If you happened to ask your friends how often they wash their hair, you’d be surprised at the answers they give. Ranging from three times a week to once every fortnight, everyone believes the attention they give their hair as far as the washing is concerned is adequate. Striking a balance on how often your hair should be washed is not an easy task.
Sticking to a hair washing schedule is as hard as preparing it. However, there are some ground rules that govern how often your hair should be washed. These depend on your lifestyle, your hair type as well as the kind of daily physical activities you are involved in. Still, why should you wash your hair?
Factors that Influence why you should wash your hair
- Sebum secretion
Even though sebum is meant to moisturize your hair and skin, it tends to make both of them greasy and oily. Sebum from the sebaceous glands results in an oily scalp that will need cleaning. However, the rate at which sebum is secreted varies from one person to the other, depending on their hormonal functioning and genetic variation.
- Hair oiliness
Sebum is known to b the primary cause of hair oiliness. However, different hair types need varying levels of attention. Excessive secretion may require regular hair wash wheres undersecretion may allow you to stay for longer periods of time. Straight, thin hair needs a regular wash due to the rate at which sebum easily spreads. Kinky hair tends to be dry for longer periods of time.
- Sweat and dirt
If you are fitness freak whose physical activity results in a high rate of perspiration, you may need to clean your hair more often. The direct relationship between washing your hair and physical activity dictates that the more you work out, the more you will sweat. Excessive sweat tends to clog the pores on your scalp, leaving it dirty.
- Styling products
If you are a products enthusiasts who doesn’t shy away from experimenting with hair products, you may need to wash your hair frequently due to product build up. However, excessive washing may result in hair breakage due to brittleness.
The question still remains…
How frequently should you wash your hair?
Well, there is no standard answer to this question. Everyone has unique hair which needs unique attention. Generally, people with an oily scalp tend to wash their hair more frequently as compared to those with dry scalp. Ultimately, it all depends on your lifestyle, hair type and preference.
- Hair texture and hair type: This is the top determinant of how often your hair should be washed. Your type of hair determines how sebum gets spread on your scalp and throughout the hair strands. Sebum easily frows from the roots to the ends in straight thin hair, while its movement is restricted in kinky hair. So, the former hair type needs a regular wash.
- Type of scalp: A dry scalp needs to be washed less frequently compared to an oily scalp. It is important to understand that the hair greatly benefits from natural oils produced by the body in addition to their hair regimen.
- Lifestyle and physical activity: If you indulge in vigorous physical activities, such as working out, your hair may need a regular wash. Your lifestyle also informs the decision to have your hair washed frequently. If you regularly heat style your hair, you need to minimize the frequency of washing your hair so that it does not dry out.
You will be surprised to find out that shampooing the hair is very different from washing hair. While washing hair may simply involve rinsing it with water only, shampooing requires a soap tailormade for the hair. Do you want to know how often your hair should be shampooed? Read on!
How frequently should hair be shampooed?
Minimizing the number of times you wash your hair trains the scalp to minimize sebum production. This, in turn, reduces the number of times you may need to shampoo your hair. However, this question has no specific answer because the number of times you’ll need to shampoo our hair sorely depends on your preference. Note that the less you shampoo your hair, the lower the possibility of your hair drying out. Besides shampooing, you can opt to co-wash, spray clean or simply rinse it with plain water.
The 3 alternatives to shampooing your hair
This involves cleaning your hair in the absence of water. Sry shampoos are ideal for those that don’t want to have their hair wet every now and then. Dry shampoos are available in aerosol sprays or powders and have a conditioning property, contain a fragrance, an aerosol propellant and easily absorb sebum from both the hair and scalp. They are a typical combination of conditioning, cleansing and styling. It is highly recommended to go for organic dry shampoos as opposed to chemically-filled shampoos.
- Co-washing
Also referred to as no-poo or conditioner washing, this method involves replacing your shampoo with a conditioner when washing your hair. Once your hair is wet, generously apply a conditioner to cover all your tresses, let it sit for a few minutes then rinse it out. This is highly effective if you are seeking to cleanse your hair and maintain as much moisture as possible.
- Water
Plain water can be used as an elixir when washing your hair. Are you going through bad hair day? Or maybe forgot to cover your hair when you went bike riding? Or maybe just got home after spending hours in the scorching sun? Treat yourself (and your hair) to a cool shower.
Your hair is a crown that will always be on your head; invest in it.
Implementing these amazing techniques will help you attain gorgeously healthy hair, and conquer the world!
About the Author
Candice Hall is the Marketing Manager of Dynasty Goddess Hair, with a factory in Thailand & Office and Shipping Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, they are one of the top retailers in Virgin Remy Hair Extensions in the USA.