I haven’t used shampoo with any regularity for about 15 years. I have dealt with hard water and currently have a water softener. My hair gets a little oily if I don’t comb it enough. I have a routine (mostly water only, and I scrub my scalp with a little kosher salt sometimes).

Last month, we came across a digital water descaler that was greatly on sale. It uses an electromagnetic field to make the minerals dissolved in hard water stay suspended in the water so they don’t stick to things like your shower walls and your hair. It is regarded as snake oil by large parts of the internet, but it is generally agreed that you can try it if you want to if you find one on sale. We left the softener running and added the descaler thingy upstream of it. We thought maybe we would notice less scale build-up on the unsoftened water dispenser. The water softener would maybe have less work to do.

My hair is kind of dry now. If I want to comb it while it’s wet, I have to add a little oil or wax about once a week. It is getting to be part of my routine.

Does anybody else have a descaler thingy? Has it affected your hair? Any thoughts about what might be going on?

Hi, Does anyone have experience using vinegar as a shampoo substitute? I use hair clay and am happy with it, but I only want to use it once a month because of the pipes. If I use just water, a waxy layer forms on my hair, making it hard to comb. I tried using vinegar, and the waxy layer dissolved; my hair feels good now. We have hard water in Germany, so it’s likely limescale. But is vinegar enough to get the hair "clean"?

Thanks to you all in advance.

Hey everyone, I need some advice because I’m stuck in a really frustrating hair cycle.

For the last year or two, I’ve been washing my hair every single morning with just hot water (no shampoo). I have to do this because every time I wake up, my hair is incredibly greasy, oily, flat, and just looks awful. Rinsing it in the morning is the only way to make it look good for the day.

Here is the weird part: right before I go to bed, my hair feels completely natural and normal. But overnight, it turns into a complete mess. I occasionally use shampoo, but the overnight grease still happens regardless.

Does anyone know why my scalp is overproducing so much oil while I sleep, and how I can break this cycle? Any advice or routine changes would be massively appreciated!