Self Cleansing Hair?

Woman who is checking her own hair for dirt — Photo: Shutterstock

Q: I have been told that if you don't use shampoo for more than six weeks that your hair self cleanses on its own and that it does not look dirty or smell bad and that you will remain having clean hair for as long as you don't use shampoo. Is that a fact? Please answer my question. I would be very happy to hear from you. Thank you.

A: To the best of my knowledge, this is a complete fallacy. While it is true that we do tend to shampoo our hair too often, there is nothing to indicate that not washing your hair for six weeks will suddenly result in spontaneous cleansing.

You should bear in mind that there are a number of things that we do to our hair that help to cleanse it. Simply rinsing the hair with water helps to remove some of the dirt and oils that accumulate. In addition, brushing the hair serves to remove dirt from the hair and scalp, and redistribute the oils produced by the follicles and oil glands in the scalp, it also stimulates the circulation in the scalp and regulates oil production.

Most likely, the idea that the hair will "not look dirty" comes from the effects of brushing and rinsing with water, while the concept of "not smelling bad" is simply a matter of becoming inured to the odor.

Doctors recommend that you shampoo the hair when it becomes dirty. For different women this can mean very different shampooing schedules. If you have a very active lifestyle and your hair gets sweaty or heavily soiled during the day, you may need to shampoo daily. However, most women don't need a daily shampooing and should only wash their hair about once a week.

However, you should use a rinse-through conditioner on your hair daily. The conditioner is usually sufficient to remove the level of soil the average woman's hair is exposed to on a daily basis. It will help keep the hair healthy, manageable and easy to style.

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See also:

Dry shampoo

How shampoo cleans the hair

No poo or product free approach to hair care

How often should you shampoo your hair?

Is it possible to wash your hair with conditioner only?