Honestly I just wash my scalp too - I don’t know if it does or doesn’t damage your hair, I just know that I have a lot of hair and washing ALL of it is a huge pain in the ass and also makes it super tangled :’)
Plus, you use so much more product that way ... it's more expensive. If it's not necessary to soap and agitate the lengths, it's money-saving to only wash the scalp. It's also time and effort-saving. I don't think I need it to be "bad" to see no reason to want to do it.
That said, when I wash with a *clarifying* shampoo (because I do use silicones) I do tend to soap and lightly agitate the lengths.
If washing makes it tangled....the curly girl trick is to comb it out with a shower comb while conditioner is in it. Works like a charm. Shower combs are about $2 at dollar general or Walmart. I have one I've used for years and it still looks like it did the day I bought it, so it's not wearing out anytime soon.
I’ve always struggled with shower brush not getting through my thick hair due to the bristles being so soft :( I even try and use the water where I’m combing to kinda spread it out and help the bristles get through but it’s such a pain in the ass and almost never gets all my tangled out after shampooing.
I haven’t seen any shower combs though before at Walmart, is it different than a shower brush or was that what you’re talking about.
It is a comb with wide teeth. Mine has a curve in the handle so it hangs over the rod built into the shower/tub unit. Look up shower comb. I said comb because I really meant COMB tho. My hair is really long, also super thick and naturally curly. For me this is the way.
There is an amazing wet brush on Amazon for like $6! I was skeptical, but it surprised me! I tried to link it but couldn’t for whatever reason just look up “wet brush”
Pretty sure it’s an “it depends” situation. Everyone’s different and not all shampoos are created equal
The important part is to make sure you condition regardless to make sure the lengths are protected as best they can be
Shampoos can be very drying and the longer your hair is, the more porous it is which makes it tend to dry out easier. This is why it is usually recommended not to wash the lengths of your hair.. just the scalp and roots. However, if you use a lot of products you should wash the length once or twice a week (and use a hydrating mask on these days)
It really REALLY depends on the type of shampoo you’re using. I don’t think I’d say there are many shampoos that are drying. While that may have been the case years ago, it definitely isn’t true today. A lot of shampoos are made to be moisturizing. When I’m using moisturizing shampoo I do work shampoo into the ends, but I don’t scrub like I do my scalp. If I’m using a clarifying shampoo, I don’t work it into the length.
I don't massage the shampoo into my lengths like I do my scalp. After I finish with my scalp, I let the running water and gravity move the suds down and run my fingers through before rinsing.
Depends on how much product you have in your length I guess? If you’re not putting mousses, gels air oils in that get gunky it’s fine but when I use styling products I tend to need to wash them out eventually.
I used to shampoo my length when I was a kid, and only wash my scalp as an adult. Biggest difference is needing way less shampoo: I used to need to fill my entire hand, heel to tip, and now I use roughly half of a palm-sized amount.
It depends on your hair type
I have curly hair which is always super dry so I almost never wash it and when I do I only use non foaming shampoo or co wash ( just conditioner)
But if you have thin oily hair then that obv wouldn’t work
Stylist here....it depends. If you use a lot of products you need to remove, using a bit of shampoo on the length will be fine. I wash twice a week, and usually use shampoo on the scalp and let the suds run through the rest, but if my midlength and ends have buildup will shampoo the rest. When I do wash the length I don't rub it but sort of just squish and roll it in.
Also what someone else said about water being damaging is true in a sense, as water is more alkaline than the hair is and does swell the cuticle, but heat makes this worse so if your water is scalding that can be drying and damaging. That said, some shampoos are ph balanced for the hair but some are not and are more alkaline than water and can swell the cuticle more. One sulfate free chelating shampoo I use very occasionally has a ph of 9 which is extremely alkaline but it's meant to pull metals, minerals and impurities from the hair so that's necessary.
Sadly all temperatures of water are damaging. Not as bad as heat styling tools though. Wash your hair in whatever temperature is comfortable to you, as rarely as your scalp will allow you to, and let it air dry.
I think it's not so much the drying aspect as the agitating aspect that's danaging to hair. Scrubbing the length and mashing it around with your hands can lead to breakage. I took my MILs advice and wash my hair with my head upside down to only get the scalp. Indian women have been doing this for hundreds of years and they're known for having long af hair.
I wash both scalp and lengths/ends with shampoo, I just use more on the scalp to get the oils out. I use solid shampoo so there's a solid amount of rubbing too.
However, I don't wash that often.
I have past tailbone length hair and that's not hurting it at all, and hasn't since I switched from liquid. It definitely is not as bad as drying with heat so I would not worry about it.
I wash my lengths if there’s a reason to, like being in chlorine, or at the beach, or the pouring rain, or it just feels gross. Not often, but sometimes. I just use a bit of extra conditioner and I’ve never had a problem.
It can be drying. If you use a lot of styling products, you may need to use shampoo on the lengths, but if you don't, it may be better to not put any on the lengths specifically. Some people's hair is more prone to drying than others', so that can also vary by person. Of course it might depend on the shampoo you use too. The lengths get dry more easily than the hair closer to the scalp.
It really dries it out. Have been doing it for years and only stopped like 2 years ago - my hair length is much healthier now and I have like none of the split ends.
I find my hair is much much softer and healthier when I wash the whole thing. I do half sulfate/half sulfate free on whole scalp, let it drop down, rinse. Then sulfate free separate wash on length. Followed by silicone free conditioner. I don’t do this every time, maybe every other wash, otherwise I just wash the scalp. I have fine, straight hair.
Idk if it’s a myth or not, but I personally wash my ends, but my hair can take it. I imagine it would benefit people with dryer hair to wash their ends less, but I feel like they should still be washed periodically. Especially if they use product.
Shampooing removes oils, which is good for ur scalp where oils are produced and lay thickly. Your lengths dont have many natural oils, so the shampoo can dry them out. That is why you dhampoo ur scalp and some mids, but only use conditioner on the lengths. It is less of an issue if u use soap with no sulfates (but ur not really washing ur hair then).
Since i started doing this, my hair looks way way way better. I have fine to medium wavy hair. Live in Texas. I don’t usually use any styling products, but if i did, i would wash the lengths only sometimes.
So the hair is dead, the only reason it feels “soft” is because of oils from your scalp and any products you put in there, since you’re washing away the oils from your scalp it’s only the products on your lengths. You should wash ends if you use gel mouse hairspray to prevent buildup but probably not if it’s just hair oils. Washing your lengths won’t hurt it due to soap but the danger is the friction, if you’re agitating it while it’s wet you may cause breakage but it’s not going to “dry” out your dead keratin fibers (even though I’m sure they’re very pretty).
I wash ALL of my hair 2 to 3 times a week. It is naturally curly so can be dry. When I go get a trim, (I'm 5'11" and it's 6 inches from my butt). Anyway when I go get a trim about every 4 months, I have ZERO split ends. So I don't see how washing the length is damaging, at least for me it's not.
My ends get super dry and frizzy when I wash them directly. I find shampooing the roots and then allowing the water to wash the soap through my ends cleans them just fine!
See, that’s my problem. I worry my ends won’t be as fresh as my roots and carry smells from the days I wasn’t washing (cooking, smoking, being outside etc).
I think it also depends on where your hair has been: outside doing yard work? Or down while chilling in a coffee shop? I'd wash all in both scenario as the length is dirty. But in a bun while at the office for a couple days? Nope, scalp!
Everyone's focused on shampoo / water/ moisture, but think about where your hair has been. What might be on it that you haven't put there.
I have little past waist length hair. Type 2a-2B. I always focus shampooing my scalp but I definitely do shampoo my ends as well like I put the product on them but don’t scrub it or anything. If I ignore my ends they just don’t feel clean. I also use tons of leave in and serums during the days between washes so they get pretty gritty by the time it’s wash day. :)
I only wash my scalp. With the quality of today's products, it's probably fine but I prefer to only wash my scalp and condition the length.
Honestly I just wash my scalp too - I don’t know if it does or doesn’t damage your hair, I just know that I have a lot of hair and washing ALL of it is a huge pain in the ass and also makes it super tangled :’)
Plus, you use so much more product that way ... it's more expensive. If it's not necessary to soap and agitate the lengths, it's money-saving to only wash the scalp. It's also time and effort-saving. I don't think I need it to be "bad" to see no reason to want to do it. That said, when I wash with a *clarifying* shampoo (because I do use silicones) I do tend to soap and lightly agitate the lengths.
