How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?
Hair washing is probably one of the most basic of hair care routines. We know we are supposed to wash our hair regularly to remove dirt and oil and to prevent buildup from hair styling products. But what does “regularly” even mean? How often are we supposed to wash our hair?
First, we need to understand that washing our hair does not necessarily mean washing it with shampoo. Rinsing the hair with water alone does not affect the production of sebum, the hair’s natural oil, but shampoo could disrupt it.
So the right question that we should be asking is, “How often should I shampoo my hair?”
The truth is there is no magic number. The answer will depend on the following factors:
Skin Type
The three skin types are: super oily, super dry and balanced. If you notice your scalp is balanced or isn’t too dry or too oily, then you only need to wash your hair for about once or twice a week. If your scalp is super oily, then you will need to wash it every other day, perhaps even every day. People with oily scalp tend to experience itching and flaking if they go too long without shampooing so make sure to observe your hair when this happens. If your scalp is super dry, make sure to apply a moisturizing product like a conditioner.
Hair Texture
Shampooing will also depend on how thick, smooth or fine your hair is. If you have fine hair, you may need to shampoo your hair once or twice every week because the fine strands allow sebum to spread faster. People with curly or coarse hair textures need to minimize shampooing because it usually takes longer for natural oils to moisturize all that hair.
How Often You Style
There are countless hair products out there that could let us achieve whatever look we want with our locks. Keep in mind, however, that constant styling may damage hair. It is best to give your hair time to breathe and just be natural. Styling your hair with intensive hair products and washing it with shampoo everyday could increase the chances of damage.
The Verdict
While there is no magic number, we can all agree on these three important reminders:
- Let the natural oils of your hair do their magic. So, let your hair rest from all the artificial styling and chemical products from time to time.
- Using shampoo daily could damage your hair especially if you style often or if it is already dry to begin with.
- Using chemical styling products often can increase the chances of damage. Minimize chemical treatments on your hair and if it’s possible, invest on natural and chemical-free hair products.
Your hair is one of your best accessories so make sure to take good care of it. Take time to observe and understand your hair type so you’ll know how often you should really shampoo. Last but not the least, make sure to only head to salons that understand your hair needs.