I've been feeling the same about mine, only not the washing, the blow drying. I have fine hair but quite a bit of it, length just below my jaw. It's so silly, I can blow dry and style in about 10 minutes max and it never needs attention again the rest of the day - but I'll shower and then do other things while wearing a towel on my hair, putting off actually doing anything with it. And then get caught by someone stopping by, we have lots of drop ins here.

I use about three pillows and have a feather bed over our mattress so I really nest at night....my hair is a fright in the morning so its blow dry every. single. day.

It's a chore for me too. I think it is the bending over the laundry room sink where I wash my hair. That's hard on the old back. Also very difficult is trying to bend down to cut hard toenails. That really about does me in.

I thought I was the only person who feels this way. I haven't cut mine in over 6 months and have been taking a shower at night and putting it in to a ponytail the next day.

I agree with Morz, it's not the washing so much as how long it takes for me to style it! It's at least a 25 to 30 minute process.

In the winter months though, I am trying to wash it less. It of course does not look as nice, but it is acceptable.

I think, that is why I like my easy no mess haircut.

But really maybe you need to find some core strengthening exercises?

I feel exactly the same!! Today was hair wash day. I use dry shampoo in between and wash my hair only twice a week.

Me also. My hair is short and is "good hair," according to the stylist I go to, but I still hate to wash/blow/style it. And the whole exercise would take 10 minutes, tops, if I would just get down to business and get it done.

I have cut back to washing every three, sometimes every four days. And I have it cut//blown/styled professionally once a month and colored every-other-month.

I feel the same too. I think it's the blow drying and styling that I dread mostly though. I would wash it in the shower if I were you, it's so much easier. I've tried washing in the sink and it kills my back to bend over for that long.

My hair for the majority of my life was extremely long, below my butt. It was an all day affair washing and drying it and when I was in high school we used giant rollers like coke cans. I had so much hair I couldn't get it all on them. I would put on a bonnet hair dryer on high and take a nap. It was a very painful nap with those things to lay on. Luckily I had beautiful healthy blue black "Raven" hair.

Flash forward today I have it cut very short, not quite as short as Moni. It's a few inches long. Has a good sprinkle of silver in the black. The Meds I take, some are chemo drugs, caused thinning especially top front. So short helps kinda hide it, I have natural curls which helps too. My new shower has a rainfall head in the ceiling. I just put my Teak bench under the waterfall. It has a hand held too. It is very easy for me to shower and wash my head. I can do it in the big kitchen sink too since I have one of those tall faucets with the spring and sprayer.

I don't think I would go back to long hair. It is just so much easier. And all natural, no coloring, I have embraced the silver lol. Might as well! My mom had her hair colored till the day she passed away. I never saw her with even a few strands of gray. My sisters color theirs. Not of interest to me.

I'm a lifelong procrastinator about washing/styling my hair. Until a few years ago my hair was always a time commitment. I never wore it terribly long, but my thick and heavy hair took forever to dry. Now, with thinning hair (sob), I can wash and dry in 20 minutes. Downside is that it's more of a chore to reach overhead to 'style'. I've never washed my hair daily unless I was perspiring a lot. Now I do it every 5 - 7 days, with cut and color every six weeks. I hate the feel of hair on my skin, so I don't shampoo in the shower. Having a deep sink in the bathroom was one of my 'musts' when we built this house. At 75, I better understanding of the 'blue hair ladies'who had weekly hair appointments and slept with their hair in a 'wrap' to preserve the style in between.

I most always wash my hair in the shower but sometimes in the bathroom sink. It's difficult to rinse all the soap and then conditioner out of my hair in the sink because I have to bend over to try to stick my head under that little faucet. Seems to take forever. Then hair goes down the drain and eventually there is a plug.

I have an adjustable shower head, but I think a hand held shower head would be great for rinsing hair. And I would LOVE a rainfall shower head but that would require some re-plumbing. I'd probably get me a teak bench too and sit there for hours. ha

I'm 59 with long hair. I cut out the blow drying ages ago. I hated doing it too. I now simply wash, brush through and go. I forced myself to get used to a very natural look. But working for myself maybe I can get away with that. Maybe you can't?

