How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?
Nothing beats that feeling of freshly washed hair. The scent of the shampoo fills your senses and, depending on your hair texture, the locks can be shiny and silky to the touch. Why wouldn’t we want that feeling every single day?
Well, lots of reasons. The biggest one and most common obstacle is time. Most of us don’t have a true wash-and-go style, at least not one that we’d consider an actual style. Sudsing up our locks feels great but styling afterwards is time consuming, especially when you have places to go and sometimes just don’t have the minutes to perfect a blowout or properly coil your curls.
But aren’t you supposed to wash your hair often? The answer is yes…and no. Read on to find out how to best take care of your locks in and out of the shower.
How much is enough?
If you wash your hair too much, that silky feeling can soon succumb to dry locks and an even more barren scalp. Dry hair is brittle hair, and reaching for the shampoo too often can cause damage you may not expect, but definitely don’t want. Some shampoos have various chemicals that can cause irritation to your scalp, leaving it itchy.
Similarly, you want to wash your hair enough because otherwise it could lead to build-up at the scalp, causing greasy, unmanageable roots and dandruff.
The general rule is that you should wash your hair every 2-3 days. So how do you tell which end of the shampoo spectrum you’re on?
The frequency that you wash your hair depends on you and your hair type. Maybe your hair tends to be on the dry side, so an extra day of oil buildup will actually help the health of your hair. You could possibly go all the way to day three without cracking open the shampoo bottle. Thick, wavy, and curly hair can be dry, especially African-American hair. The oil doesn’t coat the strands as easily and overwashing could make it even dryer.
Colored hair could also benefit from longer periods between shampoos. Hair color hues tend to fade with time, and less shampooing could prolong your bold color until the next refresh. As a general rule, sulfate-free shampoos are best to preserve your color and prevent any damage to your hair in general.
If you have a naturally oily scalp or an intense workout regimen that brings out sweat on the daily, maybe you do need to shampoo every day or at least every other day. Straight and thin hair is weighed down by too much oil, making hair washing more of a regular necessity.
No shampoo pattern is created equal
As with anything else, how often you shampoo depends on your hair and your lifestyle. Chat with your favorite FS stylist about how often to shampoo your hair and what products are best to keep it looking great in between washings.
How often do you wash your hair? Let us know and show us your selfies on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter using #StyleMeFantastic.
Fantastic Sams Cut & Color is a full-service hair salon with hundreds of convenient locations.
Find a Fantastic Sams Cut & Color Hair Salon near you.