There are so many different opinions on how often you should wash your hair. Some sources say every day, whereas others say daily washing harms your hair, and you should only do it once or twice a week. But, the fact is we cannot provide a blanket recommendation that is suitable for every person, because we all have different hair profiles. So, once and for all, how often you should shampoo your hair really depends on your hair type. 

People with oily hair benefit from more frequent washing. While oil is healthy for the hair and scalp, overaccumulation can be problematic for hair growth and scalp health. Not to mention, many people are uncomfortable when their hair is oily or find it hard to style the way they want.

The hair follicle produces oil (or sebum) for lubrication. The oil spreads across the scalp to also prevent moisture loss. If we didn’t have oil, our hair would be dry and brittle, and our scalp would be itchy. So, having oil is essential, but you want to have the right balance.

If you find your hair is exceptionally oily within 24 hours of washing, you may be a person that needs to wash their hair daily or use a dry shampoo between washes. There is nothing wrong with daily washes so long as you find your hair is healthy, your scalp is happy, and you aren’t suffering from breakage, dryness, or brittleness. However, daily washing can become problematic for people with longer hair if they use a blow dryer every day, as that can harm individual hair follicles.

If you can go two days between washes without your hair becoming overly oily, your hair and scalp may be healthier. And ideally, you will want to let your hair air dry instead of blow-drying.

Using the term “normal” hair may be misleading, as normal really depends on what is typical for you as an individual. Because we are all unique with different hair profiles, what is normal for a person with naturally curly hair may be vastly different from what is normal for a person with fine hair.

Generally speaking, we consider normal hair to be hair that is neither overly oily nor overly dry. If this is you, you can probably go 2-3 days between washes. However, you won’t want to go too long between washes to prevent the build-up of oil from your scalp and pollutants from the environment.

If your hair is on the drier side, you want to expose your hair and scalp to as much oil as possible. So, going several days in between washes may be just fine for you. However, if you struggle with dandruff or other hair conditions, you may need to opt for more frequent washes.

How you wash your hair when it is on the dryer side is also important. Avoid using water that is too hot, use a shampoo that is for dryer hair types, and do not use abrasive towels for drying your hair. Blow drying can also harm already fragile hair, so it is best to let your hair air dry.

If you struggle with hair loss, as many people do, the frequency you wash your hair is actually very important. Firstly, you want to use a good shampoo that targets hair loss. Finding a shampoo that contains ingredients like ketoconazole, caffeine, biotin, and taurine is important for combating hair loss. Secondly, you will want to use that shampoo regularly. For milder forms of hair loss, you may be able to get by with washing your hair every other day. But if you have severe hair loss, it is essential to expose your hair follicles to the ingredients in the shampoo as frequently as possible. With the proper ingredients, shampoo is like medication, so just like taking a blood pressure pill every day, you will want to use your medicated shampoo daily.

Bear in mind not all hair loss shampoos are safe to use every day. For example, some shampoos may contain amounts of ketoconazole that are too concentrated for daily use. For the best hair loss shampoo, you will want to use the REVITA High-Performance Hair Stimulating Shampoo and Conditioner system from DS Laboratories. This shampoo is safe for daily use and contains scientifically-proven ingredients to stop hair loss in its tracks in a short period of time.