Is OK to wash hair daily?

Some hair demands washing every day. The alternative is dank, lank, greasy locks. But is it safe for your hair to have this continual cleansing?

We asked the experts at LiveAbout for more info…

Dry or Curly Hair

If you have dry and/or curly hair, you don’t have to wash your hair every day and quite frankly, you shouldn’t (it’s very likely you know this already).

A basic rule of thumb for you is to shampoo twice a week with moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. You can even skip the traditional shampoos and opt for sulfate-free ones that are “low-poo” or “no-poo.”

Shampoos and conditioners are included in this list of the Best Products for Curly Hair.

Normal Hair

If you have normal hair, you can wash your hair up to five times a week or as needed. You might find you need to wash hair more times in summer when you’re more active (unless you’re a skiing fanatic, in which case, just wear a hat).

When it comes to shampooing, the secret is in using a shampoo that won’t strip hair of its natural oils. Opt for a sulfate-free shampoo and always condition the ends.

Oily Hair

For those of us with oily hair, contrary to wisdom you may have read in Seventeen magazine in your youth, you can wash hair daily. You’ve probably heard that if you can make it a few days, your oily hair actually stops looking oily.

Some women have tried this and swear that by day 5 their hair finally normalized.

Skipping a few days is not going to magically turn your limp locks into full body wonder. What it will do is cause your scalp to itch like crazy.

If you do want to attempt to go more than a couple days without shampooing your hair, try a dry shampoo.

Is It Safe to Wash Oily Hair Daily?

Most experts agree that it’s safe to wash hair daily with a mild shampoo. Concentrate on washing the roots because it’s your scalp that’s oily, not your hair.

Always use conditioner, even on oily hair, just leave the conditioner to the bottom two-thirds of hair. Conditioner on roots will only help weigh hair down more.

Not shampooing daily can leave hair limp, however, so we suggest sprinkling a bit of talcum powder along the roots and crown or using a dry shampoo like one of these popular ones in this list.

If you insist on washing daily, try this trick from Harper’s Bazaar: Apply conditioner first only to the bottom third of hair (if you have oily hair, don’t use conditioner on the roots, it will weigh hair down). Keeping the conditioner in, apply shampoo to the roots and lather up. Rinse everything off.

One of our most gentle shampoos is La Biosthetique Beaute Shampooing – Conditioning Shampoo for Beautiful Hair which gently cleanses the hair and scalp, moisturises, conditions and gives the hair an airy harmonious start to the day.