If you stop washing your hair, the dirt and product build-up can affect its growth process. By clogging the hair follicles, it can prevent the hair from getting the nutrients it needs to grow. It will eventually lead to lackluster and stunted hair growth.
“If your hair is getting polluted regularly, the pores on your scalp will be clogged up. Not washing your hair, for, say, 17 days, will allow layers of dirt to sit on your skin and scalp. This makes it thinner and more brittle, meaning it gets damaged more easily.”
You might think it won't hurt, but washing your hair regularly is incredibly important for the health of your hair and scalp. "Shampooing removes sebum or oil that normally coats the hair shaft," says Brendan Camp, MD, a double board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York.
"The average individual can typically go 2 to 3 days without shampooing their hair. However, if your hair is visibly oily, you may not want to wait that long," she says. "Usually, you can go longer without washing your hair when your hair is styled up, but no one should ever go more than 14 days."
You should only go a week without washing your hair if you have dry, thick, and/or coily hair—not because you can't stretch your wash-day out even longer, but because you really shouldn't if you're trying to prevent breakage, dryness, and irritation.
When one has extremely dry hair which is not washed often, it can lose its natural moisture with age. According to stylist Rosi Fernandez, director of Ananda Ferdi it is not advisable to go for more than a week without washing hair, as follicles become clogged and do not get oxygenated," she explains.
If you normally wash everyday, it'll take time to get used to washing it less. So start by going an extra day or two in between your normal washes. Rinse your hair with water in between shampoos and try to build up to once a week. When your hair adjusts you'll notice a dramatic difference.
A water-only hair wash routine will help preserve the natural oils. Further, it is a low maintenance hair care routine that requires you to invest in minimal hair care products. You can use lukewarm and cold water to wash off the dirt and dust and then follow it up with a good conditioner.
Wash to suit your needs and your hair type. Oily and fine or thin hair types should wash every one to two days. This schedule allows for removing buildup and the natural oils to stimulate hair health and growth. Wavy or curly hair and dry or damaged hair types should wash in the range of once every four to seven days.
The reason is, after a few days of not washing your hair, as we know, the natural oils have returned to your scalp and begin making their way down your tresses.
There's also your everyday body odor, sweat, and bacteria that fester in your hair. Left untreated, it can start to smell sour or mildewy, especially if you have thick hair which traps odors more easily. The longer you go without washing, the worse the stench gets.
Hair growth flourishes from a clean, healthy scalp. The bottom line is that dirty hair doesn't grow any faster than clean hair, so you may as well have a clean scalp and fresh tresses. Your strands will look better, feel better, and be healthier, too.
The no-poo method involves forgoing shampoo containing detergents that strip your hair of its natural oils. Your hair won't smell, because you're still cleansing it. Research the best shampoo alternatives for you: water only, conditioner only, coconut oil, ACV and baking soda, or a no-poo product.
Washing hair with just water can lead to greasy hair for some individuals, while others find their hair healthier and more manageable than ever. The key to success when trying out water-only washing is patience and persistence. Your scalp needs time to adjust to the new routine before you'll see noticeable results.
Your hair certainly won't feel as clean as it does after shampooing. Conditioner can build up on hair, making it feel heavy and greasy. It will also attract more dust and dirt from the air. Your best bet is to use a conditioner that does not contain silicones since silicone can build up and weigh hair down.
Taking a break from shampooing your hair can help preserve natural oils in the scalp and maintain moisture. The benefits of not washing your hair range from fewer split ends to less grease and oil — check out the most important advantages below.
When starting the No Poo method you may be a bit worried about how long it takes for your hair to get used to your new way of life. And as a rule of thumb, it may take around six weeks for your hair to fully transition, however it could be faster than this if you have shorter hair.
If you wash your hair too often, you can trigger an overproduction of those natural oils, creating excess sebum production, and bang—you've got greasy hair the next day, or even just hours after rinsing.
Exfoliate your scalp
“Shocking your hair back to health through scalp exfoliation will help to reset your scalp and help alleviate conditions like dandruff,” says Graciano. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells, oil, and dandruff, and is “the key to healthier, shinier hair from roots to ends,” adds Korab.
Another leading cause of an itchy scalp is dirty hair. If you don't wash your hair regularly enough – dirt, oil, and product build-up can cause your scalp to become itchy and irritated. When your hair is too dirty, it can also lead to unwanted bacteria, sometimes turning into dandruff and other scalp problems.
Narrator: After six months to a year, all that gunk can clog up your hair follicles, which can prevent new hair from growing and, over time, ultimately lead to hair thinning or even hair loss. There's also a risk of your scalp getting infected from all the bacterial buildup.
Dr. Fusco says that this can lead to scalp inflammation, dandruff, excess shedding, and even folliculitis, which are tiny pimples on the scalp. "When we don't wash often enough, the hair follicle beneath the surface can be suffocated to a degree leading to less than optimum new hair growth," says Abney.
But there is zero scientific evidence to cement that washing it less makes it grow faster (sob). However, excessive shampooing (beyond what your hair type needs) can cause dehydration and lead to breakage, so overzealous shampooers should err on the side of caution.