Wash day planner: how often should I wash my curly hair?
Five questions about your hair, scalp and week. Get a wash schedule that suits you, with refresh days and a clarify reminder, and put it straight in your calendar.
How often should you wash curly hair?
Less often than straight hair, but not as rarely as some advice suggests. The natural oil from your scalp struggles to travel down a curl, so the lengths dry out long before the roots get greasy. The tighter the curl, the longer you can usually go.
| Hair | Typical washes a week | Between washes |
|---|---|---|
| Wavy 2A to 2C | 2 to 4 | Waves drop quickly. Refresh with a light mist |
| Curly 3A to 3C | 1 to 3 | Refresh with water and a little leave-in |
| Coily 4A to 4C | Every 7 to 10 days | Moisturise the lengths, oil the scalp lightly |
Your scalp has the final say. An oily or itchy scalp needs washing more often whatever your curl type, and skipping washes is a common cause of flakes. See dry scalp and dandruff with curly hair.
Wash, co-wash, refresh, clarify
- Wash: a sulfate-free shampoo on the scalp, then conditioner on the lengths.
- Co-wash: conditioner only. Good after a workout, when you want sweat gone without stripping.
- Refresh: no washing at all. Mist, add a little product, scrunch and reclump the curls.
- Clarify: a stronger shampoo every few weeks to remove build-up from gels, silicones and hard water.
Read next
- How often should you wash curly hair? A schedule by curl type and scalp
- How to refresh curls on day 2, 3 and 4 (without re-washing)
- Dry scalp or dandruff? How to treat flakes without drying out your curls
Questions people ask
Is it bad to wash curly hair every day?
For most curly and coily hair, yes: daily shampoo strips the lengths faster than your scalp can replace the oils. If you sweat every day, rinse with water or co-wash instead and shampoo two or three times a week.
How often should I clarify curly hair?
Every 2 to 6 weeks, depending on how much gel, silicone or butter you use and whether you have hard water. If curls feel heavy, limp or coated, it is time.
How long can you go without washing curly hair?
Coily hair can go 7 to 10 days. Wavy and curly hair usually 2 to 5 days. If your scalp itches, smells or flakes, wash sooner.
Should I wash my hair after every workout?
You do not need to shampoo. Rinse with water or co-wash, focusing on the scalp, then refresh the curls with a little leave-in.