How often should you wash?
by Natasha - MyDreadlocks.com Admin
(Montreal, QC)
Fighting the 'Dirty Hair Myth' is a daily challenge when you have dreads. The misconception is that locs rarely get washed. However, regardless of your hair type, it is important to keep your hair clean.
How many times weekly or monthly should dreadlocks get a shampoo? There is no solid answer because shampooing varies wildly from person to person. In fact, there are at least 7 factors to consider in terms of hair washing frequency...
- Active Lifestyle
If you break a sweat every day during exercise, you'll need to wash your hair to get rid of mineral deposits like salt and potassium along with other sediment build up on your scalp.
- Hair Type
Straight, oily hair will need to be washed a lot more often than super curly (sometimes called "kinky"), dry hair.
- Skin or Scalp Conditions
Mild dandruff can often be handled by washing more often but severe scalp challenges need to be treated by a professional dermatologist or trichologist
- Hair Styling Product Usage
This goes without saying but the more stuff you put in your hair, the harder it will be to get it out when wash time comes. Clarifying shampoos and apple cider vinegar can both help but try being proactive by reducing the amount of gunk-forming hair care products you use regularly
- Time
Let's face it: The longer your hair, the more time it takes to clean. The same goes for thinner locs that tend to be more fragile. When there's events to go to, family responsibilities to take care of and paint to watch dry, lowering the priority of a regular hair care routine becomes an unnecessary habit.
- Personal Preference
If your mantra is something along the lines of "Shampoo! Bah Hum-bug!" then you're not going to shampoo as often as someone who has been told repeatedly that regular, daily shampoos are the only option.
- Environment
Where you live matters and so does the time of year! From your house to your neighborhood, it's important to be mindful of how the humidity, temperature and air particles effect your hair.
As you can see, you could easily find dreadlock wearers who wash their hair daily as much as you could find ones who do so several times a year. Remember, though: just because hair is cleansed often it doesn't necessarily mean it's clean (the wrong type of shampoo and/or poor technique can make for dirty hair) and if someone doesn't shampoo as often, it doesn't mean their locs are dirty either.
Which factor do you take into account when figuring out how often to wash your own dreadlocks?
