How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?

How often should I wash my hair for it to be healthy?

'How often should you wash your hair?' is a common question and topic of conversation within the haircare industry. It is often asked whether there is an ideal schedule when it comes to hair washing, however the answer might not be as simple as you would expect. Although washing the hair is a normal and necessary part of everyones haircare routine, the ideal day that you should wash your hair and the ideal time to leave between washes can actually vary from one person to another due to various individual factors.

What happens during the time that I don't wash my hair?

During the time in between washes, natural oils called sebum are produced by your scalp, and these oils can provide moisture and protection to the hair and scalp. However, during the time of not washing the hair there will also be a gradual buildup on the hair, which is typically a combination of dirt and a lot of sebum. Too much buildup on the hair can cause damage and irritation to the hair and scalp, affecting its physical appearance, growth, and general health of the hair. When this happens, it is important to wash the hair using shampoo, which acts as an emulsifier lifting the dirt from the hair and scalp and cleaning it away. However, it is important to wash your hair at the right time, as washing the hair too often can also be damaging to the hair as it will strip too much of the natural oils away from the hair, resulting in dry, brittle hair.

How to decide how often to wash my hair?

As mentioned, everyones hair is different so their hair washing schedule will differ from person to person depending on their hair type and environmental conditions, so there can be different contributing factors that will determine how quickly each person's hair has too much buildup, making the time it needs to be washed differ from person to person. Generally, these are the main things to consider when it comes to deciding how often to wash it:

1. Hair Type

   If you have fine hair, you may need to wash your hair more often than someone who has thicker hair. This is because fine hair can generate a lot of buildup quicker as there is less hair thickness to absorb the oil, and it is often more easily noticeable as the oil travels down the strands much more. Thicker hair is also often naturally more voluminous than more fine hair, which prevents any oil from weighing the hair down, whereas fine hair may look and feel weighed down and heavy more easily. Generally thicker hair is more prone to dryness and moisture loss than fine hair, and strands may also not recieve enough moisture from natural oils procuded by the scalp as the oils don't make their way down the entire strand. If your hair is thick and coarse it is important to not over wash the hair as you may strip your hair of too much moisture, making it dry, therefore a general recommendation would be to wash your hair every 7-10 days (once a week). If your hair is more fine, making it more prone to being greasy and also less likely to suffer from dryness when using shampoo more often, we recommend washing every 2-3 days.

   
   

2. Styling Habits

   The way you treat and style your hair throughout the week can also influence when would be the best time to wash your hair. If you have fine hair and you use styling products on your hair in between washes, you may need to wash your hair more often, as the hair is already more prone to buildup than thicker hair, and products such as hairspray can increase buildup as well as weigh the hair down. If you have fine hair and want to add nourishment and moisture to your hair, particularly as you get closer to hair wash day, choose a lightweight moisturising oil that won't weigh your hair down, but can still give your hair the chance to soak in many haircare benefits before your next wash.

   
   

   Ideally for thicker hair, as it is more prone to dryness and moisture loss, you should try products that are both suitable and beneficial for your hair type, so that you can avoid having to wash your hair too often and benefit from the natural oils produced by your hair for longer, rather than simply having to wash your hair due to using too much of a product that also didn't benefit the health of your hair. We recommend using an oil treatment instead of other products, as this locks in moisture to the hair and adds nourishment. The buildable, lightweight formula also allows you to start oiling your hair days before hair wash day and is perfect for thicker hair as it is often in need of extra moisture, and as it is less likely to weigh down thick hair, you can really benefit from an intensive treatment leading up to hair wash day, while styling the hair as desired.

   
   

3. Physical Conditions

   The environment and physical conditions can have a big impact on your hair wash schedule. If your hair is thick, dry or damaged it often has a raised cuticle which means it is more prone to absorbing moisture from the environment, therefore during humid weather conditions, the cuticle swells and absorbs moisture from the environment, disrupting the shape of the hair causing it to develop frizz. This may make you feel the need to wash your hair and use smoothing products in your hair wash routine to refresh the look and feel of your hair. We recommend regularly oiling the hair so that the hair is always nourished reducing the likeliness of frizz in certain weather conditions. Thin hair may need to be washed more often if you do more exercise, as well if there are pollutants in the environment as this can cause more oil build up in the hair, making you need to wash it sometimes sooner than usual.

   
   
   
   

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