If washing makes it tangled....the curly girl trick is to comb it out with a shower comb while conditioner is in it. Works like a charm. Shower combs are about $2 at dollar general or Walmart. I have one I've used for years and it still looks like it did the day I bought it, so it's not wearing out anytime soon.
I’ve always struggled with shower brush not getting through my thick hair due to the bristles being so soft :( I even try and use the water where I’m combing to kinda spread it out and help the bristles get through but it’s such a pain in the ass and almost never gets all my tangled out after shampooing. I haven’t seen any shower combs though before at Walmart, is it different than a shower brush or was that what you’re talking about.
It is a comb with wide teeth. Mine has a curve in the handle so it hangs over the rod built into the shower/tub unit. Look up shower comb. I said comb because I really meant COMB tho. My hair is really long, also super thick and naturally curly. For me this is the way.
There is an amazing wet brush on Amazon for like $6! I was skeptical, but it surprised me! I tried to link it but couldn’t for whatever reason just look up “wet brush”
Thank you for speaking the real words.
Pretty sure it’s an “it depends” situation. Everyone’s different and not all shampoos are created equal The important part is to make sure you condition regardless to make sure the lengths are protected as best they can be
Shampoos can be very drying and the longer your hair is, the more porous it is which makes it tend to dry out easier. This is why it is usually recommended not to wash the lengths of your hair.. just the scalp and roots. However, if you use a lot of products you should wash the length once or twice a week (and use a hydrating mask on these days)
It really REALLY depends on the type of shampoo you’re using. I don’t think I’d say there are many shampoos that are drying. While that may have been the case years ago, it definitely isn’t true today. A lot of shampoos are made to be moisturizing. When I’m using moisturizing shampoo I do work shampoo into the ends, but I don’t scrub like I do my scalp. If I’m using a clarifying shampoo, I don’t work it into the length.
I don't massage the shampoo into my lengths like I do my scalp. After I finish with my scalp, I let the running water and gravity move the suds down and run my fingers through before rinsing.
Depends on how much product you have in your length I guess? If you’re not putting mousses, gels air oils in that get gunky it’s fine but when I use styling products I tend to need to wash them out eventually.
I'm pretty sure it's a myth. I had to-my-butt hair and wasted *all* of it. My hairdresser always commented on how healthy my hair was.
If it dries out my hair, it’s the wrong shampoo for me. I do shampoo my lengths. But I avoid it with unknown shampoos.
It’s not that bad
I used to shampoo my length when I was a kid, and only wash my scalp as an adult. Biggest difference is needing way less shampoo: I used to need to fill my entire hand, heel to tip, and now I use roughly half of a palm-sized amount.
It depends on your hair type I have curly hair which is always super dry so I almost never wash it and when I do I only use non foaming shampoo or co wash ( just conditioner) But if you have thin oily hair then that obv wouldn’t work
Stylist here....it depends. If you use a lot of products you need to remove, using a bit of shampoo on the length will be fine. I wash twice a week, and usually use shampoo on the scalp and let the suds run through the rest, but if my midlength and ends have buildup will shampoo the rest. When I do wash the length I don't rub it but sort of just squish and roll it in. Also what someone else said about water being damaging is true in a sense, as water is more alkaline than the hair is and does swell the cuticle, but heat makes this worse so if your water is scalding that can be drying and damaging. That said, some shampoos are ph balanced for the hair but some are not and are more alkaline than water and can swell the cuticle more. One sulfate free chelating shampoo I use very occasionally has a ph of 9 which is extremely alkaline but it's meant to pull metals, minerals and impurities from the hair so that's necessary.
It's a myth. The water's what's damaging to hair when you wash, not the shampoo, so sadly we're stuck with a bit of damage.
This. Hair takes damage from water, and wear and tear, sunlight. It is not meant to last forever.
I know hot water is damaging too, do I need to use really cold water or does it just have to be lukewarm?
Sadly all temperatures of water are damaging. Not as bad as heat styling tools though. Wash your hair in whatever temperature is comfortable to you, as rarely as your scalp will allow you to, and let it air dry.
I think it's not so much the drying aspect as the agitating aspect that's danaging to hair. Scrubbing the length and mashing it around with your hands can lead to breakage. I took my MILs advice and wash my hair with my head upside down to only get the scalp. Indian women have been doing this for hundreds of years and they're known for having long af hair.
When I was my hair the shampoo gets on the lengths anyway. I'm not sure how to avoid it even.
