Ah the age old question that everyone seems to have a different answer to. There are so many factors that determine how often you should wash your hair that it can be hard to sift through it and pinpoint exactly the best routine. At the end of the day, you know your hair better than anyone else and only you can prevent forest fires… I mean know how often to wash your hair. Here are a few things to consider when figuring out your hair care routine.
Thin– Thin hair tends to produce more sebum, resulting in more oil production. Those with thin hair usually need to wash their hair more often than those without because they start to see grease one or two days after they wash it. Generally washing the hair every other day or every two days works best for this hair type. You can extend the periods between washing with dry shampoo products if you’re worried about the damage washing too often can inflict.
Thick– With more hair strands, the production of sebum is spread thinner across the hair, meaning those with thick hair have less greasy scalps and don’t have to wash their hair as often. On the other hand, thick hair is often dry and frizzy so it requires conditioning products that nourish and tame the frizz. Washing thick hair 2-3 times a week is usually a good rule of thumb.
Curly– Curly hair allows for the most time in between washes because of the structure of the hair. Curly hair is very prone to dryness though and washing too often can affect the look and feel of your curls. Finding deeply nourishing, curl specific products, and washing the hair once a week or possibly less is best for curly hair.
Damaged– Damaged hair is dry and brittle meaning you want to be extra careful with how you treat it. Over washing can damage the hair even more so you’ll want to find a balance depending on your other hair factors. Try using hair masques tailored to those with damaged hair.
We’ll keep this one easy peasy. The more oil production happening on your scalp, the more often you have to wash your hair. BUT if you’re worried about washing your hair too often, you can train your hair to function without daily washing. It just takes some patience and probably a lot of dry shampoo. Basically the more you wash your hair, the more you have to wash your hair.
Where you live and what activities you do are other factors that can help decide when to wash your hair. Things like sweat, humidity, dirt, and pollen can all be reasons to wash your hair more often. You get dirty, you’re going to wash your hair, pretty basic stuff.
This one might be the least of the potential factors, but it can still cause you to change up your hair washing routine. If you use an influx of styling products, they can cause irritation and damage if they build up on your hair and scalp. If your hair is feeling crappy, just cool it on the products.
Bottom line babes, if your hair is feeling dirty and oily, wash it. If it’s feeling dry and frizzy, leave it for a few days. If you’re like me and one part lazy, two parts bleach damaged hair, then dry shampoo all the way!
