“Did I wash my hair yesterday? Or wait… was it two days ago? Last week?” – trust me, we’ve all been there. Maintaining a consistent hair washing regimen for healthy hair can be tough. Especially when you’re used to the efficiency of washing everything in one go. But while I hate to break it to you, paying attention to how often you wash your hair does matter a lot, you guys. 

Tedious at first, keeping track of your hair washing sessions becomes a low-effort, high-reward practice surprisingly fast! Your hair will become sturdier, healthier, and happier, while your scalp will show no trace of oiliness or dandruff before you even realize it. Let’s explore the hows and whys of hair washing. 

Table of Contents:

• Why Hair Washing Frequency Matters
• How Often Should Men Wash Their Hair?
• Tips and Tricks for Proper Hair Washing

Why Hair Washing Frequency Matters

For men with shorter hair, it might be easier to hop into the shower every day or every other day and wash their hair at the same time with their bodies – but that’s not the best way to go about it. If anything, washing your hair every day will cause more damage to your hair in the long run. 

The sebum compound of our scalp is what makes our hair oily, and it is actually the one that protects the hair shaft and the skin on the scalp from drying. Therefore, while under washing results in sebum build-up, dandruff, and even scalp acne, washing your hair every day is overwashing and overwashing can be just as bad, as the lack of sebum automatically leads to dry, coarse, and fragile hair. Especially if you’re not being mindful of the products you’re putting in your hair. 

But that still leaves us with the question of the hour:

How Often Should Men Wash Their Hair?

The general consensus is that you shouldn’t wash your hair more than two times – or maybe three at most – per week. To understand why that is, we need to take a look at the many factors that play into our scalp and hair follicle’s health: 

Sebum production

As we’ve established above, the scalp produces the oily substance that makes your hair seem dirty - sebum. Sebum is made up of various lipids, like fatty acids, cholesterol, triglycerides, and its main role is to prevent moisture loss. 

Too much sebum on hair and scalp makes your hair seem greasy, and it can cause dandruff, or in the case of the skin on the rest of the body, acne, and clogged pores. Children and adults who are over 40 do not produce as much sebum as teenagers and adults in their 20s and 30s. 

Physical activity 

Doing a lot of physical work and working out naturally includes sweating, which mixes with and helps spread sebum more rapidly. After you undergo any form of intense physical activity that causes a lot of sweating, you need to wash your hair as soon as possible to avoid excessive sebum build-up. 

Hair type 

When it comes to wavy and curly hair type, because of the hair strand’s coily shape, sebum doesn’t manage to spread evenly and coat the entire hair, so it won’t get that greasy look as easily as straight thin hair. 

This is the reason why curls need a little bit of extra attention, and why curly-haired people have to apply a whole range of moisturizing and nourishing products on their hair, like leave-in conditioners and other treatments.

Hair products 

Taking extensive care of your hair and blocking time off your day to style it with products can also be a factor in your hair looking dirtier or getting oilier than usual. Styling products like hairspray or hair gel have chemicals that facilitate sebum build-up, while tools like a curling iron can have a similar result due to the added heat to the hair strand. 

Because of this, people who style their hair regularly should also use a clarifying shampoo, at least once every two weeks or so. The bioactive formula of the WOW apple-cider vinegar shampoo, coupled with the nutrients provided by the avocado oil conditioner will ensure that your scalp and hair are completely refreshed and build-up-free!

Tips and Tricks for Proper Hair Washing

Now that we’ve established how often you should wash your hair (and the science that hides behind it), it’s time we paid the same attention to the quality of your washing experience as well! 

Before we wrap up, here are a few of our tried-and-true tips for a revitalizing hair washing experience: 

Stay sulfate-free

When washing your hair, always make sure to stay away from sulfates! They are very harsh cleaning agents that strip the hair of its natural oils, which speeds up sebum production, making hair even oilier. Combined with overwashing, it’s a sure-fire way of damaging the hair. 

Take your time in the shower

Get a head-to-toe wash while still finding the time to pamper your scalp by investing in WOW’s Bourbon 2-in-1 shampoo and body wash. From its intoxicating musky flavor to its abundant cleansing formula, it is the perfect option for anyone who desires both luxury and lathering from their showering experience. 

To wash your hair properly, put some shampoo into your hand and rub it to create a bit of leather, then apply it on the roots, massaging with the tips of your fingers. Take this time to give yourself a good relaxing scalp massage, which can only bring benefits for a dirty, oily scalp. However, if you have long hair, do not try to spread shampoo on the whole surface of your hair, as you will be removing all natural oils and drying it out in the process. 

Stick with lukewarm water

Always wash your hair and rinse it out with lukewarm water. Seriously, water temperature is a lot more important than you might think, and controlling it at all times is vital to your scalp’s long-term health. 

Using water that is too hot is a guaranteed way of getting those healthy oils out of the hair and drying it all out, and because you might not enjoy an icy rinsing, it is precisely why lukewarm water offers the best of both worlds.