HOW OFTEN TO SHAMPOO ?

HOW OFTEN TO SHAMPOO ?

Have you heard too much hair shampooing would damage your hair resulting in hair loss ?

What is the correct number of times should one shampoo? Some say once a day, others say twice, there's even once a week advise..... heck, to promote faster usage some manufacturers even put "repeat if desired" on their usage labels!!!

(I bet you will read labels the next time you take a poo in the toilet)

In this article, we will cover the causes of shampooing too often, the logic behind shampooing less, and how your hair type plays a role in washing your hair.?

What Influences You To Wash Your Hair Often?

Hair produces a natural oil known as sebum to provide moisture and a protective barrier for your hair. Shampooing captures and traps these natural oil along with dirt and grime. While on one hand it is cleaning your hair, if shampoo too frequently, you may dry up your hair leaving your hair prone to breakage or split ends.

There are several factors that can increase your chances of shampooing, which are:

• Oil (some people product more oil, especially men)
• Type of hair (frizzy hairs are less oily)
• Sweat (the more you sweat, the more "dirty" you feel)
• Physical dirt or pollen
• Styling products

If you are experiencing hair loss, you can cut down the amount of shampoo used or reduce exposure to chemicals (yes your shampoos are made of chemicals) from daily to once a week or twice a week until you feel clean.

You should avoid hair loss shampoos containing sulphates (SLS or ALS), ‘thickening’ shampoos, caffeine, and herbs, which lack a clear scientific basis as they may limit blood flow to deliver oxygen and nutrients for hair growth. Please consult with a trichologist for the correct hair loss shampoo product with the right ingredients for you.?

The Logic Behind Shampooing Less

Everyone has their own personal preference in how much they shampoo their hair. Nevertheless, we should bear in mind that shampooing too much may cause the scalp to produce more oil over time. Here are the logics:?

DAILY WASHER

• Daily washing will not only strip away dirt and grime, but will strip away more natural protective oil
• To maintain good hair shine and health, your scalp will produce MORE OIL (because it is protecting itself)
• This will result from an oilier scalp and over time needing to shampoo more?

NON DAILY WASHER

• Shampooing less frequent will maintain a thin layer of oil on the hair
• This will "trick" the body to think it is sufficient and produces less oil over time not needing to shampoo more

We can start to actually train our scalp to produce less oil over time just by shampooing less. Our scalp learns and responds simply when our scalp is too dry, the hair wants to stay nourished resulting in the scalp overproducing sebum. With our natural sebum, it makes its way up to the hair shaft to stay hydrated. So, take it easy on your head, and shampoo less. Focus on moisturizing and conditioning, not excessive cleaning.?

Washing For Your Hair Type

There are many hair types such as straight, curly, wavy, and coily hair, which all have different strengths.

For straight and thin hair, they are more frequently washed as it is easily coated with sebum causing it to look greasy much faster than the rest.

As for coily hair usually seen from African-American, the hair needs to be washed the least as it’s prone to hair damage and hair loss.

If you have ‘weak’ hair whereby it breaks easily as you stretch it with some tension, you may need to start hair strengthening treatments and make a trip to visit your doctor or trichologist to identify the best hair products for you.

The Takeaway?

With the correct hair shampoo products including hair conditioner and serum, together with the right hair wash protocol recommended by your trichologist, you no longer have to worry of hair loss or thinning, if any, from frequent shampooing.

At Hair Transplant Solutions (HTS) Clinic, we provide you with a safe space to consult with our medical doctors in restoring your confidence through hair. With our proven methodologies and expertise over the years, we will advise you on the safest hair strengthening treatments with the right hair products and regime. Speak to us to consult about your hair worries with HTS today!?(click here to speak to us on WhatsApp)

/ Dr Aly