How Often You Should Wash Your Hair
One of the most common questions I get from clients is “how often should I wash my hair?” It’s becoming a very trending thing to try to go as long as possible without washing our hair. Trust me, I can a long time, too. I am not even going to admit how long I am able to go. By now, most of us know that over washing your hair isn’t good, but is going a really long time between washes better?? Let’s talk about it.
WHY WE ACTUALLY WASH OUR HAIR
I know what you’re thinking, “duh Lauren we wash our hair to get it clean”. WRONG. When we wash our hair, we should actually be focusing on getting our scalp clean. If you want to have the healthiest hair you can, you need to prioritize scalp health, and one of the best ways to do that is to make sure its free from build up and excess oil. Make sure you are using a shampoo that cleanses your scalp really well without drying it out. If you feel like you get greasy quick or your scalp is flakey, it’s because you’re not using a good quality shampoo. I recommend that everyone, regardless of your hair type, to use a detox cleansing shampoo at least once a month to remove any buildup from our environment or hair products.
BUT WHAT IF YOU HAVE FINE HAIR?
If you have fine hair, you might feel like you need to wash your hair everyday or at least more often than your thick coarse haired friends. The reason why is because the oil weighs your hair down faster and makes it flat and greasy. If you are using the correct products for your hair type and applying them correctly, washing 3 times a week should be enough for your hair. I recommend this volumizing shampoo and conditioner which plump fine hair, helps to detangle soft fine texture and has weightless moisture so it wont weigh your hair down.
WHAT IF YOU HAVE COARSE OR THICK HAIR?
Having coarse or thick hair usually means you are probably dealing with dry or frizzy hair as well. So, you have been told to “go longer between washes”. I am here to tell you that while that is good advice, you also shouldn’t go too long. By avoiding washing your hair more frequently you are clogging your follicles with build up from each day and the oil your scalp produces is not able to move down your hair strands and nourish your ends. This is going to leave your hair feeling dry and can cause breakage over time.
I get it, you have a ton of a hair, or have got into a routine of going a long time and you’re thinking, “I do NOT want to wash my hair more” I recommend you wash twice a week but at the very least once a week. The longer you go between washes means the more your ends of your hair are going to need some love. You will want to make sure that on the days you do not wash, you are applying an antioxidant rich serum to nourish the ends of your hair and a cream based product as well to protect your hair from drying out.
GO LONGER BETWEEN WASHES
Now that you know how often you should be washing for your hair type, maybe you’re thinking, “How am I going to be able to go longer between washes? I wash my hair everyday!” Well, I know it sounds counterproductive, but I recommend to do an oil treatment on your scalp once a week until you notice you are able to go longer. If you have been washing your hair everyday, your scalp thinks it needs to reproduce oil every day, which as a result it making you feel greasier faster. By doing an oil treatment with a high quality oil that mimics your body’s natural oils, your scalp will stop over producing oil and you wont feel greasy so quick.
Also, if you are trying to go longer, I recommend you use a dry shampoo. You could also plan to wear your hair up or a cute hat on the day before you wash if you feel like your scalp has become a little greasy.