How often should I wash my hair? The experts wade in

How often should you wash your hair? It’s a question we get asked a lot at the salon, and the answer depends on a few different things.

What happens if I wash my hair too much?

If you wash your hair too much, you can remove the sebum (the natural oil your scalp produces). This is vital to healthy, shiny hair. But don’t be scared of oily hair, because despite what shampoo brands want you to believe, washing your hair a lot can turn your good hair day into a bad day.

Most people don’t need to wash their hair every day or even every other one, and how often you do it depends on quite a few factors. The simplest answer is that you should wash it once it’s oily and feels unclean to the touch.

What other factors influence how often you should wash your hair?

Sebum (hair’s natural oil)

Oil is probably the biggest culprit behind what most people consider dirty hair, and it can leave hair limp and clumpy. How much oil you produce will depend on your age, genetics, sex and environment. Children and older adults don’t produce as much sebum as teenagers or 20-30 year olds.

Hair type

Straight and thin hair will need to be washed more often than thick or curly hair. This is because straight hair is easily coated by sebum, so it’ll look greasy faster. Thick, wavy or curly hair tends to be dry because the oil doesn’t coat the strands as easily. Sebum is actually a crucial part of well-defined curls, because curly hair needs more moisture to stay soft and prevent frizzing.

Sweat

As you might expect, a sweaty workout does your hair no favours. How much you sweat is a big factor in how often you ought to wash, or at least rinse, your hair. Sweat can spread sebum and make your hair look and feel dirty. It can also cause your hair to smell.

Bottle blonde? Here's how to keep your hair healthy

Bleached blonde hair needs some special care and attention to prevent it from getting dry and damaged. With our expert backed styling tips, below, you can keep your colour and your hair healthy.

Sleep on a silk pillowcase

If you’re not familiar with silk pillowcases, they are a great way to maintain hair’s integrity and prevent breakage. They also help to prevent split ends.

Invest in purple shampoo

Purple shampoo can help take the brassiness out of bleached blonde hair, just don’t use it too much - every few washes is enough.

Use weekly hair masks

Alternate between a protein and moistures place of your normal conditioner. We recommend L’Oreal’s Professionnel Absolut Repair Mask (£36, 500ml), which boasts a nourishing and reparative formula that leaves hair feeling soft and looking shiny.

Prioritise regular haircuts

Ideally have a haircut or trim immediately—or at least within a week—after getting your hair coloured to seal the ends. Then if you can, every eight weeks.

Five budget face serums that feel premium

If you’re looking for a product to give your skin a real hydration boost, serums are a great place to start.

Use a few drops before your moisturiser for fresh-faced, happy skin. Here are five of our favourite products that cost under a tenner but feel premium.

Do these three things to get salon style hair, say the experts

Want salon style hair at home? Here are three of our salon-approved tricks.

Trick one: Make your own sea salt spray

If you love the tousled beach look, and are already a fan of sea salt spray, did you know you can make it at home?

Simply mix together 500ml of sparkling water and a teaspoon of sea salt in a spray bottle. While your hair is damp, spritz the mixture onto the ends of your hair, and use your fingers to scrunch them up.

Trick two: Ue your straighteners as a curler

Learning how to curl your hair with your straighteners is great especially when you’re going away and don’t want to take loads of different styling tools with you.

First, grab a small section of hair. Then, hold your straighteners vertically with the open end pointed upward. As you clamp the hair, begin rotating it away from your face. Don’t slow down or stop - the key to getting consistent curls is to keep the movement fluid.

As you keep rotating the straighteners away from your face, allow your hair to slowly slide through the clamp until you reach the end. For looser waves, lower the heat on your straighteners and brush them out after you’ve finished curling.

Trick three: Level up your ponytail

This ponytail trick is the fastest way to make your updo look professional. After you’ve secured your ponytail, grab a small bit of hair from the pony and wrap it around the base of your ponytail to cover the hairband. Coat the very end of the section with hairspray, and smooth it against the base to seamlessly secure it.

Winter hair care you need to know about

When it gets colder, our hair can really take a hit.

Throw in central heating, cold winds, friction from wearing hats and a lack of sunlight and it can be a recipe for flyaway, dry and damaged hair.

But the good news is the secret to sorting winter hair is starting from the inside out and that means feeding the body with the right nutrients.

