Just How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?

One of the first factors to consider is the thickness of your hair. While there’re exceptions to every rule, generally thicker hair can go longer than thin hair without being washed. Simply put, there’s more hair to absorb the oil. Everyone’s hair makes oil; that’s a natural process we all contend with. It’s simply a matter of deciphering how long your hair can handle not being washed.

In addition to the thickness (or thinness) of your hair, you also need to evaluate the texture of it. Texture is what’s used to describe your hair’s natural pattern of being straight, wavy or curly. Usually, the straighter the hair, the more quickly it’ll need to be washed. On the flip side, the wavier or curlier your hair, the longer it can go between washes. While a girl with straight hair may only be able to go every other day without washing, a girl with curly hair might be able to go up to a week.

Your ethnic background is going to have a factor into the sort of hair that you have. Women of Hispanic, African-American and other descents may have hair that can go longer without being washed. Caucasian women usually, but not always, need to wash more often. But again, this’s only one factor in making the decision of how often you should shampoo.

One thing we don’t always remember to consider when it comes to the internal debate on how often you should wash your hair is that different shampoo formulations play a part in this. A shampoo that’s moisturizing for formulated with oils is going to mean your hair needs to be washed more often. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, just something to consider. Ideally, you should always go for the shampoo that does best with your specific hair type.

I can only skip one day in between hair washing. And even then, it can be dicey thanks to my fine hair. Dry shampoo is what gets me through until hair washing day! If you’ve never tried it, it’s absolutely fab at helping stretch the time between shampoos. It keeps your hair looking clean and your style looking fresh.

There’re also many women who’ve found success going this route. They figure out when their hair needs to be washed and then rinse and condition only on the days in-between. Some hair needs extra moisture and the benefit of a rinse is enough. It’s another idea to try for your hair. Trial and error is a big part of figuring out the best routine for your hair.

Lastly, this’s one of the most important factors. How is your hair styling in between hair washings? If it’s limp, lifeless and looks downright dirty then you’re going too long between shampoos. On the other hand, if it’s only hitting it’s stride on day 2 then you can expect to get another day or two out of it. Ultimately, you want to choose what works best for your own individual hair.

These’re 7 factors to help you figure out how often you should wash your hair. Now it’s your turn. How often do you wash your hair and how do you keep it fresh in between?