Wash Less Hair Down The Drain With These Expert Shampooing Tips

Every beauty professional has their nonnegotiable steps. In our series, Like a Pro, we tap experts for the top three techniques they absolutely swear by. Here, you'll hear from a variety of industry insiders on the fail-safe tricks they always keep in their back pockets. We're all about simplifying your beauty regimen wherever you can, and sometimes the best routines are as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Ah, yes, the gut-wrenching feeling that happens when a few too many hairs wash down the drain. If this scenario sounds familiar, you should first know that shedding an average of 50 to 100 hairs a day is completely normal—so take a deep breath. 

Second, know that you can take steps to help ease some of the increased shedding, even while in the shower. To come, professional hairstylist and Aveda Global Artistic Director, Ricardo Dinis, shares the essential protocol for shampooing with less shedding. Here's the 101.

If you aren’t using a pre-shampoo treatment, you may want to start now. Depending on your preferences, you can opt for an oil-based treatment or a lightweight serum—both are great, but folks with oily roots may prefer a water-based formula. 

Keeping your scalp free of buildup is a huge piece of the puzzle when it comes to combatting excess shedding. Think of it like sprucing up your scalp to create a prime environment for growth and lifting weight off your roots, helping them thrive.

Plus, completing this step pre-shower ensures that your shampoo and any post-cleanse scalp products you use effectively reach the follicles. However, you’ll want to limit scalp exfoliation to once or twice weekly to avoid irritation (as you would with your face).

When shampoo shopping, look for tea tree oil on the ingredient list. “This natural ingredient provides antimicrobial properties to soothe the scalp and reduce irritation,” Dinis says. 

Other than providing a soothing sensorial experience, tea tree oil can help effectively cleanse away excess product buildup, oil, and dead skin that has accumulated on the scalp. 

What's more, it helps to balance oil on the scalp, so you can go longer between washes–a major plus for those prone to oily roots after just one or two days post-wash. 

Finally, reevaluate how you’re shampooing your hair. Are you rushing through the process? Missing parts of your scalp entirely? Tugging on your roots? All of these mishaps may contribute to increased shedding. 

Instead, Dinis says, remember these simple tips the next time you’re cleansing: 

The takeaway

To reduce shedding in the shower, consider using an exfoliating pre-shampoo treatment alongside a shampoo with tea tree oil. Never pull on your roots, and always use your finger pads, not your nails, to work the product in. Easy! Not sure if your everyday shedding has crossed over into full-on hair loss? Here’s how to tell.