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How often should I wash my short hair?

How often should I wash my hair if it’s short? It becomes extremely greasy very quickly…

As you empty out yet another bottle of shampoo and conditioner, it’s time for you to know the answer on how often you should wash your short hair.

How often should I really wash my short hair?

According to hair experts, the optimum frequency of washing short hair is every 2-3 days. Over-washing your short hair – which means sometimes even more than once every day – will dry out your crowning glory. This is because the sebaceous glands of the scalp that produce sebum (e.g. hair’s natural oils) will begin to adjust by producing more of it.

Nonetheless, washing every day is totally fine as long as you do not suffer from tiresome hair styling. Let me break it down for you on how often you should wash your short hair depending on its type, texture and condition:

– If you have natural, very curly and/or kinky hair

Wash less often as short and curly/kinky hair doesn’t tend to look greasy quickly. Once per week would be ideal.

– If you have naturally straight hair

You can wash your short and straight hair every other day to maintain a healthy sebum production.

– If you are suffering from any hair scalp condition

You may need to wash short hair more often if you suffer from any kind of hair scalp conditions (consult a dermatologist, really, especially if your problem is severe). However, you must not use products that strip off the hair’s natural moisture.

How should you wash your short hair?

Given the following pointers, how you wash your short hair matters too. According to hair experts, you must only leave your shampoo in the hair roots for (not more than) 2 minutes after lightly massaging your scalp. This is so that you can rinse and cleanse your short hair thoroughly without irritating the scalp. This will also prevent any potential scalp condition (such as dandruff).

Also, do not wash the ends of your short hair as well. Simply rinse the shampoo throughout the ends so it won’t dry out and prevent split ends. On the contrary, hair conditioners must be applied to the ends only, not to the roots.

4 ways to hide greasy hair in-between washes

If you have greasy short hair, you can simply hide it in order not to wash it every day. With that being said, here are ways to hide cropped greasy locks:

– Spray dry shampoo.

Dry shampoo is a type of hair product in the powder form, and it’s used without the need to rinse it. This is the classic way to hide greasy hair in order not to wash it daily. Simply spray a dry shampoo (of your choice) on your roots, let it rest, and style your hair as you like. Just don’t use this product too often.

– Use asbestos-free talcum powder.

Simply sprinkle some talcum powder on a tissue. Wrap it on your hair and scrunch it so that the powder will spread evenly.

– Hands off of your hair!

In case you didn’t know, the more you touch your short hair, the greasier it becomes.

– Accessorize.

Tie your short hair up using a ponytail (or a bun, a half bun, twists – depending on your hair length), wear a cute headband with a pretty pattern, use claw clips, or throw a trendy hat on. In short, simply accessorize your hair to your liking.

To sum up, you should wash your short hair every 2-3 days. Have a little patience, and you will train your hair to be less greasy. However, if you feel it needs washings more often, than at least choose organic natural shampoos that will make less harm to your strands and scalp.

Featured Image: katemangostar – www.freepik.com

by Donna Sullivan
Donna is a hairstylist with 8 years of experience. Ask her about any hair-related problem (haircuts, hairstyles, colorings, hair care) and get a pro advice!