Growing up, you may have heard that you should wash your hair every day when you take a shower. When you were younger than that, though, chances are good, your parents didn’t wash your hair that often. Now that you are an adult, you may be wondering if you really should lather on the shampoo every time you step into the shower. Could there be something wrong with washing your hair every day? The answer is not yes or no, but rather, it’s all based on your scalp type.
Joining the “No Poo” Movement
There’s a strong trend among Millennials to not wash their hair using shampoo at all. Some lather up with hand soap or body wash. Others skip the soaps altogether and instead go with just water. Is that the right thing to do?
On the other hand, you may be a super clean freak. You hate when your hair feels even the slightest bit greasy. If you go too many days without shampooing, you don’t feel like you can go out in public.
What’s the real deal? Just how often should you be washing your hair? It’s really a trick question because there are various ideas and concerns here to think about when making a decision about your hair. What’s most important is ensuring you are washing your hair as often as necessary to keep it clean, but while also keeping your scalp health in mind.
What Is Shampoo Doing to Your Hair?
The answer of how often you should wash your hair is really dependent on what shampoo does to your hair. Shampoos are designed to trap and hold onto oils. They then wash those away as you rinse off your hair.
Your hair produces oils to ensure the scalp does not dry out. It helps to protect the skin itself at the scalp from damage and helps to minimize itchiness. If you are washing your hair too often, then, you are stripping away too many of those oils on a too frequent basis. On the other hand, if your hair is oily and produces a lot of greasiness on a regular basis, then shampooing more often works in your favor. It can help to pull off that extra oil that could block your hair follicles and cause damage to your hair growth cycle.
The oil that hair follicles produce, called sebum, is an important component to a healthy scalp, but only when it remains in balance. Shampoo, used properly, can help to remove the excess oils, along with dirt and bacteria that builds up in your hair over time.
How Often Should You Shampoo, Then?
Not everyone should wash their hair every day. You probably do not need to do this. If your hair is very oily and you have an overproduction of sebum on your scalp, washing your hair every day is the best way to keep that under control.
Do you have dandruff or a dry scalp? If so, and you are washing your hair every day, that’s a good indication that you are washing it too often. Cut back to a few times a week instead. You can easily dry out your scalp by using shampoo on it every day. This can also lead to a scalp that is itchy and flaky. It is not always dandruff that causes this.
For most people, it is beneficial to wash your hair every two to three days. The type of hair you have plays a role in this too. For those that have thicker hair, or a scalp that is oily, you will need to wash more often, usually around three times or more a week. If you have over-processed hair and a dry scalp, you probably do not need to wash your hair more than one time per week. If you work out a lot or work in an environment with that has a lot of dust or debris, then washing more often becomes necessary. By now, you may have realized that the correct answer is based on several factors: oily scalp, dry dehydrated scalp, having over processed hair, how often you exercise, what type of work you do and many more. It is best to meet with a hair professional that can provide insight, At Unique Hair Concepts, we provide a free, private hair and scalp analysis that includes utilizing tools that measure oil production, hydration of the scalp and PH. Allowing us to recommend the proper scalp and hair care protocol. To learn more, contact us for a complimentary consultation.
