The debate on how often we should wash our hair seems to be an ongoing one. While the answer is different for everyone, there are ways that you can judge for yourself how many times a week is right for you.
First let’s state the facts: Washing hair too often can do more harm than good. According to dermatologist Lynne Goldberg: “It’s paradoxical, but people who wash their hair a lot to get rid of oil are drying out their scalp and producing more oil.”
Hair becomes greasy for the same reason that skin becomes oily: sebum production. Our sebaceous glands produce sebum to protect our skin and prevent it from drying out. Just the right amount can provide a nice sheen to the hair, a little too much can make it look greasy, and not enough can make it look dry.
The thing about sebum is, every one of us produces a different amount. It comes down to our genetics and hormones: when our hormones are spiking, in the years of puberty for example, hair is extra greasy and skin is extra oily (cue in acne).
How often you should wash your hair depends on three important things: hair texture, your scalp and styling.
Hair texture
According to the experts at Columbia, if your hair is coarse or curly, you may only need to shampoo once a week. If your hair is fine, or straight, you probably need to shampoo twice a week or more. This is because it is easier for oils produced by the scalp to migrate down a straight and fine strand of hair. Buildup here happens sooner, as opposed to coarse or curly hair, in which buildup happens slower.
Your scalp
If your scalp is normal to dry, you only need to wash your hair about once or twice a week. If your scalp is oily, you will probably need to wash your hair more than two times a week.
Styling
You must consider how you style your hair and how your treat it. Ever wonder why your hair tends to get oily the more you play with it, brush it, and run your fingers through it? This is because you are dragging the natural oils from your scalp down the rest of your hair.
Consider also the way you treat your hair. If it’s color treated, or processed, it’s most likely drier, therefore you should wash it less often.
Remember it’s best to wash your hair at least as you possibly can, because washing it only causes your scalp to produce more oil.
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How Often Should We Wash Our Hair? is a post from: LifeDaily