In a world of busy schedules, expensive blowouts and lots of dry shampoo, it can sometimes seem like washing our hair is a weekly duty rather than a daily one. After all, who wants to wash their hair just two days after spending $50 (plus tip!) on a Drybar blowout? Just spray some Living proof on that new 'do after your SoulCycle class and it'll live to see another day.
But hair stylists are starting to notice a few issues with this seemingly harmless, timesaving hack. First of all, let's talk about how it leaves you smelling. It turns out that no matter how much dry shampoo you use, it can't really mask the odors that start to build up in your hair after almost a week without washing.
"The truth is, some of my guy clients have been coming in and asking me to tell their girlfriends, wives, lovers to wash their hair," stylist Michael Angelo told the New York Times in an interview. "It's because they stink!"
While this hygiene issue started as nothing more than a bad case of B.O., it's turning into a real problem with physical consequences. Some stylists have noticed a serious uptick in clients coming in with problems ranging from dry to oily scalps, and they're seeing a lot of dandruff these days. The culprit? You guessed it -- hair that isn't getting the TLC it deserves.
It's easy to forget that under your luscious locks lies a scalp with skin on it, just like the rest of your body. And when we put off washing our hair, we're also putting off washing our scalps. As you can imagine, this lets a whole lot of nasty gunk build up and clog the pores atop one's noggin. Here's a handy tip, courtesy of celebrity colorist Rita Hazan: if you aren't willing to go five days without washing your face, you shouldn't wait that long to wash your hair.
A lot of us first became weary of daily washings after being told that shampooing hair too frequently can strip it of healthy oils and make it dull and frizzy. But new shampoo formulas from drugstore and high end brands alike have come out in recent years, designed specifically to protect hair and keep it hydrated. So, by all means, go ahead and lather up tonight.