"Do I have to wash my hair today?", "I don't feel like it today.", "Okay, I'll wash it tomorrow, I'm not leaving the house today anyway" - these and other thoughts often swirl in our heads. Like the question "How often should you wash your hair?" Every day? Once a week? Twice a week? There is no clear answer to this, but one thing is certain - you have to wash your hair whether you want to or not, and once a week is not enough.
Can you wash your head every day?
Experts unanimously say that you can wash your hair even every day, but make sure you choose the right shampoo. What does "you choose well" mean? For daily hair washing, to refresh your look , use delicate preparations without strong surfactants such as SLS or SLES. I will not demonize these ingredients, because they can be useful - they will be useful when the hair is heavily polluted and caked with residues of styling cosmetics.
Therefore, to balance and thoroughly cleanse the scalp, sometimes use shampoos with more aggressive cleansing agents (with caution; protect the ends of your hair with a conditioner before applying). And only wash the roots of your hair with it - the foam will do the rest. Similarly, from time to time, think about a good skin massage when applying trichological peeling.
An important rule: choose shampoo according to your scalp.
In some cases, washing your hair every day is even advisable. Such cases include frequent sports activities or a tendency to oily scalp. In this case, it is worth using gentle shampoos and stronger ones with a seboregulating effect (you can also use them during one wash) . Make sure that the products contain moisturizing ingredients - moisturized and cleansed skin will be easier to cope with problems.
However, do not use shampoos with strong detergents (SLS, SLES, ALS) for daily hair washing. You can quickly cause your skin to dry out and, as a result, stimulate the sebaceous glands in the epidermis to overproduce sebum and make your hair greasy faster. In this way, the skin defends itself against aggressive "removal" of the hydrolipid coat and sebum - by producing more sebum, it creates a specific protective layer.
If not once a week, how often should you wash your hair?
When determining how often you wash your hair, take into account your individual scalp and hair needs and lifestyle. Although there are general recommendations to wash your hair at least twice a week, the final decision should depend on your preferences, how often your hair gets oily and the conditions in which you live.
Scalp prone to oily skin can be cleansed even every other day to control excessive sebum production (taking into account appropriate cosmetics). Then remember to alternate between stronger and milder shampoos. Do the same if you struggle with dandruff.
What about lifestyle? If you actively practice sports and like physical activity, you are certainly aware that your hair and scalp need to be washed much more often - in order to thoroughly remove dirt and sweat particles.
How often should you wash your hair? As often as your scalp needs.
And as often as you need to achieve comfort. However, abandon the idea of doing it once a week or less often - believe me, neither you nor your head will find peace.
That's COOL too!
Why does the frequency of washing your hair matter? Consequences of "I don't feel like today"
People living in larger cities and places with frequent air pollution will certainly experience faster and more noticeable consequences of infrequent hair washing. Dirt particles, pollen and other impurities settle on the hair and scalp, clogging the hair follicles (in combination with sebum, dust, dead epidermal cells and possibly cosmetic residues).
Even though they are invisible to the naked eye, they can make a lot of mess. By clogging hair follicles, they block their oxygenation and may weaken the hair. Pollution particles can also cause irritating and inflammatory reactions and, in extreme cases, cause hair loss.
Unwashed hair for a long time becomes dry, devoid of shine and moisture, dull and rough. However, it is mainly the scalp that is affected. Dirt accumulates on it, which prevents it from functioning fully and maintaining the proper level of hydration. The hydrolipid and microbiological balance is disturbed, which usually results in dry dandruff. In some cases, oily dandruff may also develop - such conditions favor the multiplication of the fungi responsible for this condition - Malassezia globosa .
So remember: wash your hair at least twice a week, especially if you live in a big city. Use trial and error to match the shampoo to your scalp - use a mild formula for frequent washing, and a stronger one from time to time.
