Not washing your hair: What’s this trend about?

Not washing your hair is a haircare trend whereby shampoo and conditioner are not used for the purpose of promoting the natural sebum production of the scalp and thus improving the hair quality. But what is behind this trend and is it actually healthy for the hair?

12 January 2024 • 3 min. reading time

What does it mean?
Is the benefit of not washing your hair a myth?
How long is it healthy to do this for?
Here’s how it works
These people should not follow the no-wash trend

Not washing your hair: What does it mean?

Basically, this trend just involves not washing your hair for a while. What the inventors of the trend had in mind was, primarily, the appearance of the hair. The more frequently you wash your hair, the drier your scalp becomes and therefore more sebum is produced to balance out this dryness. If you don’t wash your hair for a while, less sebum is produced and the hair takes longer to get greasy. At least, that’s the assumption. A gentler variant of the trend is “no poo”, whereby the hair is washed without shampoo. The hair is just rinsed with water.

Fact check: Is the benefit of not washing your hair a myth?

Not washing your hair: Does it do anything?

At present there are no studies on not washing your hair. However, we know that it is not harmful. Quite the opposite: if you have used lots of styling products or your scalp is otherwise stressed, not washing your hair is an opportunity for it to recover.Some experts argue that the hair does not become less greasy by not washing. They say this because sebum production is not exclusively based on frequent washing. Stress, an unbalanced diet and hormonal factors such as your period and pregnancy also play a role. However, the benefits of not washing your hair have not been disproved. You should simply try it out for yourself to see if it works for you.

Not washing your hair: Pros and cons: an overview

Not washing your hair can have numerous benefits if you do it properly. These include the following:

Recovery phase: Both your hair and your scalp are heavily stressed by hot water as well as the heat from hairdryers and styling products. If you do not wash it for a while, your hair and your skin can recover from these measures.
Chance for a new start: After you gone a while without washing your hair, you can make a new start with a gentler haircare routine if your previous routine was too stressful for your hair.
Save time and money: If you stop washing your hair, you don’t need shampoo during this time and you save time in the bathroom in the morning. This pays off, above all, for people on a modest budget or people who don’t like to get up early.

Not washing your hair has an obvious downside: if you don’t wash your hair, this can be visible to other people. Fortunately, you can conceal this look with certain hairstyles or a head covering. But it can also happen that greasy hair is uncomfortable for you. Then you can consider washing your hair again. After all, besides your hair, you need to feel comfortable in yourself.

Not washing your hair: How long is it healthy to do this for?

If you would like to let your hair get greasy, take a gradual approach. This means: if you usually wash it every two days, try to hold out for three or four days. Once you’ve got used to the changed rhythm, you can extend the time and leave your hair a week before you wash it.

Tip:

Two weeks is the absolute maximum time you should let your hair go unwashed! If you wait longer to wash your hair, your scalp can become inflamed. In addition, fungi and bacteria can grow, from which your skin will recover only very slowly.

Not washing your hair: Here’s how it works

Not everyone is convinced that not washing your hair is healthy. However, it is also not harmful as long as you bear in mind the following five tips.

Before you stop washing your hair, use a deep-cleansing shampoo to free it from residues. Rich hair masks or rinses should not be used because they weigh down the hair.
At night, lay a towel on your pillow, so the sebum does not spread to the skin on your face.
As soon as your hair becomes greasy, you can brush the oil from the roots into the lengths. There it forms a protective film and ensures that the hair does not become brittle.
If you would like to try not washing your hair, you can still go out. You can simply conceal the greasiness with the help of a braided hairstyle, a bandana or a hat.
If you have let your hair get greasy, wash it with a mild, silicone-free shampoo. The first time you wash your hair, you should stay away from conditioners and hair treatments.

These people should not follow the no-wash trend

If you have a skin disease that affects your scalp or you suffer from dandruff, you should not go without washing your hair. Because then the risk of uncomfortable rashes is considerably increased. For some people with skin diseases, “no poo” is an alternative to not washing the hair at all, while others should discuss the issue of safety with their dermatologist.Tip: if you are allergic to pollen, you should keep away from the “no poo” trend, at least in spring. This is because pollen can get caught in your hair, which you breathe in if you don’t wash it out in the evening.

Takeaway

The no-wash trend means not washing your hair for a few days in order to reduce sebum formation. Whether that is sensible is disputed by experts. It is clear that not washing your hair can help to help restore the balance of a scalp that is stressed by styling products. Whether it also helps to combat greasy hair is something everyone should try out for themselves.

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