Does daily washing cause hair loss?
No – washing your hair every day will not cause hair loss in itself. In fact, regular washing can actually help your locks look fuller and shinier, especially for those suffering from thinning. Dirty hair usually appears flatter as oils and pollution weigh the strands down while clean hair has natural movement and a healthy shine.
A study examined in the impact of frequent hair washing on scalp and hair condition. The results showed that participant’s satisfaction peaked when washing their hair 5 – 6 times per week, while daily washing was highly preferable to weekly. There was also no negative impact on scalp or hair condition, despite concerns about ‘overwashing’.
The ‘overwashing’ misconception is based on the idea that regular washing strips away the scalp’s natural oils, leaving hair dry and prone to damage. In reality, however, washing clears the greasy build-up of sebum (natural oils produced by the scalp) rather than stripping oils from the hair. The sebaceous glands which produce sebum will quickly produce more to keep your hair moisturised after the wash. Your hair is also in a healthier position to grow with regular washes as you have cleaned away all the pollution and dirt of your environment which inevitably contaminates hair.
However, the benefits of daily washing are highly dependent on your hair type. This study included only Asian participants, who, along with Caucasian people, are recommended to wash their hair more regularly than people with Afro hair, for example. Similarly, those with very fine, thin, or dry hair are unlikely to need to clear excess oil as quickly as those with thicker hair, and so would benefit from leaving longer periods between washes – each person should work out their own balance according to their hair type.
Furthermore, while the act of washing your hair isn’t damaging to your strands, using harsh shampoos can hurt your hair quality – and this impact is worsened by the frequency of your washing. Poor quality shampoos can cause brittle strands which easily snap, reducing the thickness and shine of your hair. While this is different from true hair loss, where hair follicles stop producing new hair entirely, it is still undesirable. Read more about shampoos that can damage your hair.