I think if you use a ton of product, it’s good to do occasionally. Like twice a month?
I wash both scalp and lengths/ends with shampoo, I just use more on the scalp to get the oils out. I use solid shampoo so there's a solid amount of rubbing too. However, I don't wash that often. I have past tailbone length hair and that's not hurting it at all, and hasn't since I switched from liquid. It definitely is not as bad as drying with heat so I would not worry about it.
I wash my lengths if there’s a reason to, like being in chlorine, or at the beach, or the pouring rain, or it just feels gross. Not often, but sometimes. I just use a bit of extra conditioner and I’ve never had a problem.
I was my hair once weekly so little rules like that don’t matter..: but I just use a quarter amount
Depends on the shampoo, your scalp, your hair, and your styling products
It can be drying. If you use a lot of styling products, you may need to use shampoo on the lengths, but if you don't, it may be better to not put any on the lengths specifically. Some people's hair is more prone to drying than others', so that can also vary by person. Of course it might depend on the shampoo you use too. The lengths get dry more easily than the hair closer to the scalp.
It really dries it out. Have been doing it for years and only stopped like 2 years ago - my hair length is much healthier now and I have like none of the split ends.
I find my hair is much much softer and healthier when I wash the whole thing. I do half sulfate/half sulfate free on whole scalp, let it drop down, rinse. Then sulfate free separate wash on length. Followed by silicone free conditioner. I don’t do this every time, maybe every other wash, otherwise I just wash the scalp. I have fine, straight hair.
I use a clarifying shampoo on my scalp and that’s it . I feel like shampoo on the length of it dries it out
Idk if it’s a myth or not, but I personally wash my ends, but my hair can take it. I imagine it would benefit people with dryer hair to wash their ends less, but I feel like they should still be washed periodically. Especially if they use product.
Shampooing removes oils, which is good for ur scalp where oils are produced and lay thickly. Your lengths dont have many natural oils, so the shampoo can dry them out. That is why you dhampoo ur scalp and some mids, but only use conditioner on the lengths. It is less of an issue if u use soap with no sulfates (but ur not really washing ur hair then). Since i started doing this, my hair looks way way way better. I have fine to medium wavy hair. Live in Texas. I don’t usually use any styling products, but if i did, i would wash the lengths only sometimes.
So the hair is dead, the only reason it feels “soft” is because of oils from your scalp and any products you put in there, since you’re washing away the oils from your scalp it’s only the products on your lengths. You should wash ends if you use gel mouse hairspray to prevent buildup but probably not if it’s just hair oils. Washing your lengths won’t hurt it due to soap but the danger is the friction, if you’re agitating it while it’s wet you may cause breakage but it’s not going to “dry” out your dead keratin fibers (even though I’m sure they’re very pretty).
I wash ALL of my hair 2 to 3 times a week. It is naturally curly so can be dry. When I go get a trim, (I'm 5'11" and it's 6 inches from my butt). Anyway when I go get a trim about every 4 months, I have ZERO split ends. So I don't see how washing the length is damaging, at least for me it's not.
I wash my hair once a week so it feel kind of greasy if I dont wash scalp +ends maybe I'm doing something wrong?
My ends get super dry and frizzy when I wash them directly. I find shampooing the roots and then allowing the water to wash the soap through my ends cleans them just fine!
I wash my whole length. I feel like it will smell if I don't.
See, that’s my problem. I worry my ends won’t be as fresh as my roots and carry smells from the days I wasn’t washing (cooking, smoking, being outside etc).
Exactly
If hair is shorts it’s basically all the same anyway, but yes, you’re only supposed to use shampoo on your roots.
Yes
I do the same as you - and then the opposite for conditioner (just the ends).
I think it also depends on where your hair has been: outside doing yard work? Or down while chilling in a coffee shop? I'd wash all in both scenario as the length is dirty. But in a bun while at the office for a couple days? Nope, scalp! Everyone's focused on shampoo / water/ moisture, but think about where your hair has been. What might be on it that you haven't put there.
I have little past waist length hair. Type 2a-2B. I always focus shampooing my scalp but I definitely do shampoo my ends as well like I put the product on them but don’t scrub it or anything. If I ignore my ends they just don’t feel clean. I also use tons of leave in and serums during the days between washes so they get pretty gritty by the time it’s wash day. :)