Try Frequent Wash Days for Your Healthiest Hair Ever!

For the past several months, I found myself dreading wash days. Shorter, colder days just don't mesh well with extensive wash day routines.  So I pretty much tried to avoid them whenever possible.  But now that we've got a few additional hours of light each day, and I'm pretty much home all day, I thought now would be as good of a time as any to institute frequent washings into my routine...and why you should too.

Prior to the virus outbreak, wash day pretty much meant that I would have to be confined to my home for the day.  Since I typically washed on the weekend, this guaranteed that I was giving up precious time that I could be putting toward more enjoyable activities.

But, now that I have more time on my hands, I figured now would be a good time to institute a new routine that I've wanted to try for the longest.  Starting this week, I hope to officially become a "frequent washer."

What is a frequent washer?

It's someone who washes or co-washes their hair 3 or more times a week.  Some frequent washers engage in "washing" hair daily.  Others simply add a few more washes to throughout the week to tap into the amazing potential benefits.  Yes, we're stuck in the house for a while, perhaps we can use this valuable time to prepare for the day when things hopefully get back to normal.  Imagine experiencing increased growth, thickness and retention by summer.  I'm sure we all want this.

 I know I do.

Check out a few reviews from people who experienced wonders of frequent washing and what it has in store for us.

 "It seemed if I washed my hair more frequently, it grew more. I remember specifically thinking this was the secret to long hair. But, I never kept it up and that was a time before I started taking care fo my hair."

"I lean to the side of saying that it may just help increase growth as for the last 2 months or so I've been co-washing regularly (every 2 days or more) and I have seen an increase in growth. I've retained all my hair since my journey and my growth rate has stayed the same the regular co-washing is the only difference."

"I can see frequent washing giving you an opportunity to massage your scalp thus increase circulation. Also, dirt and sweat can cause your scalp issues so that a clean scalp provides a healthy environment for hair growth. So if you're sweating much (like after a workout) then washing does provide an environment for sebum production and prevents clogging of pores which can lead to itches and scalp issues. Lastly, moisture is a good thing for your hair. It wasn't until I started washing my hair regularly that I discovered that I didn't need leave-in products to keep my hair "moisturized". The washing itself provided the moisture my hair needed."

"It's the frequent watering (Moisture), Conditioning, Strengthing (Protein)
rubbing of the scalp (improving circulation) that aids the growth. Increasing the amount of times I wash my hair a week from 1 to up to 3 has skyrocketed, the length, condition of my hair."

" I can recall a time when I was washing/co-washing more frequently and would let the shower spray massage mainly the front of my head for 5 minutes or so (tilting my head backward). I soon noticed that my much slower growing front was catching up quickly to the hair in the back, which had never happened before."

Ideally, it's best to start with a 2x- 3x a week regimen.  I'll experiment with shampooing 1x a week and co-washing the other 2 days.  Although I'm excited to try this experiment, I'm still a little apprehensive.  about what to do with my hair post-wash.  I typically roller set to stretch my hair but that takes quite a bit of time.  Over the course of my experiment, I'll likely experiment with twist outs, braids, and wash-n-go, etc.  Even if some of the styles don't turn out as expected, it won't really matter as much because I won't be going out in public anyway.  This period of self-quarantining actually buys us some time to perfect our techniques.

When it comes to maximizing growth and retention, you might fall in one of two groups:

A. Frequent Washing for Retention
B. Infrequent Washing for Retention (low manipulation)

I've tried both A & B.  I tend to default to option B for the sake of convenience.  But, if I were honest with myself, I have to admit that option A creates the most optimal results.  With option B, I have to deal with tangles, single strand knots, and excess breakage.  When I wash more consistently, the tangles melt away, my hair becomes more elastic and everything seems to just work out for the better.

At the end of this experiment, I would hope to enjoy a bountiful crop of new growth thanks to having a cleaner scalp, increased circulation and enhanced moisture. Months from now, when we hopefully start to veer outdoors again,  I plan on proudly displaying the results of my diligent efforts.