Have you ever dreaded washing your hair because you knew it would take a long time? Well, let’s face it, there is no way around it, you have to wash your hair. Washing your hair is part of a healthy hair routine. But one question that I have been getting lately is, how often do I have to wash my hair? In this article, I will cover how long you can go without washing your hair.
But if you’re anything like me, you’ve had those days when you know you need to wash your hair, but you’re like, “nope, not today!” If you can relate, then you’re in the right place.
Now that we are all on the same page, let’s talk about washing your hair. If you can’t wait and want to know the answer to how long you can go without washing your hair, then I will tell you. It depends. That’s right. It depends. The amount of time that you can go without washing your hair depends on how you’re currently wearing your hair. I will discuss three ways that women often wear their hair and what it means for how often you should wash your hair.
Natural Hair
For all of you rocking your natural hair, it is important to wash your hair. On natural hair types, due to the curly state of the hair strand, sebum (which is the natural oil that your scalp creates to keep in moisturized) has difficulty working its way down the curl. Therefore, many people will recommend that you wash your natural hair once every two weeks, unless you feel your hair is in desperate need of a wash. If this is the case, it’s better to wash your hair with a shampoo that provides a gentle cleanse, or better yet, a cleansing conditioner.
Chemically Treated Hair
If your hair is currently chemically treated, then your hair washing regiment will be slightly different. Black women often hear that they should wash their hair infrequently to prevent it from drying out. If you have naturally dry hair or use a chemical relaxer, which can make hair dry and brittle, you may want to re-hydrate your hair with water every day but only wash it about once a week to once every 10 days. When you wash your hair, do so with warm water. Hot water can ruin your curls and strip your hair of oils that help keep it moisturized and looking amazing.
Protective Styled Hair
Protectives styles are a great style option for kinky hair, but it’s easy to get a little lazy and leave them in without giving your strands a bit of moisture. If you’re wondering how often to wash natural hair with braids, you should be prepared to wash your hair every 2 to 3 weeks. During your hair wash routine, your focus should be on lifting build up off your scalp. If you have super dry natural hair and a dry scalp, opt for using a moisturizing wash and care system.
Bottom Line
Although black women have similar hair, we do not all have the same hair types and hair care needs. Therefore, it is important to wash and condition your hair based on how greasy or dry your hair feels, not based on how often another woman washes her hair. So the key takeaway is that how often you should wash your hair will depend in how you are currently wearing your hair.