There are conflicting opinions on how often a person should wash their hair — and two experts are setting the record straight.
Considering NYC is in the dog days of summer and pollen is still floating around in the air — Dr. Pallavi Bradshaw, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at AXA Health Insurance, told the Daily Mail that people should be washing their hair every day.
Before you fret, claiming that sudsing up daily is bad for your hair — Bradshaw has good reason for his claim.
If you’re someone who suffers from pollen allergies — which is still present in the summer, not just the spring — Bradshaw says to shower daily using “warm water rather than hot… to avoid drying out the skin and, where possible, use hypoallergenic soaps or shampoos.”
And if a stuffy nose isn’t getting you down, but you’re strands are slick thanks to the scorching hot temperatures swallowing the Northeast right now — Mandy (B.) Buechner, a certified trichologist and hair loss practitioner, told Yahoo! that daily hair washing is recommended in the summer.
“You want to keep your scalp as clean and clear as possible for healthier hair growth. Think of your scalp care as skin care,” she told the outlet.
“I always recommend not going longer than three days without washing your hair all year round, however, in the summer, if you are swimming or sweat a lot, you can safely wash every day or every other day as needed.”
One of the major concerns people have when they’re told to wet their strands every day is the possibility of drying out their hair.
To combat this, Buechner recommends using moisturizing hair care products.
“These have essential lipids in the formula to restore moisture and hydration lost during harsh hot summer months.”
And if you plan to spend an ample amount of time outside this season, the sun’s UV rays can be damaging to any hair type, so it’s recommended to protect your locks by wearing a hat and using SPF on your scalp — since it can burn if exposed.
Speaking of hair, if you notice yours is on the thinning side these days — which is very normal, considering 80% of men and nearly half of women experience hair loss, according to NYU Langone experts say several different treatments on the market are effective.
“There are several effective treatments available for hair loss, and the best approach depends on an individual’s specific diagnosis and needs, which should be thoroughly reviewed with a dermatologist,” Dr. Brian Abittan, Director of Skin and Hair Rejuvenation and Director of Hair Transplantation at the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology at Mount Sinai, told The Post.
A few of them include minodixil, finasteride and redensyl.
“Minodixil helps stimulate hair growth,” Manhattan board-certified dermatologist Dr. Dina Strachan said.
“Finasteride has been shown to slow hair loss and even regrow hair in some cases, but it carries a low risk of side effects, including erectile dysfunction, reduced sperm count and, less commonly, depression,” said Abittan.
“Redensyl stimulates hair growth,” said Strachan. However, she did warn that this treatment can cause irritation and dandruff.
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