I use the golfer's lift to keep my back straight when bending over for any length of time to protect my back. It was recommended to me by an avid golfer, my doctor, when I was young. I can stand on one leg for a long time if I need to bend over: I use it for doing dishes even. In general the trick is to keep one leg straight which keeps the back mostly straight. I know it's made it so I can do things like that without complaint.

I do some core strengthening exercises but could do some more.

Images are linked below.

Golfer's lift

With my respiratory problems and age, standing in the shower with my hands over my head, was exhausting. Even though I have a dressing table, again hands over head to blow it dry. So I've become my mother and now have a weekly hair appointment. I think the older one gets, the more effort one must make with ones appearance and grooming. I also get a manicure every two weeks. Only the young and beautiful can get away with the natural look. At a certain age, one needs all the help one can get.

I have very short hair, shampoo it daily while I shower, and I look better with short hair.

I wash mine in the shower every couple of days. I was "liberated" when a stylist taught me how to scrunch it with a good styling gel. It is naturally curly but for years and years I tried to blow dry it straight. Now I either let it dry naturally or hold the diffuser on it for just a couple minutes.

I'm thankful we live in a time when any hair style is just fine. Especially as we get older.

Many would disagree with you, anglophilia. I think that many older women look years younger if they adopt a more natural look.

If I don't wash my hair every couple of days it gets itchy at the nape--in the summer, when I'm sweating in the garden, I wash it every day. I can't imagine going 2 weeks, or even 1 week, between washes. I always wash it in the shower--my hair is waist length, so a bathroom sink is out of the question. Maybe a laundry tub would work. ;)

I agree with rhizo. There's nothing less attractive than seeing someone, seemingly uncomfortable in their own skin, going to extreme efforts to try to look "less old". The effect of age inappropriate makeup, age inappropriate clothes, age inappropriate accessories, AND age inappropriate conduct, is usually the opposite.

rhino, when I say the "natural look" doesn't work as well for older women, I'm talking about casual, tousled hair. I'm NOT talking about makeup! In fact, for an older woman, "less is more". There are few things less attractive than foundation caked in deep wrinkles or tons of eye makeup or even rouge! No one wants to look like Tammy Fae!

But I stand by my statement that older women need to make a bit more effort with their hair and their grooming. A great haircut, product if needed (thank God for product if one has fine hair with little body!), classic clothes and simple jewelry can make all the difference. I always want to be sure I don't look a lousy as I often feel!

Anglo, agree, as you age basic grooming like a recent haircut & nailcare helps keep you looking younger & healthier.

Edited to add, no, this is not me.

My hair is below my shoulders. I fine short or medium length hair to be higher maintenance. Long hair is ,well, just hair. We can let it hang loose or put it up or just get it out of our face with a pony tail. I was my hair when it needs it in the shower. Shampoo, rinse, put conditioner on, wash rest of me rinse everything. Get out of shower and spritz some one step conditioner/anti snarl type stuff one and comb through. Done.

I mostly let it air dry but use a blow dryer to dry it if it's cold or I'm in a hurry. Not to style, just to dry. Styling is a bit of a flat iron now and then to get out a kink or if I want it to be smoother.

I may not be stylish but I am taken for a lot younger than my years. I also agree with Rhizo and Elmer nails it. Less is more as we age. I wear makeup most anytime I plan to leave the house but it takes 5 minutes. just a bit of sheer foundation to even out the skin tone and a bit of blush since I am sallow without makeup. Plus I feel it protects my skin just a bit from the elements since I don't use other products like moisturizers etc. A bit of light taupe shadow and a sweep of mascara to show I have eye lashes. Done.

I destest the entire process of getting ready in the morning, deciding what to wear for work, washing hair, blow dry (shoulder length barely and fine, but very thick), styling, make up (minimal), tooth brushing (in my defense, I do have a 10 minute effort tooth brushing routine (first floss, then water pick, then small brush for gum area on the inside, followed by electric toothbrush set for a 3 minute cycle, but it has stopped bone loss and the doctor told me last visit, that gum surgery was no longer in my future because I had adopted this routine). I can bathe and do all this in 45 minutes, but it is so BORING! I am a partner in a lage for our area law firm and a polished look is a must, so I do it! Weekends are easier and shorcutting the routine is one of the things I am really looking forward to in retirement.

