Going a long time without washing your hair can cause a buildup of a yeast-like fungus called Malassezia on your scalp. Over time, this leads to a layer of dead skin cells that shed from your head in the form of oily, yellow-ish dandruff flakes.
There's a lot of anecdotal evidence that suggests that if you have curly hair you don't need to wash it as often. Some recommendations say that you should wash curly hair as little as once every 2-3 weeks.
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.
Creating the right washing schedule for you
Washing curly hair too often results in a tight-feeling scalp and ultra-dry and frizzy strands. Not washing curly hair often enough makes your curls look greasy and limp.
It depends on your curl type. Loose and classic curls can lather up two to four times a week. Coily curl types can co-wash weekly, and deep cleanse with shampoo once a month. Tight curls fall somewhere in between - shampoo or co-wash every few days to a week.
The answer is simple: because the hair is curly. People can have scalps that get oily at the same rate, but since the hair has curls, the oil takes longer to travel down. Maintaining curly hair can be a hassle at times.
Yes, you can wet natural hair everyday, and it is actually advised to do so to maintain moisture. Let's be clear though: by wetting your hair, we don't meanwashing it. We simply mean rinsing natural hair either in the shower or spritzing water over your hair.
Those with curly locks are more susceptible to an oily scalp and dry hair. Buildup on the scalp can weaken hair roots and even lead to inflammation. You may want to wash your hair at least twice a week to avoid dandruff and hair loss (1).
Oily and fine or thin hair types should wash every one to two days. This schedule allows for removing buildup and the natural oils to stimulate hair health and growth. Wavy or curly hair and dry or damaged hair types should wash in the range of once every four to seven days.
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.
Even if the hair does not feel oily, frequent shampooing is still essential to keep the scalp environment clean and healthy, so we wouldn't recommend going any longer than three to four days without shampooing.
The answer is no. How often you shampoo is still based on your body's oil production and hair texture. Frequent washing can strip away your natural oils and leave you with a dry scalp, which could also lead to hair loss.
Over-washing can strip natural oils from your hair, making it dull, dry, and coarse. But not washing your hair enough may lead to conditions like dandruff or itchy scalp. How often you should wash your hair can be different for everyone, depending on your activity level and the type of hair you have.
Use a hair gel
Spritz the area with water or a leave-in conditioner first, then apply a small amount of styling gel to each curl. Scrunch curls well and let air dry, or use a diffuser on the cool setting for faster results.
This water absorption causes hair strands to elongate under the weight of the water and lose some of its tensile strength. Very curly hair has been found to lose almost 50% of its tensile strength when wet, which is really a quite significant reduction. Water contains things that can GREATLY damage hair.
2C type hair is extremely wavy but not coily. The S-shape bends in the hair start off at the roots. These waves are defined and thick. The bends are looser and wider than the tighter structure of curly hair.
The bottom line is that dirty hair does not grow faster than clean hair, so you might as well have a clean scalp and fresh hair. Your hair will look better, feel better, and be healthier as a result.
The fact of the matter is that curly hair takes a longer time to grow longer because it grows in a curl, rather than straight down. But curly hair, as well as straight hair, usually grows about 1/2” per month. So with patience, and with a coordinated plan with your hair stylist, you can have longer hair.
Start with day-old hair.
"Day-old hair is ideal because your hair's natural oils make it more adaptable," says Justin Anderson, Creative Director of dpHUE. Simply put: Slightly oily hair will hold a curl much better than slippery, just-cleaned hair.
Water-only washing works best with curly, coily, thick, and coarse textures that are prone to dryness. Chambers-Harris recommends following up with a deep conditioning mask or conditioner to seal in moisture after washing the hair with water.
Washing less often is actually the key to better curls, and washing with fats rather than sulfides or sulfates. Your hair wants you to lock in some moisture using natural products, rather than fake the appearance of glossiness with silicones that rob the core of your hair shafts of moisture.
Best sleep position
Crushing your hair with the weight of your head can leave curls looking matted and messy. Sleeping on your back can also create frizz and knots in your hair as you move your head from side to side during the night. If you have curly hair, sleeping on your side or on your stomach is your best bet.
If your next-day curls still have yesterday's curl cream throughout, then Arriola says a simple water spritz could be all that's needed to reactivate the product. Scrunch the curls before letting them air dry, or you can speed things up by drying them with a diffuser on a cool setting.