The Truth About Once A Week Hair Washing

There is a lot of buzz about hair washing, and the newest craze is only shampooing your hair once a week. Is this new hair care practice worth the hype? In this article we delve into this new movement and help you figure out if once-a-week shampooing is a good fit for you.

The idea behind once-a-week hair washing

Assistant professor of dermatology Angela Lamb, MD, explains to WebMD that washing your hair too often strips the hair of necessary oils, resulting in breakage and dry hair. The once-a-week hair wash is designed to keep hair feeling healthy and silky.

Benefits of washing your hair once a week

For one, your wallet will thank you. Washing your hair less means using less shampoo, meaning you will spend less money on shampoo. This also allows you to invest in a more expensive shampoo brand, as you will not use up the product as quickly. Another benefit of the once-a-week wash is your hair retains oils, preventing the hair from drying out and becoming brittle. We were expecting our research on this topic to lead us to some incredible news that washing your hair less leads to rapid hair growth, but no such benefit seems to exist.

However, this once-a-week wash does not work for everyone

WebMD explains that “For the average person, every other day, or every 2 to 3 days, without washing is generally fine.” How do you know if you’re in the majority that should wash every 2-3 days, or if you can cut back to once-a-week shampooing? There are many factors that come into play when determining your hair washing schedule, and said factors are listed and explained below.

Factors that affect how often you should wash your hair
Age: According to Cleveland Clinic, oil glands are more active at certain points in a person’s life. In most cases, younger individuals have more active oil glands due to high hormone levels. This means that younger people likely need to wash their hair more often than someone who is in their 60s.
Type of hair: Hair type is another factor to consider. Fine hair needs to be washed more often, for example. Curly, coarse hair typically stores less oil and therefore needs to be washed less. Dry hair is another type which requires less frequent washes.
Sweating/frequent exercise: Dr. Khetarpal, a certified dermatologist, explains that “Even with daily exercise, you don’t need to wash your hair daily.” That being said, sweat can make the hair smell and spread sebum, an “oily, waxy substance produced by your body’s sebaceous glands.”
It all comes down to how much you sweat and how the sweat affects your hair.
Using styling products: Washing your hair is necessary to get rid of product build-up. If you frequently use styling products, you will need to wash your hair more often.
Humidity: Even humidity plays a part in your hair washing routine. You may need to shampoo daily if you live in a very humid climate.

Our conclusion: there is no one “perfect” hair wash routine

As this article explains, there are many factors affecting how often you should wash your hair. This means that the magical once-a-week hair wash is not all it’s cracked up to be. Sure, it can save you money on shampoo and keep hair from becoming brittle, but most of us develop greasy, dirty hair before a week’s time is up. Instead of swearing by the once-a-week wash, figure out how your age, hair type, exercise routine, hair styling habits, and climate you live in affect your hair. While the Internet is raving about the once-a-week wash, it is not a one size fits all haircare routine.