How long is too long to go without washing your hair?

Disgusting or not, it works for some. I shampoo only once every 7-10 days because it's better got my hair, which is naturally very curly and quite dry. I can use a glob of serum or oil and after 10 minutes, you'd never know I bothered. I condition my hair every time, letting that sink in and cleanse my hair. It feels nice and soft afterward.
Standard shampoos are loaded with sulfate s, parables, whatever chemicals that just strip your hair... which leads to your scalp producing more oil to compensate.
Oh.. I use a clarifying shampoo, too. No itchy scalp or product buildup for me.

I wash my hair about every 2 weeks or so in the colder months, and about once a week in the warmer months. But my scalp and hair don't get oily unless I actually put oil on/in it. I'm African American though, with natural hair, so it is a bit different for me. I don't use traditional shampoo either. I use a sulfate free, low suds shampoo made specifically for curly hair (DevaCurl Low-Poo).

I usually wash my hair every 3-4 days but I can go to 5-6 without any problems. My hair won't get greasy and I won't get any flakes or itching.

 

In the summers where it's 100+ degrees I prefer to wash it every 2-3 days because I can sweat a little, but in the winters I usually average about 4 days, longer if I've kept my hair up in a bun or braid.

Do you have dandruff? What kind of shampoo do you use? Once I switched over to a clarifying and anti-residue shampoo, I noticed a marked change in my scalp. I use everything from hair spray to serum and styling cream in my hair...lots of room for product buildup lol. All that itchy, dry scalp is no more.
Also, in switching over to a cowash style hair regimen, your scalp will eventually stop producing as much oil. It's just the adjustment period.

Try using a clarifying shampoo once a week. Nuetrogena Anti Residue shampoo is great and a go to for me. I had psoriasis on my scalp as a kid and always had flakies. They resolved after treatments and around the age of 16, but I began to notice my scalp itching and some flakies again two years ago. I picked this up after a stylist I knew recommended it and I've been good ever since.

If I wear my hair back I could probably go a long time without washing but since I usually have it down and in my face I wash it everyday.  Just seems right to me. 

I wash my hair about once a week give or take a day. I use living proof prime extender which keeps my hair from getting oily or gross.. I do use dry shampoo but I use it for volume not so much oil and the best dry shampoo I have found and must have tried damn near all of them is bumble and bumble and then on only the ends I use bumble and bumble's hairdressers oil which is amazing!

It depends on how I wash my hair. Usually I can go 3 days and on the fourth I wash it again. But I don't use a lot on my hair, so that's probably why.

every 2-3 days if i go daily my hair gets "fluffy" if i go after 4 days my hair starts to get oil build up

 

Is your hair natural? Relaxed? Texturized? That makes a difference too.

 

I can't imagine washing my hair as much as you do...it would be awful if I did!! And by awful, I mean my hair and scalp would be so dry that my hair would probably fall out!!

 

That's very interesting. You're the first natural I've met who washes their hair so often! 

Do you have itchy red bumps ever?  I have to wash every 3 days and once a week I use the head and shoulder in the dark blue bottle. It keeps my flakes and itchiness under control. I have mild scalp psoriasis that causes all the flakes.

 

My mom (and dad) are both white, but they realize that black hair is different. I honestly think that part of your problem is that you wash your hair so often. Since you are constantly stripping it of its natural oils, it is overcompensating and creating even more.

 

I use DevaCurl Low-Poo as my shampoo, and it's literally the best shampoo I have ever used. As for conditioner, it varies. I'm currently using the Suave keratin one, but before that I was using Herbal Essences Honey I'm Strong.

You should check out Carols Daughter. She has some really amazing hair products for African American hair.
 

 

Skipping one day one time (or even a couple of times) won't make a difference. You have to make a routine out of it. As I said, since you are continually stripping your hair from natural oils, your body is overcompensating and producing even more, hence your need to wash it so much.

Just putting my 2 cents in, I'm a mixed mutt with naturally straight hair and I have to wash every day or else my hair gets ridiculously greasy. I don't think I've ever gone a full 48 hrs. (with the exception of a few camping outings as a kid) where my hair wasn't washed. I'm envious of all these girls with gorgeous 2nd day hair! What I would give to curl my hair and see the effects last even 2 days later, lol.

I wash my hair every 3-4 days depending on how much buildup. I have. My hair gets oily the next day so dry shampoo is my best friend. Especially since I have my hair dyed red, if I washed it every day I would be dying it twice a week.

I have to have a shower every day so I just wash my hair every day.

I've got long-past-my-back-brastrap hair. Oily skin & fine, dry hair. Dry from coloring. There's no way I could shampoo my hair every day. I stopped doing that a long time ago. I wear my hair twisted & rolled up into a knot many days, which keeps my hair not only naturally wavy, it stays clean a lot longer than if I leave it down a lot. It smells really fresh & looks very clean np matter how many days I go without cleansing because of that. I avoid conditioners with silicones in them like the plague because they make my scalp flake & itch like crazy. On days I'm not washing/cleansing my hair I use Ojon Revitalizing Mist, a little bit of Jamaican black castor oil gel product I make myself & a newer leave-in spray conditioner from L'oreal on my dry hair. I comb it through, then roll it up while it's still damp. Later in the day I often let my hair out & it's much smoother, shiny & quite wavy. Almost like it has had heat tools used on it, none of which work on my hair. Ever.

Even when my husband & I lived in the tropics I didn't wash my hair every day. None of the local people there did either because their hair is generally very thick, sometimes coarse & very difficult to manage if washing every day. My husband looks like a freaky lion if he washes his regularly :-) Almost everybody I knew there used coconut oil or something similar on their hair. My close friend's mother, who was past 60 at the time, had hair to her ankles. Virtually no grey. I couldn't believe it the first time I saw her unknot it, which was thick & long enough to not need anything to hold it up. She just rolled, twisted & knotted her it using her own hair. Only the women & men who colored, heat styled or washed theirs every day had problems like damaged hair & flaking scalp. I started paying attention to that & following a lot of their examples when it came to hair care.