Here are the top foods and nutrients we swear by for healthy hair (and skin):

Oily fish - Salmon, mackerel and sardines are packed with omega-3s which can hydrate your scalp and make hair bouncier. If you’re plant-based, chia or flax seeds are a great alternative and it only takes a few weeks to notice a more natural shine.

Vitamin C - Citrus fruits, kiwis, tomatoes, red peppers and berries all have a ton of Vitamin C in, which boosts collagen and can repair dry and damaged hair from the inside out.

Protein - Our hair is full of protein so eating more of this can help keep it healthy. Think eggs, lentils, mushrooms, tuna, Greek yoghurt and peas.

Iron and zinc – For particularly weak and brittle hair, upping your iron and zinc intake can help. Either buy a supplement or eat more spinach, pumpkin seeds or lean red meat for healthy hair growth.

Water - We often forget that dehydration can cause dullness, especially in hair. Keep a bottle by your side to remind you to drink, little and often.

These are the best products to calm static hair

Fuzzy, flyaway hair can be a nightmare to deal with and there are lots of different reasons why it can happen.

You could be over-styling, brushing your hair a little too aggressively, wearing your ponytail too tight, have hormonal hair thinning or fragile hair after having a baby. Fix it with these five anti-frizz products…

Our three favourite eco friendly hair shampoos (that smell amazing!)

Ever tried a shampoo bar? We’re big fans at Pankhurst & Deane, and here are three reasons why (and some of our favourites to get you started)…

1. They replace single-use plastic bottles and are free from drying preservatives and harsh sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), so they are much kinder to your hair.

2. They lather and rinse like normal shamppoos and your bar should last weeks longer than your usual bottle.

3. With so many lovely products out there to choose from, it’s a great way to do your bit for the planet - and your hair!

In place of chemicals, shampoo soap bars are full of nourishing oils and butters, like Funky Soap’s Babassu Oil Shampoo, £5.50, which has super hydrating babassu oil with cocoa and shea butters to revive dull hair and boost shine.

If you are obsessed with scent, Bain & Savon’s Zesty Orange Shampoo Bar, £5.50, is made with orange, grapefruit and lemongrass oil. Divine!

And we can’t get enough of Lush’s natural lemon Shampoo Bar, £7.50, which smells like holiday.

Fine hair ladies - this is our step by step plan to boost volume today

Want to know the best ways to look after fine hair? The endless pursuit of volume can be tricky for those with fine hair, but there are a few tricks you can to do care for it like a pro. Read on to find out how…

Step 1: Invest in a volumising shampoo…

Avoid sulphates - these harsh detergents are found in most shampoos and can weaken hair over time, making it more likely to break and appear thin. A volumising shampoo can help plump up the roots and add nutrients back to depleted strands.

Step 2: …but don't go crazy with the shampoo

Most fine hair clients feel the need to wash every day because they feel greasy, but it makes more sense to limit this to 2-3 times a week. Why? Over-washing the hair can create too much oil, which can give the appearance of flat and lifeless hair.

Step 3: Limit conditioner

Volumising shampoos tend to be quite drying, which can make the scalp overproduce oils. Using a moisturising conditioner can help maintain the balance. Note: only apply conditioner on the middle of hair to the ends, never directly on the scalp.

Step 4: Air-dry hair

Fine hair should be left to air-dry 75 percent before you hit the heat. This is because wet hair is the most vulnerable to stretching and breaking while being pulled. Once almost dry, you can use a hairdryer to finish it off. Dry upside down for extra shape and volume in the roots.

RELATED: Three ways to take care of dyed hair

Four simple tricks to have a good hair day all the time

How do I make my hair look good all the time? If you want a good hair day every day, these are the three things you need to do.

Want to know how to make your hair look good all the time? These are some of our salon-approved tricks for glossy, healthy hair every day. Which one is your favourite?

Tip 1: Use a hydrating shampoo twice a week

Tip 2: Invest in a hair oil

Tip 3: Pick the right product for your hair type

Tip 4: Avoid over-styling your hair

Skincare SOS: These are the five budget face serums we're buying on repeat

The colder months can really play havoc with our complexion. If you’re looking for a product to hydrate tired skin, serums are a great place to start.

Use a few drops before your moisturiser for fresh-faced, happy skin. Which is your favourite budget brand that really works? Tell us in the comments.