Although it depends on hair types and other factors to wash your hair, it is advised to wash them daily or thrice a week.
For instance, people who have oily hair should wash their hair daily. On the other hand, people with dry hair should wash their hair twice or thrice a week.
The question cannot be answered in fixed numbers because hair washing frequency depends on your hair type, lifestyle, your geographic location, hair products you use, and most importantly, what type of activity you do.
Washing hair is part of the hygiene routine of many people. However, it isn't very pleasant to wash their hair regularly for some people.
In this blog, we will discuss how many times should you wash your hair. We will also examine all the factors that impact the hair wash schedule.
How Many Times a Week Should You Wash Your Hair
Now, as we had mentioned earlier, the frequency of hair washing depends on various factors. But for normal hair, you can wash them about 3-4 times a week or after skipping one day.
If you have long, normal hair, you can wash them 3-4 times a week, and if you have shorter hair, then you can wash them every day.
Washing normal hair at this frequency is to keep them clean and keep them moisturize ad healthy.
Do not overwash them with shampoo or soap. It can result in damage in a long course of time.
How many times should you wash your hair according to your hair type?
According to different hair types, the frequency of hair wash also changes. Let's have a look-
In case of oily hair – In the case of oily hair, you should wash your hair every day to prevent excess oil buildup and also to remove dust attracted towards oily hair.
Produced oil in hair cause itching and irritation if you skip your hair wash. So, to clean your oily hair you can wash your hair daily.
In case of Dry/Damaged hair – If you have dry or damaged hair, try to wash them only in about 5-7 days. Because you should give your hair time to build oil in case of dry hair.
On the other hand, if you do wash frequently, your hair will remain dry due to the deficiency of hair oil.
In case you have thin hair – If you have fine or thin hair, wash them every day but with a nourishment/moisture hair shampoo to give them proper nourishment.
In case you have wavy/curly hair – It depends on the density of your wavy or curly hair. But on average, you should wash them in 4-5 days.
In case you have coiled hair – Wash your hair once a week in case of coiled hair to give them time for optimal growth.
What factors influence the frequency of washing hair?
Apart from hair type, other different factors can influence the frequency of your wash in a week. These factors include oil production in your scalp, sweat, dirt & Pollution, and products you use on your hair! Let's have a detailed view-
1) Oil Production – Oil production is the first and foremost important factor when it comes to hair wash.
Secondly, hair type decides the frequency of your hair wash.
The more oil production in your scalp, the dirtier the hair. Consequently, the more frequent your hair wash will be.
In other words, the lesser oil production in your scalp, lesser dirty your hair will be. So, you do not need to wash your hair on a regular basis.
2) Sweat – If you do work or exercise, which will cause sweat to your body, you may need to wash your hair every time after that.
Because keeping sweat in your hair can cause germs and hair problems. So either wash your hair simply with water or do it with shampoo or soap to eliminate the risk of germs.
3) Physical Dirt or Pollution – If you live in an environment full of dirt or pollution, you may have to wash your hair frequently, irrespective of your hair type.
For example, you live in an area where there are factories, so the environment of that area will be automatically polluted.
And so will be your hair. So wash your hair with soft base shampoo every day in case of physical dirt or Pollution.
4) Product used on hair – If you use styling products, you may need to clean your hair frequently.
This is because styling products build up residue in the scalp. And that residue can cause irritation and damage.
So in order to remove that product residue, it is essential to wash your hair. Also, keep your hair away from creams and spray to avoid frequent hair washing.
5) Water Type of Area – This is another crucial factor that will affect your hair wash schedule. If you live in an area where the water is soft and contains no hard metals, then your hair will be smooth, shiny, and clean after washing.
But if you live in an area where water is hard and contains heavy metal, then hair after wash will not be good and remain dirty to an extent.
So you may need to wash 2-3 times to clean properly.
So these were the factors that will decide how many times should you wash your hair apart from hair types.
What does excessive hair washing does to your hair?
What if you wash your hair two times a day and more than seven times a week?
Obviously, it can cause various hair and scalp problems.
Washing hair with shampoos and products at this frequency will lead to dryness in your scalp as all the natural hair oils will get cleaned with hair wash.
Not just dryness; your hair may feel dull, split-ended, and will lose bounciness. This is why even doctors and even hair specialists advise washing hair according to hair type only.
So only a person with oily hair should wash hair every day with shampoo or other products. But not the people with other hair types.
However, it is ok to wash hair only with water more than once a day.
You will think, why answer this simple question? But it is necessary because most of us wash our hair in the wrong way.
We just take a load of shampoo and rub it on our hair and scalp. But that's completely wrong and harms our hair in the long run. The correct way is different. Have a look here –
First of all, rinse your hair thoroughly in water.
Choose a shampoo according to your hair type only.
Now, rather than using shampoo directly, dilute it in some water and mix it.
Now use the dilute shampoo on only the scalp rather than the hair directly. Because too much shampoo can damage the hair shaft.
Now rub gently to clean all the dirt and extra oil.
Try to wash off the shampoo with cold water to avoid product buildup.
Now after using shampoo, use conditioner to make hair softer, bouncy, and shiny.
In the case of conditioner, use it on hair tips and avoid hair roots. Using it on roots, can make hair look limp.
This is how you should wash your hair. I bet most of you do not wash your hair in the same way, but from now do it in this way to get better results.
Does Colored hair need special hair wash treatment?
The short answer is Yes! Because the color-treated hair becomes damaged and rough due to the use of colors and dyes.
So if you will use regular shampoo to wash them, they may further get damaged. So it is best to wash that hair with special hair products like Dove Nutritive Solutions Shampoo Color Care.
Shampoo like the above mentioned will not damage your hair but will clean your hair and scalp softy, making your hair soft and shiny.
What are the best hair products to use during hair wash?
As we helped till now, please let us help with the best hair wash products like shampoo and conditioner you should buy. Here are our product recommendations-
So this was all about hair washing. We hope you find the right answer to, ”How many times should you wash your hair?”
Also, we recommend you not wash your hair frequently as it can cause damage to your hair in the long run. And only choose a hair product which is suitable according to your hair type.
Share your thoughts about this article in the comments below.
