can co-washing damage hair

I am relaxed and thinking of adding co-wash to my regimen. those of you who have co-washed, have you experience any breakage or damaged hair from it?

I am relaxed and Cowash once per week with no negative results. This actually helps me to keep my hair moisturized. When I don't do a midweek Cowash I noticed I have to deal with more tangles on wash day.

Relaxed Cowasher here. No Negative Consequences.

Like @Rozlewis said, it helps keep my Moisture on point.

I think if you find the right Conditioner(s) you should be good.

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I'm a relaxed head but I tried co-washing once and didn't like it.

I set aside a few hours to really baby my hair on wash days so adding an extra wash is hours I can be doing other things and it just got me agitated.

Plus when I wash I manipulate my hair a lot. I roller set and that still takes me close to an hour and I only want to do that once a week.

When I did cowash that was during my flat iron wash days and I didn't like adding an extra day or flat ironing my whole head in the week. I don't like the look of my hair airdried and am a stickler for slick and swing so cowashing would just do more damage than good for me.

Maybe with longer hair because you can bun it and look nice though. But SL and up I was busting out the heat plates and said no thank you.

I love co-washing and have been doing it for almost 8 years! I attribute daily-cowashing to retaining length.

However, just keep in mind that co-washing can be damaging if you do not keep up with the protein treatments. Breakage can come from over-moisturized hair. I have experienced this in the past and made sure that I incorporated protein 1x week. Once I altered my hair regimen, my hair flourished even more.

Additionally, cowashing hair can cause product build up which can also damage hair. Therefore, clarifying treatments 1x a week are necessary for my hair.

But keep in mind, I cowash pretty much daily. If you do not cowash as frequently, you probably may not even need the protein and clarifying treatments.

jenn132013 said:

I am relaxed and thinking of adding co-wash to my regimen. those of you who have co-washed, have you experience any breakage or damaged hair from it?

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When I was relaxed I used to co wash and bun daily whenever my hair was damaged in order to repair, replenish and to retain.

Just naked sure u do regular strand tests on wet shed hair so u can give your hair protein or moisture when it needs it.

Relaxed, low porosity: co-washing isn't the healthiest option for my hair. Co-washing leaves my hair dry and the dryness tends to cause breakage. A better option for me is apply conditioner to dry hair, letting it sit for about 30 mins (preferably, with heat) and then rinse with water. As a general rule, co-washing does not cause damage, you just have to know what works for your hair and follow that path.

NaturalPath said:

I love co-washing and have been doing it for almost 8 years! I attribute daily-cowashing to retaining length.

However, just keep in mind that co-washing can be damaging if you do not keep up with the protein treatments. Breakage can come from over-moisturized hair. I have experienced this in the past and made sure that I incorporated protein 1x week. Once I altered my hair regimen, my hair flourished even more.

Additionally, cowashing hair can cause product build up which can also damage hair. Therefore, clarifying treatments 1x a week are necessary for my hair.

But keep in mind, I cowash pretty much daily. If you do not cowash as frequently, you probably may not even need the protein and clarifying treatments.

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I am a frequent co-washer. If I sweat, I co-wash! I hate to leave sweat on my scalp so I co-wash about four days a week. I have not incorporated much protein in my regimen and I have noticed that my ends are DRY!!!! I have AO GPB that is just sitting in a basket under my bathroom sink. I have plently of clarifying shampoos as well. Never use them! Thanks for the tips.

OP - When I was relaxed co-washing helped my hair and most importantly scalp. Now that I am natural I just have to make a few adjustments and I will be just fine. I LOVE co-washing.

my biggest problem with regular cowashing is the manipulation. as long as i am gentle in handling my hair and detangling, i will be fine.

Co washing didn't work for me when i was relaxed but it's great for me as a natural.

Yep, ppl have had hair analysis done and the residue of the conditioner was not only clogging the hair follicle but making the hair grow out thinner. I think co-washing is a great refresher (I do it in the summer months) but not good for constant use with no shampoo in the equation. For instance if I wash 3-5 times in a 7-10 period it is likely that 2 of those washes would be sulfate free shampoo. You have to also consider moisture-protein-ceramide balance for your hair and make sure to add those as needed to prevent a setback.