If you’re someone who stays up to date on the latest TikTok hair hacks, chances are you’ve been hearing lots about hair training lately. According to TikTok’s hair community, you can reduce how often you wash your hair by “training” it to clean itself. Now, for anyone who washes their hair daily or at the very least, a couple times a week, this technique probably seems way too good to be true. So, can it actually work? We’ve turned to trichologist and Chief Scientist at Evolis Professional, Dr. Dominic Burg, to give us the lowdown on hair training and explain whether there is any truth to this trend.
What exactly is “hair training”?
Simply put, “hair training” is a process that involves slowly extending the amount of time in between your wash days, eventually building up to a 30-day gap. The idea is that with fewer washes, your scalp will adjust and, as a result, produce less oil. This means that your hair won’t get as greasy quite as often.
While hair training isn’t an entirely new concept, you can thank TikTok creator Haylee J for a lot of the recent interest in the technique. After sharing in a now viral video that she hadn’t washed her hair for 25 day, many followers quickly became interested in hair training as well after seeing how fresh and clean her locks still looked.
“So, I started hair training at the end of 2018 and it took me about a full year to get to where I am now, which is that I only wash my hair every month,” she explained in the clip. “I started out as an every four or five day washer. I then worked my way up to every fourteen days and that took a few months. I plateaued there and I liked where I was at with washing my hair every two weeks. A few months after that, I tried to go longer and tried for a month. So, now I wash my hair once a month from hair training. My scalp is now used to that.”
Can hair training actually work?
While there are quite a lot of vocal advocates for hair training, honestly, it’s hard to really say whether it actually works. “It’s quite difficult to get to the bottom of the truth with this one, as everybody’s oil levels are different and will vary with age, hormone levels, time of year, and the apparent oil levels (rather than production) is influenced by the products we are using,” explains Dr. Burg.
With that being said, it’s important to first understand that the natural oils in your hair are the result of the sebaceous glands. These oil-producing glands are controlled by your hormones and as it turns out, how often you wash your hair does not affect your scalp’s oil production at all.
“The oil on our scalps and hair is known as sebum, and is produced by sebaceous glands in our scalp. Each hair pore contains a sebaceous gland that produces a special waxy sebum. The oil production by the sebaceous glands is mainly determined by hormones in the body,” he says. “Product use, or washing less or more frequently is less likely to impact your oil production levels, if at all. As we all tend to use a lot of products in our routine that impact the cleanliness or levels of oils on our hair fibers and scalp (rather than the actual production of il by sebaceous glands), it can be hard to determine what our natural baseline is, be it oily, dry, or in between.”
Dr. Burg adds that, “People attempting to ‘train’ the hair may be observing their hair more closely than they previously did and potentially noticing a normal pattern or even a worsening of quality as a positive change because of the change in routine.”
How often should we actually be washing our hair?
Truthfully, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer for how often you should be washing your hair. “This really does depend on the person’s scalp and hair type and the products they use—including the after washing care such as masks, leave-ins, and conditioners,” Dr. Burg explains. “This can actually be quite complex in terms of the effects on the scalp and hair.” However, he does add that people with oily hair can generally get away with washing their hair more often.
But, if you are thinking of prolonging the time between your wash days, Dr. Burg advises that there is no harm in trying and that ultimately, you’ll have to see what works best for you and your hair.
“Invest in a good dry shampoo to help with any excess oiliness,” he says. “If you start to notice excess flakiness or itchiness, particularly if these are large clumps or sticky, go back to more frequent cleansing as this may be the first signs of dandruff developing.”
Have you tried “hair training” before? If so, share your experience with us in the comments below.
