Should You Shampoo More or Less?

You may WANT to wash your hair every day, after all.
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Chances are, you’ve heard from your hairdresser that you should not be washing your hair every day. 

However, this version of shampooing best practices was originally developed when all shampoos were heavily detergent-based and wreaked havoc on people’s hair and scalp. Nowadays, shampoo formulas have changed, and there are many sulfate-free shampoos and cleansing conditioners on the market. 

So does the old "don't shampoo every day" rule still apply? Well, it depends.

There is a new market trend of paying a lot more attention to the scalp instead of just the hair. In general, a clean scalp is a healthy scalp because it’s the starting point by which you support optimal follicular function. Our scalps are the bedrock of the follicle, which means that you can’t grow your best head of hair if the scalp is covered in oil, sweat and debris all the time. 

There has been a longstanding notion that the natural oils your scalp produces leads to more beautiful, healthier hair. This can still be true, especially for those with curly hair that needs a little more oil to not frizz out. However, much of the dirt and other things that you see come off your face when you wash it at night are also on your hair and scalp.  The scalp has a whole set of needs that are separate from your hair's needs. For optimum hair growth, it is vital to balance the stressors on your skin.

This doesn’t mean it’s necessary to shampoo every day--but washing more often can absolutely contribute to a healthier scalp, especially with the right product. Avoid harsh ingredients and detergents which can be found in many shampoo products. Even if shampooing everyday isn’t for you, adding an extra wash in here and there might actually do you more good than harm. Hey, all the better excuse to allow yourself that splurge on pricy shower products, right? :)

Do you shampoo your hair often, or prefer the less-is-best method? What are your best tips or products for a healthy scalp and hair?