Maintaining a wash day routine when caring for your hair is common practice. Some people only do it once each day, while, some people prefer once or twice per week.
But what if you’re not shampooing your hair frequently enough—or worse, too much and you’re just stripping it?
In order to ensure that your strands feel and appear their best, we found out just how frequently you should wash your hair.
How Often Should You Shampoo Based on Hair Type
How frequently you should wash your hair depends greatly on your hair type.
But rather than simply following a strict timetable, you should listen to what your scalp and hair need. Itching, flaking, product buildup, greasy strands, and naturally any unpleasant odors are indications that you should wash or cleanse your hair.
Straight Hair
To prevent oil accumulation, people with fine, straight hair (type 1) should wash their hair two to three times per week.
Those with fine strands often feel greasier throughout the week because there is less surface area on the head for oil to collect.
Curly or Wavy Hair
Type 2 or type 3 strands, which are buoyant loop curl patterns and flexible “S” shape curl patterns, are common identifiers for people with wavy to curly hair.
I would recommend washing at most twice a week for this hair type because it needs more oil on the head to keep your strands hydrated.
Coily Hair
Coily textures are classified as having type 4 hair, which also contains types 4A, 4B(my hair type), and 4C. 4B is a tighter coil with a less distinct curl, 4C is a zigzag design, and 4A has an “S” or ringlet pattern.
It’s best to limit your washdays to once a week if you have this hair type.
This more delicate hair type can lose the oils necessary to keep the strands hydrated if they are washed too frequently, type 4 hair is just naturally drier hair.
When shampooed once a week with the proper products, the scalp can absorb the nutrients used on the hair.
Make sure to use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner if your hair feels particularly dry.
What Washing Your Hair Too Often Can Do
So, how frequently should you shampoo? A daily hair wash is certainly excessive.
For your hair to remain hydrated, it needs those oils.
Because it helps the hair retain more moisture and makes the shampoo more gentle, I suggest using only a cleansing conditioner in one wash if you feel the need to cleanse your hair every day because you work out.
Dulls Your Hairs Shine
Since your hair is being deprived of its natural oils when you overwash it, one frequent side effect is a loss of shine which causes your hair to look dry and dull.
This is particularly true if your product doesn’t shield the keratin protein and color from damage if you have colored hair.
Scalp Imbalance
Overwashing your hair can mess with the pH, pH equilibrium, and scalp microbiome. Your hair will feel like straw as a consequence, and your scalp will feel dry, irritated, and inflamed.
The oil generated by the scalp, or sebum, is our natural food for the scalp and hair; it moisturizes and straightens the strands.
A tight, dry head and dry, coarse, breakable strands can result from washing too much away, which creates an imbalance.
Overwashing your hair can make it even oilier if you have an overactive, oily skin.
Additionally, hair can become limp and battle to maintain a style. I advise using a thickening shampoo or conditioner if your hair starts to become desensitized to help it recover its strength and fullness.
Effect Of Not Washing Your Hair Enough
Although how long you go between washes really relies on you, it’s probably time for a wash once you start to notice oil buildup on your scalp and your strands begin to get flatter.
When there is buildup on the skin, it must be detoxified and cleansed to get rid of extra sebum and debris.
Scalp Conditions
Washing your hair will help you prevent scalp skin issues, just like when you wash your face and body.
If you wash very rarely, the oil may begin to accumulate in layers, clogging scalp follicles and promoting acne on the scalp.
Psoriasis, alopecia, and dandruff can all develop as a result of not cleaning your hair.
Additionally beneficial for circulation, stimulating the scalp, oxygenation, relaxation, and de-stressing the hair, cleansing should be part of your daily routine rather than a burden.
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