How often you should wash your hair depends on your hair type

"How often should you wash your hair" is a question asked by pretty much everyone. When it comes to washing your hair, you either consistently build up some bubbles in your strands, or you try to go as long as you can between washes. Regardless, Dr Rashmi Shetty, organizer behind Ra Skin and Feel, acknowledges that neither limit is great. All things being equal, let the condition of your hair and scalp lead the way in deciding how often you should wash your hair:

Step-by-step instructions for creating a hair washing schedule

When creating a hair-washing schedule, Dr Shetty suggests thinking about the scalp, but also the skin on the face, back and bottom. "Assuming you have cracked skin or folliculitis in any of these areas, it means your scalp isn't perfect enough and you want to wash your hair more regularly. The scalp needs to be treated similarly because it affects the strength of your hair and skin all over the body, shoulders and back," he urges.

How often to wash your hair, according to your hair type

Since different hair types require different measures of hydration and cleansing, here is Dr Shetty's guide to creating the ideal hair washing schedule:

Smooth hair

As tempting as it may seem to scrub off all the yuck and oil from your scalp, actually, incredibly regular washing can strip your hair of its healing oils and trigger more oil production. As a guideline, you will need to wash your hair with a sulfate-free cleanser on alternate days.

Soft hair

Since this hair type is more prone to second-day oil, it may tempt you to wash your hair more regularly. Be that as it may, washing your scalp three times a week with a volumizing cleanser will help keep your scalp from drying out.

Dry hair

Your scalp may be on the dry side of the range, but that doesn't handle the cost of your entrance hall from a careful hair washing schedule. Two or three times a week, you'll need to follow up with a hydrating mask for an extra boost of moisture after the saturating cleanser.

Hair prone to dandruff

In the same way that you would treat a skin infection on your face, a scalp full of dandruff requires special attention and treatment. Since the oil on your scalp can create the right climate for dandruff to flourish, you can wash your hair most of the time every day to prevent dandruff from forming on your scalp.

Curly hair

Air-drying isn't your friend, which is why it's encouraging news that your dry scalp doesn't need much regular washing either. Assuming your scalp is particularly dry, you can reduce your cleansing routine to once a week, but make sure you don't hold back on the conditioner to heal your cuticles.

If you're hoping to get the most bang for your buck, you'll need to finish off your hair washing routine with a reliable oil. "Applying warm oil before washing your hair is a wonderful specialist for promoting hydration - unless you have a smooth scalp. In the event that you don't, opt to apply the oil liberally with your fingertips from root to tip." to wash your hair twice after using the oil, however, this further dries the hair and cancels out the effect of the oil – washing alone will do the trick,” she concludes.