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So, how often should we actually wash our hair?' It's been a debate raging in salons and social media for years. Editor Trudi Brewer asks five-times winner of the New Zealand hairdresser of the Year, Danny Pato co-owner d&m hair design in Auckland, to give us the ultimate guide.
Consider your hair type?
Washing your hair for some is a ritual for others a chore. As far as stylist genius goes, Pato believes, “Think of haircare like skincare. How often you cleanse and the products you use depends on your DNA and lifestyle. Natural oiliness or dryness plays an important factor: the amount of oil we naturally produce on our scalp and the amount of moisture our hair needs. We all have a unique hair type, texture and style, so our cleansing and moisturizing hair needs differ from person to person.”
Do the DIY strand, stretch test
To decide what shape your hair is in, Pato suggests doing a strand test. “Take a single hair in between your fingers, and if the strand doesn't stretch at all, the hair is in poor condition. If it snaps easily, it's lacking strength. On the other hand, if it stretches about 50 per cent in length without snapping, it's relatively strong and healthy. Next, to test the porosity, (your hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture), take a strand of hair from your brush and drop it in a glass of water. If it floats, your hair has low porosity. You could benefit from using a hydrating pre-shampoo conditioner.” Pato recommends Davines Renewing Conditioning Treatment. If it sinks, it's highly porous and needs an intensive hair mask. Pato recommends Davines OI Hair Butter.
Does your scalp matter?
“Keeping the skin on your scalp clean and nourished is critical for healthy hair. Using harsh shampoo or overwashing your hair can cause scalp irritation, inflammation, and dryness. So, if you're washing your hair every day or two, make sure you're using a gentle sulphate-free cleanser that doesn't strip the natural oils.” Pato recommends MOMO Shampoo Bar. “Suppose you're using a gentle shampoo, but your scalp is still producing too much oil. In that case, you might need to switch to using something designed to slow down oil production.” Pato recommends Davines Naturaltech Rebalancing Shampoo. “When too much oil, dead skin and product build-up are on the scalp, it can clog pores and follicles, causing a raft of issues from scalp pimples through to fungal dandruff. The bacteria that thrives on an oily scalp creates an off-milk odour, and hair growth can be stunted - a healthy scalp grows healthy hair.”
BEQ Recommends
Moroccanoil Dry Scalp Treatment, $53.
Like our skin, our scalp can also become dry. So, if yours is flaky or feeling itchy, it’s not necessarily dandruff; it may just need a moisture boost. This new soothing scalp dry oil treatment exfoliates and moisturises, thanks to argan, lavender and geranium oils, plus salicylic acid that exfoliates that dry skin simultaneously. Leaving a nourished, happy scalp, which means glossy, healthy hair - #result.
“The water temperature you wash your hair with makes or breaks hair styling. Warm water helps open the pores on the scalp and removes oil and product build-up from your hair. However, washing the hair in very hot water causes swelling of the hair shaft, which results in frizz.”
So what about fine hair?
“People with fine hair need to wash their hair every day or every second day because they produce more oil on their scalp, making hair flat and limp. So use a gentle shampoo designed for daily use.” Pato recommends Davines DEDE Shampoo. “However, if your hair is fine, porous or weak. In that case, you'll need to make sure you're replacing the moisture with a more intensive conditioner.” Pato recommends Davines Naturaltech Nourishing Vegetarian Miracle Conditioner.
“After washing the conditioner out with warm water, use cool water for the final rinse. The cool water rinse helps close the hair cuticles, reducing frizz. However, washing hair in freezing water might make your hair look dull and lifeless.”
Blonde, or highlighted hair?
Coloured hair - particularly lightened - needs moisture, protein, repairing, and most importantly UV (to prevent colour fading in the sun or blonde hair becoming brassy), as well as heat protection when using hot tools. “Most people with this hair should only wash their hair a couple of times a week. Like dry skin, dry hair still does need to be cleansed - it just needs to be properly moisturised and protected afterwards. Make sure you're using cleansing, conditioning, and protecting products specifically designed for blonde hair.” Pato recommends Davines Heart of Glass or for coloured hair like Davines MINU.
BeautyEQ recommends
Olaplex No.4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo, $55.
There's a waitlist for this newbie. It will complement a brand famous for repairing dry, porous hair. This brand focuses on repairing and rebuilding the broken structural bonds from colouring or heat damage deep in the hair shaft. That process helps increase the strength of the hair, boosting shine and flexibility. To complete the Olaplex offering, this shampoo kills the brassy tones and boosts brightness on blonde or lightened hair, including grey, while doing what it has become so famous for, improving the overall health of your locks.
Thick, curly hair?
According to Pato, “If you have thick, curly or coarse hair it performs the best washing only once or twice weekly. If that works for you, go for it. Still, I wouldn't recommend only washing your face once a week?”
“The amount of shampoo you use does matter. For short hair, use a 10 cent piece size amount. For medium-length hair, a 50 cent piece size amount. If you have long hair, use a two dollar coin size amount. Starting at the scalp and crown and then working out toward the ends of the hair. Don’t use extra shampoo if your hair is dirty; do a double wash.”
BeautyEQ recommends
Tangle Teezer The Wet Detangler, $24.
When your hair is wet, it’s fragile. So, invest in a hairbrush that will flex over tangles and knots when you need to comb through a conditioner or a hair mask in the shower. Or to smooth hair before blowdrying. We rate this new Tangle Teezer wet brush, say goodbye to breakage - it’s ideal for delicate, coloured hair.
At a fraction of the cost.