How often should I wash my hair?
Do I need to use shampoo?
I like to scratch my head while I wash, is that Ok?
These are some of the questions I get asked regularly because as our hair starts to thin, it becomes terrifying. Our hair is our crown, and once it starts falling out, we tend to panic so that we can keep each strand we have!
Let’s start with washing. How often should you wash your hair? And should you use shampoo??
The answer is daily or every second day, WITH shampoo, whether or not you even have hair.
I ALWAYS say wash, rinse, repeat!!! Washing twice helps to lift dirt and grime and allows the active ingredients to get in deeper to do their work.
There are a couple of reasons why I say this; for starters, hair grows well in a supple environment that is clean and free of oil, dust, and dirt. Throughout the day, we produce sebum and loves to collect the dirt, dust, and particles floating around in the air, which can cause our hair follicles (the pocket that our hairs grow out of) to become clogged. This, in itself, can cause hair loss. Washing with a high-quality shampoo that contains ingredients that promote growth should be used on a daily/every second-day basis.
Ingredients to look for are, capixyl, baicapyl, mint, rosemary, just to name a few.
Also, the more often you use it, the more exposure to those ingredients you will have, which will help promote healthy hair growth!
To scratch or not to scratch?? But it feels so good…
No, do not scratch your head. You want to be using the pads of your fingertips, not the palms of your hands, just the fingertips. Make gentle circular motions all over your scalp, like a masseuse would if they were to give you a scalp massage.
If your scalp is itchy, there can be a few reasons for that, so I would suggest you speak to a Trichologist such as myself or your family Doctor. There’s usually a reason why you get itchy and is fairly easy to get rid of.
I’m scared to wash because too much comes out, and I see it in the drain.
On average, a person loses 100 hairs per day, and depending on the length, that can look very scary! However, most of us have a good idea of how much is normal for us, and when those numbers start to increase, it is time to speak to a Trichologist. There are many contributing factors to hair loss, and speaking to someone who specializes in hair and scalp disorders is a great start. I work to get to the root of the hair loss and act as a middle man when it comes to hairdressers and dermatologists.
Don’t wait either; once you start seeing that your hair is visibly thinning, 50% is already gone! So the sooner you start to help yourself, the better your outcome will be!
Wishing you all a good hair day and happy, healthy growing!
Kindest regards,
Jennifer McCowan owner at Hope Hair Recovery
