How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?

Jenna Ryu

December 16, 2024 at 12:45 p.m.·8 min read

All products featured on Self are independently selected by Self editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, Condé Nast may earn an affiliate commission.

CSA Images/Getty Images

If you’ve been given conflicting advice—daily washes, skipping shampoo for a week, or somewhere in between—you’re not alone in wondering: How often should you wash your hair?

Not so surprisingly, there isn’t a satisfying one-size-fits-all answer, Candace Spann, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and co-owner of Couture Medical in Las Vegas, tells SELF. Sure, personal preference plays a big role—some people can’t start their mornings without rinsing and repeating every single day, while others can go a full week (or more!) and maintain a salon-like finish.

Finding your Goldilocks sweet spot (clean but not stripped, fresh but not greasy) comes down to a few factors, Dr. Spann says—like your hair type, how oily your scalp gets, how often you sweat, and even the styling products you’re using. Plus, even if you wash “enough,” it won’t make a big difference without the right ingredients. So we asked dermatologists to weigh in on the age-old question: “How often should you wash your hair?”—with answers tailored to your specific hair type and texture.

But first, how do I know what hair type I have?

There’s no official test and, honestly, a specialized pro (like a derm or hair stylist) can probably pinpoint yours much faster. But if you’re assessing it yourself, Jeannette Graf, MD, a New York City–based dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, tells SELF that there are a few key indicators to keep in mind.

First, distinguishing between fine and coarse hair: Fine hair feels soft, may appear flat, and is usually hard to style due to its lack of volume. Coarse hair, by contrast, tends to feel thicker and sturdier, tangles more easily, and takes longer to dry, Dr. Graf explains. To double-check, she suggests taking a single strand between your fingers. “If it feels delicate or easily breakable, you’ve probably got fine hair,” she says. “Another test: Gently tug on a piece of wet hair. If it stretches and snaps, that may mean it’s damaged.”

It’s also very possible that your hair doesn’t neatly fit into just one category. Maybe you’ve got thin strands and damaged ends, or thick hair that’s prone to dandruff. In these cases, Dr. Graf recommends targeting your most pressing concern first or “finding a multifaceted product with ingredients that address both issues.” Let's say your scalp is oily and you’re dealing with untamable frizz: Consider using a shampoo designed to tackle the greasiness and a conditioner to smoothen your brittle ends.

If you have fine or thin hair

Everyone’s scalp naturally produces moisturizing oils called sebum. But with thin hair that is straight or wavy specifically, those oils travel down the hair shaft faster, leaving your roots looking flatter and greasier pretty fast, Dr. Graf says.

That’s why in these cases, washing every other day is generally the move, Dr. Graf says. This guideline depends on a few factors, though: Some extra greasy strands might benefit from a daily cleanse, for instance, while curlier ones should actually be shampooed less often (more on that later). But for fine, straighter hair types, any more than that can potentially strip the scalp of too much sebum. And that, ironically, can trigger it to overcompensate for the dryness by producing even more oil.

Just as important as how often you lather up is what hair products you use for the job. According to Dr. Graf, it’s best to steer clear of ultra-thick, heavy ingredients (argan, coconut, and olive oil can all weigh down fine hair) and opt for lightweight, volumizing shampoos and conditioners with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and keratin, to name a few. These help maintain fullness and add a desired oomph.

Kérastase Densifique Thickening Shampoo for Thinning Hair

$42.00, Sephora

Method Pure Peace Volumizing Conditioner

$11.00, Target

If you have thick or coarse hair

Your scalp’s moisturizing sebum doesn’t travel as easily down thick hair as it does on finer strands, according to Pooja Rambhia, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at UnionDerm in New York City, tells SELF. For that reason, she says you can likely get away with washing less often (as in, twice a week).

Of course, if you’re someone who sweats a ton, or just likes a more frequent hair cleanse, by all means, do what you want—you have more wiggle room thanks to your sturdy strands! It might just be helpful to ensure you’re keeping your ends moisturized, which a conditioner with hydrating coconut oil, argan oil, or shea butter can definitely do.

