How often should you wash your hair
Presumably, the most puzzling dilemma that we face as the week goes by is aligning our hair wash days with our plans. Even if we have nothing planned for weeks to come, picking out the days when we should wash our hair is a tedious task in itself. Some people wash their hair every single day, while others have gorgeous hair even though they get by washing their hair only once every week. Some people swear by leaving ample time between hair wash days to grow out long and healthy hair, while others cannot bear the thought of having sweaty and oily hair even if it is just for a single day. Today we will be clearing out some common misconceptions about hair washing and give you a no-nonsense guide as to how often you should be washing your hair.
Why it is important to choose your hair wash days wisely:
Just like your skin, your hair has distinctive needs according to its type, porosity, and density. Hair washing not only removes excess oil and sweat from your scalp but also gets rid of all the environmental pollutants and aggressors and provides you with a clean slate to work in different products and treatments. Every person has specific, individual needs and requirements when it comes to taking care of their hair, and this includes carefully deciding on the number of days in a week on which your hair needs to be washed. Scalp condition, hair type, and hair porosity are the primary determinants of your hair wash days.
If you have low porosity hair, you should wash your hair every couple of days. This is because, with low porosity hair, your scalp will probably tend to become oily easily. You can opt for a sulphate free shampoo too. However, using an anti-residue shampoo twice a month will be extremely helpful in removing scalp build-up. Remember to focus the shampoo on the scalp while sparing the hair strands. Additionally, you should look for shampoos and conditioners that have hydrating ingredients like aloe vera, honey, hyaluronic acid, and glycerine.
People with kinky or coily hair often notice that their hair is usually dry, brittle, appears damaged, and lacks moisture. You will also notice your scalp to be extremely dry and prone to flakiness. If you fall at this end of the spectrum, you should limit your hair wash days to once per week and include regular protein treatments in your routine.
If you are someone with a scalp that tends to be neither too oily nor too dry, you should wash your hair 2-3 times every week as this will promote optimum scalp health, clean and rejuvenate your strands, and help you grow long healthy hair.
If you have dandruff, you should aim at washing your hair almost 3 times per week. Dandruff is caused by the yeast Malassezia, which is also known to cause fungal acne. Thus having a clean scalp keeps away dandruff as well as the tiny bumps that you might be getting on your forehead.
If you have scalp acne, you should wash your hair 2-3 times per week with a 2 or 3-day interval in between. Additionally, you should choose a shampoo that has ingredients targeted at acne, like salicylic acid. However, if you notice that the more you wash your hair the more acne you get, cut down on the hair wash days as your scalp might be producing more sebum in a response to excessive washing.
