The real reason you should stop washing your hair every day
BY CARRIE
MADORMO, RN, MPH
Chances are, this morning you
brewed some coffee, checked your email, and hopped in the shower to wash your
hair. Maybe you even had some green juice if you were really on top of things.
The problem is, this daily habit of washing our hair is probably doing more
harm than good. Not only can daily shampooing lead to dry, brittle hair, but it
wastes your body's natural conditioner by washing it away.
I spoke with stylists and
colorists to learn exactly why daily shampooing is so damaging, and what to do
about it.
Your
shampoo is too harsh
I interviewed veteran
hairstylist and founder of Flygirl Beauty Lisa Abbey about why daily shampooing
can actually damage your hair. Abbey explained her number one reason for
limiting hair washing for her clients is that most shampoo is just too strong
for our hair. "The majority of shampoos on the market today contain
sulfates — which in layman's terms are simply degreasing detergents, also used
in household cleaning products, car wash soaps, etc," she shared.
"Not something we need or want in our hair."
Abbey explained sulfates
harshly strip our hair of its oils and nutrients. "It has also been
discovered that products containing 10 percent or more sulfate surfactants
increase hair thinning and loss up to eight times [of normal risk],"
explains Abbey. "They also strip the hair of much-needed natural moisture,
fade natural and artificial hair color and remove smoothing treatments."
Yikes! Maybe a little oil isn't so bad.
So how can we tell if our
shampoo is safe? First check the label. Abbey recommends sticking with
sulfate-free shampoos. Next pay attention to the shampoo next time you're in
the shower. "If it lathers a lot, it does [contain sulfates]," she
explains. "Healthier options provide little-to-no lather but cleanse the
hair completely, leaving it feeling much more hydrated and soft, but not
limp."
Save
some conditioner
To get soft, silky locks, so
many of us are willing to shell out big bucks for the designer conditioner, but
we already have the best conditioner possible. Our hair's natural oils nourish
our hair perfectly, but if you shampoo everyday, you're washing it away.
Celebrity hairdresser and CEO
of Eden by Eden Sassoon Salon, Sean Dawson spoke with me about the importance
of hanging onto our hair's natural oils. "Your natural oils, or sebum, are
the best conditioner in existence, and far better than any man-made treatment
you can find on the market," he explained. "But it is important to
allow it to do its work." When we shampoo everyday, that glorious oil
never makes its way down your hair shaft, meaning you miss out on the natural
conditioning treatment..
Hairstylist Danielle Mauriello
of BloBlow Dry Bar also has great respect for that oil most of us are trying to
get rid of. "Think of it as your body's own natural hot oil treatment (the
one you pay loads of money to have done)," she explains. "This oil is
produced to hydrate and protect your hair from the environment, heat and
chemicals, which let's face it ladies, we can't escape."
In addition to laying off the
shampoo, Dawson recommends brushing your hair often to spread the natural oils
all the way down. Channel your inner Marsha Brady and sit in front of your
mirror brushing your beautiful locks. "Brush your hair often, like they
did in the olden days, as this is the best way to distribute your natural oils
down the hair shaft," he recommends "'spreading the love' throughout
your hair, and always use a brush with natural bristles."
Keep
your color
I love that feeling of leaving
the salon with a new haircut and highlights. There's always a little bounce in
your step as you check out your reflection in store windows. But there's one
thing that can make that new do fall flat — watching all that gorgeous color go
down the drain every time you wash your hair.
We asked celebrity colorist
Michael Boychuck about his tips for keeping your color vibrant and clean.
Boychuck is not a fan of daily shampooing. "If you are washing your hair
more than every other day, it's too much, especially if it's colored," he
said. "To keep hair moisturized and color intact, you can wash twice a
week and touch up in between by wetting the hair lightly and adding a light
styling agent like MOROCCANOIL's Beach Wave Mousse. Work that through and let
air-dry or style while blow drying for a shampoo-free, refreshed look."
Boychuck limits how often his
clients shampoo to allow the hair's natural oils to come through.
