Should you wash your hair daily? Photo / Getty Images
Lather up or let it be? Our beauty experts share their rituals for healthy, glossy locks.
According to a new survey of more than 2000 women conducted by Atomik Research, nearly half wash their hair only two to three times a week. Furthermore, 44 per cent shampoo for no more than 30 seconds.
I’ve never met a trichologist who doesn’t believe in daily hair-washing. Yet it tends to be men who follow that rule, mainly because it’s time-consuming for women with long hair to wash it every day, particularly if your hair is thick, curly or unwieldy. As someone who fits this archetype, I’ve seesawed between the two schools of thought.
As I bleach my hair every eight weeks, it gets parched and thus the inclination is to skip a wash or two so as not to “strip the hair’s natural oils”. Since talking with trichologist Anabel Kingsley, I’m convinced this is a myth. Kingsley is adamant that daily washing is essential for scalp health and there’s no benefit to skipping washes.
Moreover, everyone should be using a targeted shampoo for their hair type and spend at least a full minute shampooing, resisting the urge to use too much product in one go which can cause hair to go dull. The trick, says Kinglsey, is to use a 50p-sized amount of shampoo and add more water (not product) to increase the lather. She compares haircare to skincare, insisting you wouldn’t skip a day cleansing your face and you shouldn’t omit shampooing either.
Since I’ve started shampooing every day, I’ve noticed a big difference in my hair health. It’s more manageable, shinier and thicker to the touch. Kingsley says we shouldn’t rub the hair follicles by tossing hair atop our heads but concentrate on the scalp instead, allowing the water from the shower head to distribute the shampoo down the hair shaft (rubbing causes tangles and potential breakage).
I used to apply conditioner and then detangle, which I’ve learned is a cardinal sin. Instead, detangle before you shower, starting at the ends and working upwards. The thing that’s made the most difference to the condition of my hair is swapping out conditioner for a hair mask, which I work through patiently until it’s evenly distributed. A mask is probably unnecessary for those with fine hair, but my wiry tresses have responded with shine and buoyancy.
As for which shampoo I use, I’m not dedicated to a certain brand, though I favour one with hydrating ingredients that is silicone-free – there’s a notable difference between the syrupy gloss you get from coating hair in artificial shine and the natural glow that comes from proper hydration.
As I’m perennially highlighted, I need to mitigate the brassiness that is caused by oxidation from pollutants and hard water deposits. There are shampoos designed for blonde hair but I prefer to brighten with a detox or clarifying shampoo every couple of weeks rather than use one that tones the hair with a purple hue. Too much of the latter and my blonde starts looking murky.
And if I’ve run out of shampoo – or my hair is beginning to feel particularly arid - I’ll cleanse with conditioner for a couple of days on the trot. You don’t get the same squeaky clean sensation but it does freshen things up.
It’s been six months since I’ve been more intentional with my shampooing routine and I won’t go back. The last time I had my hair coloured, my colourist commented on its condition, which made me feel smug, like I’d got an A-star on my homework.
Besides, the ritual itself has been a welcome moment of calm before I head out for work.
I’ve gone the full 180 on this. In my 20s, when my hair was oily, I washed it every day. Hair-styling products were relatively primitive back then, so it was the best way of getting some body into my fine follicles. Also, now I come to think of it, everyone smoked. You went out to a party and the next morning your hair reeked. Cleansing was non-negotiable.
The regularity slacked off in my late 30s: young children, fewer parties and self-grooming necessitated a compromise. Then, in my 40s, on the advice of Philip Kingsley, I started washing it every day again.
But now that it’s short and blitzed with highlights and I don’t want it to dry out even more, I‘m back to a (non) hair-washing regime that would freak out a germaphobe.
Luckily I’m not one of those. I’ve discovered styling products in a big way so I suppose I’ve got used to the feel of hair that’s not squeaky clean and I’m perfectly happy with it. In fact, when your hair is ultra fine and soft, a bit of gunk and “dirt” is no bad thing. It gives it what hairdressers like to call “guts”.
So let’s say twice a week - although if I’m in the countryside, where the air is cleaner, I might go the full seven days. On the other hand, if I’ve been a bit heavy-handed with my styling cream, I might do it more often and I always like to wash it after I’ve been on a long-haul flight because the cabin air is so whiffy. But mainly, it depends on how it’s looking. I’m very interested in trying your conditioning-wash, Annabel – your hair is looking incredible.
Lackadaisical as I am about frequency, I’m a stickler for ritual. Pre-shampoo, I’ll apply hair oil and sleep in it overnight. On other nights, when no one’s looking, I’ll slip on a silk turban. It’s probably overkill because I’ve already got silk pillowcases, and it has to be a passion killer, but all in the line of duty. Post-shampoo, I love Garnier’s Ultimate Blends one-minute defrizzing mask. A kind, detangling brush is a must. The handle on Hersheson’s makes it feel like a normal styling too.
As for the shampoo, no testing on animals, harsh sulphites or silicones and I want to see a visible difference. If I’m flying with hand luggage only, I use Bertioli’s fabulous non-soap hair and body wash and conditioner bar and it lasts ages. Living Proof’s Full Shampoo is excellent on every front (so is its No Frizz, Clarifying Detox and Restore). Pricy but you’re using it sparingly and it’s currently on offer at Amazon [available from Mecca in New Zealand].
It has nothing to do with passion.