'How often should we actually be washing our hair?' It's a debate that has been raging for decades, with answers ranging from everyday without fail to once a week at most.
Of course, the texture and condition of your hair plays a significant role, but with conversations about scalp health increasing and the temptation to skip a day or two due to our current (rather unique) working conditions, we spoke to the experts to discuss whether we should be reassessing our shampooing habits.
How to check your hair type
First of all, before deciding what hair washing regime is best for you, you need to confirm your hair type. The below tricks can help you discover it and it's worth doing them even if you think you know your hair texture, as you might be surprised and it could save you a lot of time and money by ensuring you are buying the right shampoos and washing your hair the right amount.
"Take a moment to assess your hair type like you do your skin," agrees the hairdresser Michael Van Clarke. "Many of my clients are disappointed with hair products because eight out of 10 people do not assess their hair type properly when buying products."
The Strand Test (for thickness)
Take a single hair in between your fingers. If you:
Cannot feel it: you have fine hair
Can feel it: you have medium hair
It feels thick or coarse: you have thick hair
It's important to look at individual strands, as you can actually have 'a lot' of hair but it can still be fine, or you might have very thick hair that is, in reality, relatively sparse.