Woman who washes hair after 23 days dubbed ‘gross’ as people say ‘the dandruff is flying around like it’s Christmas’
IT’S the million dollar question - how often should we really be washing our hair?
Many of us have unwittingly fallen into two haircare camps: those who wash every day and those who try to stretch it at least five days between washes.
But some are able to take things even further, with influencer Emily Alexander claiming she can go up to 23 days between washes.
The 23-year-old stretches out wash day to “strengthen” her locks and typically goes two to three weeks between washes.
After a chemical peel facial that meant she “wasn’t leaving the house”, Emily decided to take her anti-wash agenda over the three week threshold.
However, the decision was not met kindly by her 402,000 followers on Instagram.
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In a video, Emily shared her “hair wash day routine” of using a “scalp strengthening serum” and hair mask on the lengths of her tresses before the big shampoo session.
But trolls were quick to point out that “you can literally see the dandruff flying around” when she brushed through her unwashed locks.
“Girl, you’re bringing Christmas back with that dandruff snowfall,” Sakina Enayet commented.
“23 days! That’s gross,” Alyse Renee added.
“I can't go more than two days without washing mine.
“I can only imagine how dirty her scalp is and how oily her hair is.”
Others called the practice “disgusting” and urged Los Angeles-based Emily to “throw out her pillow”.
How often we should wash our hair depends on our hair type, with fine haired women urged to ‘poo more often than those with textured hair.
Most hair stylists will recommend washing no more than twice a week.
But some claim it’s okay to wash everyday as long as you’re using a shampoo with an acidic formula, as this won’t strip the hair as harshly as an alkaline one.
If you have textured or curly hair, your locks won't get greasy as easily but it's still important to cleanse and nourish your scalp.
“If you’re exercising every day and can’t resist washing your hair daily, be sure to use the lowest PH shampoo you can get,” Ambassador for Headmasters Salons Jonathan Soons told Glamour.
“It’s about keeping moisture in the hair.”
Going too long without washing your hair can cause a build-up of sebum, dandruff and even yeast-like fungus.
If you’d like to know the optimal amount for your scalp between washes, you can do the ProProfs quiz.