HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU WASH YOUR HAIR?

How often should you wash your hair, though? We’ve spoken to our panel of hair industry experts and top stylists to get an answer once and for all. So is there a magic number when it comes to hair washing? Once a week? Once a day? Never? Unfortunately not. It all comes down to hair type, lifestyle and personal preference. Having said that, our hair experts do have some helpful hints to help you streamline your hair care routine and stop you over-washing or under-washing your hair.

The less you wash your hair, the less you’ll have to wash your hair

You know that girl who always has great hair, but never seems to wash it? According to our experts, you could be that girl, too. ‘The less you wash your hair, the less you need to wash your hair!’ says Gareth Williams, Headmasters Artistic Ambassador. ‘Generally my advice is not to use anything that is too overly stripping of the hairs natural oils or moisture, but removing chemical deposits such as chlorine etc. is important.’ So if you avoid over-styling and limit the use of products on your hair, you should be able to reduce the amount of times you wash your hair each week.

Should you double shampoo?

And when you do wash your hair, make sure you wash it well. ‘Make sure you cleanse the hair twice, using a shampoo specific for your hair needs,’ advises Williams. ‘The first shampoo will remove build up, the second will treat the hair.’

How often you need to wash dry hair?

Your hair type is also a major factor in deciding how often to wash your hair. Dry hair types may actually require more washing, but with less shampoo. ‘Individuals with very dry hair believe washing it less is better,’ Paul Edmonds tells us. ‘But hair naturally dehydrates during the day from wind, pollution, sun etc. so that it can be better to wash and condition regularly than not. Plus sometimes just rinsing and using a conditioner will suffice.’

How many times should you wash your hair each week?

Want a bit more of a guide? Craig Taylor Creative Director of HARI’s salons, London, gives us his rules for weekly washes: ‘Dry hair should be washed a maximum of two times a week using a shampoo with sulphate-free surfactants and high concentration of moisturizers (glycerin, sodium PCA) to help mitigate dehydration.’ We’ve rounded up some of the best shampoos for dry hair. ‘Oily hair should be washed every day with a shampoo that has extra-mild sulphate-free surfactants and no conditioning agents, silicones, oils or penalizing agents.’ ‘Normal hair should be washed as often as needed with a formula that has extra-mild sulphate-free surfactants and moderate levels of moisturizing ingredients such as glycerin and sodium PCA’.

Brunettes, on the other hand, should wash their hair no more than twice a week, according to recent research. Supposedly the reason why brown hair goes mousey in color is because shampooing it too frequently makes it dehydrated, which draws the pigment out.

Thanks to: marieclaire.co.uk