What is Triple Hair Washing and Should You be Doing it?

Most hairdressers swear by the double shampoo at the backwash, even advising their clients to adopt this routine at home, but have you heard of triple hair washing and should you be adopting it?

What is Triple Hair Washing?

The triple hair wash, shampooing the hair three times, is a full detox for the hair explains Michelle Brace, Blonde Specialist at The Blonde Lane, "It’s essentially a deep clean and ensures you remove any oil and residue for a squeaky-clean scalp. This should give your clients an extra day between washes because you’ve removed all traces of oil." Darrel Starkey, Hair by Darrel, is all too aware that hair trends and techniques can gain momentum through social media so it's good to make sure yourself and your clients are informed. "The triple hair washing technique has become another new trend which has been influenced a lot via social media. The viral sensation has become quite the talking point, especially on TikTok and Instagram. For me personally, if using a professional hair product I see no need to practice triple washing. Using a product of a professional standard is enough in itself to remove any build up or residue and avoids the hair being overloaded with product. It’s not something I would advise to my clients, however this is purely personal preference." Agreeing with Darrel, Tracey Ann Smith, ASP Global Ambassador, is cautious when it comes to trends: "Every day there is a new trend or new development within the hair world, nothing surprises me anymore! I have heard of the triple wash trend and although I can see the benefits of it I wouldn’t encourage this to my clients."

What Are The Benefits?

Triple washing hair can enhance clients' hair health increasing hydration and moisture Tracey tells us, however she advises: "Triple washing can make the hair reliant on over shampooing, and increase the oil throughout the scalp. For me as a professional I would advise against this. Unless there is a real need to triple wash (perhaps the hair has experienced lack of washing for a while or is heavily overloaded with products or material) it’s not something I would actively push." Owner of Fringe Benefits in Gloucester, Marina Hodgins, tells us she has been triple hair washing for years, "When hair is especially dirty and has a build up of commercial products, medication or chlorine, triple washing it will remove the residue from a clients hair and scalp. Top tip - make sure you rinse for an extra 30 seconds." "Although triple hair washing sounds slightly extravagant, it can have its advantages," says Andrew Smith, Owner of Andrew Smith Salons and Milkshake Global Ambassador, adding: "Of course, it’s important to not do this every single time you need to wash your hair, however, when your hair is particularly dirty or has a lot of build up from products, it’s a good idea to do a triple hair wash to give the hair a deep cleanse. If you only wash your hair around 1-2 times per week the buildup can be more substantial than those who wash their hair every day." Tina Farey, Editorial Director at RUSH, agrees that the triple hair washing technique is a great way of ridding clients' hair and scalp of residue: "The trend has been connected to bond repair/restructuring shampoos and conditioners and products with vitamin complex that are used to penetrate the hair fibre to repair and replenish it. It’s been said that triple washing after using these types of products ensures that no residue is left on the hair and scalp and when rinsed well, the hair is then left looking and feeling healthier and the hair and scalp will have an improved appearance. Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp and therefore this is a great technique to give your scalp that added care that it needs to promote healthy hair growth."

Thinking of adopting the triple hair washing technique? Suzie McGill, Artistic Director at Rainbow Room International, shares her top tips:

By washing the first time, this takes care of oil, pollution and product remnants left on the hair and the following two washes work to really clean the hair. However, it’s important to note that not washing your hair too regularly can be great for allowing the hair to produce natural oils and regulate the scalp so with this technique, I would say it should only be done once every one to two weeks and there are also some tips to take into consideration:

• Always ensure you rinse properly, otherwise this defeats the purpose! With that in mind, if you or your  client are going to do a triple wash, ensure you have enough time to do so and you aren’t in a rush.
• Triple hair washing should not be the only way that the client tries to achieve healthy hair and scalp. Using hair masks/treatments, oils and scalp scrubs will also help to keep the hair and scalp as healthy as possible whilst replacing any lost moisture.
• When triple washing, do not rub the shampoo into the hair. Instead, massage it through the scalp and hair to allow the hair and scalp to absorb the nutrients and ingredients within the products.