How Often Should I Wash My Hair?
I'm always getting asked, "How often should I wash my hair?"
First it depends on a couple factors. People with dry curly hair can go much longer than someone with naturally oily, fine hair.
I love falling down google rabbit holes and discovering what the science has to say so lets get into it!
Are you washing everyday? If so you may be overdoing it...
According to several scientific studies, hair should be shampooed either once a week to 3x per week. This depends on how naturally oily your scalp is.
It is so important to let your natural oils protect and nourish your hair shaft. However, you shouldn't let those oils build up so much that your hair feels full of buildup.
This handy chart is a great guide to how often you should be shampooing.
Oily | Not Oily | Textured Dry |
3x a week | 1- 2x a week | 1x a week or every 2 weeks |
Your Hair Loses Minerals When You Wash...
When you shampoo , your hair loses a bit of potassium, sodium and calcium. Not only that but the more you keep your hair from protecting itself with its natural oils the more chance you have of creating damage and dryness.
Dry Shampoo is great but don't over do it every day because excess product can start to clog your pores. My favorite way to use dry shampoo is a day or two before I plan to wash my hair.
Don't Overdo it
Take it day by day, If you're used to washing every day this can be extremely difficult. Remember, if you are washing everyday because you feel like you get super oily, it could be because you are washing every day. This can cause an over production of sebum (natural scalp oils that lubricate your follicles).
Transition to every other day..then every 2 days... then every three. Your scalp may hate it at first but give it time and find out where your sweet spot is.
Be careful with going too long between washes and use common sense. If you go weeks between washing, oil and shedding can build up and actually lead to hair loss. Think about it. Imagine not washing your face for weeks and never washing off your makeup.
A Note on Products...
If you're using cheap shampoos or products with questionable ingredients, they can be creating buildup or even be too heavy, leading you to feel like you need to wash it every day.
I love Innersense Organic Bauty for so many hair types because it's light enough and moisturizing enough that you get all the benefits without the buildup.
Sources
"Is it healthier to skip washing your hair?" - Huffington Post
"Do We Need to Wash Our Hair Everyday?" - SiOWfa15
"How often should a person wash their hair?" - Medical News Today