How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?

Hair’s How Often You Should Shampoo!

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See what I did there?! ;) It's "here" but with a southern accent! Haha ;) 

Jokes aside, there's not a blanket solution that satisfies all because hair comes in different types, textures, and densities.

What do you mean by TYPE?
Answer - Referring to each individual hair strand, hair is either fine, medium or coarse in its diameter.

And what about TEXTURE?
A - This refers to the shape your strands make. Straight, wavy and curly are 3 different textures.

And DENSITY?
A - How much hair you have per square inch determines its density. Imagine 100 hairs in a square inch versus 500 hairs in a square inch of your scalp.  

So because we were blessed with the beauty of all kinds of hair, how often you shampoo will depend on the above factors and your lifestyle. 

Most of my clients go 1-3 days between shampoos. People who last longer without shampoos have more wavy/curly hair and/or coarse hair. Both tend to be more dry so the natural oils produced by your scalp is beneficial. Shampooing too often can strip your hair (and scalp) of these natural oils. Some curly hair clients even say their hair looks the best of day 2 or 3 after they shampoo when their natural oils have settled in.

That being said, hair that is fine in individual diameter and overall density could fall flat with even the smallest amount of styling product used. Shampooing can give body to individuals with this hair type and as such, they may prefer to wash their hair daily.

BUT, according to Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Hospital's department of dermatology:

“Washing your hair too often can make the hair dry and brittle
and lead to irritation of the scalp.” 

...so use your best judgement or ask your stylist! 

At the other end of the spectrum, there's a "no-poo" trend! But it's not for everyone! Have you tried it? That is, not shampooing for... ever? Maybe you've used baking soda or apple cider vinegar instead? I'm always curious to hear how this works out for people. Most I talk to still need a shampoo-inducing-sudsy wash with a squeaky clean feel every once in a while. 

If you've been wondering about your wash frequency, simply try something new once a week. For example, add an additional "no wash" day to your routine. Observe any pros and cons and adjust accordingly. And consider your lifestyle. If you're doing hot yoga every day, I understand needing to wash it every day, even if just with some warm water ;) 

I trust you'll get it down. And always indulge yourself in that head massage! Your brain and pressure points (and, of course, hair and scalp, too) will appreciate it! 

Photo by Oleg Ivanov on Unsplash

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