I’m sure you’re rolling your eyes and saying, “This b*tch be crazy! How hard is it to wash and dry your hair?” Well, apparently very hard, since the groomers I mentioned in my series intro video all said that their clients weren’t washing and drying their hair correctly.
If you don’t have the frequency and technique down, then you won’t realize the full benefits of the shampoos and conditioners I’m recommending in the accompanying article/video. Don’t believe me? Try the products and techniques for a week and I’m positive you’ll see why this matters.
Let’s get into how often you should washing your hair as well as how to properly wash and then dry it – all based on your hair type.
How often should you wash your hair?
A lot of men think that the more they wash their hair, the better – but that’s not true. In order to keep your hair and scalp healthy, the frequency depends on your hair type and the styling products you’re using. Let’s get into the details for each hair type.
Curly or Coarse, Kinky Hair
Limit shampooing to once a week so it doesn’t dry out your hair too much and turn your head into a fuzzball. You can still use conditioner every time you shower and you can also use it as a leave-in conditioner and not wash it out. This helps keep your hair nourished, easier to manage, and less frizzy.
Fine or Thinning Hair
You want to wash and condition your hair everyday because it’ll help promote hair growth and keep your hair less oily, which makes it look fuller and thicker. It’s very important that you use sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners because sulfates will strip your hair and scalp of all of the good oils and vitamins causing it to look dull, dry, and prone to breakage.
Straight or Wavy Hair
Shampoo and condition your hair 2-3 times a week, but if you’re using product daily, then it may be more often. I’ll get into that shortly.
All hair types
The days you’re not washing your hair, you should still give your hair and scalp a good massage with water while showering.
As a general rule of thumb, if you’re using clay, gel, or pomade styling products, then you’ll want to wash your hair every time you use them. Otherwise, you’ll start getting zits around your hairline and other parts of your face as the product creeps down onto your skin and clogs your pores while you sleep. Other products, like conditioners or hair sprays can easily be washed out with water and a good head scrub, so go easy on the washing unless you’re using heavier styling products.
Now that we’ve gone over how often you should wash your hair, let’s talk about the proper way to do it.
The proper way to wash your hair
Shampoo
Take anywhere from 1 to 2 minutes and really scrub your hair and massage your scalp with your shampoo. Make sure to get the top, sideburns, and back of your head. Really work in the shampoo so it reaches your scalp. This is important because your scalp needs to be stimulated and massaged to get the blood flowing into the area and keep the best version of your hair growing. This will also help your hair be more manageable and easier to style.
Conditioner
Run it through your hair and leave it on while you wash your face and body and then rinse everything off at once. If you’ve got curly or coarse,kinky hair, you might not even rinse the conditioner out. More details about that are in my Shampoo & Conditioner companion video.
How should you dry your hair?
Before you start applying styling or conditioning products, your hair should be towel dried – duh.
The jury is still out on if it REALLY matters how you dry your hair, but I say why tempt fate if you don’t need to. Pat your hair as gently as possible to soak up most of the moisture. Avoid rubbing your hair with a towel, as this may cause unnecessary breakage or frizz, especially if you’ve got thinning or curly/kinky hair.
Next, you can either blow dry or air dry your hair depending on the hairstyle you’re going for. Styling will be covered in another video.
Check out my companion article/video about the best shampoos and conditioners for your hair type so you can get the best version of your hair and hairstyle possible.