If you’re lost trying to find your perfect hair care routine, you came to the right place! Targeting your hair concerns is not a one size fits all scenario. Even various celebrity hairstylists will give you different answers each time. Many factors can affect your hair needs, including stress levels, weather, activities like exercising, and your genetics. Reach your hair goals with this handy hair guide!
Figuring out how often you should shampoo depends on your hair type and scalp health. Patience is key when taking the time to train your hair. Not washing enough can lead to excess oil and sebum build-up, dandruff, and an itchy scalp. On the flip side, over-washing can create inflammation, and signals to your oil glands to produce MORE oil to compensate for the oil-removing shampoo.
How Often Should You Shampoo Your Hair?
Wondering how often you should wash your hair? How do you find the perfect balance for your hair? Let’s break it down by hair type!
Normal Hair
While normal is equated to "ideal", in this case, it means you fall in a grey area of not having thick, curly, oily, dry, damaged, or thin hair. Thus, you fall into the normal category where a specialty shampoo is not required to treat your hair concerns. The ideal shampoo for you would be nourishing and moisturizing to increase softness and maintain your hair health against the outside elements. Washing your hair every 2 to 3 days is ideal if you fall into this group.
Thin/Fine Hair
Fine hair is often healthy but lacks the volume and thickness touted in beauty ads. Due to this lack of volume, oil buildup is more noticeable. You may believe washing your hair every day is best, but that’s not the case! You can retrain your hair to ban excess oil, without dehydrating your scalp. If you wash your hair every day, try washing it every other day. Keep this routine consistent so your oil glands know to stop overproducing oil. Try a strengthening shampoo like WOW's Red Onion Black Seed Oil line. You’ll be amazed at how lightweight and voluminous your hair can look!
Oily Hair
How often should I wash oily hair? If you stress about your overly oily or greasy hair, get ready to revamp your routine. It’s hard for those who have oily scalps to resist the urge to shampoo more frequently and get rid of that oil. In reality, over-washing does the opposite of what you may think it will do. Yes, it will temporarily relieve you of that extra oil, but it can kickstart oil production to compensate for the oils you’ve stripped out. A double edge sword, we know.
How do you combat this? Train your hair to go multiple days without washing. If you wash your hair every day, try washing it every other day to start. Build your way to washing it every 2 days until you see your hair getting less greasy on day 1.
Product, dirt, and oil build-up can lead to an itchy scalp. Try a clarifying shampoo once a week to remove excess oil, and balance your pH without drying it out. The Wow Skin Science Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo does an excellent job of deep cleaning, and nourishing to keep it strong, shiny, and healthy!
Dry/Damaged Hair
How often should I wash damaged hair without causing further damage? Repetitive styling, dying, chemical treatments, and heat damage can lead to serious breakage on your hair shafts, leading to or worsening your dry scalp. Remedy the damage that’s been done with an ultra-nourishing and hydrating hair routine. In theory, using water to wash your hair should hydrate it, but it does nothing to provide essential moisture needed to repair the damage. Give your hair time for the natural oils to condition and hydrate your dry scalp.
Try washing every 2 to 3 days with a super hydrating shampoo, specifically designed to combat damaged hair. Look for nourishing natural ingredients like our Moroccan Argan Oil or Coconut Milk Shampoo to achieve gloriously glossy locks Conditioning is a critical step in your hair care routine to seal split ends, fight frizz, and get that shine you’ve been looking for.
Thick Hair
Thick hair can be deceptive. While it may appear lush and full, those with thick hair are still susceptible to oily, irritated, and itchy scalp concerns like everyone else. The biggest difference is that thick hair can mask these issues by physically hiding more of the scalp.
We know it can be a hassle to wrangle all that hair! Try washing your hair 1 to 2 times a week to thoroughly clarify buildup of dirt and oil, without stripping your hair of its natural oils. Incorporating a Shampoo Brush during the shampooing process helps detangle, distribute product evenly, stimulate blood circulation, and break down any build-up that's hidden in your strands.
Wavy Hair
Not to be confused with naturally curly hair, 2a-2c curl patterns can vary in strand texture from thick to thin. To keep these waves looking sleek and healthy, maintaining a balanced scalp is key to not weigh your hair down. Oil and build-up can make your hair look dull and limp, instead of voluminous and bouncy!
Wash your hair two or three times per week, depending on how oily your scalp is or how fine your hair is. Lightweight and ultra-nourishing shampoos like WOW's Coconut Milk line are your go-to for boosting shine and volume. If your hair is naturally healthy, your natural waves can do its thing!
Tight Curls
If your curls range from 3a-4c, some of your hair concerns may be oily roots, dry ends, frizz, or volume. No matter how much oil your scalp produces, the tightness of your strands doesn’t allow for the moisture to reach the ends of your hair. Hydration directly relates to volume, so look out for that in your hair care products!
Shampooing 1 to 2 times a week is the ideal amount to keep your hair in proper shape. Look for a powerful shampoo that will clarify scalp build-up, while hydrating to alleviate dryness for sleek, sexy curls. Intense conditioning hair oils and masks are also great to boost moisture in your hair!
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We’re ecstatic about this first step in your journey of understanding how to maintain your hair health. Do your research on which ingredients to look for to target your concerns. Many products will make similar claims, so the trial and error part will show if that hair care routine works for you. Beautiful hair is yours to have if you are willing to trust in the process of achieving it.
Since this is a general guide, there will always be instances where you may find yourself deviating from your routine due to increased physical activity, exposure to environmental elements, etc. If necessary, weekly hair masks or oil treatments can provide an added boost of hydration. Leave-in conditioning treatments are also a great way to help tame frizz for sleek, shiny hair!
No matter how extensive your routine is, what you’re putting on your hair matters. Overly harsh, filler loaded products will keep damaging your hair health - no matter how many hair masks you use! Your best bet is to make sure your hair care products contain natural ingredients to promote your hair health from inside the hair follicle. Building up your best defense against outside irritants will ensure your hair is strong, shiny, and healthy!
Paraben and sulfate-free formulas are crucial to providing the best nutrients, without breaking down your hair’s integrity. Unfortunately, these harsh chemicals are often found in many beauty products. Parabens’ intended usage is to “prevent bacteria and act as a preservative,” while sulfates are “effective cleansing and foaming agents.” You can toss these products aside, as modern scientific research has uncovered more effective ways to deliver beneficial ingredients and achieve your beauty goals. WOW Skin Science is leading the way to deliver holistic, natural solutions backed by science to give you the best locks on the block.
Caution: Consult with your hair care professional on recommendations for not only products but specific ingredients you should be on the lookout for when purchasing shampoo for your hair type. In the instance that you have color-treated, chemically straightened, permed, hair extensions, or any other salon process requiring specialized care, a professional’s advice should be relied upon to ensure you can properly maintain your hair.
Sources:
- https://stylecaster.com/beauty/parabens-sulfates-dangers/
- https://www.huffpost.com/entry/2-in-1-shampoo-beauty-myth_n_4107015?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJ5LKhIcAKJQicfsXPlPoToZ8l_6zz51gUthZ7Va_8DrfaHTfBe9NGceaBsJZURhLTTHWKW4J3H_9axv4evyeIUsdQBzQGILaJVaskE_zuP7VysSDu4kq3mQH44r5sIqmQJQkb7NtEOO_X2kivj-SQF6OAik-G4wZFDbzUJkk2G3
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