The biggest question in the hair community is how often should hair should be washed. Unfortunately, there is no single answer that applies to everyone. I am going to go over the reasons why this is a question, and the multiple answers.
Shampoo frequency is a huge question because people want to know if they are washing too frequently which "dries the hair out", or not enough washes which isn’t good for scalp and hair . The answer is that it will vary from person to person depending on hair density, curl type, strand thickness, how much oil your scalp produces, how much you sweat, if you use product, how long your scalp can maintain health between washes and if you have a scalp condition. The great thing is you will know best based off your analysis how often you should wash. The condition of your scalp. roots and hair strands on the days between washes will determine your best shampoo frequency.
The purpose of shampooing is to cleanse the scalp of sweat, oil, impurities, build up and your hair strands from product build up. Shampoo should be targeted at the scalp, for those who don't use much styling product in their hair, this is important because a lot of people focus on lathering their hair, and neglect scrubbing (not scratching) the scalp. Not cleansing the scalp on a frequency (catered to you) can cause scalp inflammation and you will notice flaking from dandruff and dermatitis type conditions that affect the rate of hair growth, and how strong your strands grown through. Shampoo does dry the hair in the sense of stripping it, however we use condition to add moisture back into the hair. Leave in conditioner and oil are also important for the strands to hold hydration and moisture in between washes.
A person with low density, and/or fine, straight/wavy 1A-2B hair tends to shampoo more frequently due to natural oils from the scalp making the hair look very greasy, dirty, and weighted down. An oily scalp is not bad; some simply do not like the aesthetic. Too much oil is only bad when you start to notice dandruff, and you would need to wash more frequently. If you have a healthy scalp and are wanting to prolong washes, I suggest wearing your hair down when it looks good and wear it up when it gets oily. Straighter hair types can be very easy to maintain and does not experience much breakage from manipulation so it's not a huge inconvenience to wash and style more frequently, while also being able to retain length. I would recommend this type of hair be washed every 1-4 days. It is also okay to rinse daily or every couple days, especially in hotter drier climates, helps with hydration.
A person with medium density, and/or medium, wavy/curly 2C-3A hair tends to wash once weekly. A higher density of hair with more movement can conceal oily roots, or hair that is weighed down. This hair type can still have stronger strands that can be manipulated with little to no breakage, and is not much to maintain, so washing and styling the hair on more of a weekly basis is reasonable. I Recommend this hair type be washed 1-2x a week depending on the condition of the scalp, and how long it can tolerate not being washed. If you have a healthy scalp, and would like to prolong washes, rinsing is fine, especially in hotter, drier climates. Reapplying leave in conditioner to your ends can help with moisture and prevent frizz.
A person with high density, and/or thick/coarse, curly/coily 3B-4C hair tend to shampoo every one to two weeks. The thicker and curlier the hair type, it is much harder to notice the hair is weighed down or even that the roots are oily. Curly hair doesn't reflect light evenly so even when the hair is super clean, it can look similar to dirty hair. Also, because of the bends in curly hair, it is hard for natural oils from our scalp to travel down the hair shaft which contributes to the hair lasting longer between washes. In addition, curly hair is very fragile, and manipulation can cause breakage from the weak points, or the hairs tangling around each other and snapping, so prolonging washes can help with minimizing manipulation contributing to breakage. When prolonging washes, it is very important to be vigilant of your scalp health and hygiene. Some will prolong washes based off of convenience, when it should be determined by scalp health.
Ultimately, hair washing can be broken down into categories for those looking for a specific answer. I believe, you are able to provide the best answer simply based on your own analysis. If you prolong washes for your hair type, rinsing is okay, (for dryer hair reapplying leave in conditioner). Next time you wash your hair, count the days before:
- Your scalp and hair smell
- Scalp starts itching
- Flaky build up on the scalp
- Roots are very greasy and weighed down
- Hair feels dry and tangly
Knowing the perfect wash frequency can change with lifestyle, hormones, climate and styling, so you don't think to stick with this routine forever. Just know, that it is important for you to get the most out of a healthy scalp, fastest rate of hair growth, healthy ends with promote length retention.
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