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This is one that I've heard on more than one occasion: "Don't wash your hair every day. Wash it every two days as washing it too often will damage it."

Is there any truth in this?

Can frequent hair washing cause hair loss?

Uğur Gümüşhan
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Carra
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    It would depend on how dirty it is. I would say that "wash your hair only when dirty" is a similar, but probably sounder claim. – Sklivvz Aug 25 '11 at 07:37
  • Well, if I don't wash my hair for even one day it's greasy. – Carra Aug 25 '11 at 07:46
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    I'd guess it depends on the hair and the shampoo should be appropriate for your hairs (not aggressive) – Nikko Aug 25 '11 at 07:53
  • Anecdotally, washing frequency affects the way your scalp pushes grease out. Wash every day, and you need to wash every day. – StackExchange saddens dancek Aug 25 '11 at 08:00
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    `Too often` already implies, what it is asking for. If it isn't bad for your hair, it isn't too often. You should use concrete numbers: How often, how long, what washing method, which shower gel, what kind of hair? Too often is too often - that's for sure! – user unknown Aug 25 '11 at 13:44
  • @user unknown: The question includes the words "every day" and "every two days" which can reasonably be interpreted as "once every day" and "once every two days," respectively. Also, "too often" is referring to "every day" (_although using a semi-colon to separate those two sentences would have been a better way to write the claim, it's still obvious that they are related due to being in the same paragraph {I just edited this change into the question}_). – Randolf Richardson Aug 25 '11 at 15:38
  • Yes, but the headline is still asking: "Is washing your hair too often too often?" – user unknown Aug 26 '11 at 16:16

1 Answers1

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The only information I could find on using shampoo too often being bad for your hair is the sebum (oil) produced by the sebaceous gland.

http://thebeautybrains.com/2010/01/28/can-you-train-your-hair-to-be-less-oily/

When you ask if your hair can get used to not being washed you’re implying that leaving oil on your hair will somehow stop the production of more oil. The flip side of that implication is that stripping away the oil with a shampoo will make your glands produce more oil. Well guess what. That’s exactly what DOES happen. Sort of.

...

Their* data indicates that the presence of oil on the skin’s surface sends a signal to the sebaceous glands to turn off. This signal is caused by either the pressure of the oil in the follicle or by the creation of a chemical signal that travels back down through the skin. So it turns out that, in theory, you can “train” your hair to be less oily. * http://www.springerlink.com/content/pv373302mt827067/

So basically washing your hair with shampoo to often can lead to more greasy hair and more frequent washing.

Randolf Richardson
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Nostrum
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  • If the glands turn off then why does the hair get greasier the longer it is unwashed, I knew one guy that washed his hair twice a year, you could wring out enough grease from his hair to cook a batch french fries. – Moab Aug 28 '11 at 02:37
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    When did he start washing his hair twice a year? How often did he was before that? – Nostrum Aug 28 '11 at 10:34
  • I worked with him for a year, he ran a line-o-type machine, he had long hair past his shoulders, I have no clue about any prior habits of his, lets put it this way, he didn't need any hair gel! – Moab Aug 28 '11 at 17:42
  • http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/q/2591/155 – endolith Apr 10 '12 at 20:46
  • The link to `springerlink.com` is broken. I'm also unable to find any copy saved on the Wayback Machine. –  Aug 28 '22 at 11:48