How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?
Expertise: Beauty, Health, & Wellness
Experience: 2 years
Indrani is a writer and artist who likes to add a dash of humor to everything she does. She has two years of experience in writing articles across beauty, health, and lifestyle genres. After graduatin... more
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There are two kinds of people; first, are those who have a strict schedule for washing their hair every single day. And second, are those who wait for a special occasion to wash their hair. If you have tried doing both, you will know unwashed hair is a significant setback to your confidence. Soon there is an excessive oil and dirt build-up, and before you know it, it looks like something that belongs to the fossil department in a museum.
To find out how often you should wash your hair and keep your hair clean for long, it is essential to understand your hair texture and scalp. Like hair textures are different, the scalp needs and oil production also vary from person to person. So, just because your sister has a dry scalp and can stay without shampooing for a week doesn’t mean you can pull off the same stunt with an oily scalp. The secret is to clean the scalp without stripping the natural oils off your hair. Here is a list of how often you should shampoo your hair according to your lifestyle. Read on to know them all.
Pool Baby: 4-5 Times A Week
Having a lifestyle set around or in a pool can be exhausting for your hair. The chlorine water is not suitable for your hair health, and it often leads to discoloration and dehydrated hair. If you don’t wash off the chemicals after you step out of the pool, you could face severe hair fall. One way to overcome it is to use a mild shampoo every day to cleanse the chemicals and then nourish your hair with a conditioner. You can also use a clarifying shampoo to target the chemical residues alone and not harm your natural oils.
Sporty People: 3-4 Times A Week
Did you know your scalp has more sebaceous glands and sweat glands than the rest of your body (1)? The dirt and sweat build-up lead to slower hair growth and lackluster strands. So those who are active participants in activities such as swimming, cycling, and running sweat more and hence need to wash their hair more than otherwise. You can go for a hydrating shampoo to give your hair all the moisture and nourishment while keeping it clean.
Thin Hair Type: 6-7 Times A Week
You might have been startled when you heard that your friend shampoos every day. Well, that could be because of the fine hair quality. While someone with curly hair can go without shampooing for a whole week, straight and thin hair becomes lanky and flat on day one. The thinner the hair is, the more the chances are of the oil build-up. Make sure you use a mild shampoo to cleanse the excess build-up and oil, and use conditioners at the tips only.
Curly Hair: Once A Week
The best part about curly hair is it might be oily and unwashed, but no one will know! Thicker cuticles are sensitive to outdoor elements, and hence it’s harder for the natural oils to coat the whole length of your hair. Washing your hair too often will only make your hair drier, so you must keep the shampoo to a minimum. Also, you can wash your hair with water for the rest of the week and use a cleansing shampoo once to retain the shine.
Colored Or Treated Hair: 2-3 Times A Week
Chemically treated hair or colored hair is more fragile and is prone to damage, so the cue is to go super gentle on your hair. To keep your hair safe from hard water, you need to keep the shampooing to a minimum. This will also help retain the natural oils and protect better against sun damage. Also, you must be careful not to plunge in a pool as the chlorine can wreck your treated hair. Another problem that arises if you wash your hair too often is it turns your hair color brassy. Once you decide to get your hair colored or treated, make sure you ask your hairdresser for the entire aftercare process and use specific hair products only.
It’s okay if you are still unsure about how to wash your hair. Every hair texture is different, and sometimes the best thing to do is feel your hair and experiment with it independently. Try shampooing your hair and waiting for the scalp to produce the oil gradually. Once you know which day you have to cleanse the hair, you can follow it up as a routine. For most people, it is the third day. Apart from washing, you also have to take care of the conditioning, oiling, and nurturing with proper nutrients. Once your hair is healthy, it can withstand the number of times you wash your hair.
