The correct number of times we should wash our hair a week

Our hair has the ability to make us both look and feel amazing - at least, when we’re having a good hair day, that is.

There’s nothing worse than feeling weighed down by dry, brittle or greasy hair. But turns out that overwashing our hair could just be making matters worse for our beloved locks.

Washing your hair may feel like second nature - simply hop in the shower, grab the shampoo and hope for the best, right? 

Well, many of us may not even realise that we’re washing our hair too much - or even not enough. 

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So whether you’re an everyday hair washer or a once-a-week routiner, Tyla has spoken to three hair experts for the latest and greatest advice on hair washing to settle the debate once and for all.

Rosie Myers, founder of the shampoo and conditioner bars specialist nope., explained that our hair is actually a self-cleaning ‘eco-system’, and washing your hair too much could disrupt this natural ‘evolutionary’ complex.

She told Tyla: “Through evolution, your scalp has developed its own ecosystem to take care of itself. 

“If you over-wash you will strip your hair of its natural nutrients and oils resulting in dryness and dandruff.”

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So, how many times a week should we actually be washing our hair?

Well, Neil Capstick, professional hair industry expert and founder of Neäl & Wølf, told Tyla that you should only wash your hair ‘when it’s absolutely necessary - which is around two-to-three times a week for the majority of hair types.

Neil explained: “Really, you should only wash your hair when it’s absolutely necessary. For most people, this will be two-to-three times per week, but some people can get away with less and others will need more.”

Meanwhile, Stacey Whyte, creative director at Cheveux Salon in Loanhead, Scotland, also reiterated that while this golden number is a good goal, it really all depends on your personal hair type.

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She told us: “This depends on the individual and their hair type. If you are shampooing your hair every day you are stripping away the essential oils your scalp produces to keep your hair and scalp healthy.

“When this happens your scalp can overproduce oils to compensate for this, leading to your hair needing that wash. But take the time to ‘train’ it and the oil production will slow to what your hair needs.”

Neil also explained the best way to check if your hair is in need of that wash is through ‘sight and feel’.

He said: “You can tell if your hair needs washing simply by sight and feel; if it still feels soft and bouncy, it’s likely it won’t need a wash. If it’s visibly oily then it probably needs a wash.”

There you have it - now you have no excuse for mistreating your hair.

Topics: Hair, Beauty, Style, Hacks

Gabriella Ferlita

Gabriella Ferlita is a full-time journalist at LADbible Group, writing on lifestyle, communities and news across Tyla, LADbible and UNILAD. When she's not writing, she's fussing over her five-year-old Toyger cat, Clarence.

@Gabriellaf_17