Are You Overwashing Your Hair?

Have you ever given serious thought to how often you wash your hair? Most people lather up in the shower daily without giving it a second thought. If this is you, you may be washing your hair too often. Hygiene is important, but you can get too much of a good thing. Even if your hair tends to be a bit oily, you probably still don’t need daily suds. It’s important to find a good balance to avoid over-stripping your hair of its natural oils and making it unhealthy.  While there is no specific timeline that will work for everyone when it comes to the frequency of shampooing, your hair will give you signs that indicate that you’re overwashing your hair. Here are five things to watch out for.

Fading Color

If your hair is dyed and your color is fading too fast, you may need to give your hair a break from shampooing. Each time you shampoo a tiny amount of dye gets washed down the drain. By shampooing less often you’ll keep your color vibrant longer. It’s also important to make sure your shampoo and conditioner are formulated to be gentle on color-treated hair.

Changes In Texture

If your hair lacks moisture because the natural oils have been over stripped you could notice changes in your hair’s texture. You might notice frizz, or that your curls aren’t as springy and well-defined. Your hair may begin to feel coarse and dry. These are all indicators that you may be shampooing too much.

Split Ends

Split ends are always a sign that your hair is in distress, and usually, that comes from overwashing. Not only does over-shampooing dry out your hair, but it causes it to weaken as well. Your hair is most fragile when it is wet, and the more often you wash your hair the more time your strands spend in this weakened state. This greatly increases the chances of breakage which leads to split ends.

Loss of Shine

Healthy hair has a natural sheen to it, so if you notice your strands are a bit lackluster it may be time to back off on the shampoo. Your natural oils condition and smooth your cuticle to give your hair its shiny appearance. Stripping those oils day after day robs your hair of its natural healthy shine.

Flaky Scalp

If you notice your scalp becoming a bit dry and flaky, you may be washing too often. Minimizing your wash routine will allow the oil glands to moisturize and nourish your scalp to fend off flakes. When you do shampoo use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner to give your scalp a little extra TLC.

Generally speaking, most people only need to wash their hair a couple of times per week. This will vary depending on your hair type and texture as well as your lifestyle. Your stylist can help you determine just how often you really need to scrub your hair. Make sure to use only high-quality products such as the Martino Complete Care Shampoo & Conditioner Duo that nourish and protect your strands while it cleans. In between washes you can keep your hair fresh and clean with Talk to Me Dirty Dry Shampoo.

If you’re unsure how often you should be washing your hair, come see your  Martino Cartier Salon stylist. Well assess your hair type and condition and help you get a routine in place that will keep your hair fresh and fabulous. Give us a call at 856.582.6600, book your next cut or color appointment online, or use our free mobile app from iTunes or Google Play to schedule right from your phone. We’ll see you soon at 304 Hurffville Crosskeys Rd., Sewell, NJ.