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’m half black and i have curly hair. i wash it every other day because if i do it less often than that my scalp gets greasy (my hair is a little dry though).
when i used to have my hair straightened with chemicals i only washed once a week. now i think washing the hair once a week is just disgusting. i mean, hair can get really smelly, specially if you work out regularly
Loreal advisors suggest you should wash your hair every day 🙂
I am an african american I wash my hair everyday but not with shampoo, I wash with shampoo as needed. maybe every three days or so or longer. but I wash everyday. its a myth that AA’s can’t wash their hair more often. I wouldn’t wait every two weeks. Thats not healthy.
Someone posted about having oily hair and dry ends. I would wash my hair every other day and keep my ends moisturized. with a little leave in conditioner and oil only in the ends. Also on oil days wear your hair up in a cute bun and then wash the next day so that you keep your scalp healthy and your endes protected and you still look cute while eliminating damage to your hair.
Actually I’m a cosmetologist you should wash your hair every other day.. And there is a shampoo that’s called hairitin at sallys beauty supply that actually helps bring the ph levels in your hair to where they are supposed to be. It’s a lil expensive but trust me it’s well worth it
@Lene NC- I think you mean heritage or race.. not nationality 😉
I agree that washing every day strips your natrual oils. At least that is what I have always been told.
@Emily- We shower everyday we just don’t wash our hair everyday.
Put a shower cap on or just pull it up and wash your face before you get in the shower. I have done the whole wash every other day and condition every day and ot worked well for me. You won’t know if it works for you until you try. I say give it a shot.
As for the frizzy. I have wavy curly hair and what I do is use an anti-frizz cream or serum. When your hair is damp.. not sopping wet. Put about a dime to a nickel size (depending on your length) cream on your hands and rub it into you hair.. lightly. I do that and I often go natrual besides the frizz serum. Sometimes I will straingthen just the front of my hair or blow dry my roots. You should always leave your hair with a little dampness.. never fully dry.
As for the hair cut and color. Try some hightlights and google some haircuts.. go to a good salon and talk to them about what might fit you best.
Good luck! 🙂
I am a teen and i find that i wash my hair every 2-3 days. When i was younger, it was only once or twice a week! I use shampoo every time and maybe condition. I find this fits in with my routine well! If i leave it until 4 days, my hair droops and is quite greasy looking. I dont treat washing my hair as a chore, i enjoy it! My hair is nearly shoulder length, very very thick and brunette. I have blonde highlights too, so if i need a quick de-grease, i just use baby/talcum powder and brush it in xxxx
All hair is good hair no matter what! 😉
It really depends upon your nationality as to how many times you wash your hair every week. Me, I am part African American, Caucasian and Indian. My hair is naturally curly, thick and hard to manage- so right now I do have a relaxer in it. I can’t go an entire month (woah!) without washing my hair because it is dirty/oily right now, and i have not washed it in just two days!! Normally, I wash my hair about 3x a week, not to overdo it because I do think that washing hair too often will strip it of its oils. I’m comfortable with 3x a week, to keep it fresh and clean, and to get rid of the hair product (frizz serum, hair milk, gel or hairspray) I put in it. Hey, do what seems to work best for you! 😀
i have to wash my hair every day. after 1 day my hair really look greasy and i have a fine hair… so you can imagine how ugly it look.
beside if i don’t wash my hair, if the hair touch my face, it would give me break out.
i know its not good to wash your hair every day, but i don’t know what else to do. any suggestion how to solve this problem ?
that baby powder thing or dry shampoo…. that only to get rid of the oil but it’s not making your hair clean right ????
I’ve found one thing that really makes a huge difference when it comes to my hair. I use baby powder on it (dry shampoo would work well too) after I was it. I just straighten my hair as normal, and then add the powder. That way, the oils get absorbed right as they are produced and my hair doesn’t have a chance to get gross within the first day. This way, I am able to only wash my hair every 2-3 days. When I get up on the second day, my hair still looks as if it were just washed, its amazing.
I’ve certainly wanted this. However, I cannot go 12 hours before it looks like I haven’t washed my hair in a month. (Very greasy, and tendency towards dandruff) … I’ve been trying too test the theory that your hair will adjust to being washed less (I’m out for summer and have failed at getting a job… what better time?), and I’m not seeing very grand results. I’m thinking perhaps I have too harsh of a shampoo. (cheep stuff, living off of savings from my last job.) I envy people who can go a day and no one can tell. (and it’s not just my hair either! if I use my cellphone after waking up before my shower it’s covered in slime! ew.)
I have to wash my hair 2-3 times a week but I’ve got thick/normal hair so maybe that effects it plus I have or really poofy hair (such a pain) I think it is to do with hair types.
i have frizzy curly hair. i flat iron it alot. In order to keep it healthy i have to use something to protect it… i use silk infusions by CHI. I shower everyday but wash my hair every 2-3 days and use dry shampoo on the off days which takes away that greasy look. I also have to get my hair trimmed every 3 weeks.
Im black sooo I don’t wash my hair every day but i wet my hair in the shower so i can put it back cuz my hair gets thick and nappy and i hate that.. I have medium long hair.. sooo just wet it in the shower put it into a pony tail and just put greese on it.. Does wetting your hair everyday damage my hair… cuz im scared if it damaged… please answer thanks 😉
Im having hair troubles. Help!!! I’m going into middle school, so I want my hair to be the best it can be all the time. I have curly/wavy/FRIZZY/ hair, And I always go natural (I don’t even own a flat iron) but I’m stuck in a rut.
For one thing… I had no idea you weren’t supposed to shower every day. I’ve got really dry hair even if I don’t shower for like a week (which I have done) so I don’t have a problem not showering. But I’ve got curly hair, so if I sleep on it, it gets REALLY messed up and frizzy and just plain old bad looking!! Any tips??
Also, I read online somewhere that for people with curly dry hair leave in conditioners are good. But I was wondering… Do you think it would be good to shower… But only use conditioner? Since shampoo drys out hair, and my hair is already really dry, I could use just conditioner to make it less brittle. Because I definitely need to shower every day…. But maybe I dont need to shampoo every day! What do you think?
Lastly- I’m bored of my hair. I have short-ish, slightly layered, brown hair. I’ve had it like that since like the fourth grade, and I’m now in 7th. I’m bored. Any suggestions?
Please help!!! 🙂
BarbieOctavia
For one you can’t say you have black hair. What you have is mixed hair. An from what I hear Native American hair is one of the oiliest types. If not for your other ethnicity mixtures you’d probably have to wash it every day. Black hair is genetically the least oily hair. And when we wash it it doesnt come out smooth and silky it comes out dry. And when blow dryed, crunchy. Our hair also tends to be very thin or fine and breaks easy with no oil (which we have to add in by the way) or use of heat. So to maintain the health of our weaker hair it is generally best not to wash it often. So once a week is fine.
I am Hispanic, Native American/Indian, and black my hair is waist length. I wash my hair twice a week. I never had a problem with essential oils because natural oils in the hair will come back it never goes away, so that black rumor with a person not washing their hair is a lie. Like I said I am black my hair grows very fast and if I do not wash my hair it gets very very greasy and nasty. When a persons hair is not washed it breaks off and it does not grow as much. I think it is nasty to not wash your hair but once a month or even once a week.