I, too, drag my feet to chop my hair when needed as never know how it will turn out like as can't find anyone to cut my thin, very thin hair and I come out looking horrible. Washing my hair, seems it won't do anything and it can look pretty bad as its so frizzy. And the front part sticks straight up and I keep trying to keep it down. It is a chore. I only wash my hair once with shampoo and no conditioner and I air dry it, no blowing or anything, not good on the hair and I decided long ago not to do those things. I can't have a perm even if I wanted one as was told with my hair it would all fall out so that isn't good.

Sometimes I treat myself to wash and blow dry at one of the cheap chain salons. Especially if I have something fun/special coming up. It's still a splurge. Costs me about 20 bucks with tip BUT it feels great and looks great and it lasts 3 days or so. I hate styling my hair. Currently growing longer so I can ponytail it or stick on top of my head!

I also try to only wash my hair every 4th day which seems easier now that my hair is longer. One thing I'd like to do is go grey. I think it would be liberating. And healthier. I think all that dye on your scalp can't be good. I just can't bring myself to do it yet. I've noticed that women don't care about gray hair but men care a lot--think it ages a woman. But then, again, who cares what other people think?

Cozy mystery novels for low attention work well when you're sick. I've just read two by one author. They are set in the late 19th century. A lady's maid is one of the main characters. THAT'S what we want: Someone *else* to maintain the wardrobe and lay out our 'costumes'. Someone to arrange our hair 'whenever'.

However...I never see any hair being *washed* in these novels, and other than my granddaughter (five), I don't know where you'd find anyone interested in this kind of adult 'doll dressing' work.

Annegriet it was easy... it just crept in. I never colored cept way back, in 1971, when I tried blond. I found out, it was way more work than I wanted... and I stopped, and never got going on anything when the grey crept in. ;)

It's funny for me to see this post because I've notice in the last year or two I find the morning shower routine, especially the one involving hair-washing, to be such a pain. It's not difficult and I don't hurt, I just don't wanna! But I do, of course. :) I have never dyed my hair because it's just one more thing I'd need to keep up. I'm not very gray yet, but I know it's coming...

Moni, your haircut looks great! Can't believe you can do that by yourself, including the back.

Mdln, is that you? Your haircut also looks very good!

I shampoo every evening, put on gel and 5 curlers on top. Next morning just brush it out and use hairspray. My hair is short but not super short, blond with grey at the temples, fine, straight, oily and thinning. I wash it in the bathroom sink. I always feel better after shampooing and do it well before bed, it's probably dry by the time I get into bed. I have to be pretty ill to skip washing my hair. (I will be 70 next month)

I'm 65 and had my hair long until February when I got it cut really short. I was doing this every so many years anyway, so it was time. What was different this time is the woman I go to said it was time to keep it short. My hair is fine and thinning (thanks mom and dad) and the long hair made it look worse. I have been chemical free for at least 15 years and at this point it would not be healthy for my hair. I have a color mix of brown and gray. It's not quite as short as Moni's, but hers is adorable and I do love how easy it is to wash and wear. I feel like it's healthier and I know I look years younger.

To the OP, if this has been a somewhat sudden/recent change (that washing your hair is exhausting) you might need to pay a visit to your MD. It sounds from many of the posts that this is not so uncommon as we age, but it also would be a classic symptom of silent heart problems and worth getting checked out. Women tend to have much more subtle symptoms than men, sometimes it can be hard to get our MDs to take them seriously. And, a recent check-up with no signs of trouble is not a warranty. Heart disease is notoriously hard to detect without symptoms.

Not that I want to scare you, but I felt it should be said to be on the safe side. Heart disease is still the #1 killer of women, and symptoms like fatigue, an little ache in the shoulder or back, or an upset stomach are so easy to think are nothing.

@ sjerin, no, not me. Have shoulder length hair, that I have colored to cover the grey. Wash hair in shower everyday. Good cut, limits blow drying time to 5m and no need for extra styling. Most guess my age to be 10-15y younger.