How often should you wash your hair?

See how it works

Do this

1. 1Wash as often as your scalp needs, not your lengths.
2. 2Put shampoo on the scalp only. Rinsing is enough for the ends.
3. 3Condition mid-lengths and ends after every shampoo.
4. 4Itchy or flaky? Wash more often, not less.
5. 5Dry or curly lengths? Keep the scalp schedule, use a milder shampoo.

The numbers behind it

• 2-3 days

  Scalp oil returns to its normal level this long after shampooing, the same pattern in all 7 groups tested (1,325 people).

  Pouradier 2017 ↗

• 1x vs 3x

  Washing once or three times a week made no difference to how fast hair got greasy again (1979 study).

  Shaw 1979 ↗

• 28 hairs

  Healthy Chinese adults who wash daily shed about 28 hairs per wash. These hairs were already ready to fall.

  Li 2022 ↗

• 1 week

  In 60 women with afro-textured hair, dandruff and itch were back at their peak about a week after a wash.

  Fajuyigbe 2024 ↗

For your hair

• Straight or fine hair, oily scalp

  Starting point: daily to every other day. Oil travels fast down straight strands and flattens fine hair.

• Wavy hair

  Starting point: every 2 to 3 days, with conditioner on the lengths.

• Curly hair

  Starting point: every 3 to 7 days. Shampoo the scalp, condition the lengths.

• Coily hair

  Starting point: about weekly. Much longer gaps let flakes and itch build up.

Myths to ignore

• Myth Washing often makes your scalp produce more oil.

  Truth A 1979 study found that washing once or three times a week did not change how fast hair got greasy again. Scalp oil differs by age, sex and ethnicity.

  Shaw 1979 ↗

• Myth Washing causes hair loss.

  Truth The hairs in the drain were already shed. In daily washers about 28 came out per wash, which is normal. Washing less means they come out later.

  Li 2022 ↗

• Myth Skipping washes lets your scalp heal and balance itself.

  Truth Expedition members who could not wash for 3 months had roughly 100 to 900 times more scalp yeast (Malassezia), with itch and flakes. Sixteen people, an extreme case.

  Sugita 2015 ↗

• Myth Daily washing is best for everyone.

  Truth One study found daily washing better than weekly, but a shampoo maker paid for it and it covered Asian adults. It does not prove daily washing for curls.

  Punyani 2021 ↗

Made for this

• Daily Shampoo Gentle everyday cleanse for oily or balanced scalps
• Moisture Shampoo Soft cleanse for dry, wavy, curly and coily hair
• Scalp Shampoo Helps reduce flakes and itch on flaky, oily scalps

Go deeper

• How often to wash your hairYour scalp sets how often you need to wash and your hair lengths set how rarely you can, so the right number depends on your hair type and scalp.
• Sebum and scalp typesHow oily your scalp is depends mainly on androgens, age and sex rather than how often you wash, and a dry, flaky or itchy scalp is usually a barrier or yeast problem, not an oil shortage.
• Double shampooing and wash techniqueThere is almost no trial evidence on how to shampoo, so the sensible default is one gentle wash on the scalp, with a second only after heavy buildup.
• Water temperature and hair washingNobody has studied shower temperature on hair or scalp, so lukewarm water is the sensible choice based on skin data, and cold-rinse shine claims are untested.