When I went to the barber a few weeks ago, I thought I was just getting a haircut. And while I did leave with a shorter mane, I also took with me a radically changed understanding of all things hair-n-scalp. I wanted to know, "How often should you wash your hair?" Miles Elliot, one of the barbers at Freemans Sporting Club, explained it matter-of-factly: "You're not supposed to use shampoo and conditioner on the same day."
[BRAIN MELTS]
More than that, he told me, the thickness of your hair, and its oil content, and how dry your scalp is—all of these things are variables that determine how often you should wash your hair. Basically: shampoo works to remove dirt and oils from your hair and scalp, but some oils are useful, and anyway different people produce varying amounts of head-crap. Conditioner adds weight and texture to that now-oil-less hair. So it stands to reason that different folks should have different hair regimens.
Now that the mind-blowing is out of the way, here's Miles' guide to shampoo and conditioner, sorted by hair type. Find yours, and never have a bad hair day again.
*STRAIGHT HAIR:"You can shampoo everyday if preferred," Miles says. "This will give a dryer look with no natural oils left on the hair and scalp. How much you condition determines how heavy you want your hair to be: 4-5 times a week if you like it heavy and weighed-down; one or two if you like it light."
WAVY HAIR:"Wash your hair three times a week. You want to get rid of build-up that may be straightening your hair out with the weight from the oils—and when those oils aren't distributed evenly, it can look very greasy," Miles says, so use a brush or comb to even things out. Condition once or twice weekly—basically, whenever it starts to look too dry.
CURLY/KINKY HAIR:"Don't shampoo too frequently—no more than twice a week," Miles explains. "And someone with curly hair should always use a shampoo with moisturizing properties—this will prevent them from washing too much oil out of their hair, leaving them with a huge afro (that is, unless they want one)." Condition once or twice a week and not on days you shampoo—that's because you're using the right moisturizing shampoo, and don't need to double down.
*Yeah, we can't actually promise that.
