This year, we are obsessed with the health and wellness era, focusing on becoming our best selves, looking and feeling good. Along with this comes hair and scalp care, new research by Philip Kingsley shows that 50% of us are aware that good scalp health is essential for hair growth.
With almost half of women (45%) shampooing their hair two to three times a week, few know we really should be washing our hair every day. As a rule of thumb, we should be washing our hair for a full 60 seconds. However according to the research from Philip Kingsley, the leading authority on hair loss and scalp care, over two fifths (44%) shampoo their hair for only 30 seconds to one minute and 9% shampoo for less than 30 seconds.
In relation to concerns around hair loss. Surprisingly, more than a third of women (34%) are worried shampooing may increase hair loss which is not true and a fifth (18%) don’t know that shampooing is essential for their scalp health.
The Golden Rules of Hair Washing a.k.a. Scalp Cleansing
- Shampooing is really only about cleansing the scalp. Don’t scrub your hair when you shampoo or pile it on top of your head – you will only tangle your hair. Let the suds run down the lengths of your hair as this is enough to remove daily dirt.
- Treat your scalp like you would the skin on your face. Our scalp is skin after all and is just as important as facial skin. Cleansing and caring for your scalp (shampooing) is just as important as a daily face cleanse, so don’t skip it.
- Using too much shampoo can cause dull hair. You only need to use a 50p piece size of shampoo and massage gently, adding more water to increase the lather. Rinse and then rinse again.
- Using too much shampoo can cause dull hair. You only need to use a 50p piece size of shampoo and massage gently, adding more water to increase the lather. Rinse and then rinse again.
- If you feel your hair / scalp still feels greasy after washing, you actually need to wash it more regularly. Infrequent shampooing can contribute to scalp problems as it leaves excess oils sitting on your scalp. Certain yeasts (called the Malassezia yeasts) thrive in an oily environment – and when these yeasts overgrow, your scalp can become flaky and irritated. Therefore, washing your hair frequently can combat this.
Anabel Kingsley, Brand President and Lead Consultant at Philip Kingsley says: “There are no pros to NOT washing your hair. I advocate daily hair washing. You wouldn’t leave more than 3 days between washing your face, and you likely wouldn’t wear the same outfit more than a few times before washing it – apply the same thinking to your hair and scalp.”