Knowing when to wash your hair can be an ongoing battle. You don’t want to wash so often that your ends split into smithereens, but you also don’t want to walk around with hair so oily it looks wet. Finding the perfect hair washing balance can seem impossible, but there is an answer, and it’s in your hair itself.
Find out how often you should wash your hair based on your hair colour, type, and lifestyle.
How Often You Should Wash Your Hair
Hair Type
The first step to determining your hair washing schedule is to find out what type of hair you have. Whether your hair is straight, curly, thick, thin, silky, dry, or anything in between, this will determine how often it needs to be washed. Dry, curly, thick hair, for example, won’t need as many washes as silky, straight, thin hair does because it won’t disperse as much oil which, in turn, won’t trap as much dirt. The less oily your hair gets, the less you want to wash it.
Activity Level
While some levels of oil and dirt are a result of your genetics, others are a result of your lifestyle. Sweating makes your hair get dirtier quicker as it clogs your pores, helps disperse oil, and traps dirt in your hair. If you work up a sweat at the gym every day you will likely have to wash your hair more frequently than those who don’t.
Colour
While it may not seem as if colour should play a role in your washing schedule, it can actually make a big difference. If you have vibrantly coloured hair, frequent washes will make the colour fade more quickly. Even with natural shades of brown you want to avoid washing more than twice a week, as it can drain the hair of its luster and shine. Luckily, oil doesn’t show up as obviously on brunettes as it does in lighter hair colours, so hold back on the washes if you don’t want to end up with mousy hair.
How To Keep Your Hair Fresher For Longer
For those of you who want to keep their hair healthy but can’t stand the dirty look, there are a few tricks to keeping your hair fresher for longer. First, dry shampoo is a godsend and can be used indiscriminately to cover up those oily roots. Another method is to time your workouts to land just before washing. Remember that your scalp reacts to your habits, so the longer you go without washing, the less oil your scalp will produce over time. Not sure what products to use? Chat to one of our Senior Stylists today, or review our product range.
Your hair schedule will be specific to you, and can vary massively between hair types, colours, and people. If you’re looking for a general recommendation, washing every three days seems to accommodate most people well, but it’s important to listen to your hair and adapt to what suits it best. Want to book an appointment for your next hair transformation? Contact us today!