Shampooing is an integral part of most people’s daily routine. In fact, many people have their own favorite brand of shampoo because of how often they shampoo their hair. Whether you have hypoallergenic skin, greasy hair, or just a preference toward a specific smell, your choice of shampoo may be very important to you. That’s why it’s unfortunate that you’re probably shampooing too frequently.
Is It Good to Shampoo More Frequently?
Most people think that, because shampooing helps get rid of dirt and grime, it’s something they should do every day. After all, if a little bit of cleaning is good, a lot of cleaning must have an even greater impact! The truth is that, when you shampoo your hair every day, you’re actually damaging it rather than making it cleaner.
It’s true that shampooing makes your hair clean. When you shampoo, you’re removing dirt and grime, but you’re also washing off sebum, which is the oily substance that’s present on both your face and your scalp. When there’s too much, it’s liable to make your scalp feel itchy or oily, and shampooing can help you cleanse your scalp of it.
However, there’s a catch. When it’s not collecting dirt or grime, sebum is actually important for your scalp. It naturally moisturizes the scalp, which means that when you wash too frequently, you’re getting rid of its moisturizing properties. Then, the scalp creates more sebum in an effort to re-moisturize. This creates a vicious cycle where you may actually end up with greasier hair than you had before the shampooing.
All in all, while you may feel like you’re making things cleaner, you really aren’t. You’re just making it messier.
How Often Should I Shampoo?
There’s no specific answer to how often you should shampoo, because it’s specific to every individual. Different types of hair and different amounts of oil production will require that you shampoo different amounts.
When you have fine, straight hair, sebum migrates from the scalp to the rest of the hair quicker, giving it that greasy look that you want to avoid. However, with curly or coarse hair, sebum tends to stay closer to the scalp. In general, people with fine hair will probably want to wash their hair 2-3 times per week, while those with coarse and curly hair can probably shampoo only 1-2 times per week. If you have natural or textured hair, you may want to shampoo less than once per week.
People make different amounts of sebum, and that means individuals will have different amounts of grease. Those who have normal or dry skin will have to wash less frequently, while those with oily skin will want to wash more frequently. You can usually tell if you have oily skin by looking at your face, because aside from the scalp, that’s mostly where sebum issues can be seen.
How Can I Decide My Ideal Shampooing Regimen?
Every person is different, which means that it’s going to take some trial and error to set up a good shampooing system. You may want to switch shampoos, and many people use conditioner on the days they don’t shampoo to keep their hair looking lush and healthy.
Your individual hair care needs will be different from those of other people. There may even be extra factors that need to be added in, such as the amount of styling products you use and even the humidity in your locale. If you want to bypass all the confusion and just get some expert information on how frequently you should wash your hair, look for an Ogle School beauty salon near you. You can get a great hair treatment and some information on continuing hair care, all in one appointment.
