How often should I wash my natural hair? This is a pretty common question and most often miss the answer to this and assume washing your hair is also the same as washing chemical-based hair.
Natural hair tends to easily become dry and this will make it thicker and difficult to comb through and this only happens if you wash too often but dermatologists did advise to wash regularly too right?
Frankly how often you wash your hair depends solely on your hair and scalp, if you have a healthy scalp then you might not need to wash regularly but if oil builds up excessively on your scalp, then you might need to wash regularly.
How do I know my hair needs washing regularly or not? Sometimes we end up limiting how often we wash our hair thinking it would prevent dryness, below are some of the things you should know before washing your natural hair.
Factors That Determines How Often You Wash Your Natural Hair
Naturally, natural hair is usually very dry, this is due to lack of chemicals at the root, every hair needs to be washed sometimes but the main question is how often it needs to be washed. Some natural hair strands dry faster than some but for every natural hair, you should only wash it once every two weeks, this routine can only change if some of the factors listed below are involved.
- The amount of oil your scalp produces
- Tangles in your hair are getting out of control
- Your curls lackluster and looks fragile
- The styles you like to wear
- Your hair density and texture
- The length of your hair (shorter hair is no doubt easier to wash more frequently)
- The number of hair products that you use and the way that your hair reacts to products (if you use lots of styling products you will definitely need to wash your hair more frequently than someone who uses hair styling products minimally).
How Long Can You Go Without Washing Your Hair?
How often you can wash your hair is also as important as how long you can go without washing those strands, oftentimes you might be wearing a protective braid hairstyle that is meant to last a while and wash your hair might be impossible during that period if an extension is added hence the question how long can you go without washing your hair.
If you have an oily scalp, then the maximum is three days as oil build up on your scalp might cause hair loss, and for dry hair, the maximum would be two weeks but with intention of using conditioning spray to keep it hydrated.
Should You Wet Your Hair Even If You Don’t Wash It?
This depends solely on the weather outside, if the weather is a bit toasty, then you can go ahead and wet it to keep it moisturized, your hair does need water when dry but not in excess hence you can wet your hair if you have no plan of washing and it tends to look dry.
If these factors above are the case, or you have an oily or dry hair type, then you might want to go for shampoos or cleansing conditioners that are meant to hydrate your hair scalp and solve any issue of an unhealthy scalp.
Cleansing Conditioners For Keeping Your Natural Hair Clean
Conditioning is one of the best remedies to unhealthy natural hair, it hydrates the scalp and softens the hair stand without causing damages, you can wash your hair with shampoo once a week if it’s dirty and use any of the cleansing conditioner listed below after to keep it moisturized.
1. PURA D’OR Moisture Protect Cleansing Conditioner
Natural hair needs moisture to thrive, the conditioner above would not only keep your scalp clean but hydrate your hair and keep moisture locked in, it’s has been formulated with natural ingredients to keep your hair fresh and healthy. If you are planning to use this and still use shampoo, once a week is all you need to do to get the best result.
2. Puracy Natural Shampoo and Conditioner
It is easy for natural hair to become tangled and weak especially if you are transitioning, puracy natural shampoo is targeted at repairing damage natural hair and retaining the length, which makes it suitable for washing damaged natural hair, you can condition first then shampoo and condition again to keep your hair hydrated. Puracy natural shampoo and conditioner helps slow down hair loss and removes filth that might be causing it.
3.Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner
For smooth sleek natural hair, you should try Moroccan argan oil shampoo, formulate with natural ingredients to cleanse your scalp and give your hair some growth and shine, argan oil is well known natural oil recommended for hydrating natural oil. This is one of the few shampoo and conditioner you can easily incorporate into your hair washing routine without causing any hair breakage.
You should not hesitate to wash your hair if you sweat often though or if oil and dirt are constantly piling up, your natural hair needs as much care as your skin, keep a journal to help track how often it needs to be washed and your natural hair needs less manipulation and more nutrient to grow properly.
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