What Will Happen If You Do Not Shampoo Every Day?

The talk on how often should you shampoo is something that no one has yet got the ideal and technically correct answer to. Here, we are to understand the reason of why you should or should not shampoo your hair often.

Where some might say that shampooing frequently will make your hair dry and lifeless, few, especially the ones with oily scalp, can't do without washing their hair daily. It basically depends on the kind of hair that you possess and the amount of natural oil that is secreted from the scalp.

The human hair produces sebum (natural oil). Shampoo works by acting as an emulsifier that removes the excess oil, dirt and other residues on the scalp and hair.

Although people say that using less shampoo or shampooing your hair just once a week is good. However, there is no specific evidence that tells how often your hair needs to be shampooed. Read on to know the basics about when and how often you need to shampoo your hair.

Conditioning Before Shampooing, Does It Work?

Shampooing Your Hair

If your hair is of medium type, that is normal oiliness and weight, then it is fine to go for a couple of days or sometimes even more without shampooing. Shampooing on medium type of hair too often could make it dry and lifeless. To ensure that your hair looks moisturized, you will need to keep some natural oil intact. This natural oil also serves as a protective barrier.

However, in case you have an oily scalp, it might require daily washing or else it would turn sticky and greasy. White flakes falling on your shoulders from your scalp do not mean that you have dry hair or dry scalp. This situation, in fact, requires more frequent washing.

Why Should You Not Shampoo Daily?

Shampoo removes oil from your scalp and hair and therefore, shampooing too often could remove the necessary oil making your hair look frizzy and dry. This also makes your hair more prone to breakage.

People who need to shampoo daily are the ones who have very fine hair or those who exercise vigorously daily. This is because they would sweat a lot. People living in humid conditions might also want to/need to shampoo their hair daily.

Washing your hair once a week should be fine to keep your hair healthy. Regular brushing and use of talc would continue making your hair look fine and tangle-free.

Shampooing less frequently can help in maintaining the quality of your hair, especially if you avoid activities that could damage your hair. Limit the use of styling tools such as curlers, blow dryers and flat irons.

Use a boar bristle brush to comb your hair every night. This would help in redistributing the sebum in your hair.

Another major reason that could be one of the top culprits in damaging hair when shampooed too often is the presence of chemicals in the shampoo. Several hair products have been linked to carcinogen and hormone disrupter diethyl phthalate (DEP) - used for the fragrance.

Another common shampoo ingredient is sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) - this makes the shampoo foam up. However, this can lead to skin irritation and can also increase the risk of cancer.

How To Know If You Have An Oily Scalp?

If your hair gets too greasy, try shampooing it every alternate day. But the question that arises here is how do you know if your scalp is actually oily enough to shampoo it every other day?

Well, the answer is quite simple and a look into the mirror every morning and running your fingers through your hair would be enough to provide you the answer.

Also, oily scalp tends to get scratchy. Your fingers would pull away a film of sebum each time you reach your scalp to scratch. People with oily scalps also tend to have oily facial skin. Moreover, if you sweat too much, you should at least consider rinsing your hair with water daily.

What Do Hair Care Experts Say?

According to the hair care regime suggested by experts, one should shampoo the hair every third day and condition it daily using a mild conditioner. On the non-shampoo days, the conditioner would be enough to rinse the grime away.

Conditioner when used following the shampoo also rehydrates the hair. In case on the second morning after your shampoo day, you feel your hair has turned a bit oily, then just rinse it using some dry shampoo, followed by air drying your hair. This would absorb the excess oils. It would also restore the lost texture and volume of your hair.

Styling your hair when it is void of natural oils would be extremely difficult. Using dry shampoo will not absorb all the oils; it would just absorb the excess oils.

In short, not shampooing every day is just fine. Limiting the use of shampoo ensures that the harmful chemicals that most of the shampoos today contain stay away from your scalp and hair for long.

Shampoo your hair once a week and that should be enough to keep your hair healthy. Make sure that you brush your hair every night; this would redistribute the sebum, preventing your hair from turning greasy overnight.

Avoid the use of hair styling tools and gels. These cause harm in the long run and you surely wouldn't want to damage your precious locks. Use a mild shampoo if you have an oily scalp such that you can wash it every alternate day. Maintain hair and scalp hygiene and you are sure to have healthy, damage-free hair that looks gorgeous, shiny and lustrous.