lady washing her hair in the shower with shampoo

How Often Should You Wash Your Hair

How often should I wash my hair? It's a question many of us ask ourselves, and with contradicting information being thrust at us from all directions, it's hard to know what the correct answer is. That's because the answer is simple: It depends on your hair type. Read on to discover what your hair type is and see how often should you wash your hair.

Should You Wash Your Hair Everyday?

This is the question on everyone's lips, and we all know our hair feels and looks its best straight after washing, but is this the best thing for it? As a general rule, washing hair everyday strips your hair of its natural oils and actually has the opposite effect of what you desire, making hair look limp and lifeless over time due to lack of moisture. Most people should be washing their hair no more than twice a week to keep it looking and feeling healthy. However, this can vary depending on your hair type, so read on to discover what your hair type is so you can give it the best care and learn how often you should wash your hair.

Discover your hair type

First things first, in order to give your hair the proper care and find out how often you should be washing your hair, you need to know what hair type you have in the same way you'd need to know your skin type is to find the best products.

Check the density (how much hair you have)

Measure the circumference of your ponytail - if the result is more than 3 inches, your hair has high density, if it's 2-3 inches then it has medium density, and if it's below 2 inches then it has low density. - If your hair is too short to put it into a ponytail, take a look in the mirror - if you can see your scalp at all without having to part your hair, then it's likely that your hair has low density.

Check the thickness (how thick each individual strand of hair is)

Pluck one strand of hair out from the middle of your head and compare it with a piece of thread - if the strand of hair is the same thickness, or thicker, than the thread it's likely you have thick hair, but if it's narrower then you have thin hair.

Determine the porosity (how well your hair retains moisture)

Using the same strand of hair, float your hair in a large bowl of water - if the strand floats, your hair has low porosity meaning your hair retains less moisture, if the strand sinks after a while your hair has medium porosity, and if the strand sinks to the bottom quickly you have high porosity meaning it retains moisture well.

lady with her thick brown hair in a ponytail

How Often Should You Wash Your Hair

Now that you know what hair type you have, you can move on to discovering how often should you wash your hair as different hair types require different levels of care in order to keep it healthy and looking its best. Take a look at our range of NIVEA shower products to have a luxurious shower experience.

How many times a week should you wash your hair if you have high density/thick hair

If you have high density or thick hair, washing hair everyday would dry your hair out and leave it vulnerable to damage and breakage. Instead, try washing your hair no more than once a week, or once every 2-3 weeks if your hair doesn't feel dirty. This will help your hair retain more moisture and natural oils to help prevent it from breaking. Explore the perfect shower routine with our NIVEA advice.

How many times a week should you wash your hair if you have low density/thin hair

Low density/thin hair generally requires you to wash your hair more often as thinner hair means it can get dirty more quickly and can begin looking more oily. We recommend washing your hair twice a week to keep it fresh and clean without over-washing it and risking damage. If you think your hair will look too greasy doing that, don't worry because over time you can train your hair to require less washing than what it is used to, and we guarantee it'll thank you for it in the long run.

Find the best shower gel for you with our help.

How many times a week should you wash your hair if you have high porosity hair

If you have high porosity hair, it absorbs moisture too quickly and releases it at a very high rate making it dry, brittle and easily prone to breakage. Try washing your hair once a week and no more and incorporate a deep conditioning hair mask when you do this to help with hydrating the hair. Try the NVEA MEN Anti-Dandruff Power Shampoo to give moisture back to your dry hair.

How many times a week should you wash your hair if you have low porosity hair

Once to twice a week is the perfect amount of hair washing if you have low porosity hair to keep it soft, moisturised and free from build up until your next wash. Low porosity hair does not like moisture as the cuticles in each hair strand are flat and don't allow anything to pass through them which leaves it lacking moisture and instead letting products sit on top of your hair, causing product build up. Try using a hydrating but light shampoo that isn't too heavy, and avoid using heat on your hair if you can to help your hair retain it's natural moisture more easily.