garbage and see through. Once I shampoo it, my hair looks 10x thicker.

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I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice.

Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey

View my thread

Topical dutasteride journey 

Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog.

Follow our Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube.

 

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2 minutes ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

There's absolutely no way I can go without shampooing. It depends on the person, some people of dry scalps, i'm not one of those people. A day without washing and I can literally feel the grease in my hair, makes my hair look like garbage and see through. Once I shampoo it, my hair looks 10x thicker.

Haha you sound like an alcoholic who refuses to stop drinking :D

I've been there and done that. I know how it feels haha
It's like FIN, you just have to power through "ball ache" to get rid of it.

1st FUE28/01/2020 - 3659 grafts - Dr. Bruno Ferreira
2nd FUE - 03/06/2021 - 2881 grafts - Dr. Bruno Ferreira

Follow me on YouTube

I'm not a medical professional, thus any information given by me is my own observation and should not be treated as professional advice.

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6 hours ago, Guy73 said:

That makes sense but what about DHT buildup on the scalp? Some people say it builds up on the scalp not sure if that’s true or not? So washing up every day?

There is no such thing as “dht buildup” on the scalp that affect hair loss. There might be a bit of dht in the sebum but that hasn’t been studied. It’s the dht that’s created deep inside your hair bulb at the dermal papilla level that affects hair loss.

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5 hours ago, makehairgreatagain said:

I also haven't used shampoo in several years and have noticed a big difference in how my hair feels. A lot less oily/greasy and just feels more natural. I've wondered if certain shampoos did more harm than good.

YES! I'm not alone weirdo guy that always experiments haha

1st FUE28/01/2020 - 3659 grafts - Dr. Bruno Ferreira
2nd FUE - 03/06/2021 - 2881 grafts - Dr. Bruno Ferreira

Follow me on YouTube

I'm not a medical professional, thus any information given by me is my own observation and should not be treated as professional advice.

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Based on brosciency observation of the excellent hair among the homeless population where I live, I don't shampoo unless to apply Nizoral. Also coconut oil massaged into scalp as it has a more solid consistency and I believe is more resistant to oxidation than carrier oils such as jojoba.

16 hours ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

There's absolutely no way I can go without shampooing. It depends on the person, some people of dry scalps, i'm not one of those people. A day without washing and I can literally feel the grease in my hair, makes my hair look like garbage and see through. Once I shampoo it, my hair looks 10x thicker.

You may have to allow some time for your natural sebum production to decrease because your scalp is trying to protect itself from the constant washing that it's grown accustomed to.

 

21 hours ago, Guy73 said:

That makes sense but what about DHT buildup on the scalp? Some people say it builds up on the scalp not sure if that’s true or not? So washing up every day?

I did read somewhere about it being within the actual sebum. I believe this is the theory behind the salicylic acid treatments that some have tried. I'm not sure if washing your hair has any effect on its levels at the level of the dermal papillae. My hunch is no. You could also raise the inverse possibility that sebum is protecting the hair from free radical damage due to desiccation. 

A way to test this would be to apply sebum from the scalp of a balding individual to that of one with hair, or vice versa, and see if there was an effect. Could also attempt across genders and from different parts of the body. I don't believe this (gross) experiment has been done, but if anyone finds a study it would be interesting.

Edited by bismarck
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Anyone using rogaine foam is kinda forced to wash their hair more often I think. I mean if you wear a hat you could easily do the no shampoo or skip washing. I will say my dad never washed his hair much and still has it at 72. 

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6 minutes ago, Guy73 said:

Anyone using rogaine foam is kinda forced to wash their hair more often I think. I mean if you wear a hat you could easily do the no shampoo or skip washing. I will say my dad never washed his hair much and still has it at 72. 

Been using Rogaine Foam for 12 months while washing my head with Nizoral once a week just before Derma Rolling session. If not derma rolling - I wouldn't even use Nizoral. Foam is easily washing off with warm water :)

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1st FUE28/01/2020 - 3659 grafts - Dr. Bruno Ferreira
2nd FUE - 03/06/2021 - 2881 grafts - Dr. Bruno Ferreira

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I'm not a medical professional, thus any information given by me is my own observation and should not be treated as professional advice.

