How Often Men Should Wash Their Hair Based on Hair Type
As a man, it is unlikely that you have considered how often you should be washing your hair. Most men either wash their hair sporadically or just wait until they feel like it is dirty. For healthy, good looking hair, it is important to understand your hair type and wash your hair on a timeline that matches your hair. Here is some guidance on how to identify your hair type and how to best keep it clean.
The Scalp
Before we jump into the nitty-gritty of determining your hair type, it is important to realize that your hair can only be as healthy as your scalp. And while hair type may vary, your scalp's natural oil production will also play a role in your shampooing and conditioning regimen.
Your skin protects itself through an oil called sebum. Sebum is produced in the sebaceous glands which are found in the skin and release the oil, generally through hair follicles, to coat and moisturize the skin.
When you wash your hair, the shampoo will trap oils, dirt, and other buildup in your hair and wash it away. This also removes the sebum from your scalp, which will need to be replenished to ensure that your scalp remains healthy and productive. Men who wash their hair too often may have poor scalp health due to a lack of sebum, and vice versa. Because of this, men who have higher levels of sebum production may need to wash their hair more often, and those with lower levels will want to wash their hair less.
Hair Types
A person’s hair type goes much further than being simply straight, wavy, or curly. Hair will also differ in length, thickness, strength, coarseness, and porosity (the ability to hold moisture).Before you’ll know how often to wash your hair, you will first need to identify your hair type. Here are a few questions to help you do that.
Before we start. It is best to shower and let your hair dry without putting any product in it. This will help establish a baseline for your natural hair type. Once you’ve done that, go through the following checklist:
Texture
Hair texture refers to whether your hair dries straight, wavy, or curly. This can be difficult to tell for men who have short hair, as many men with wavy or curly hair won’t know that until their hair has grown longer. But for those who can tell, look for either a slight bend in your hair, a loop pattern, or a coiled texture. This will help tell you where your hair lies on the straight to curly scale.
Straighter hair will generally need to be washed more often than curly hair. And straight hair generally requires a light-weight shampoo, whereas curly hair may need a shampoo that is formulated to moisturize.
Thickness
Determining your hair’s thickness can be as easy as running your fingers through your hair. You can also pluck a strand of hair for a more thorough examination. Determining whether your hair is thin, medium, or thick can be done by placing the strand next to a fine string of sewing thread, which generally matches the thickness of medium hair.
Fine, or thin, hair will generally need to be washed more often than medium or thick hair.
Porosity
Your hair’s porosity determines its ability to absorb and retain moisture, including oils. Hair that has low-porosity will generally need to be washed more often than highly-porous hair.
One way to determine hair porosity is to time how long it takes your hair to dry. Quick-drying hair generally has a lower porosity than hair that takes longer to dry. That being said, your hair’s thickness and density may skew the results. Another way is to take the strand of hair from the previous step and place it in a bowl of water. If it sinks to the bottom then your hair likely has high porosity. If it floats on the top then it likely has low porosity. In between likely means normal porosity.
Conclusion
Now that you have identified your hair type you can determine how often to wash your hair. For example, hair that is both fine and straight may need to be washed every other day, but hair that is curly and thick may only need to be washed once a week. When adjusting how often you wash your hair, make sure to pay attention to how your hair and scalp feel, including the level of oil and moisture buildup between washes.
Consider trying Johnny Slicks’ Beast Wash Shampoo and Conditioner for the best results when it comes to healthy, great looking, and sweet-smelling hair.
