Having curly 4C hair, the rule I have always lived by is to keep the shampoo days as far apart as possible and incorporate no-poo to keep the scalp clean and healthy.
But having interreacted with people with other hair types, particularly people with straight oily hair, I realized there is a dilemma in their world as to how much is too much washing.
And this therefore brings us to the question we are discussing today:
Is It Bad to Wash Hair Every Day?
Washing hair every day in and of itself is not a bad thing. There are some benefits to washing hair every day especially if you have a very oily scalp, you live in a humid place and you work out often hence sweat a lot.
On the other hand, washing hair every day is not for everyone and most often not recommended for people with dry hair.
Here are some of the disadvantages of washing hair every day:
- Strips hair of its natural oils
- There is a higher risk of dryness and hair damage if you use the wrong products
- Harder to styles when the hair is washed daily
- It’s expensive
- Higher chemical pollution to the environment
- It takes a lot of time for daily washes
While it’s difficult to find the perfect middle ground on how often you should wash your hair, we will look at the benefits and disadvantages of washing your hair every day. Armed with that, you can decide what is best for you.
Benefits of Washing Hair Everyday
Washing your hair everyday is good in the following scenarios;
1. You have a very oily scalp
Excess oil is known to cause build up and attract dirt.
Therefore washing hair daily removes excess oils that nourish a fungus that causes seborrhea. Seborrhea is a condition commonly known as ‘’dandruff’’ when it affects the scalp. It causes an itchy, red rash with white scales. [1]
In such cases, washing hair every day is recommended.
2. Hair gets too greasy
Straight and wavy hair tends to often get greasy as compared to curly and coily hair types. This is because straight hair is easily coated by sebum which travels down the hair strands fast.
This means people with this type of hair should wash it daily or every other day to get rid of the grease.
Curly hair types, on the other hand, tends to be dry as the natural oils have a hard time travelling along the hair strands hence no need for daily washes if you have curly hair.
3. You work out often hence more sweat
If you work out daily, washing your hair every day is recommended. It goes without saying that sweat makes your hair look and feel dirty. Sweat can also cause your hair to smell awful.
4. High exposure to dirt
For someone who does manual jobs that involve dirt, pollen, and dust, washing the hair daily is ideal. These particles remain trapped on the hair making it dirtier.
Washing the hair will ensure it is clean and also get rid of any allergens.
5. Live in a humid environment
If you live in a humid climate, your hair will mostly have a buildup of excess oils. To ensure you have clean, healthy hair, you should wash it every day.
6. You use a lot of styling products
If you use styling products frequently, they can build up on your scalp causing discomfort and irritation.
It means that you will need to wash the hair more often to get rid of any styling products on your hair.
Disadvantages of Washing Hair Every Day
1. Strips hair of all its natural oils
Washing hair daily strips the hair’s natural oils that are supposed to nourish and protect your hair.
Your scalp may start overcompensating by producing more oil to replenish what was stripped off. In the long run, this leads to greasy hair.
Too much washing also leaves your hair dry and more alkaline instead of slightly acidic.
2. It is harder to style hair that is washed daily
When you wash your hair daily, styling it is not an easy task as freshly washed hair does not hold styles for long.
If you love different hairdos such as curls or buns, then you can skip a day or two for you to enjoy these hairstyles.
3. Washing hair every day makes hair color fade faster
If you have hair dye then washing hair daily is not good for you. This makes that amazing color fade faster.
To maintain the color for an extended time, it’s better to limit the number of washes. You can also add color-safe shampoos e.g the purple shampoo to ensure you keep all the color intact.
4. It is expensive for you and the environment
Washing hair daily can be quite expensive. Imagine the amount of shampoo and conditioners that go down the drain on a daily basis! Not forgetting the impact this has on our environment.
You can save a lot by skipping a few washes. There is also the added cost of water and electricity bills from the daily washes.
5. You are exposed to harmful hair chemicals
Most hair products contain harmful chemicals such as sulfates, parabens, and silicones. These harsh chemicals dry out your hair as it strips all the natural oils from your scalp.
Eventually, your hair is prone to damage, split ends, and breakage due to frequent usage of these chemicals.
6. You spend a lot of time washing your hair daily
It takes a lot of time and effort to maintain a daily hair washing schedule. Having busy schedules at work can often cause one to get home tired, hence not having enough time to wash the hair.
What To Do If You Wash Your Hair Every Day
If you find that the benefits of washing your hair every day outweigh the negatives effects of daily washes then here are some tips to maintain clean, healthy hair.
- Pre-poo – massage hair oil onto your scalp before a hair wash. You can use olive, coconut, or mustard oil
- Brush your hair before the wash to ensure bold circulation and split ends. This will also detangle your hair from any knots
- Use lukewarm water to wet your hair before applying shampoo
- Choose a shampoo and conditioner designed for your hair type
- Dilute the shampoo to lower its concentration hence avoiding hair damage
- Concentrate shampoo on your scalp
- Use warm water to rinse the shampoo from your hair
- Apply conditioner to your hair after you rinse off the shampoo
- Concentrate conditioner on the tips of your hair
- Ensure you rinse out the conditioner completely with cold water
Final Thoughts
So, should you really wash hair everyday?
Depending on your hair type and preference, you can wash your hair daily are there are pros to doing this. However, over-washing can also strip the hair off its natural oils leading to dryness and eventual damage.
BTW, did you know hair porosity plays a key role in hair growth? Take this simple hair porosity test to determine if your hair is HIGH, LOW or NORMAL porosity.
