Can Not Washing My Hair Cause Hair Loss?

It’s not uncommon for people to make a connection between washing their hair and losing their hair. After all, most of us have witnessed the clumps gathered in the shower drain after shampooing. But it’s not exactly the same thing. Remember, it’s perfectly normal to lose anywhere between 50 to 100 hairs a day—so it’s only natural to see some of this loss when you suds up.

In fact, when you don’t wash your hair enough, you allow oils and dirt to build up on your scalp and clog your pores, paving the way for actual hair loss. That’s why finding the perfect frequency for your shampooing schedule is the key to caring for your scalp and avoiding hair loss.

Factors like activity level, texture, age and hair type all determine how often we should be washing our hair. Also keep in mind that once you master your perfect shampooing frequency, you likely won’t experience much hair loss beyond regular shedding when you wash your hair. Using a non-comedogenic dry shampoo on off days supports scalp health and hydration.

How a Dirty Scalp Can Lead to Hair Loss

Sebum oil produced by our sebaceous glands are what coat and protect our hair strands as they emerge from our scalps. In normal quantities, it helps provide moisture, strength and elasticity and prevents hair breakage. 

Yet, if we go without washing our hair for too long, we can experience scalp buildup. Along with sebum, dead skin cells, pollutants, dirt and product residue can clog your pores. You don’t want dirty hair leading to hair loss if you can prevent it.

Not Washing Can Clog Pores and Interfere with Healthy Hair Growth

Clogged pores can interfere with your follicle health and your hair’s ability to grow. Once your pores become clogged with sebum, dirt and impurities, that leaves little room for your strands. When they emerge, they'll grow weaker, finer and less healthy. 

Folliculitis Can Lead to Hair Loss

Over time these pollutants, dirt and debris accumulation can lead to a scalp disorder called folliculitis. This condition is characterized by follicular inflammation across your scalp, usually due to a fungal or bacterial infection. 

It first appears around your hair follicles as white-headed pimples or small red bumps and can give you a mild to extreme itchy scalp. It may even spread and become crusty sores that don’t heal. If your scalp becomes severely infected, folliculitis can lead to scarring and permanent hair loss. 

How Often Should I Wash My Hair to Avoid Hair Loss?

There's a fine line between washing your hair too little and washing it too often. Experts usually recommend washing your hair two to three times a week; however, your washing frequency will depend on:

• Your age and hormones: Androgen hormones stimulate your sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. As the years pass, your body’s level of androgens drops off, leading to a dryer scalp. With a dryer scalp, you can get away with washing once a week.
  
  
• Your hair texture: If people with extremely curly, dry hair wash too often, their tresses can become brittle and dry, leading to breakage. In this case, you may want to limit shampooing to a couple of times a month. Yet, if your hair is straight and fine, you may have greasy hair and so shampooing several times a week can be beneficial.
  
  
• Hair length: If your hair is longer, the ends can be a challenge to keep moisturized. That’s because the sebum oil must travel the length of your hair shaft to reach the tips. So washing less often may be a good idea if you have long hair.
  
  
• Activity level: If you exercise and sweat a lot, you might wonder if you should wash your hair after every workout. The answer is no. How often you shampoo is still based on your body’s oil production and hair texture. Frequent washing can strip away your natural oils and leave you with a dry scalp, which could also lead to hair loss.
  
  

The Dry Shampoo Solution

To minimize hair loss and keep your scalp in optimal condition on the days you don’t wash, consider adding a non-comedogenic dry shampoo to your morning beauty routine. Dry shampoo benefits include:

• Increased hair volume: When you sprinkle dry shampoo powder onto your roots, the rough particles create friction between the individual hair shafts. This helps to separate and lift your otherwise limp, flat strands.
  
  
• Excess oil and impurity absorption: Dry shampoo contains starch, an absorbent material that soaks up unwanted substances that collect on your scalp and roots. Your hair looks cleaner, and your pores and follicles are spared from clogs, allowing your strands to grow unobstructed.
  
  
• Time savings: On the days you don’t have time to wash your hair, dust on dry shampoo and revive the look and feel of your mane within seconds.
  
  
• Deodorizing: The fresh scent of your dry shampoo will keep your hair fresh smelling until your next shampoo.
  
  

Wash Your Hair Less Often with Fresh Start Dry Shampoo

Scalp and hair health is about finding the perfect balance between over-washing and under-washing. Bridge the gap between shampoos with Better Not Younger’s Fresh Start Scalp Renewing Dry Shampoo. 

Our mild, talc-free, non-comedogenic powder is perfectly formulated to hydrate and soothe your scalp while refreshing your hair’s appearance, allowing you to go longer between washes. Experience beneficial ingredients including:

• Lavender: Long regarded for its natural healing properties, lavender is a standard herbal treatment for folliculitis. It may help avert bacterial and fungal infections while reducing the inflammation and itching that can lead to hair loss.
  
  
• Licorice: Licorice root is an herbal medicine touted for its antioxidant properties and the ability to relieve irritated skin when applied topically.
  
  
• Biotin: An essential B-vitamin, biotin is a crucial building block for your hair and skin that can improve the appearance and strength of your strands. Biotin can help prevent the damage that can lead to premature hair loss. 
  
  
• Tapioca starch: Added as a natural alternative to talc, tapioca starch safely absorbs extra oils and impurities from your scalp.
  
  
• Konjac root extract: Also known as glucomannan, this starchy Asiatic tuber is a natural exfoliator and moisturizer. It is water-soluble, retaining the water it absorbs to rehydrate your scalp.
  
  

Nurture Hair and Scalp Health Between Washings with BNY

Maintaining scalp health between hair washes is crucial to avoiding conditions that can lead to hair loss. Fresh Start Scalp Renewing Dry Shampoo is a non-comedogenic, vegan, sulfate-, paraben- and cruelty-free solution that fortifies, volumizes and nourishes your hair each time you use it.