How Often to Wash Your Hair, According to Science

According to the “no poo” method, you don’t need shampoo to wash your hair. And even if “no poo” isn’t quite for you, chances are you’ve changed up your hair care routine several times over the years to tailor your needs. Many people choose to wash their hair daily to achieve that fresh and clean look, and while first-day hair surely looks and feels great, shampooing your locks too often may do more harm than good.

We at Bright Side were surprised to find out most of us don’t need to wash our hair daily, or even every other day. Let’s do a deeper dive into this topic together.

1. It depends on your hair type.

Though some of us are used to washing our hair properly every day, others can easily get away with doing it no more than just once a week. If you have thin and delicate hair, you might want to wash it on a daily basis because it gets covered by sebum easily and looks greasy much faster. People with dry or curly hair need to wash it much less frequently and shampooing it every other day would be enough. If your hair is textured, it needs to be washed the least, and using a mild shampoo no more than once a week or even every other week would be enough to keep it clean.

2. Your hair feels oily.

As soon as your hair gets slightly oily, you might be tempted to wash it immediately, but the sebum your scalp produces is actually essential for the health and beauty of your strands.

Despite what shampoo commercials are trying to convince us about, washing your locks on a daily basis can be a recipe for a bad hair day. Hair that is completely stripped of its natural oil can feel coarse and much harder to style. When your scalp gets overly dry, it might start to produce even more sebum, and it’s recommended to wash your hair every 2 to 3 days to avoid greasy hair and scalp irritation.

3. You work out a lot.

It comes as no surprise that a gym session can mess up your hair and cause it to feel less than fresh. Showering after a workout can not only get you clean but also help your muscles to recover faster. If you love working out and regularly spend hours at the gym, washing your hair daily might protect the skin on your scalp against fungal infections and clogged pores, which, in turn, can slow down hair growth, and even cause hair to fall out.

4. You use styling products often.

If you feel like your hair has become weaker and thinner after years of heating and using hair sprays, you are not mistaken. Hair waxes and gels can definitely help you hold your blowout, but if used too frequently, they can build up on your scalp and cause it to itch. To help those gorgeous waves stay for hours and keep the skin on your scalp healthy, wash your hair thoroughly when you’re done with your style.

5. Your hair is dyed.

Dyeing your hair is a fun and creative way to freshen up your look, but if you want your new color to stay vibrant for longer, wash your hair less often. Shampooing your strands just 2 or 3 times a week is enough to keep your hair clean and to extend the life of your new shade.

How often do you wash your hair? What’s the longest you have gone without washing it?

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