Fable&Mane HoliRoots Hydrating Conditioner

$30.00, Sephora

OUAI Thick Hair Conditioner

$32.00, Sephora

If you have oily or greasy hair

Sebum might keep your scalp moisturized, but in excess it can also be the culprit behind an unwanted, slimy-feeling sheen. To manage this, the experts we spoke with recommend adjusting your hair care routine to wash daily or every other day. (In between, a trusty dry shampoo can be a lifesaving, instant refresh.)

When it comes to your shower regimen, it’s helpful to introduce actives that absorb or break down oil. Dr. Rambhia suggests looking for these in clarifying shampoos that often contain exfoliants like salicylic acid to clear away sebum and other debris. (Just keep in mind, these should only be used once a week. Otherwise, you might dry out your scalp.) You can also opt for charcoal and clay-based formulas that’ll sop up excess oil sitting on your head. Another pro tip from Dr. Graf: “Using a scalp scrub occasionally, like once a week, can break up and remove buildup.”

Fable&Mane SahaScalp Wild Ginger Purifying Scrub

$36.00, Sephora

Everyone Hair Care Super Scalp Scrub

$15.00, Amazon

Bumble and bumble Sunday Purifying Clay Detox Shampoo

$39.00, Sephora

Biolage Strength Recovery Shampoo for Damaged Hair

$24.00, Ulta

On the flip side, be extra careful with thick cream-based hydrators (like coconut oil and dimethicone). While they’re game-changing for dry, brittle hair (more on that next), they tend to build up and make an already oily scalp feel even slicker, Dr. Rambhia warns.

If you have damaged or dry hair

Damaged hair—perhaps a result of years of flat ironing, curling, or bleaching—can show up in the form of breakage and frizzy or split ends, so it needs all the moisture it can get. That’s why all three derms recommend limiting your wash frequency to just once a week (since “overwashing can strip the hair’s oils,” Dr. Spann explains). Instead, focus on repairing those brittle strands with the help of hydrating, conditioning heroes.

For instance, jojoba oil, dimethicone, and shea butter will coat each strand, lock in moisture, and smooth the hair’s surface for a sleek, healthy-looking finish. Even better, consider using a protein-based treatment or deep-conditioning hair mask to penetrate the hair shaft and “glue” the broken bonds back together. Oh, and steer clear of drying sulfates (often listed as sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, and sodium laureth sulfate) if you can, since Dr. Rambhia explains “they can be overly stripping and make frizzing worse.”

Keratin Shine Boosting Conditioner

$7.00, Walmart

Mend To Be Damage Recovery Conditioner

$10.00, Walmart

If you have coily or curly hair

Oily hair gets a bad rap, but for curly haired folks, a little extra sebum can actually help smooth and enhance waves for that healthy, bouncy finish. Because these hair types also tend to be drier, though (natural oils take longer to reach tightly coiled strands), all three experts agree once a week (or even every two weeks) should be enough: “The tighter the curl or coil, the less often it should be washed,” according to Dr. Rambhia.

Not everyone wants to wait two whole weeks between each cleanse, in which case Dr. Spann suggests co-washing (a.k.a. conditioner washing), or wetting your hair and only using a deep conditioner—no shampoo. “This technique allows you to refresh your curls without drying them out,” she explains.

Lush Cosmetics Coconut Co-Wash

$19.00, Lush

Moisturizing Deep Conditioner

$38.00, Cécred

If you have dandruff-prone or sensitive scalp

Dandruff, if you didn’t know, can be triggered by dry skin, irritation to certain hair care products, and oil buildup. So cleansing your scalp with a medicated shampoo every other day (or at least three times a week) should keep those flakes in check, according to Dr. Graf and Dr. Rambhia.

Do your best to avoid potential irritants (think anything fragranced or alcohol-based). Instead, all three experts suggest opting for soothing ingredients (aloe vera and colloidal oatmeal) as well as anti-fungal actives like zinc pyrithione and ketoconazole, which target yeast responsible for flaking.

CeraVe Hydrating Anti-Dandruff Shampoo