A Few Tips on How Often It Is Better to Wash Your Hair
Finding the perfect hair-wash schedule is often impossible for us girls. Wash your hair too much, and it will become dry and brittle. Don't wash it enough, and it will become oily and lifeless. It becomes hard to find the perfect middle ground, but we at Vivien Hair have compiled all of our tips, tricks and secrets to spill in today’s blog post.
1. Hair Type Matters
There is a reason why there are different products for different hair types. Every texture and hair type requires particular and specific attention and your wash routine is no exception. Hair with thicker strands can go longer without cleaning, while thin tresses tend to get dirty and oily quicker. Curly hair tends to be on the dry side, so can go longer without washing, while straight hair may require more frequent washing. Coarse hair care be left for longer without a good scrub, while silky hair can't ...you get the pic!
2. Lifestyle and Activity
Here's something that not many people consider: the kind of lifestyle you're leading. Does the following situation sound familiar? You wash, blow dry and style your hair in the morning. You’re looking fresh and turning heads all day. Then, you hit the gym and your hair's oil city and you have to wash your hair AGAIN. Unfortunately, the more active you are, the more often you should wash your hair. The reason is pretty simple: sweat piles up, clogs your pores and dirties your scalp and roots faster.
3. So How Often Should I Wash My Hair?
Generally speaking, dry hair types should shampoo a maximum of two times a week, while oily hair types may require washing on a daily basis. If you have normal hair and don’t suffer from dryness oroiliness, you have the luxury of washing your hair whenever you feel like you need to. It also depends on your hair type. Hair that's thicker, curlier, or processed can go without a wash for longer than hair that is fine. This is because the oils in your scalp don't travel down the hair shaft as quickly as it does in finer hair strands.
If you're like me and feel icky without a shower, try a body shower. You can purchase a shower cap to keep your hair dry while you cleanse the rest of your body. Or try just rinsing your hair without using any product. Sometimes, all the hair needs is a little water rather than a full wash. We are well trained to lather, rinse and repeat. But chances are you're washing your hair far too often. Instead of the traditional shampoo-and-conditioner routine, many experts say we should be co-washing more—short for conditioner-only washing—embracing a little grease and letting our hair's natural oils do their job.
4. Brunettes Get Special Treatment
Dark haired? Then consider washing your hair twice a week at maximum regardless of your type and texture. This is because shampooing brunette hair too frequently will make it lose some of its pigments, resulting in a faded and mousey color. The pigments also help to keep the hair looking less oily. Darker hair colors tend to keep their shine longer, and frequent shampooing can damage that natural shine.
5. When in Doubt Go Dry?
It can become quite a hassle to constantly measure the frequency of your rinses and balance out your hair's health with its appearance. What to do when you want to get rid of dirt but you don't want to coat your tresses in too much shampoo?
Opt for dry shampoo instead. It absorbs dirt, dust, and excess sebum, making it the ideal quick fix for that big meeting that you'd rather not wash your hair for. In very simple terms, dry shampoo is a magical substance that cleans the hair without water. It basically works by absorbing excess oil from your hair and scalp and makes it feel and smell freshly washed. The ingredients in the spray dry shampoo are usually a mixture of absorbing agents, aerosol propellants, conditioning ingredients, solvents, and fragrance.
Dry shampoo is not meant to replace regular washing with water, rather, to help lengthen the intervals between washes. They usually come in two forms; powder and aerosol spray. Whichever your choice, be sure to choose one that closely matches your color. Dry shampoos are not just great for lengthening the period between washes, though—they are a perfect choice when a normal full shampoo is just not practical. A quick brush of dry shampoo can save the day on those mornings when you snooze your alarm one too many times. You barely have time to slip on your pants, let alone wash your hair.
Not only is it a time saver, it also adds texture and fullness to your hair, it's can be a great styling product to help your updos stay in place. If you prefer a natural alternative to commercial dry shampoos, which can sometimes contain several chemicals to help in the absorbing process, you will find organic dry shampoos which are made exclusively from natural ingredients.
Better yet, if you have a light hair, you may find it convenient to make your homemade dry shampoo. Dry shampoos are not only a big time and money saver, but they work hard to keep your hair looking, smelling and feeling fresh all day long. It will lessen washing and traditional shampooing which often weakens your hair strands, fades your dyes and disrupts your hair style. So if you need to get rid of dirt and excess oil in your hair, just spray your favorite brand in your roots, work it in and brush it out for a refreshing new look.
6. The Universal Formula
If it's too difficult to figure out all these factors that influence frequency, you'll probably rejoice to know that there is an average recommendation. If you wash your hair once every 2-3 days, you should be just dandy. The less you wash your hair, the more it trains itself to adapt to less washing. When your hair realizes it isn't being stripped down as often by the shampoo and other hair products, it realizes it can produce less oil.Training your hair can take lots of time, but it is super worth it in the long run.
7. In Conclusion
So, how often should you wash your hair? Generally speaking, once every three days at maximum. If you want the best of results, however, consider diving into the specifics of your hair. Ponder texture, styling, how you treat it, the kind of lifestyle you're leading, and other factors which can sum up the perfect washing routine for you.
So there you have it loves, the lowdown on how often you should be washing your hair while keeping it clean and maintaining its natural components.