Washing your hair less can be great for its health—it protects moisture, curbs breakage and saves lots of time. The trick is to cleanse as thoroughly as possible on wash day without drying out your hair, then figure out which products and techniques can help you fake freshness and maintain volume (hint: Dry Shampoo).
Prolonged periods of not washing can cause cause buildup on the scalp, damaging hair and even impeding its ability to grow, Lamb said... If itchy dandruff or a scaly scalp occurs, it may feel tempting to scratch. But that could further damage your scalp or hair. ``That's never particularly helpful,'' Lamb said.
The idea that your hair will naturally rebalance after a period of not washing is ``an old wives' tale,'' noted Joshua Zeichner, the director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Hospital to me via email. Moreover, it's not good for your scalp, which does need to be cleansed now and then to stay healthy.
It's better if you wait at least one or two days between every single wash, and not wetting your hair in between. Daily washing can strip your hair and make it brittle and weak. I would suggest using dry shampoo in between and trying to do a routine or letting at least 48 hours pass between each wash with shampoo.
No, washing your hair often or not washing your hair often has no effect on the rate of hair growth; that's mostly determined by your genetics, your nutrition and your general state of health.
You might think it won't hurt, but washing your hair regularly is incredibly important for the health of your hair and scalp. "Shampooing removes sebum or oil that normally coats the hair shaft," says Brendan Camp, MD, a double board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York.
Exactly how often to wash hair for growth is slightly different for everyone. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), you should wash your hair whenever it gets dirty or looks oily. That could mean every day for people with straight hair or an oily scalp.
If your hair tends to be oily, you'll want to make sure your wash window is within 24 hours of your upcoming permanent or semi-permanent dye job. For normal-to-dry hair, that window can stretch up to three days between washing your hair and applying at-home dye.
“Contrary to popular belief, shampooing more frequently will not cause an increase in hair loss,” Kingsley assures us. “People are often scared to increase their shampoo frequency due to the amount of hairs they see shed when in the shower.
Your scalp and your strands need moisture to stay healthy, so try to cleanse once a week if possible. If you're working with fine or thin hair, or you have an oil-prone scalp, you may need to suds up a few times a week, every other day, or even daily (if you're, say, running a marathon in scorching heat every morning).
On the other hand, there are some benefits to not washing your hair unnecessarily. Over-washing strips your hair of its natural oils, causing it to become dull, dry and brittle.
The no-poo (or “no shampoo”) method is a hair-cleansing technique that removes shampoo from the equation, says Yadav. Instead of using shampoo, followers of the practice use alternatives such as apple cider vinegar, a cleansing conditioner, or just plain water.
As with many hair care trends, certain hair types may see better water-only hair washing results than others. According to McDaniel, water-only washing “works best on thick, coarse, curly/coily textures or those that tend to experience dry scalp or hair.”
The general rule of thumb is to not wash your hair the day of coloring or even the day before coloring if your hair washing routine allows. You might hear colorists say a second (or even third) day hair is best. Why is that so? Unwashed hair produces a natural oil protective layer.
Generally, he says, the range is somewhere between once a day and once a week. “If you have very fine or thin hair, you may need to wash more often, while those with thick or curly hair may need to wash less often,” says Dr Elizabeth Bahar Houshmand, a double board certified dermatologist and hair health expert.
Post-color washing is essential for maintaining the structural integrity of your hair. By cleansing and conditioning, salons help in closing the hair cuticles, locking in moisture, and preserving the smoothness of your locks.
“Regardless of how your hair feels, though, don't go longer than 14 days, ever,” Lamb says, who doesn't buy into the total 'no poo' movement. From a medical perspective, Goh says some of her patients only wash their hair once a week. She says as long as they don't have scalp problems that seems OK.
The more you moisturize your hair and scalp with water, the healthier your head will be. Hair growth flourishes from a clean, healthy scalp. The bottom line is that dirty hair doesn't grow any faster than clean hair, so you may as well have a clean scalp and fresh tresses.
“There are too many variables to set one rule,” Jessica J. Krant, a cosmetic and medical dermatologist at the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York said in an interview. “I believe hair can be washed anywhere from daily to once every two weeks, depending on hair and skin type, hairstyle and lifestyle.”