How often to wash your hair? This question is a global issue. The dilemma is: washing hair too often damages them, but not washing it enough makes us look like low-hygiene hobos. What is a good frequency?
Like the no-poo movement, some trends assume to have the best solution to this problem.
How often to wash your hair? Everyone is different!
The shampooing routine depends on people. If some can go for days without washing their hair, others can barely skip a day without looking miserable.
Here is what to consider before making up your shampooing routine:
- All hair types do not have the same needs when it comes to washing
Thin hair gets dirty faster and needs to be washed often, while afro hair can go unwashed for days without looking dirty. Afro and wavy hair need more moisture, so the sebum the scalp produce is helpful to keep them healthy.
It is an excellent point to consider to know how often to wash your hair!
- Sport and sweating
Like the rest of the body, hair gets dirty when we sweat. Better wash your hair after sport to prevent the sweat-fed bacterias from multiplying on your scalp. Bacteria multiplication may lead to nasty smells, itching, and, in rare cases, infection.
For the same reason, it is better to wash your hair after wearing a helmet or a hat for an extended period to get rid of the sweat.
- Sebum production
Sebum production varies depending on genetics, gender, age, and environment. Children produce very little sebum, while teenagers and young adults produce a lot. As we grow older, the sebum production decreases.
Hair washing frequency depends on how much sebum your body produces. The more it does, the more you need to wash your hair.
- Do you get dirty?
Your hair washing routine should consider your daily activities to know how often to wash your hair. As mentioned before, better wash your hair after a sports session to get rid of sweat. However, many activities may get your hair dirty. Depending on your living area, air pollution can dirt your hair without noticing. You then wonder why your hair is so flat and lifeless while you just walked and rode the subway to work. Pollution, dust, and pollen are terrible for hair and cause hair loss in the most severe cases.
If you live in a highly polluted area, better wash your hair often to get rid of toxic pollutants.
Do not overwash your hair!
Washing your hair is essential, although washing your hair too much never brings anything good.
Moreover, the more you wash your hair when it is not dirty, the more sebum your scalp will produce to “defend” itself from drying out. Dandruff and itchiness are symptoms of overwashing and dry scalp. If you suffer from these symptoms, better gradually space out hair washing.
Using hair products like hair spray or gel involves more shampoo because you need to eliminate them from your hair. Avoiding hair product use may help to space out shampoos.
What is the best product to wash your hair?
Dry shampoo is an excellent alternative to space out hair washing. It uses talc to absorb the excess oil in the hair. Dark-haired people can purchase tinted dry shampoo to avoid white marks on their hair.
Pick your shampoo according to your hair type as all the hair does not have the same needs. Using an afro hair shampoo on thin European hair will make it oily. On the opposite, using thin hair shampoo and thick and oily hair will dry them.
Some brands offer personalized shampoo depending on your hair type, scalp nature, and hair goal.
