Do you wash your hair too much? Are you over-shampooing? For most women, daily shampooing seems to be the norm. We think nothing of jumping in the shower and giving our heads a good, thorough scrubbing. But is it really good for your hair? Or is less actually more? Here’s what you need to know about how often to shampoo your hair.
What happens when you over-shampoo? Too frequent shampooing can strip hair of its natural oils, leaving it dry and damaged, and unmanageable. Too frequent shampooing can also cause hair to become overly porous, which affects how hair accepts hair color. If hair is too porous, it might absorb too much hair color, or the hair color may wash out prematurely. Over-shampooing can cause the oil glands in the scalp to go into overdrive to compensate, leaving hair feeling extra oily.
How often should you shampoo? Ideally, the typical person should shampoo every second or third day. This allows the natural oils in the scalp to be distributed throughout the hair, nourishing the strands and helping them to look shiny and healthy. It also prevents damage that can come with extra heat styling and blow drying, as well as gives hair time to recuperate in between. Those with extremely dry scalps could potentially go longer in between shampoos, while those with very oily scalps may need to shampoo more frequently. Elderly ladies think nothing of coming into the salon once a week for their only shampoo, and their drier scalps thrive. Sometimes, an adjustment period of a week or two may be necessary when a person who is used to shampooing daily begins to shampoo less frequently.
What kind of shampoo and conditioner? The best shampoo and conditioner to use is a salon quality product made for your specific hair type. Your stylist can help you choose the right one. If your hair is fine, you’ll want to look for products that plump the hair and give volume, but avoid products that are heavily moisturizing. If your hair is coarse and dry, look for products with extra emollients and heavy conditioners to keep hair manageable.
What about the in between days? In between days, try a dry shampoo to minimize oiliness. Just spray dry shampoo at your roots and gently rake through. This will also give texture to fine, straight hair.
Is it true? Are you guilty of over shampooing? Do you think your hair could benefit from a little less scrubbing and styling? If so, give your hair a break but shampooing and styling less. You might find that you love your hair all the more.
