Not washing your hair at all isn't recommended by trichologists as it impacts hair health. Your hair sheds between 50 – 100 hairs a day and avoiding washing your hair means these strands will accumulate sebum and dandruff on your scalp.
Depending on your hair type, you can wait three to five days between washes, and we've got the scoop on how to survive the process while you're waiting for sebum production to slow down. We'll admit, the first two weeks are the most difficult, but after about week four, you should see a significant difference.
Prolonged periods of not washing can cause cause buildup on the scalp, damaging hair and even impeding its ability to grow, Lamb said. Grime from dirt, oil and hair product can show up within four to six days for people with finer, straighter hair.
Most people don't need to wash their hair daily, or even every other day. How often you should wash your hair depends on quite a few factors. The basic answer, according to Seattle-based integrative dermatologist Elizabeth Hughes, is that you should wash it once it's oily and feels unclean to the touch.
Feisal shares that “washing with water alone is like taking a shower without soap—great as a quick refresh, but probably not ideal for most of us to do all of the time. Water will only help rinse the hair's surface of dust and debris, but will not do much else and especially won't 'wash' your hair.”
For the average person, every other day, or every 2 to 3 days, without washing is generally fine. “There is no blanket recommendation. If hair is visibly oily, scalp is itching, or there's flaking due to dirt,” those are signs it's time to shampoo, Goh says.
Hair care experts recommend brushing your hair twice a day — morning and night — to help distribute your scalp's natural oils through your hair. It's also important to use a different approach when brushing wet hair versus dry hair.
More volume. A little oil clinging to your hair strands instantly adds volume. Your hair is fluffed out and looks lusher and thicker. From braids to buns or loose locks, your hair will appear fuller when it's a little dirty.
Therefore, one of the easiest ways to give your greasy strands a quick pick-me-up is to blow dry them a little. This trick will help amp up the volume and instantly make your hair appear less greasy. Simply use a round brush on key areas like around your forehead, and blow-dry.
Kimble says, "It is actually a big myth that dirty hair grows faster than clean hair. Having dirty hair can cause bacteria growth and scalp irritation. The bacteria growth can cause scalp diseases which can in turn cause your hair to fall out or not grow properly."
Don't Brush Your Hair More than Necessary
This just isn't true. In fact, too much brushing can lead to damage. Over-brushing will lift the cuticles of your hair and break it, which makes your hair look dull because light won't reflect on it.
Don't Brush Wet Hair with a Regular Brush
The best time to brush your hair is when it is almost or completely dry. But if you have tangles after washing it or after a swim, you can use a wide-tooth comb on your wet hair to restore order but make sure it has smooth tooth ends so you don't irritate your scalp.
TWO: Hand Sanitizer
Pour some on the palm of your hands and dip your fingers in it and then massage the sanitizer onto greasy hair roots. The alcohol based product will make your hair less greasy and will vaporize quickly without the need to wash off.
"Hair grows on average a half an inch per month on all types of hair," Pullan says. "If you have hair that is six inches long, the ends are a year old. And if you have shoulder length hair, that means it's two years old. And that alone ages hair and dries it out," Pullan says.
Surprisingly, if you left your hair to grow without going for a trim, the ends will suffer from damage and breakage. However, if you do not have damaged hair or split ends, then cutting it too often will prevent your hair growing longer, as you'll simply be trimming healthy sections of hair.
Natural Hair
Even though natural black hair is dry, the build-up of debris can make it feel greasy if not washed regularly. You should ideally wash your natural black hair once in seven to fourteen days. Use a mild cleansing shampoo and a gentle conditioner.