It might be the most common question I get, right after "can you make it look like this?" (cue the Pinterest screenshot). A few years ago, skipping shampoo was somehow a trend (remember "no-poo"?), and plenty of people walked away thinking that's what they were supposed to be doing. The honest answer to how often you should wash your hair is that it depends on you: your scalp, your hair type, your colour and how you live.
So instead of one rule, here's what to consider to find the right routine for a healthy scalp and healthy hair.
Start with your scalp
Your scalp tells you more than your hair does. If it feels oily, itchy or heavy with product, it's time to wash. If it feels comfortable and your hair still has movement, you can probably wait another day.
Here's what I tell clients mid-appointment: if it feels like it needs a wash, wash it. Your scalp is skin, after all (you wouldn't skip washing your face for a week and call it a strategy). A clean scalp is a healthy scalp, and that's where your best hair starts. I'd always rather you wash and add a little grit back with product than keep layering dry shampoo on top of dry shampoo. All that buildup sits on your scalp and starts to clog your follicles.
This isn't just salon wisdom, either. Research shows an unhappy scalp tends to show up in your hair. A 2018 review linked flaky, irritated scalp conditions like dandruff to more shedding and to rougher, more breakable strands, largely down to oxidative stress around the follicle. And when a 2021 study compared wash routines, scalps and hair did better with more frequent washing. Daily beat once a week on every measure, with no sign of the "over-cleaning" damage people worry about.
A guide by hair type
Fine or oily hair tends to feel best washed every day or every other day, since oil shows up faster on finer strands. Medium hair usually sits happily at two or three washes a week. Thick, coarse or curly hair often prefers once or twice a week, because it needs its natural oils to stay soft and defined.
If your hair is fine and gets oily fast, try switching to a clarifying shampoo. It clears everything away properly and can buy you an extra day between washes (more on that below).
Curly, coarse or thick? Add a boar bristle brush to your nightly routine. Brushing carries the oils from your scalp down through your lengths, and textures like yours soak up that moisture instead of letting it sit at the roots. Your strands get the hydration, your scalp stays fresher, and your next wash can wait a little longer.
If you colour your hair, washing a little less often helps your shade stay fresh for longer.
Wash like a stylist
Shampoo is for your scalp, and conditioner is for your lengths. Massage shampoo in at the roots with your fingertips, and let the suds rinse through the ends on their own. Then work conditioner from the mid-lengths down.
If you wear a lot of product, shampoo twice. The first wash lifts away styling products, and the second actually cleans your scalp. You can even use a clarifying shampoo for round one and something made for your hair type for round two. And keep the water lukewarm, which your colour will thank you for.
As for what to use: if your scalp produces a lot of oil, a clarifying shampoo gets your hair properly clean and lifts away buildup. It's a great pick for fine hair, and just as good if you tend to go longer between washes, since you want everything that's built up in the meantime gone. I also love the Iles Formula shampoo, because over time it actually helps reduce how much oil your scalp produces. (Fewer wash days without the dry shampoo pile-up? Yes, please.)
Between washes
A little dry shampoo at the roots can stretch things a day (just don't let it turn into a week-long relationship). Sleeping with your hair in a loose braid or on a silk pillowcase keeps it smoother too. And a quick refresh with a round brush at the front can make second-day hair look freshly done.
Once you find your rhythm, wash day stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling like a reset. Listen to your scalp, and it'll tell you when.
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Not sure what your hair needs? Find your stylist and ask at your next visit.
Sources: Trüeb RM, Henry JP, Davis MG, Schwartz JR. "Scalp Condition Impacts Hair Growth and Retention via Oxidative Stress." International Journal of Trichology, 2018. Punyani S, Tosti A, Hordinsky M, Yeomans D, Schwartz J. "The Impact of Shampoo Wash Frequency on Scalp and Hair Conditions." Skin Appendage Disorders, 2021.
