Does Over-Washing Your Hair Makes It Fall Out?

When it comes to hair care, some myths die hard. This is one of them. Does too frequent shampooing cause hair loss? Caroline Bufalini, Klorane studio hairstylist, and Denise Guillouet, care testing manager Professional Products Division at L'Oréal, are unanimous: “No!” According to experts, hair loss can be explained by stress, pregnancy, the menstrual cycle or even lifestyle. Fortunately, no shampoo purchased from a reputable outlet will cause premature baldness.

Bad hairstyling habits

On the other hand, certain hairstyles promote early hair loss. This is the case of the “sleek bun”, which has become viral on social networks since influencers Hailey Bieber and Sofia Richie made it their signature hairstyle. This bun is distinguished by the fact that the hair is very pulled and well laid down and that’s the problem. “When you let your hair down, it has a natural fall and movement that allows it to breathe well. Any gesture that goes against the grain of this nature must not be exaggerated,” first warns hairdresser Hovig Etoyan, founder of his eponymous salon in Paris. “Generally speaking, if you tie them too often and too strongly, you will end up distorting this natural drop, and that will have consequences,” he adds. Hence the concern of professionals regarding the “sleek bun” technique, which notably includes numerous twists and intense pulling of the hair. “We pull them to flatten them then we tie them: we therefore create a double tension both on the scalp and on the lengths. Over time, these actions will not only cause scalp pain and prevent it from breathing, but also increase hair loss. If you do it every other day, it can become dangerous,” warns the specialist, adding that “it’s even worse if your scalp is sensitized or if your hair is colored.”

Before we delve into details, we suggest you check out The Double Shampoo Debate: Balancing Cleansing and Care on our website.

Another practice to absolutely avoid when creating the “sleek bun”: styling on wet hair.

“When the hair is pulled while it is soaked in water, the hair may appear softer and more stretchable, but when it dries, it will return to its initial shape and will be even more elongated, and therefore, even more abused”, explains Hovig Etoyan. Most importantly, if you use sticky and fixing materials on the roots, such as gel or hairspray, which are used to create this famous “clean and smooth” effect, “shampoo and condition systematically,” warns the specialist, “Do not sleep without removing the material.”