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1 minute ago, Rolandas said:

Been using Rogaine Foam for 12 months while washing my head with Nizoral once a week just before Derma Rolling session. If not derma rolling - I wouldn't even use Nizoral. Foam is easily washing off with warm water :)

I could try that. Although I don’t derma roll. It’s hard with longer hair it gets caught in my hair. I use peppermint oil spray diluted with water before  I do the Rogaine Foam. 
nizoral is good a few times a week but you need to let it sit in your hair at least 3-4 minutes before rinse. 

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1 minute ago, Guy73 said:

I could try that. Although I don’t derma roll. It’s hard with longer hair it gets caught in my hair. I use peppermint oil spray diluted with water before  I do the Rogaine Foam. 
nizoral is good a few times a week but you need to let it sit in your hair at least 3-4 minutes before rinse. 

If you have dermaroller with a bigger roller it will help a lot. I was using https://amzn.to/2TO12Cy and especially with 1.5mm needles is easier to roll over.
Also worth mentioning few tricks:


- Part your hair and roll it over it

- pull your hair to the direction of rolling and keep it tight

- roll over dry hair

At least all this things worked well for me. But hey, don't take me seriously, I was almost bald when I was rolling lol. 

123.JPG

1st FUE28/01/2020 - 3659 grafts - Dr. Bruno Ferreira
2nd FUE - 03/06/2021 - 2881 grafts - Dr. Bruno Ferreira

Follow me on YouTube

I'm not a medical professional, thus any information given by me is my own observation and should not be treated as professional advice.

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2 minutes ago, Rolandas said:

If you have dermaroller with a bigger roller it will help a lot. I was using https://amzn.to/2TO12Cy and especially with 1.5mm needles is easier to roll over.
Also worth mentioning few tricks:


- Part your hair and roll it over it

- pull your hair to the direction of rolling and keep it tight

- roll over dry hair

At least all this things worked well for me. But hey, don't take me seriously, I was almost bald when I was rolling lol. 

123.JPG

Any shockloss from rolling? Any noticeable results? What would your routine look like?

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1st FUE28/01/2020 - 3659 grafts - Dr. Bruno Ferreira
2nd FUE - 03/06/2021 - 2881 grafts - Dr. Bruno Ferreira

Follow me on YouTube

I'm not a medical professional, thus any information given by me is my own observation and should not be treated as professional advice.

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From my late teens until maybe age 40 there was no way I could get away with not washing my hair every day. The sebum buildup was so bad that I even had to wash it twice a day in my 20s because it got so greasy and gunky just a few hours after washing. It seems easy to prove that the sebum buildup is not due to washing too much. Just look at your beard hair and in some men chest hair as well. These areas are being washed daily and yet no sebum buildup, so that's obviously not the issue. Now that I have over 4600 body grafts on my head I can feel the difference in the greasiness factor. I can get away with washing less now if I wanted to.

 

 

Al

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(formerly BeHappy)

I am a forum moderator for hairrestorationnetwork.com. I am not a Dr. and I do not work for any particular Dr. My opinions are my own and may not reflect the opinions of other moderators or the owner of this site. I am also a hair transplant patient and repair patient. You can view some of my repair journey here.

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15 minutes ago, BeHappy said:

From my late teens until maybe age 40 there was no way I could get away with not washing my hair every day. The sebum buildup was so bad that I even had to wash it twice a day in my 20s because it got so greasy and gunky just a few hours after washing. It seems easy to prove that the sebum buildup is not due to washing too much. Just look at your beard hair and in some men chest hair as well. These areas are being washed daily and yet no sebum buildup, so that's obviously not the issue. Now that I have over 4600 body grafts on my head I can feel the difference in the greasiness factor. I can get away with washing less now if I wanted to.

 

 

4600 body hair grafts? Please share your story/pics

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24 minutes ago, LonelyGraft said:

4600 body hair grafts? Please share your story/pics

I probably will at some point, but I am a NW 7 who had a thin covering of transplanted hair from many years ago, so the body grafts are spread throughout my entire head to try to get some better overall coverage which means there's no major improvement to show. It's more of an overall thickening which doesn't show up well in pictures. I had my last session of over 1000 grafts in December, so I'm just getting to the 4 month mark now. I'm hoping to get some decent growth by Summer and then perhaps I will post some before and afters.

 

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Al

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(formerly BeHappy)

I am a forum moderator for hairrestorationnetwork.com. I am not a Dr. and I do not work for any particular Dr. My opinions are my own and may not reflect the opinions of other moderators or the owner of this site. I am also a hair transplant patient and repair patient. You can view some of my repair journey here.

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