Over-washing warning: Is your hair too clean?
Whether it’s every day or once a week, there is a chance that we are all washing our hair too much.
Celebrity stylist Neil Moodie has claimed that over-washing can cause hair to lose natural oils, leaving it more prone to breakage and dryness.
“Our hair is a living fibre and dry to begin with,” Moodie explains in the Daily Mail.
“If we starve the hair from moisture from excessive shampooing, the hair dries out again and the cycle continues, resulting in weak, damaged hair.
“Therefore, you need to shampoo less to keep your natural oils where they need to be.”
However, there is no specific formula to how often we should be washing our hair, Moodie claims.
“It depends on your hair texture and your natural oil production, but there are ways to tell if you're over-washing it.
“A lack of moisture from stripping oils can also cause a dry, flaky scalp – and as your scalp dries out, so does your hair.”
Moodie has looked after celebrity hairdos from Scarlett Johansson to Demi Moore – and has some tips if you are stuck in an over-washing cycle.
“If you need a bit of a boost between washes, try a dry shampoo to trap excess oil and add a bit of body without drying your hair out.
“When you do wash your hair, use a conditioner that not only conditions but adds moisture to help keep hair supple.”
Moodie also claims that conditioning is the key to healthy hair and that we shouldn’t rush the process.
“If you're washing your hair less, conditioning your hair properly is vital so that the moisture is retained.
“Just applying and rinsing it straight off is of no benefit [because] the hair has no time to draw the ingredients it needs.
“Use as a once-a-week treatment, leaving it on for at least 20 minutes, again allowing the ingredients to penetrate into the hair shaft properly.”
How often do you wash your hair? Tell us in the comments below.