Beauty experts reveal the truth about TikTok’s ‘hair training’ trend

If you're an avid TikTok user, you've likely come across the 'hair training' trend.

The theory behind this trend, which has over 172.8 million views on the platform, is that your scalp will start to adjust to fewer hair washes and produce less oil, resulting in hair that doesn't get greasy as quickly. Sounds like bliss, right?

While many, myself included, adopt the 'every-other-day' hair wash routine, some followers are going hell for leather on the back of 'hair training' and are working their way up to a 30-day gap between their washes.

This haircare trend, among many like it, is one that had me hook, line, and sinker. Seeing girls let their fresh day-seven hair down without a trace of oil, I am easy prey to this kind of trend.

However, it's worth getting the opinion of experts before diving into these trends, as you may be inadvertently damaging your hair, and therefore let down by the results, or lack there of.

Speaking on this, Rhysa Phommachanh, who works as a Personal Care Specialist at Landys Chemist says results from hair training are largely dependent on a person's hair texture and genetics, and this trend does not guarantee results for every user it influences into testing out.

"How often you can go between hair washes largely depends on your hair type and texture, be it fine or thick, curly or straight.  If you have thick and textured curly or coily hair, then you should typically be washing your hair every 7-10 days.

"While you may be able to stretch days between washes out even longer, it is generally not recommended due to the risk of breakage, dryness, and irritation. Your scalp and your strands need moisture to stay healthy, so try to cleanse once a week if possible.

"A lack of washing can contribute to a build-up around hair follicles and triggering folliculitis, which can cause itching and inflammation that can later lead to hair loss."

Rhysa adds that if a person has fine or straight hair, or has an oily scalp, they may need to wash their hair twice a week to avoid it becoming greasy.

And while she admits that dry shampoo can help reduce scalp oil, she warms that it doesn’t remove build-up or clean your scalp the same way washing does, so hair washing would still be required in order to maintain optimal scalp and hair health.

On the flip side, washing our hair every day, or too often, can actually contribute to, or be the cause of oil buildup.

The key point here: the cleaner your hair is, the lesser the buildup of natural oils, therefore your scalp will naturally produce more oils to help compensate. 

"When we shampoo, oil isn’t the only thing that we get rid of from our scalp. Bacteria, product residue, pollution and dead skin cells that sit on our scalp and hair follicles also get washed away."

Rhysa also recommends that you adjust your wash days depending on the type of hair you have and suggests keeping a hair journal to determine how long between washes it takes your hair to become greasy and weighed down and then gradually add a day between your hair wash days.

"Balance is key, so don’t wash your hair too frequently but, in the same breath, try not to go too long between washes. You’ll know you’re getting it right when you can go 1-2 days over your regular hair wash schedule and still observe bouncy, fresh smelling hair."

If you are looking to curtail the number of times a week you hair is being washed, Rhysa says there are a number of expert-approved ways to help reduce the frequency of hair washing.

These include dry shampoo between washes, investing in a good sulfate and silicone-free shampoo, brushing hair regularly, adding a hydrating oil from mid-lengths to your ends, wearing your hair up when it starts getting oily, texturising sprays, clarifying shampoo (using one a month to reset hair), minimise styling products, and exfoliating your scalp with a scalp brush in the shower.

READ MORE: