Whether you have a full head of healthy hair, or not a single strand on your head, you have probably thought about this question at some point in your life.
After all, why would someone use shampoo to clean their head if they don’t have any hair? Wouldn’t that be beside the point? Surely, it would make more sense to clean a bald head with soap, just as you would wash the other parts of your body.
Well, the answer may surprise you. In this article, we will discuss how and why people do use shampoo on their heads, even if they don’t have any hair.
Let’s get into it.
Shampoo Vs. Body Wash
Many people have wondered this question at some point in their lives: why can’t we just use body wash to cleanse our hair? What makes them so different? After all, we don’t use shampoo on our eyebrows, or any other hairy body parts.
Well, the reason is simple: our scalp and hair follicles are very sensitive to chemicals.
When you apply a body wash or a soap with harsh ingredients to your head, it may irritate your scalp and cause dryness. This will lead to dandruff and flaky scalp. Body soaps are made for cleaning less sensitive areas of your body, not for cleansing the sensitive skin on your head.
Most shampoos contain ingredients that nourish hair follicles and the skin on our scalps, whereas body washes and soaps usually contain ingredients that can dry out our hair, and even strip off the natural oils.
There are some shampoo-slash-body washes that are available, containing the two products in one bottle.
However, these are not as effective as using proper shampoo and conditioner separately. In order to have soft, nourished hair, you need to follow a regular routine of washing your hair with a gentle shampoo, and conditioning it with a rich moisturizing conditioner.
So, Should Bald People Use Shampoo?
Returning to the point we made in the last section, it is not only our hair that we use shampoo to wash: it is our scalps.
Our scalp needs to be cleansed regularly because it has many glands which produce sebum (oil) and sweat. If you do not cleanse your scalp properly, it will become oily and irritated, leading to dandruff. Even if you are bald, you can experience dryness and irritation from time to time.
You should always keep your scalp clean by washing it with a suitable product, even if you don’t have any hair.
So, should bald people use shampoo?
Yes!
Bald people should use shampoo to protect their scalps, even if they have little to no hair. It’s important to remember that our scalps are still covered by hair follicles, even if they are not completely visible, and therefore require the same care as those who have hair.
In fact, a person with no hair may produce more oil than someone with full hair, due to the increased surface area. This will make the bald head appear greasy, and could result in an unpleasant smell and a shiny surface.
Therefore, it is advisable to use a shampoo, especially if you are bald.
Should Bald People Use Conditioner?
Unlike shampoo, conditioner isn’t used to clean hair: instead, it is used to condition hair, keeping it healthy and sleek. While shampoo is designed to remove dirt and debris from your hair, conditioners are designed to add moisture and shine to your hair.
In fact, it is recommended that you do not use conditioner on your scalp, as this can cause your hair to become greasier much faster. Conditioner should only be applied to the midsection and the ends of your hair.
By using a detangling brush to comb the conditioner through the hair, it will help your hair become healthier.
Of course, bald people do not have a midsection or ends to their hair, as they don’t have any hair. Therefore, there is no reason at all that a bald person should condition their scalp.
Doing so would most likely have no effect on a head with no hair, other than, most likely, causing excess oil production.
So, no, a bald person does not need to use conditioner. Doing so would only serve to make them look greasy, and would probably lead to excessive sweating.
How Often Should A Bald Person Use Shampoo?
Another way to word this question is: how often should a person wash their scalps?
When it is covered with a full head of hair, a scalp gathers lots of dirt and debris over time. The hair follicles trap dust and grime, making the scalp very dirty. A lot of dead skin cells also accumulate on the scalp, making it look dull and gross.
Even if a person does not have any hair, their scalp will still become greasy and dirty, just like a hairy one. Unlike a hairy scalp, a bald one will become dirtier much faster, as there is less hair to collect the dirt and debris, but since there is no hair to become greasy, it won’t appear as dirty.
It is recommended that someone with thick, long hair should use shampoo once every couple of days, as washing hair every day can strip away its natural oils and leave it feeling dry and brittle.
Leaving hair to become dirty for a couple of days can actually improve its overall health and appearance.
However, if you have particularly thin hair, then you should wash it every day, or every other day.
What about those who don’t have any hair?
If you are bald, you should probably wash your scalp twice per week, as this will keep it looking fresh and clean. Of course, it all depends on the individual: if you produce more sebum than others, then you might want to wash your scalp more frequently.
A good rule of thumb is to wash your scalp two times per week, unless you have particularly oily hair, in which case you should wash it more. If you wash it too much, though, then you’ll end up stripping away the natural oils, leaving your scalp feeling dry and brittle.
Final Thoughts
So, overall, a bald person should definitely use shampoo instead of body wash or soap to clean their head. This has less to do with cleaning their ‘hair’, and more to do with keeping their scalps healthy and clean.
The scalp is a sensitive area of the body, and it needs regular care to stay healthy. Even if a person seems to have no hair at all, the hair follicles are still there, and they are collecting dirt and grime from the environment.
Washing the scalp regularly keeps it clean and prevents infections.
Conditioner, on the other hand, is mainly used to add shine and volume to hair, and it is usually applied after shampooing. It is not necessary for a bald person to apply conditioner, as doing so would only serve to cause the scalp to sweat excessively.
Using body wash on your scalp will likely result in itching and potential burning, as it is not designed to be used on the scalp. Therefore, the best option is to continue using shampoo to clean your head.
Grooming should be encouraged and normalized for men as it is for women - why is there a stigma around a man who takes care of his appearance when women are expected to?
If a woman were to put as little effort into her appearance as men are supposed to, she would be called lazy or another harsher word. But men are expected to wash their face with body wash and call it a day.
- How To Trim A Beard With Scissors - February 28, 2022
- How To Make Your Beard Soft - February 28, 2022
- How To Bleach Tips Of Guys Hair - February 28, 2022
