Whenever I do a color service in the salon, I ask the client how often they wash their hair.

I do this because the two most common things that fade hair color are harsh surfactants in shampoo and hot water.

The hot water opens up the cuticle (imagine the cuticle like overlapping shingles on a roof) and lets all the harsh cleaning agents in, which clean the hair but also strip color.

Half of my clients answer that they wash their hair every two or three days and I nod in approval and continue my work.

The other half usually answers that they wash it every day.

Their answer usually elicits a disapproving shake of the head from me and they automatically exclaim, “but it gets so greasy! I have to!” I then launch into the explanation the follows.

You do not need to shampoo your hair every day.

I repeat: You do not need to shampoo your hair every day.

It doesn’t make you dirty, it doesn’t make you gross.

The logic behind why hair gets so greasy is actually very simple.  When someone washes their hair, they are stimulating the scalp with their fingers.  A stimulated scalp produces more oil.

In addition, shampoo strips the oils off the scalp, so the oil glands go into panic mode and overproduce oil to compensate. Washing your hair every day is actually what makes it greasy. It’s a vicious cycle that can easily be re-routed.

Try washing every other day. Then try every three days. If you can stand it, go longer.  Dry shampoo is your best friend for extending your shampoo.

Personally, I shampoo every three or four days and I have a system that allows me to do that.

I usually blow out my freshly washed hair with a big round brush and some products to make it nice and silky.

On the second day, I curl it and wear big, loose waves.

Third-day hair is usually pinned up into a messy bun with some texture spray (it’s mattifying and gives the hair more hold so it’s not very slippery) and fourth day is usually another messy bun day or I’ll throw on a cute hat to hide the roots.

Everyone has their own system that works for them. As a hairdresser, I am giving you permission; don’t wash your hair tomorrow.