How Often Should You Actually Wash Your Hair?

Whats your hair texture?

Those with curly texture can go up to five days without shampooing, says Heath. (Whether you want to get your hair wet and use conditioner is up to you.) Washing can strip your scalps natural oils, which help define spirals and make them less poufy. If you want that just-washed feeling in between, try a no-poo like this one from DevaCurl.

For normal to fine hair, you may need to shampoo every other day or daily to avoid looking greasyespecially if bangs are involved. Just be sure to use a mild formula that wont dry out your hair like (MALIN+GOETZ)s gentle neroli shampoo and a hydrating conditioner like this one from Number 4, only at the ends.

How often do you heat style?

Regardless of texture, if youre addicted to straightening and curling, you should take a few extra days between washesHeath recommends three. Aside from taking a break from damaging blow-drying, not washing will help restore moisture to fried strands.

To keep things looking fresh until you suds up again, make dry shampoo your friend. Heath likes Kloranes formula for minimizing oil at the roots, and R+Cos version for keeping hair smelling clean.

Do you color your hair?

Bleaching and highlighting your hair makes the follicle more porous, so it absorbs excess oil and looks less greasy, explains Heath. Most color-treated gals can go two to four days without washing (if you're just touching up, you can stick to your regular routine).

When you do shampoo, Heath recommends washing twice with a protein-packed formula, like Bain de Terre's keratin phyto-protein Strengthening Sulftate-Free Shampoo, to remove product buildup and cut down on breakage. If your hair needs extra TLC, coat it in coconut oil the night before youre going to wash it, pop on a shower cap, and deep-treat your hair while you sleep.