How often should you wash your hair?
There is no one wash day for every head. The American Academy of Dermatology tells you to follow how dirty or oily the hair gets, then splits the examples by hair type.
Guide Snapshot
Read time: 5 minPublished
Last Reviewed
Best For
- Replacing a one-number wash rule with the Academy’s split by hair and scalp
- Deciding whether a curly routine should stretch past a week
- Knowing where shampoo and conditioner actually go
Avoid If
- You want a diagnosis for shedding, itching, or a sore scalp — see a board-certified dermatologist
- You want a trim calendar. This page does not set one
Recommended Tool
Validate the advice on your own photo before you commit.
Preview a cut before you book →Related Queries
What the Academy actually says
Tips for healthy hair, reviewed by board-certified dermatologists and last updated 12 August 2024, was retrieved on 1 November 2026. The wash rule on that page is: wash based on how often the hair gets dirty or oily.
- Straight hair and an oily scalp: you may want to shampoo every day.
- Dry, textured, curly, or thick hair: shampoo when needed, at least once every 2 to 3 weeks.
- Flakes can mean you are not shampooing often enough, or that the conditioner, oil, or scalp moisturizer is wrong for the hair type. This page does not diagnose dandruff.
Curly and coily hair
The Academy’s curly hair tips, last updated 29 June 2022 and retrieved the same day, say thick curly hair does not need to be washed daily or even weekly. Wash when needed, and at least once every 2 to 3 weeks. Washing curly hair too often can leave it dry, frizzy, and hard to manage. The curly tips page uses this interval.
If you use gels, oils, creams, or pomades, the same page says to consider a clarifying shampoo before the moisturizing shampoo. A shower cap between washes keeps the style from getting soaked in the bath. Long or thick hair can be washed in sections so it tangles less.
Where the product goes
Shampoo goes on the scalp, not down the entire length. Conditioner comes after washing. Fine or straight hair: conditioner on the ends. Dry or curly hair: conditioner on the entire length. The curly page adds a thick conditioner, then oil or a leave-in, and says curly hair is drier than other types so the conditioner is not only for the ends.
Wet hair is delicate. Use a wide-tooth comb instead of a brush. Thick, curly hair: comb in the shower before rinsing the conditioner. Straight hair: let it dry a bit first, then start at the ends. A towel or t-shirt should blot the water. Rubbing hard is what the Academy says can cause damage.
What this page will not tell you
It does not set a trim interval, and it does not say washing changes how fast hair grows. Growth rate stays on the hair length guide: about half an inch a month, from Johns Hopkins Medicine. Shedding, itching, or a scalp that hurts is a reason to see a board-certified dermatologist, which is the close of both Academy pages. A try-on can show a cut on your photo. It cannot see your scalp.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should you wash your hair?
The American Academy of Dermatology says to wash based on how dirty or oily the hair gets. Straight hair with an oily scalp may need shampoo every day. Dry, textured, curly, or thick hair can be washed when needed, at least once every 2 to 3 weeks. There is no single schedule for every head.
How often should you wash curly hair?
On the Academy’s curly-hair page, last updated 29 June 2022, thick curly hair does not need to be washed daily or even weekly. Wash when needed, and at least once every 2 to 3 weeks for scalp and hair health. Washing curly hair too often can leave it dry, frizzy, and hard to manage.
Should shampoo go on the ends?
The Academy says to apply shampoo to the scalp, not the whole length, so you wash away oil and product without drying the hair as much. Conditioner comes after. Fine or straight hair: the ends. Dry or curly hair: the entire length.
More hair care
The wash rule is one decision. Length and the chair are the next ones.