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Guide

How often should you wash your hair? As often as your scalp needs it.

The question usually comes at the basin, when the water is already running. There is no one number that fits everyone. But there are signs that tell you whether your rhythm is right, and ways to change it.

Why there is no number

What gets washed is the scalp, not the calendar.

There are plenty of numbers out there, and none of them fits everyone. Washing is about the scalp, and every person's scalp is different. One produces a lot of sebum, another very little. One takes water every morning, another feels tight as soon as it happens more often.

Then there is the hair itself. Fine hair shows sebum sooner; thick or curly hair usually takes longer before the root area looks heavy. And then your day: sport, styling products, whether you wear your hair down or tied up.

One sentence we often say in the salon: sebum is not dirt, it protects the scalp. That is why we even recommend not washing your hair freshly before a colour appointment. More in the article Washing your hair before colouring.

Reading the signs

Too often or too seldom: your hair will tell you.

When it tends to be too often

The scalp feels tight after blow-drying, or itches dryly. The lengths feel rough and are harder to comb, even though you use care products. And the hair looks flat by the evening, because it takes water and heat every single day.

When it tends to be too seldom

The root area looks heavy and has a different shine from the lengths, often by the afternoon. The hair lies flat against the head and barely lifts. The scalp feels coated, or starts to itch.

Persistent itching, burning or weeping patches are for a dermatologist, not a hairdresser. For everything else: Itchy scalp and Dandruff: what helps.

The rhythm can be changed

Stretch the gaps, without anyone noticing.

If you want to wash less often, it rarely works overnight. The scalp is used to its rhythm; the first attempts feel different from the result weeks later. Take small steps and watch for the signs.

What helps: shampoo belongs on the scalp, not in the lengths; they get enough of it while you rinse. Lukewarm water instead of hot, rinsed thoroughly so nothing stays behind. Care and styling in the lengths, not at the roots. On the days in between, your hair may be tied up; a low knot forgives a root area that loose hair would show.

And if you do sport every day and wash every day, you are not doing anything wrong; then what matters is what you wash with. How care fits into a full day: Hair care with little time.

Care at home

Aveda for your type, chosen for your hair and scalp.

How often you wash also depends on what you wash with. At the Aveda Exclusive Salon by Eddine Belaid we work with Aveda, plant-based and vegan, and we choose the collections by hair and scalp type: Scalp Solutions for a scalp that needs to calm down. Nutriplenish for dry hair that needs a drink. Invati for hair that is getting finer. Shampure and Rosemary Mint for every day, Botanical Repair after colour and heat.

Which one suits you, we only say once we have seen your hair and scalp, at your next appointment or without an appointment in the salon. If you want to know more precisely, book the scalp analysis; for days with little time there is a shorter treatment. More under Aveda hair care at home, all services on the price page, further articles in the guide.

Frequently asked questions

What guests ask us at the basin.

Is there a rule for how often you should wash your hair?

No. The scalp sets the rhythm, not the calendar. If you produce a lot of sebum, you wash more often; if you produce little, or your hair is dry and curly, less often. More reliable than any number are the signs: a tight scalp and rough lengths point to too often, a heavy root area and a coated scalp to too seldom.

Can I wash every day if I do sport every day?

Yes, if your scalp can take it. Then what matters is what you wash with: shampoo on the scalp, the lengths only rinsed, lukewarm water. Which Aveda collection goes along with that, we can see from your hair.

Should I wash my hair before a colour appointment?

Better not freshly washed. Sebum protects the scalp, and that is exactly what you want when colouring. More on this in the article Washing your hair before colouring.

My scalp itches or flakes. Is that down to washing?

Sometimes. Often it comes from residue of shampoo and styling or from water that is too hot; then changing the way you wash helps. If the itching persists, or the scalp burns or weeps, that is for a dermatologist, not a hairdresser.

Aveda Shop

The right wash

You can order the products online, with free shipping from CHF 75, or collect them in the salon. Which collection suits you is also answered by the hair consultation.

Your next step

Better to have someone look once, than to keep guessing.

Hair care and scalp analysis at the Aveda Exclusive Salon by Eddine Belaid, Alfred-Escher-Strasse 23, Zurich Enge.

Or call: +41 43 317 11 31 · Opening hours and directions

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