What Is Hair Cycling and Is It for You?

How often have you perused the hair product shelves at the store or in your salon and wondered how to choose amongst all the options because your hair is more than one need? If you have an oily scalp and dry ends, for example, should you use a shampoo for dry hair or oily hair? Or perhaps your hair is color-treated and also damaged, so which is best--products for color treated hair or products for damaged hair? If you’ve faced these hair care dilemmas, it may be time to consider hair cycling.

Hair Cycling in A Nutshell

On sites like TikTok and Instagram, skin cycling is a hot topic and hair cycling is gathering momentum as a result. Skin cycling involves rotating the skin care products you use in order to protect your skin barrier, prevent irritation and maintain optimum skin condition. Hair cycling follows a similar line of thought. With hair cycling, you alternate the products you use in your haircare routine—shampooing, conditioning and treatment—in order to maintain optimum hair and scalp health. Hair cycling offers a variety of benefits. It prevents stripping your hair and scalp from the essential oils needed to maintain the correct moisture balance; it eliminates excessive dryness, scalp irritation and inflammation; it prevents product buildup, and it lets you deal with all of your hair concerns rather than one specific issue. 

Biolage Artist Eric Jeter is a fan. “Hair products targeting a specific hair concern are great,” he says, “but I see many clients who have more than one issue with their hair, due to hair type, seasonal changes, environmental issues, lifestyle habits, etc. For example, a client who is an avid skier in the winter will need lots more moisturizing from her hair products in the cold weather months than in the summer months. The beauty of hair cycling is that care regimens can be adjusted to what the hair needs at a certain period of time.”

Hair Cycling How-To’s

Start by consulting with your stylist to assess the condition of your hair and scalp. Is your scalp oily or do you experience dandruff from time to time? Is it also color-treated or damaged? Then choose the types of products that will best treat these issues—maybe a clarifying shampoo for an oily scalp or a strength-building regimen for breakage and damage. Next think about how often you shampoo. Daily? Every few days? Once a week? Your hair regimen will rotate throughout your typical shampoo cycle.

3 Hair Cycling Examples

Let’s see how the concept of hair cycling can be put into practice. Here are a few case studies.

Hair Cycling if Your Hair is Frizzy, Dry and Damaged

First Wash—Deep Cleanse and Rehydrate

• Clarify and detoxify hair and scalp with Biolage Clean Reset Shampoo
• Restore moisture and texture control by double cleansing with Biolage Smooth Proof Shampoo
• Moisturize and hydrate hair with Biolage Hydra Source Conditioning Balm for Dry Hair
• Maintain weightless hydration with Biolage All-In-One Multi-Benefit Oil

Second Wash—Repair and Rehydrate

• Double cleanse with Biolage Hydra Source Shampoo
• Repair with Biolage Strength Recovery Deep Treatment Mask
• Protect with Biolage Strength Recovery Strength Repairing Spray

Hair Cycling if Your Hair is Oily and Damaged

First Wash—Reset and Recover

• Cleanse excess oil from hair and scalp with Biolage Scalp Sync Cooling Mint Shampoo
• Soothe and nourish hair and scalp with Biolage Scalp Sync Cooling Mint Conditioner
• Restore hair health with Biolage Strength Recovery Strength Repairing Spray

Second Wash—Exfoliate and Repair

• Gently cleanse with Biolage Strength Recovery Shampoo
• Rehydrate and repair with Biolage Strength Recovery Deep Treatment Mask (focus on hair’s midlengths and ends and avoid applying to the scalp.)
• Prevent damage with Biolage Strength Recovery Strength Repairing Spray

Hair Cycling if Your Hair is Color-Treated, Dry and Damaged

First Wash—Care for Your Color

• Protect and nurture hair color with Biolage Color Last Shampoo
• Maintain and restore color, shine, moisture and vibrancy with Biolage Color Last Deep Treatment Mask
• Protect color integrity and moisture balance with Biolage All-In-One Multi-Benefit Spray

Second Wash—Moisturize and Repair

• Gently hydrate and cleanse with Biolage Ultra Hydra Source Shampoo
• Rehydrate and repair with Biolage Strength Recovery Deep Treatment Mask
• Restore and protect with Biolage Strength Recovery Strength Repairing Spray

Finally, suggests Jeter, “Revisit your hair cycling regiments periodically and be prepared to change things up to when required by any changes in your hair, the weather or your lifestyle.”

Not sure where to start? Take our hair quiz and find out which Biolage products are right for you.