Here’s the thing the answer will be different for everyone. I know, I know… Tik Tok is saying you should only wash your hair once a week. I’m sure a month from now, Tik Tok will say you should wash your hair with beer. Seriously don’t, I do not recommend this just a joke to make my point. Do not rely on Tik Tok or any other social media trend to tell you what YOU will know best.
Let’s start with the purpose of cleansing. We cleanse our hair and scalp to remove dirt, oil, and any unwanted residue. Maintaining good hygiene can help prevent unwanted scalp conditions.
Now let’s look at when you would cleanse. How often you wash your hair will depend on two things:
1. Your lifestyle.
Let’s say you go to the gym everyday, or your job is in construction, likely you would wash your hair everyday with this type of work. You want to be removing the sweat, dust and particles from your scalp and hair if not this could cause buildup and potentially some scalp issues. Now if you work in an office or work in retail, you might only wash your hair every other day or third day or perhaps once a week.
2. How your hair and scalp look and feel? Ask yourself some questions to understand if you could be washing more frequently for optimal scalp and hair health. Is my scalp itchy? Is my scalp dry? Does my hair look dull and lifeless? Is my hair dry and feeling brittle?
If you answer yes to any of these questions, you probably want to consult with your professional Hairstylist. A professional can assess your hair and scalp and can help you come up with a routine. They can also help you pick the right shampoo because the type of shampoo you’re using makes a huge difference on the health of your hair and scalp. This is a whole other topic onto itself but let’s stay focused for now.
“But Cat I heard washing your hair too often is bad and dry’s your hair out.” I cannot tell you how many times I have heard this, and at some point, I probably believed it too. We are always learning and so I’m here to tell you that no if you wash your hair everyday (or however often you need based on the above criteria) with a good quality shampoo your hair will not dry out.
Something else I get asked a lot about is “can I train my hair to not need shampooing everyday,” this usually comes from someone with an oily scalp. The answer here is yes and no, I know so helpful right?!
First, an oily scalp is not a bad thing. Some people just produce more oils than others. Some people will have oily scalps during specific times in their life, and others can train their hair to not need shampooing everyday. Whenever I get this question, I always tell my guest “If you have an oily scalp and you don’t like the way it looks when its not washed, then please just wash it.” Do not torture yourself trying to achieve something that is not necessarily right for you.
I hope this helps you understand how often you could be washing your hair and what to look for when deciding if it’s time to wash again. And a reminder that your hair washing routine may change throughout your life. Questions??? Ask me.