What's that Sour Smell?

[My Friend]

Me: Your braids are cute. How long have you had them?
Her: Thanks. I've had them in a couple months.
Me: Really? How often do you wash them?
Her: Girl, I rarely wash my hair with or without braids
Me: erplexed
Her: I only wash it when it starts to smell sour
Me:
Her: If you wash your natural hair too much it will fall out and if you wash your braids to often they will frizz up.

Ladies please share your thought process behind why she thinks this is true.

 

[BEAUTYU2U]

 

[Curlee_lurker]

That made my stomach turn. I hope she's not only washing other places when they start to smell sour.

 

[My Friend]

That made my stomach turn. I hope she's not only washing other places when they start to smell sour.

Does she think hair is self cleaning?

 

[Janet']

Now that's that kind of logic that I just cannot follow...

 

[loveisnthehouse]

Lol. I loved how you added the smileys in there OP.

 

[My Friend]

How often do we really need to wash?

 

[smilesarecontagious]

LMAO! Smdh...that is too funny.

To your question, yes, I find my braids get frizzy when I wash them but i know that they are not supposed to last forever.

 

[My Friend]

LMAO! Smdh...that is too funny.

To your question, yes, I find my braids get frizzy when I wash them but i know that they are not supposed to last forever.

How often should you wash your braids?

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

+1 please and thank you.


like sour milk? i mean, i dont understand. cant smell like sour skittles or candies cause those smell good. lemons and limes are sour but those smell clean. the only sour thing i can think of is sour milk and hair should never smell like that!!!!

 

[Nonie]

How often do we really need to wash?

My regimen doesn't change coz I'm in braids. I wash my hair twice a week when not in braids AND when in braids.

I think you will find a good answer on that here: http://www.growafrohairlong.com/braidreg.html

I think you should wash your hair when it's dirty. You sweat, if you use products you attract more dirt than if you don't. Ermm...hello?

 

[Junebug D]

You wouldn't go months without washing your face, or your armpits, so what makes people think it's okay for their scalp to go that long without some soap & water?

 

[Goombay_Summer]

Heaven forbid that her braids frizz up, who needs a clean scalp or hair when it obvious that dirt makes your hair grow.

 

[smilesarecontagious]

How often should you wash your braids?

I wash once a week.

 

[laurend]

I went out partying with my girlfriend and her cousin one evening and it ended up in a disaster. Her cousin had braids for 2 months and never washed her hair. She smelled so bad, we had to roll the windows down in the car. I met up with them at a salsa dance club and she danced with a Hispanic male who kept turning his head from her face. At the time, I couldn't figure out why he was doing that, until she sat down next to me. I was so embarrassed because I didn't want the guy to think I was dirty also. Later after I dropped her cousin home, I told my girlfriend to tell her cousin to wash her hair because it stinks. After that I make sure I don't go too long between washes because normally you can't tell how bad your hair smells.

 

[suburbanbushbabe]

Don't know why she thinks it's true, but I think it's nasty.

 

[BEAUTYU2U]

Ok, I can answer now ... took me a moment though. I would wash braids whenever it felt like it was getting dirty, all ladies know when your hair starts to feel icky. Same thing with braids or any other kind of extensions. Second, what is the sour smell? Is that her hair or her scalp wreaking of some kind of skin infection because she rarely washes?!

 

[BostonMaria]

Does she wash her body when it starts to smell sour, too?

 

[Black Ambrosia]

How often do we really need to wash?

I asked a stylist this question before. She said that hair should be washed at least every 10 days. Your hair may actually be okay if you go longer than that but she was clear that you run the risk of developing scalp issues.

 

[Black Ambrosia]

Ok, I can answer now ... took me a moment though. I would wash braids whenever it felt like it was getting dirty, all ladies know when your hair starts to feel icky. Same thing with braids or any other kind of extensions. Second, what is the sour smell? Is that her hair or her scalp wreaking of some kind of skin infection because she rarely washes?!

The smell is caused by product build up and sweat.

 

[bride91501]

This is just one of those horribly wrong things that have persisted in black hair advice. I think it is related to the same mindset that tells people that our hair is somehow "allergic" to water, and of course, it'll ruin any of our so-called hairstyles.

Sadly, I used to be a part of this group-think and didn't think about washing my weave or braids until that semi-sour smell set in

 

[BEAUTYU2U]

I feel queasy .... erplexed

 

[shunemite]

She just needs education, she's probably surrounded by people with the same mentality. How many black people without braids don't even wash their hair unless they go to the shop once a month? (Raising my hand, I know I used to.......)

 

[Dragone]

I guess everyone else lived in hair utopia because that was pretty much standard operating procedure growing up. People would put some blue magic or something up there to help mask the smell. And yes, everyone bathed like a normal human being, everyone's acting like they never met well put-together women who were scared of 'sweating out' their styles

 

[StopMakingSense]

I mean I heard of the old skool every 2 weeks, but I don't remember letting hair carry on to sour and whatnot.

 

[ms.blue]

A couple of years ago, I would only wash my hair before I got braids and after but not during since I was told that you can't wash braids and my hair stank bad when water will touch my hair. Now I know beter and I wash my. Hair every week-2 weeks when in braids with added hair or in weaves and my my scalps thanks me for it!

 

[EllePixie]

Does she wash her body when it starts to smell sour, too?

Maria your hair is looking amazing!!!

But to the OP - My father is a doctor and he actually told me that I shouldn't wet my hair everyday because I'm washing away my scalp's natural oils. I don't think that is wrong per se, but with curlier hair those oils have difficulty getting down your hair shaft anyway, so I find it more beneficial to wet my hair daily then moisturize and seal. Water is moisturizing but if we don't seal the moisture in our hair will get dry once the water evaporates.

As for braids...I've never had them but even if you don't wash your hair often with them in you should at least be using a dry shampoo or some kind of oil with astringent properties. Who wants to walk around smelling sour, even if it's just for a minute? Ew.

 

[BEAUTYU2U]

I guess everyone else lived in hair utopia because that was pretty much standard operating procedure growing up. People would put some blue magic or something up there to help mask the smell. And yes, everyone bathed like a normal human being, everyone's acting like they never met well put-together women who were scared of 'sweating out' their styles

HUH?! I can't say I grew up like that. In my family, we washed our hair once a week. I've known some people to go two-to-four weeks but I've never heard of waiting for a sour smell to come about.

 

[Curly Luul]

This topic had me laughing hard lol, .......... smell sour? Was she really serious? She is actually really brave and open, to be telling a strange that..

 

[Teddy B]

My regimen doesn't change coz I'm in braids. I wash my hair twice a week when not in braids AND when in braids.


I think you should wash your hair when it's dirty. You sweat, if you use products you attract more dirt than if you don't. Ermm...hello?

:realitycheck: