It’s the debate that can tear families apart. Well, maybe not families, but certainly hair care enthusiasts. Everyone has their opinion and swears it’s the best. You guessed it; it’s the great debate over how often you really need to wash your hair. Marie Claire says that “dry hair should be washed a maximum of two times a week.” Into the Gloss claims that some people can go up to two weeks in between washes. Meanwhile, The New York Times says that you can get away with washing your hair once a week. Clearly, there is some competing information out there. To bring you a definitive answer, we tapped our expert hair care specialist Brianna Colette stylist at the famed Nine Zero One Salon in West Hollywood. Brianna styles the hair of all different textures, colors, and thicknesses, so she knows a thing or two about how to properly care for hair.
According to Brianna, “washing hair every 2-3 days is ideal.” Why? Brianna says that waiting to wash your hair avoids “stripping hair of natural oil causing it to become dry.” She says that this is especially important if you use heat styling every time you wash. Additionally, if you have colored hair “washing too much can also fade your color faster.” If you’re used to washing your hair every day and are afraid that waiting in between washes may ruin your style, there are a few things Brianna recommends doing. First, use a sulfate-free dry shampoo like Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo or Drybar’s Detox Dry shampoo. Dry shampoo helps keep your hair looking fresh in between washes by absorbing oil and odor for ultra-clean hair. Second, “try pinning your hair into a loose bun when you sleep. When you use hair pins instead of hair ties, you avoid the annoying kinks (AKA bed head). This way when you let your hair down in the morning your style isn’t ruined or flat to your head.” All this may sound easy (and it really is) but, to fully execute Brianna’s advice and to keep your hair looking marvelous between washes, we asked Brianna to share which styling products she counts as her ride-or-die products for fresh hair always. Keen to know more?
Keep scrolling to see what they are!
What are your thoughts on the great debate? Let us know below!
