How Many Times Should You Wash Your Hair?

Are you following a hair care routine? If so, are you washing your hair too frequently? How many times?

You might have heard that washing your hair less often is good for the hair. Or perhaps, you are planning to quit shampoo and looking for healthier and beautiful hair.

According to experts, there is no specific answer to how often should one wash their hair in a hair care routine. You might not need to wash your hair as often as you think. Generally, it depends on one’s personal preference and which hair care routine one follows. For following the right hair care routine, have a look at the type of your hair and styling options.

How often should we wash our hair? It is a debate that has been going on for ages, with different answers coming from different people.

Obviously, the condition and texture of your hair matter a lot when it comes to a hair care routine, but when we consider scalp health and the temptation to skip one or two days because of our busy schedule, the confusion is whether we should re-calculate our shampooing habits or not.

Ways to Check your Hair Type

First, before deciding which hair care routine is best for you, you must confirm your hair type. The below-mentioned tricks can help you find it and it is worth following them even if you believe that you know your hair’s texture, as you might be surprised and it can also save a lot of your money and time by ensuring that you are purchasing the right shampoo and washing your hair correctly.

Spend some time assessing your hair type like how you do it for your skin. Many of us get disappointed with hair care products because we do not assess our hair type while buying hair care products.

If your hair is weak, you might want to choose hair straightening treatments and also consider whether getting it wet frequently or brushing it after washing is the main reason behind your problems.

That being said, ” be cautious that the hair type is not constant. It is sensitive to climatic changes too, along with emotional and health conditions. These factors can make your hair thinner and weaker, and smoother at various stages of your life. So you may need to repeat these tests when you feel doubt.

Washing your Hair Less Frequently Will Not Make it Stronger

According to experts, hair washing, done less repeatedly won’t make it shiny and healthy. Our hair gets exposed to sweat, pollution, and dirt on a regular basis through workouts, travel, and daily household chores. So, whenever you feel your hair is oily, shampoo your hair. It is the easiest rule you can follow while following a hair care routine.

There is no thumb rule that works for everyone. It entirely depends on the condition of your scalp and your lifestyle. If your scalp gets greasy and oily, you must wash it daily or every other day, using a mild shampoo.

If you have a dry or normal scalp, then you should wash your twice or thrice a week. This hair care routine will keep your scalp clean and healthy.

Everyone is different and you must know your hair type and scalp well so that you can follow the right hair care routine. However, it is important to note that our scalp has natural oils that are important for healthy hair.

Daily or frequent washing, mainly for a scalp that does not need it, can wash away the natural oil and leave your hair brittle and dry. For those with certain scalp conditions like dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis, going too long without using any shampoo can build bacteria and flakes that can exaggerate the condition.

Those with thin or super fine hair may be more comfortable washing their hair every day, as oil can weigh down this type of hair and make it appear flat and less healthy.

Hair Care Routine: Things That Influences How Many Times Should You Wash Your Hair?

There are different factors that can increase your need to wash your hair

1. Oil- It is one of the biggest culprits behind what we call as “dirty” hair. It can makeyour hair clumpy and limp. The amount of oil you produce mainly depends on your genetics, age, environment, and sex.

However, children and adults do not produce as much sebum as teenagers or adults who are in their 20s or 30s. While you may have once fought with an oily scalp, your scalp can start becoming dry as you grow old.

There are people who have fragile hair that becomes damaged easily with the act of washing. Those people might like to wash their hair every other week. There is a wide range of how an individual might require to wash their hair.

Some people produce sufficient oil making them wash their hair daily, but there are very few like this. Most people produce enough oil that can be washed after one of two washes.

2. Hair type- Thin and straight hair must be washed frequently when compared to wavy or curly hair. It is easy for straight hair to get coated with sebum, which makes them look oily much faster.

On the other hand, curly or wavy hair tends to be dry since the oil does not coat the hair easily. Sebum plays an important role in having beautiful and well-defined curls, as curly hair requires more moisture to stay silky and soft.

African-American hair does not need frequent washing. Overwashing, mainly with harsh chemical shampoos and conditioners can damage your hair and lead to hair loss, mainly when combined with chemical hair treatments or certain hairstyles like tight braids that can damage the roots.

One with tight curls or textured hair must wash their hair not more than once every week or every other week.

3. Sweat- Nobody is surprised to know that a sweaty workout can be a total mess. How much do you sweat is a huge factor in deciding how often should you wash your hair. Sweat can spread sebum and make the hair look dirty.

It can even cause your hair to smell bad. According to experts, shampooing after heavy workouts and after you wear a helmet or hat for a long period of time.

4. Pollen or physical dirt- Cleaning, gardening, and other messy activities can cause damage to your hair. Dust, pollen, and dirt can get trapped on the hair. These will not only make your hair look dull, but they can even cause and worsen allergies.

5. Hair styling products- If you follow a hair care routine, you must be using different hair styling products. Styling products can build dirt on your scalp and hair which in turn can lead to damage and irritation.

Using heavy hair care products may mean that you need to wash your hair more frequently compared to if you skip the sprays and creams.