The real reason you shouldn’t try self-cleaning hair

So… does it work? Dermatologist Rebecca Baxt told Slate that she’s seen more people coming in who have more dead skin buildup on their heads, a result of attempts to make hair clean itself. Patients also say their scalps look drier, feel itchier, and look flakier than ever — the very same problems self-cleaning are meant to avoid. In short, medical professionals like Joshua Zeichner of Mount Sinai Hospital also told Slate that the idea that your hair will rebalance itself after a (long) period of no washing is, at best, an “old wives’ tale,” because hair washing is actually meant to be a way of caring for your scalp.

Proponents of the self-cleaning method have admitted that abstaining from a hair wash isn’t for everyone, like if you live in the city and are always on public transport, or anyone with fine, lanky hair (via Metro). But from the sound of things, your hair (or scalp) aren’t able to self-clean at all, making this a method that all of us can’t really get behind.