I’ve received a few emails recently asking about how often a girl should wash her hair. I did a little research and it’s an interesting topic because there really seems to be a big divide in what people recommend.
So, how often should you wash your hair? Personally, I was always taught to shampoo my hair every day. Over the years, however, I’ve learned that daily washing really dries my hair out.
These days, because I get highlights and my hair is damaged, I only shampoo 3 or 4 times a week. This has definitely helped my hair a lot: it’s much less dried out without the constant shampooing and blow drying.
Celebrity hairstylist Ken Paves, who does Eva Longoria and Jessica Simpson’s hair, agrees that you shouldn’t wash your hair every day. According to Oprah.com, Ken says that “certain hair types and textures only require washing once a week, where others work well washing 2 to 3 times a week.”
Thursday’s New York Times style section had an article about hair washing frequency, only to the extreme. Of Course I Washed My Hair Last Year (I’m Almost Certain) talked about how lots of women wash their hair just once a week and some only wash once a month! The average seems to be around 3 times a week. Apparently it’s trendy to spend less time on your hair.
As someone whose hair gets oily after just a few days, I can’t imagine only washing your hair once a month, but maybe it would work well for those with dry hair? The idea does sound tempting – who wouldn’t want to spend less time doing their hair each week? I just don’t know how it would really work for the average woman.
What are your opinions on this? Do you wash your hair every day or do you think once a week is best? Leave a comment and take the poll below! I want to hear what you think!
I wash every day that I workout, which is sometimes 4+ days in a row. The least I wash is every 2 days, because it gets itchy and greasy. But sometimes washing every workout gets it dry, so I have to mix it up. I have thick hair, so the entire mass getting itchy and dirty is annoying.
I recently discovered using Dr. Bronner’s castile soap everywhere-its made of natural oils, and leaves me less dry after washing.
@Iris
I think you should wash your hair every other day. Believe me it helped with my hair. For your shampoo use “equate Dandruff Shampoo” You can find this shampoo at walmart(if you want to see what the bottle looks like click this link http://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-W-Pyrithione-Zinc-For-Dry-Scalp-Dandruff-Shampoo-14.2-fl-oz-3pk/12560671). For your conditioner you can use whatever,but to help your hair from getting dried out put a quarter size in your hand and run through just the ends and put in a pony-tail for about 23 minutes.
If you have any other questions please let me know.
thanx~ash~
I personally wash my hair everyday because I can’t stand the thought of all the dirt and grease getting on my face and pillow while I sleep which will cause spots!
@Graceful
Letting your hair dry naturally can only give you pneumonia if you go into cold weather so i think your okay if you stay in warm temperatures 🙂 Stop using the blow dryer to prevent further damage.
They make “Dry Shampoo” in a spray form, which is like spraying powder on your hair to absorb the grease. Some of them are colored and can temporarily help to hide your roots until you can touch them with hair color. It also helps older folks hide there thinning hair to a point.
They make “Dry Shampoo” in a spray form, which is like spraying powder on your hair to absorb the grease. Some of them are colored and can temporarily help to hide your roots until you can touch them with hair color. It also helps older folks hide there thinning hair to a point.
I wash mine once every three or four days. I used to wash it every day but it either went all dry and brittle or it got greasy quicker, but now all my friends and even family comment on how shiny and healthy my hair looks 🙂 I think everyone just needs to find their comfort zone for their hair type 🙂
The Graceful Lily,
blowdrying and then straightening is unnecessary heat. If your hair needs both the blow-dryer and the flat-iron to get your hair straight then you need a new flat-iron, one that’s hotter. Blow-drying & straightening should only be used every once in a while. Let your hair air dry before flat-ironing instead. For those dry ends, try conditioning it better.
i wash my hair twice a week. it is below the waist and quite thick, dry at the ends and very curly. i wash, condition, blowdry straight, then straighten. hard work. but then it is very silky and nice. i usually wear it up in a loose bun.
Were can I find the matte bronzer? We live in the middle of nowhere.
Thank you!
Weeeelll….I’m kinda still going through puberty, and I just feel kinda nasy if I don’t wash my hair. Also, my hair is blonde, so any oil and dirt is really obvious!
But what if i swim everyday? i have to wash my hair after dunking my head in chlorine!
I wash my hair everyday. I’ve always felt like i need to. I have extremely thick (my mom AND my dad had very thick hair) brown curly hair. I honestly couldn’t imagine washing it only 2-3 times a week! I also have a dry scalp, Does washing daily contribute to the dryness?
I wash my hair about every second to third day but it is still drying out my hair, just curious as to if washing hair too much can cause split ends… any answer would be appreciated
@Laura
You should try at least a day or 2 without washing your hair.If you dont like the way it looks simply put it up in a bun(thats what i do).I usually can go about 3 days without washing my hair. Also its best if you dont flat iron your hair in the summer…it will damage it even more….so after you wash your hair run some leave-in conditioner through your hair and put it up in a bun. This should help your greasy and damaged hair!
Try it and tell me how it works out!
I have thin, straight, blonde hair with some lighter blonde highlights. Colored or not, I’ve always washed it every day. My hair is super greasy. I have to wash it in the morning, because if I was it at night, it gets greasy by the end of the day. If I go a day without washing it, I swear it turns brown from all the grease. It’s disgusting.
But my hair somehow looks dry and brittle. I would really like to try washing it every other day to see if that helps it look healthier or shinier. I was wondering if everyone’s hair eventually gets used to the washing it less, or if that’s only for some textures. I think I’m just a genetically greasy person because even my skin is very oily all the time. I’ve tried cornstarch and it still looks like a grease hamburger slicked to my head.
I guess my main question is – with hair like mine, is it worth waiting for the adjustment? Is it even possible? Or should I just accept the damage and stick with my once-a-day routine?