What’s My Hair Type and How Should I Wash It?

How many times a week should you wash your hair? It really is the million-dollar question! From those who put their impressive shine down to a daily clean to those who prefer sticking to a weekly shampoo, there’s lots of conflicting advice out there. Luckily, we’re here to give you a definitive answer. The only thing is, it’s not a one-size-fits-all situation – you need to know your hair type too!

So, Does Washing Frequency Differ Between Hair Types?

In short, yes it differs for different hair types! Before you start planning your hair-washing schedule (and start splurging on some new products), you’ll need to determine your hair type – even if you think you already know, it’s worth double-checking! Once you have worked it out, you can then adjust how often you wash it.

So, let’s break down the different hair types, find out how you know if you’re in that category and, of course, recommend how often to wash your locks.

Do You Have Dry Hair?

Do your tresses feel on the dryer side? Well, there’s an easy way to find out! Take a strand of your hair and place it in a bowl of water, if it sinks it has high porosity meaning it’s dry and requires more moisture! Cool, right? If it floats, then your hair has lower porosity, and you’re not in the dry-hair gang!

How Often Should You Wash Dry Hair?

For those with dry hair, wash it a maximum of two times a week with a moisturising shampoo. Avoid ones loaded up with silicones and sulphates, which can cause build-up and strip your hair of its natural oils and nutrients over time.

Do You Have Oily Hair?

An easy way to tell if your hair is oily is by its appearance, which tends to look a touch lifeless. To find out for sure, place a tissue on your scalp (when your hair is dry) and check the tissue under a light. If you can see grease on the tissue, then it is likely you have oily hair.

How often Should You Wash Oily Hair?

Washing oily hair too often can strip the hair of its natural oils and stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. Yet if you don’t wash your hair often enough, it can also mean sebum has time to build up. You’ll need to experiment with how often you wash your oily hair to find the right balance.

Look for extra-mild shampoos and use a clarifying shampoo once or twice a month to help remove build-up.

Do You Have Normal Hair?

If your hair is usually soft to touch, and neither too dry nor too oily – then you have normal hair! There are a number of factors that contribute to having ‘normal’ hair, including a good diet, regular sleep, drinking plenty of water and, of course, your genetics!

How Often Should You Wash Normal Hair?

If you don’t need to address anything in particular, then aim to wash every two to three days (or more if you’ve had a sweaty workout!) 

Do You Have Thin Or Fine Hair?

Ever wondered whether your hair officially falls into the thin and fine category? Well, you can find out by comparing a strand of your hair to a piece of sewing thread! If your hair looks thinner than the thread, then you have fine hair. Any hair thicker than the thread (it may also feel coarse to touch) cannot categorise their hair as thin or fine.

How Often Should You Wash Thin or Fine Hair?

If you’ve got thin and fine hair, you’ll know just how quickly it can start to feel greasy! Wash it around three to four days a week with a volumising shampoo for some extra oomph.  

Do You Have Coloured Hair?

Of course, you’ll know yourself if your hair has been coloured. If you’re not sporting your au natural hair colour, then you’ll need to take good care of your locks.

How Often Should You Wash Coloured Hair?

The general rule of thumb when it comes to washing coloured hair is to wash your hair less often. The more you wash it, the quicker your gorgeous hair colour will fade. Aim to wash it 2-3 times a week with a nourishing shampoo and conditioner (and never more than every other day).

Do You Have Curly, Coily or Wavy Hair?

If you’ve been blessed with gorgeous curls, then listen up. First, you need to work out what kind of curl your hair naturally sits in – as it will generally differ for each curl type how often you wash it.

When washed and air dried, wavy hair tends to fall into an ‘S’ shape, which isn’t too straight. Curly hair has the classic ‘corkscrew’ shape and can be a variety of textures such as fine, medium or coarse. While coily hair often features tightly wound coils that are very visible.

For a full guide on identifying your curly hair type, check out our guide here: How to find your curl pattern (and why it matters).

How Often Should You Wash Curly, Coily or Wavy Hair?

Curly, coily and wavy hair tends to be more dehydrated than straight hair as the natural oils our scalp produces can’t travel down the hair shaft as easily. As these hair types tend to be drier, so they don’t need to be washed as frequently.

If you have wavy hair, then washing your hair 1-3 times a week should keep your hair feeling and looking its very best. While curls can be washed 2-4 times a week, and coily hair can be washed around once a week with a deep conditioning treatment applied every few weeks.

If your curly hair is starting to feel dry, then hold back on the washes as this can lead to brittle, frizzy ends!

Looking for specialist hair care? Check out our range for Kinks, Coils & Curls.

---