Scientific evidence that washing your hair daily is fine
July 8, 2019 2:44 PM   Subscribe

I read this article with great interest and a sense of vindication as a die-hard every-day shampooer. But, it seems most of the internet is comprised of heavily anecdotal discussions about how one should care for one's hair. I also see a lot of recommendations for using "salon quality" products rather than "store quality"hair products, but evidence for this also appears to be lacking. MetaHivemind, please help me find scientific, non-anecdotal resources on the effects of shampooing (especially with surfectants) on natural hair oils and overall hair health! I'd also love to see some evidence-based, non-anecdotal information about whether salon quality products truly are superior for hair health than store bought products.
posted by Anonymouse1618 to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (7 answers total) 11 users marked this as a favorite
 
Response by poster: And forgot to include a link to the actual article: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jul/08/how-to-wash-your-hair-shampoo-conditioner
posted by Anonymouse1618 at 2:45 PM on July 8, 2019


Not a peer-reviewed study, but this researcher did a small study for the BBC that found that more expensive shampoo is not better.
posted by pinochiette at 3:02 PM on July 8, 2019 [1 favorite]


Best answer: I found a scientific article on the effects of shampooing, and other treatments, on hair.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4636411/

This scholarly article talks about surfactants.

https://www.mdedge.com/dermatology/article/155747/hair-nails/no-sulfates-no-parabens-and-no-poo-method-new-patient
posted by loveandhappiness at 3:35 PM on July 8, 2019 [1 favorite]


Not related, but hilarious hair-washing trivia: Mary Martin suggested a hair-washing on stage for the song 'I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair' for the Broadway Musical South Pacific. She washed her hair before, during, and after every show for a seemingly endless Broadway run, and maybe never washed her hair after that.
posted by ovvl at 5:44 PM on July 8, 2019 [1 favorite]


The Beauty Brains is a blog by a pair of cosmetic scientists and they've written a bunch about these questions. Based on what they've written I think most fancy cosmetic products are just fancier packaging and marketing but see what you think.
posted by leslies at 6:57 PM on July 8, 2019 [7 favorites]


Best answer: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4458934/
Shampoo and Conditioners: What a Dermatologist Should Know?

This article is written aimed at educating dermatologists who might get asked about shampoo by their patients. It's a nice write up of the various chemicals and science involved, but it doesn't provide any conclusions.

I think you'll be hard pressed to find definitive proof either way as there is such variance in hair type and product type.

The article does say there is no upper limit on frequency of washing, so feel free to keep sudsing on the daily.
posted by MadMadam at 9:09 AM on July 9, 2019


I think, as usual, the answer is "it depends," but the indications from sites like WebMD are that people probably don't need to shampoo nearly as much as they think they do. But some hair types probably do need to shampoo every day. YMMV by your hair type.

Ever since I read about how advertisers created pretty much out of whole cloth the perceived need for deodorant and mouthwash, I've questioned the conventional wisdom that we need to use these chemical-laden products daily for good hygiene. I'm not quite a "no-poo" type, but I wash my hair a lot less than I used to a few years ago.
posted by cross_impact at 11:35 AM on July 9, 2019 [1 favorite]


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