You've Been Shampooing Your Hair Wrong This Entire Time

We're constantly bombarded with tips and tricks to get the best makeup, hair, clothes, and body. But, if there's one thing we've known how to do our whole lives, it's how to wash our hair. While going without shampoo might have its merits, most of us do choose to shampoo our coiffure on a regular basis. 

However, plenty of us are actually washing our hair completely wrong. Those who dye their hair regularly are more likely to have an intricate routine mapped out, while others, with a more relaxed approach, might prefer a quick wash and air dry. Is there really a way to wash your hair wrong? 

Bustle did a deep dive with several hair-care experts to figure out the ways we might be messing up our shampooing routine. First off, washing your hair too often isn't good for it. Shampoo strips hair of necessary, natural oils. As stylist Kristina Bauzo explains, "I feel it's best to allow your natural oil a chance to actually get through the hair — from root to the ends of the hair shaft — before feeling the need to wash it." 

Steve Rowbottom, co-director of Westrow agrees, telling Stylist, "When you wash your hair every day it strips away the natural oils and proteins that you need to keep your hair and scalp healthy, so try to limit hair washing to three times a week if you can."

However, be careful not to leave it too long between washes either, as hairstylist Carolyn Aronson says, "Could lead to bacteria building up on the scalp, as well as excessive dirt and oils weighing the hair down." Find that happy medium based on how your hair feels and figure out its personal needs accordingly.

While shampooing, be sure to focus on the scalp. Massage it, instead of scrubbing, as going too hard can damage your hair. Sharon Dorram, Color Director of Virtue, notes stimulating blood flow to the scalp will also help with hair growth. Clogged pores, meanwhile, will stop growth and may even cause hair to fall out. "Shampoo is designed to magnetize dirt so the ends of our hair are the easiest to clean because they lack the oil the hair closest to the scalp has," explains Cantu's global artist, Marie Antoinette. Oils build up on the scalp so focus your attention there. 

Keep in mind, too, that rinsing is very important as Dorram warns build-up of product will cause your hair to look more dank and greasy even if it's technically clean. 

Basically, everyone's hair washing routine is different, so it's important to figure out how often your hair actually needs to be washed, first and foremost. Try some dry shampoo to stretch how long you can go in between washes (or even go for a dry shampoo alternative), but keep in mind your hair's specific limits and take care of it accordingly.