How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?

More likely than not, you have a love/hate relationship with caring for your tresses. Washing your hair can sometimes feel like a dreaded task, but it is an excellent form of self-care - except if you wash it too much or not enough. 

Should you wash your hair every day? Is it bad to wash your hair every day? How often should you condition your hair? All of these are great questions, and it’s important to know what is best for your particular hair type and texture.

How Much of Washing Your Hair Is Too Much?

How often should you shampoo your hair? The problem with this question is that there is no universal answer. Every scalp and hair type is different. Knowing how to properly wash your hair and how to condition hair begins with your own hair’s needs.

Thin, fine, and oily hair likely are going to need to be washed more often. In fact, you might have to be washing hair every day. Thicker, drier, combination, and curly hair probably only will need a couple of washes per week.

Then, there’s your scalp to consider. Do you have an oily scalp or a dry scalp? Do you suffer from dandruff and an itchy scalp? Not only will you have to consider your scalp health when it comes to deciding how often to wash hair, but you also might need a special dandruff shampoo.

In general, however, if you find yourself asking, “Should I wash my hair every day?”, a good rule of thumb is to determine whether you have a normal, dry, or oily scalp. If you have an oily scalp, you probably will need to wash your hair daily. 

Your scalp is oily if you finish the day with slick, greasy hair - sans pomade or styling products. Odds are, also, that if your scalp is oily, so is your skin. 

If you don’t have an oily scalp, the answer to, “How often should I wash my hair?” is two to three times a week. The more often you wash your hair, the more you strip it of its natural oils. This can lead it to become brittle.

Best Hair Products for Different Hair Types

Now that you have a better idea of the answer to, “How often should you wash your hair?” The next step is the best practices for how to wash your hair. “What shampoo should I use?” “What conditioner should I use?” These answers, too, largely depend on your hair type.

1) Thin, Fine Hair

Fine, thin, and straight hair is more prone to showing oiliness since the sebum has a straight path from the scalp down the strands. It’s likely that you’ll need to wash your hair every other day or so. Use your favorite shampoo and choose a lightweight conditioner to apply to your ends only. This prevents weighing them down. 

2) Thick Hair

The good news for those with thick hair is that denser hair follicles tend to disguise oil better than thin hair does. As long as your hair and scalp aren’t super oily, try to wash your hair just once or twice a week. If you find you’re prone to itchiness, you can use a shampoo with tea tree oil to stop inflammation without stripping the natural oils. Try AYAM’s Dead Sea Minerals Original Conditioner to keep your strands nice and hydrated.

3) Wavy or Loose Curly Hair

Curls require more care than straight hair, and you generally want to stick to a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner that won’t weigh your tresses down. Try not to wash your hair more than two to three times a week. Sulfate-free cleansers are formulated with lightweight moisturizers and, therefore, perfect for bouncy locks.

4) Coily Curls

If you have type 4 hair it’s likely that you have greasy roots and dry ends, or you’re dry all over. Oil has a harder time making its way down curls than straight strands. Cosmopolitan suggests co-washing every three days for moisture and then using a sulfate-free clarifying shampoo every two to three weeks to remove buildup.

5) Damaged Hair

Dry and damaged hair needs moisture and hydration like no other. Damaged hair from heat, bleach, or color already is brittle and fragile, though, so you don’t want to over-wash your healing strands. Use a sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo, and then pack on the moisture with your conditioner. Try AYAM’s Dead Sea Minerals and Caviar Extract Conditioner, specifically formulated for dry and damaged hair.

6) Oily Hair

If you have oily hair or an oily scalp, you’re likely going to need to wash your hair pretty often. Try to keep it to every other day if possible; if it’s super slick and greasy, you’ll probably need to wash it daily. Try a sulfate-free, clarifying shampoo to break down oils without stripping your hair completely. For conditioner, use a lightweight formula and only on your ends.

7) Normal Hair

Normal hair can typically last two to three days in between washes. You also have more options as far as products are concerned, generally speaking. To nourish and smooth hair, try AYAM’s Dead Sea Minerals Original Shampoo. Pair your hair care routine with AYAM’s Dead Sea Mineral and Argan Oil Conditioner for ultimate nourishment.

Takeaway

Everyone needs to know how to wash their hair. Knowing how to wash hair properly is vital in taking the best possible care of your tresses - and your scalp. No matter your hair type, you need to be able to wash it only as often as necessary, and you need to hydrate and nourish it to keep it healthy. A general rule of thumb is to avoid washing your hair daily, which can lead to stripping the hair of its natural oils, and only wash it when necessary. Pair that advice with knowing the proper dry shampoos, conditioners, and other hair care products you should be using depending on your hair type, and you have a recipe for healthy, happy hair.