How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to how often you should wash your hair. It varies according to your age, hair length and even your race. The glands in our scalp produce oil to keep our hair from getting dry and to protect it from damage. Too much shampooing removes too much oil…too little shampooing allows oil to build up, which is unhealthy for your scalp.

What we do know: No matter what type of hair you have, you should not wash it with shampoo more than once a day…for most people, once every other day is about right.

Bottom Line Personal asked dermatologist Shilpi Khetarpal, MD, from the Cleveland Clinic to answer other questions you might have about hair washing…   

When is best to wash your hair every day?

If you have straight hair that gets dirty or oily quickly…or if you have been exercising and sweating…washing every day makes sense.

But otherwise, how often to wash hair depends on certain factors…

• Age: The amount of oil in your hair changes as you age. Oil production is controlled by the hormone androgen, and levels of androgen decline in both men and women as they get older. Result: You may need to wash less often than when you were younger.
• Ethnic background: African Americans have very dry coarse curly hair. Washing too frequently can make this type of hair too dry and brittle. Best: Once every week or even every other week may be enough to keep this type of hair clean and healthy.
• Length: The oil produced by glands in the scalp has a hard time getting all the way down to the ends of long hair. Important: When washing longer hair, concentrate shampoo at the scalp level and use conditioner to keep the ends healthy.

How do you know if you are washing your hair too much or too little?

If your hair is dry, brittle or breaking, you may be washing it too much. If you are washing too little, the normal yeast that lives on your scalp can build up. Along with oily hair, you may notice dandruff flakes from the yeast.

Does washing hair cause hair loss?

You normally lose about 100 to 140 strands of hair every day, even days you don’t wash your hair. But that does not mean you are washing too often or too little. Normal hair loss is not influenced by how much you wash your hair.

Once you determine how often to wash your hair, stick to your schedule. Remember to use shampoo on your scalp, not on the ends of your hair, and use a conditioner after washing.

Important: Be gentle with your hair when it is wet. Comb through with a wide-tooth comb. Limit blow-drying to avoid excess heat on your scalp and hair and use the low or medium setting.