There was probably a time in your early teen years where your mother had to get on you about washing your hair every day. You were going through puberty, and your hair was a lot greasier and less manageable than it had ever been. The solution – wash your hair everyday so you would catch the eye of that special guy or girl.
When you think of this practice, two questions may arise. First, you may wonder if you really needed to wash your hair every day and, second, if you need to keep doing so after you get out of puberty. This article looks to answer both those questions.
Why Your Wash Your Hair at All
It is important to understand that there are great benefits to keeping your hair clean. First off, it is like any other part of your skin. It needs to be cleaned on a regular basis to ensure that dirt, bacteria, oils, and other debris are not only ruining your look, but actually damaging your hair.
These oils and bacteria can cause lots of problems for your hair, especially at the scalp. Not only can they infect pores which can lead to acne, dandruff, and rashes, but they can also damage the hair itself. This can cause it to fall out or snarl, which can make it so that it pulls out when you brush your hair. None of that sounds very good.
However, washing your hair every day may have its challenges as well. There are a lot of researchers who have found that the natural oils produced by your body actually benefit your hair if you do not wash every day. So, what is the answer?
What Does Shampoo Do?
To answer this question, it is important to answer one of the most important questions related to your hair – what exactly does shampoo do to it? This seems really obvious – it cleans it. The purpose of shampoo is to clean your hair of all of that dirt, oils, bacteria, and other debris. Everyone knows that. But is that all the shampoo does?
It is important to understand how your shampoo cleans. What shampoo does is to trap dirt and oils. Then this debris is rinsed off when your run water over your hair.
This is a great process, but some shampoos can actually crease problems for your hair. Many use chemicals that actually change the pH balance in your scalp. This can lead to a dry scalp, brittle hair, and even breakage of your hair. The thing that is supposed to be improving your hair can actually cause more damage to it.
So, Should You Wash Your Hair Every Day?
Let’s start by addressing this question when you are going through puberty. When you are in your teens and early adulthood, there is a lot of oil that is produced during this stage of life That is important for your overall health, but it can do a lot to make your hair look greasy and unappealing.
This is a time where washing your hair nearly every day is a good idea. The primary reason is that debris in the air is more likely to get trapped in your hair because of how oily it is. This can make your hair dirty and lead to bacteria and dirt getting into the roots of your hair. That can cause a number of problems, the least of which is that you will get pimples and sores in your head.
As you get older, the amount of oil that is produced is less. You still need oils in your hair, the kind your body naturally produces. You are more likely to produce just the right amount so it will not take on a greasy look. Now, you may be finding that you need to wash your hair every three or four days just to get dirt, bacteria, and other natural debris out.
However, we want to also point out that you will need to clean your hair more regularly if you use products like gels or hairspray. These things keep your hair in place which is great, but they also trap dirt and bacteria. They also do not allow your scalp to properly breathe or for natural oils to get into your hair. Therefore, you will need to clean your hair for sure on the days that you use these products.
A Note About Cleaning Your Hair
Some people like to wash their hair every day, and there is nothing wrong with that. The truth is that there are many benefits from cleaning your hair on a daily basis. The thing you want to consider is what you are using to clean it with.
Many shampoos contain sulfur in them. This is great for cleaning but not good for your scalp. Sulfurs not only remove the things you want out of your hair, they remove all the oils at the root. That is not good. This can lead to your hair becoming brittle, making it so that it will break easily.
Instead, if you want to wash your hair daily, look for sulfur-free shampoos. There are plenty of choices out there so it will not be hard to find. This will take care of you needing to clean your hair while also protecting your hair at the same time.
And the Answer Is?
With all that being said, there is no good answer to if you should wash your hair daily. This is really about personal preference. You may like to clean your hair on a daily basis and this is perfectly ok. If you use the right shampoo then this will keep your hair clean and healthy. If you are a person who likes to wait a few days, then you can do so as well. You can allow your natural oils to help thicken your hair and keep it looking its absolute best. Once again, make sure you are using the right shampoo so you get the best look.