"Limiting the amount of times you shampoo your hair allows the hair's
natural oils and proteins to coat the strands from root to tip and keep it
healthy, strong and prevents breakage," he shared.
Fight
the frizz
One unfortunate outcome of
over-shampooing your hair is frizz. Frizz happens when our hair is exposed to
static. Just think about when you walk into the house from a dry winter day.
When you take your hat off, your hair most likely stands up straight from the
static.
Unfortunately for shampoo, the
more we wash our hair, the dryer it will be. "In dry winter weather, you
will have more static and, unfortunately, frizz. What really makes a difference
is how often you wash your hair," celebrity stylist and owner of George
the salon George Gonzales shared. "A trick that will help with frizz and
hair standing on end is to only wash your hair every other day. This is very
hard for most people, but try to rinse your second day and only condition."
Cut
the grease
So why are so many women still
shampooing every day if it's going to wash out your color and make you frizz
up? Maybe it's just habit, but most women do it for appearance. No one wants to
walk into the office looking greasy. Of course we know daily shampooing isn't
great, but it's better than looking like you haven't showered in days. Well
surprisingly, that daily shampooing habit could actually make your hair look
more oily.
Beauty blogger Miranda Mendoza
explained daily washing can actually do the opposite of make your hair look
clean. "When you wash your hair with the run-of-the-mill shampoo, you're
stripping your scalp of its natural oils that it needs to stay healthy,"
she explains. "The outcome? Your skin tries to overcompensate by producing
even more oil. That's right — washing your hair too often might be the reason
your hair is oily in the first place!"
Oranj Studio owner and stylist
Tamara Dayton agrees. "Because your scalp is always trying to rebalance
itself, this can lead to overly greasy-feeling hair," she said.
"Adjusting the frequency of your washing routine can help your hair
maintain its natural level of moisture."
So what's an oily girl to do?
Mendoza recommends trying a dry shampoo between washes to absorb some of the
excess oil without stripping it from your locks.
Thick
hair needs the oil
It seems when it comes to
deciding how often to wash your hair, the answer lies in its thickness. The
thicker your hair, the longer you'll be able to go between washes. Thin hair
will show oil sooner, so your fine-haired friends might have to wash more
often. "Thinner hair will most likely need to be washed soonest, as it's
not forgiving to oil or product buildup, but women should still try to wait at
least two days between washing," explains Miranda Mendoza. "The more
thickness and texture to the hair, the more leeway you have."
So
how often should you wash?
We know daily hair washing is
not the answer, but what is? How can we protect our hair while still keeping it
clean? Hairstylist Sean Dawson recommends washing your hair about two or three
times per week, and make sure you take a tip from your stylist. When your
stylist shampoos you in the salon, he washes your hair twice before moving to
the conditioner. "Shampoo works like a magnet so the first one can only
absorb so much oil and dirt and it's the second that really cleanses the scalp
and hair, also never put conditioner on your roots as, remember, you have the
best conditioner there naturally," explains Dawson. "If your hair is
overly greasy then leave the first shampoo lathered up for two to three minutes
before washing off and repeating with the second."
As a former daily hair washer
myself, I know it's not easy to suddenly go from daily to twice a week. Your
hair feels dirty, and just off. Salon Eva Michelle artistic designer Bryant
Anthony recommends taking baby steps. "If it's daily, start by washing
every other day. If you are already doing so, skip another day and in between
use a dry shampoo," he recommends. "By washing your hair less, you
benefit on producing natural oils which benefit your scalp and hair."
Dawson recommends using dry
shampoo that comes as a spray. " If you need a bit of freshening in
between shampoos, then try a dry shampoo, especially the newer modern spray
types, as these contain a powder that will absorb oil and sweat residue and
keep your hair feeling fresh as the day you washed it and see you through to
your next cleanse," he explains. "If you do not have a dry shampoo,
then sprinkle a small amount of baby powder onto a brush and brush from roots
to ends thoroughly. This will not only do the same thing but leave your hair
smelling fresh as a newborn." Just don't do too much or your friends will
be wondering if you're going prematurely white.
SOURCE:
THELIST
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