Is it bad to wash your hair every day? Understand – 06/12/2023 – Balance

I’ve heard that washing your hair every day can strip your hair of its natural oils, making it dry, brittle, and irritating your scalp. And truth? What if I do physical activity often?

Whether or not to shampoo every day is an answer that depends on several factors, says Murad Alam, vice chair of the department of dermatology at Northwestern University. Among them are your hair texture, oiliness, your lifestyle habits and your age, he says.

The shampoo cleans the scalp and hair, removing environmental contaminants like dirt and pollen, as well as dandruff, sweat, and hair care products.

It also dissolves sebum, an oily, waxy substance produced by the sebaceous glands near the hair follicles. Sebum keeps the scalp from getting too dry and protects the skin from infection, says Rosemarie Ingleton, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

But if the sebum builds up it can cause problems, she warns.

When to wash daily

Shampooing every day, says Alam, may be the best option for people with oily scalps, where sebum can build up, which makes hair limp, greasy, and possibly smelly.

Those with fine hair, he says, can also feel greasy strands more quickly, since there’s less hair to absorb the oil. For these, using the product every day can also be helpful.

Daily shampooing may also be necessary, Alam adds, if you frequently use products like hair gels or sprays, which can build up on your scalp and cause irritation — or even impede hair growth by clogging hair follicles.

When to avoid daily washing

Not all hair textures can handle a daily wash, says Ingleton, including curly or frizzy hair, which can become dry and brittle if washed daily or even every other day. For black people, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends washing your hair every week or every other week.

Shereene Idriss, a dermatologist and founder of Idriss Dermatology in New York City, has stricter recommendations for washing, no matter how thin or oily your hair is.

“As far as scalp health is concerned, I don’t recommend shampooing regularly every day,” says Idriss, adding that doing so can cause “scalp irritation, inflammation, and other issues.”

Chemical treatments such as dyes and relaxers can make the hair shaft more prone to damage, says Alam. He recommends washing chemically treated hair two to three times a week.

Certain medications such as statins, antihistamines and diuretics can also increase dry skin and scalp, puntuya Alam. If you take them, wash your hair with a mild shampoo that contains moisturizers to prevent dryness and irritation.

Age can also dictate your washing schedule, says Alam. Sebum production is typically slow during early childhood, increases at puberty, levels off in adulthood, and gradually declines after age 70. So if you’re older, your scalp may be drier and may not need a daily exfoliation.

What to do if you exercise regularly

If you regularly train and sweat excessively, Alam says, the salt in your sweat can clog your pores and hair follicles. This may require a daily wash or rinse “to clear the salt and secretions,” he says. “If you don’t rinse your hair afterwards, you can get inflammation of the hair follicles, which is called folliculitis, and pimples on your scalp.”

This is even more important if you have oily hair, says Idriss. You may need to wash it every day, she adds, but you don’t always need shampoo.

“Alternating a thorough wash with just a rinse every other day can slow down the removal of oil from the scalp,” points out Idriss. And wetting your hair with plain water, she added, “may be enough to hold you through the day.”

If you just can’t skip the shampoo, says Idriss, choose a gentle formula that says “sulfate-free” or “mild” on the label, and avoid hot water and excessive exfoliation, which can irritate your scalp.