Washing Hair and Growth

Shampooing long hair — Photo: Andriano/Shutterstock

Q: Does washing your hair every day affect the growth rate? I wash my hair every day, and I know I shouldn't do that, but will it make my hair grow faster or slower?

A: No. Shampooing your hair daily won't affect the rate of growth for your hair, although it can affect the condition of the hair (which includes elasticity) that could mean the hair suffers additional breakage.

There are no hard-and-fast rules concerning how often to wash your hair. As kids, many of us were taught to wash our hair daily and suffered no ill effects from doing so. The key is to wash the hair when it becomes soiled (or if it becomes oily). This means that different people could have different needs for washing their hair.

Those who work in environments where they sweat a lot or are exposed to dust and dirt will probably need to wash their hair daily in order to keep the hair and scalp clean. However, others who work in office environments (with climate-control) in sedentary jobs probably wash their hair more often than is specifically necessary.

The trick is to be smart regarding your hair care regimen. It's perfectly acceptable for anyone to wash their hair daily if they prefer to do so, but you would not want to use a stringent shampooing product for daily cleansing, since it would be very hard on the hair. So, choose a gentle formula shampoo if you're looking to wash your hair daily and always follow it up with a good conditioner.

If you want to maximize your hair growth potential, remember to eat a good diet, high in protein and properly balanced to get all the required vitamins and minerals, drink plenty of water, and care for your hair rather than treating it any which way to get the style you want.

©Hairfinder.com

See also:

Will washing your hair daily dry it out?

What is the right schedule to follow for washing your hair?

How does shampoo clean the hair?