How often to wash your hair: the advice to be adopted based on the type of hair!
How often should you wash your hair? This is an apparently simple question which, however, can represent a real dilemma for us women. That's right. How many of us, for example, have found ourselves washing our hair every day in order to always have it clean? How many instead - we know you are there! - have they organized engagements, outings and personal life in order to guarantee hair washing at least every two days? In short, we understand that there is no great clarity on the issue, but do not worry, we are here to help you discover the most suitable hair care routine for you. We must first of all say that, although there is no specific rule to apply indiscriminately - since different factors come into play case by case - one thing is certain: washing your hair every day is not a recommended practice. It can in fact contribute to ruining the hair, making it dry and brittle.
Not only that, washing your hair too often undresses the skin of its natural oils, which are useful for keeping the hair in good condition. Their complete elimination - which is mistakenly considered a panacea especially in the case of greasy hair to avoid the greasy and oily effect - causes the opposite effect, leading to a greater production of sebum. However, remember that even a too sparse hair wash can be harmful to the scalp and hair. In short, it's all a question of balance, and to find it, you need to take several factors into consideration and then choose the beauty routine that best suits you and your hair accordingly. Here is a practical guide to understand how often to wash your hair and show off a healthy and shiny hair.
First of all, consider the type of hair you have
The first thing to do is to analyze the type of hair you have, and, specifically, to pay attention to the following aspects, the most important to determine how often to wash your hair:
- type of scalp (oily, normal or dry)
- Hair texture (fine, brittle or brittle, thick, strong and resistant)
- Styling (straight, wavy, curly)
- production of natural oils
- Condition of the hair (in good condition, stressed, damaged, natural, dyed or treated)
- Hair length
It is precisely the "identity card" of the hair that helps you most in the decision. Once you have determined what type of hair you have, proceed by following the recommended rules according to your case - which you will see shortly below. But first, let's also take a look at the other factors to consider to establish with greater certainty how often your hair should be washed.
See also
The main factors that affect the cleanliness of the hair
Although the characteristics of the hair and scalp mentioned now are undoubtedly the main aspects, there are other crucial factors that affect the frequency of hair washing. Here they are:
- lifestyle: daily habits have a decisive influence on the state of health and cleanliness of the hair. For example, if you smoke, drink little water, eat poorly or live in particularly polluted cities, your hair will tend to get dirty more easily. A balanced and healthy diet, for example, can help you to show off your hair in good condition and clean for longer, in particular, foods that contain omega 3, such as salmon, avocado, nuts, eggs, help to improve the health of your hair. .
- hormones: even the hormonal situation has a significant impact on the condition of the hair. This can vary over the course of the month, depending on the menstrual cycle and its phases. Often in fact, close to the ovulatory phase, a greater production of sebum is concentrated, which contributes to making the hair dirty faster. In general, in the course of life, the hormonal changes to which we are subject, can change the state and nature of our hair, thus leading us to revise our hair routine: from puberty to pregnancy until menopause, or precisely, in the fertile period. .
- Stress: especially if intense, stress affects the hormone situation, thus determining a further production of sebum.
- Atmospheric conditions: humidity, rain, heat and high temperatures can greatly affect the condition of the hair. In fact, sweating helps to dirty the skin more easily and to make it more greasy. Not only that, even rain and humidity can affect not only the styling of the hair, but also its cleanliness. Even staying for too long in a room full of people or with a stale air can have an impact: therefore, take care to change the air every now and then and not to keep the heating too high to avoid excessively greasing the scalp of the hair, especially if it is already oily.
How often to wash your hair: the guide with advice on a case-by-case basis
Having said that, let's now see specifically the hair care habits to be adopted in different cases, first taking into consideration the type of scalp and then the texture of the hair, the type of styling and the condition of the hair.
1. How often to wash oily hair
How often to wash them
The annoying sensation of greasy and oily skin would push you to wash your hair every day: try to resist, because, as already mentioned, a daily wash can paradoxically lead to even dirtier hair. In fact, by eliminating all the fat from the scalp, the sebaceous glands, as a defensive strategy, will find themselves producing even more sebum, worsening the situation. Instead, opt for a hair wash every other day. Remember to wash them well, rubbing the skin well and, above all, rinsing everything carefully. Don't be in a hurry, dedicate yourself to the shampoo moment with attention and care, your hair will gain in brightness and cleanliness.
Which products to choose
Choose a mild shampoo, suitable for frequent washing. A product that is too aggressive could lead to a total elimination of natural oils which, as we have seen, is not an advantage, but paradoxically stimulates the production of more sebum. Then use as few products as possible so as not to weigh down the skin: a balm to be distributed exclusively on the lengths is also enough, so that they do not dry out.
2. Dry hair: method and frequency of washing
How often to wash them
If you have dry and brittle hair, you can safely wash it even once a week; in fact, dry hair tends to get dirty less easily. If you can't pull a whole week, add a second wash, but don't exceed twice a week. This will preserve your already brittle hair with a tendency to break.
Which products to choose
Choose a very nourishing and moisturizing product: your skin needs to be nourished so as to mitigate the feeling of dryness. Don't forget the mask, preferably with restructuring properties - like the organic do-it-yourself one that we recommend in the video below - and a balm with emollient power for the lengths. Do not stress the hair too much with blow drying: sometimes opt for a healthier natural drying, especially when temperatures allow it.
3. Fine and brittle hair
How often to wash them
If the main feature of your hair is that it is very fine, wash it three times a week, a decent average, which allows you to keep it clean without stressing it too much. Generally a maximum of 3 times a week is also the frequency that is recommended for those with normal hair.
Which products to choose
Choose volumizing shampoos, specific for fine and thin hair. Do not overdo the use of products that could damage your brittle hair with a tendency to break. Opt for a fortifying mask from time to time, instead regularly use a nourishing conditioner to distribute on the lengths. Also for you, beware of the abuse of hairdryer. and straighteners, which damage and break fine and brittle hair more easily.
4. Thick hair, how and when to wash it
How often to wash them
Thick hair can be considered more or less like normal hair, with one small difference: the management of washing and drying are more complex precisely because of the volume. So, opt for a wash every 2/3 days, but above all make sure you wash them well, to avoid any small residue of shampoo remaining on the skin.
Which products to choose
Use a liquid shampoo and not too thick, possibly with anti-tangle properties, remember to pass it under water to make it further liquid and allow easier and more effective washing on every part of the hair. Do not overdo the products: you can apply a some conditioner with detangling power on the lengths from time to time, not in all washes; make sure you don't choose a conditioner that is too nourishing or volumizing.
5. Curly hair, times and products to use
How often to wash them
In general, curly hair, often difficult to manage, has one advantage: it does not get dirty very easily. In fact, the sebum remains on the skin, and the hair is cleaner. You can therefore wash them even just once or twice a week: this depends on your specific case.
Which products to choose
Opt for a specific product for curly hair, possibly with moisturizing properties. For the conditioner, it is indicated both one with detangling properties and a volumizing product for an impeccable and not limp curly effect.
6. Dyed or treated hair, how to behave
How often to wash them
If you have dyed, colored or treated hair, don't overdo it with washing. They will already be quite dry in themselves, so do not stress them excessively: twice a week is enough. Without considering that frequent washing would make them more easily bleed.
Which products to choose
Rely on treated hair shampoos that are not too aggressive. Opt for nourishing masks to dilute the dryness due to the dye and always apply a nourishing and emollient balm on the lengths.
Remedies to space out the washing as much as possible
In some cases, especially if you have oily hair, you will often be tempted to wash your hair all the time. To avoid doing this, because, as we have seen, this is not a recommended practice, you can opt for small anti-dirt strategies, useful for delaying washing as much as possible and making your hair look cleaner for longer.
Here are some of them:
- Use dry shampoo or talcum powder or some other small trick: apply a nut on the scalp, distributing it evenly, before the hair starts to get dirty. The moment of application therefore varies from case to case; it generally applies when one begins to perceive a state of one's hair that is no longer impeccable. If you wash them every two days, opt for the application of dry shampoo or talcum powder on the morning of the second day, so as to live that day in peace and perhaps postpone washing for a day.
- Natural or grandmother's remedies: for example, use lemon or vinegar in the rinsing phase to remove part of the excess sebum without attacking. You can use any food with astringent or detoxifying power.
- Wash your hair only with water and without shampoo from time to time: it is a full-fledged wash, but without the use of products. Then massage your scalp and wet them well under the jet of water.
- Choose ad hoc hairstyles, to postpone washing for a day: hairstyles that are useful even when you are in a hurry, perfect for those who need to postpone washing a little to avoid stressing too much skin and hair. Below you can find a few to choose from.
