How Often Should Men Wash Their Hair?

When it comes to hair-washing, it seems like the rule should be the more the merrier, right? Maybe for some people—like dudes who sweat for a living or work in super-dirty environments—but for most of us, there comes a point when it’s too much washing for your scalp’s own good. The question of how often men should wash their hair is a hotly debated one, but we’re here to set the record straight so you get on the right schedule for you.

Answer: Less Often Than You Think

While there’s definitely no simple answer to this question, one thing’s for sure: More than likely, you’re doing a little bit too much washing or you’re washing with the wrong shampoo. Overwashing can lead to a bunch of issues that may be leading to bad hair. Irritation, dryness, grease. You may be able to blame it all on excessive washing.

Yep, over-cleansing actually causes greasy hair. It sounds insane, but it’s actually true. The more you wash and condition with the wrong products, the more you strip the natural oils from your strands and the more oil your scalp produces. An oily scalp can cause a whole bunch of annoying issues, including irritation and low self-confidence.

The mantra work smarter, not harder totally applies to hair care for dudes. Using a higher-quality product that provides gentle hydration, such as our Argan Oil Shampoo, will help you cleanse without creating excess oil and causing serious greasiness. The thing is, you also don’t want a shampoo that dries your scalp out too much and causes weak, dry strands and dandruff. Go for a well-balanced shampoo made specifically for men.

Here’s the thing, though. If you go from daily washing to washing a couple of times per week, you’re going to have to suffer through some greasy hair, but only at first. There’s such a thing as “training” your hair to wash it less and be less greasy, and it takes a couple of periods of waiting it out to get to the ideal place (hats are your friend during this period). Over time, your hair will produce less grease so you can wash it less.

Another Answer: It Depends

OK, now that we know we’ve probably all done a bit too much lathering for our own good, let’s get down to specifics. The truth is that how often you wash your hair really comes down to two things: what your hair goes through every day and what type of hair you have.

If You Work in an Office…wash your hair three to four times a week to stimulate the scalp and cleanse the strands.
If You’re an Athlete…wash your hair after nearly every work out to ensure that your scalp doesn’t harbor sweat and bacteria that could cause irritation, infection and blemishes. But, make sure you use a conditioner every time too to rehydrate.
If You Work at a Restaurant…wash your hair nearly every day to ensure that you don’t smell like a greasy kitchen and that you don’t look gross or dirty when people are trying to eat.
If You Work Outside…wash your hair nearly every day if you’re exposed to dirt and sweat. Make sure to wear a hat to protect your head and scalp from UV damage, which could lead to serious issues.
If You Have Dandruff…wash your hair nearly every day using tea tree oil shampoo and/or use a dandruff treatment to stimulate the scalp and remove the dead skin and oil buildup that causes those stubborn white flakes.
If Your Hair Is Naturally Greasy…wash your hair four or five times per week. Try dropping down how often you wash your hair by one time per week until your hair is “trained” to be less oily.
If Your Hair Is Naturally Dry…wash your hair every other day to get the ideal amount of hydration without overdrying. Definitely use a conditioner too!
If You’re Balding or Thinning…wash your hair two or three times per week to ensure that the scalp is getting the proper nutrients but to prevent breaking or damaging the existing strands.
If You Smoke…definitely wash your hair every day.

Which Shampoo You Should Use

Regardless of your hair type, texture, style, or issue you have with your hair, knowing which shampoo to use is just as important as knowing when to use it. Here is a complete list of all our amazing shampoos, find which one is right for you.

CONTROL: Dandruff is caused by a naturally occurring microbe on the scalp which breaks down oils into substances that can cause irritation. While everyone has these microbes, the flakes they can cause are noticeable, and an itchy scalp can get annoying quick. Grab CONTROL and be rid of the flakes and itch for good. Make sure you’re using something that has a high concentration of Coal Tar, the active ingredient needed to rid you of your dandruff.
HYDRATE: Sometimes the scalp doesn’t make enough oil to properly moisturize the hair. Over washing and blow drying too often can also be the culprits. Not to mention, exposure to lots of sun, or application of chemical treatments like dyes can lead to dry brittle hair as well. Regardless of what happened to get you there, dry and brittle hair needs to be handled immediately. HYDRATE is the shampoo that will help bring some life back into those follicles. What you’re looking for here is something with Argan Oil, which is a great moisturizer packed with Vitamin E and antioxidants. It not only rehydrates your hair, but also helps keep it protected from future damage.
VOLUME: Sadly, some of us have to deal with thinning and fine hair. VOLUME incorporates technologies and ingredients that allow the hair strands to have lift, or volume. Also, look for something that contains Biotin, Rice Protein, and/or Vitamin H, the essential vitamin needed to promote healthy hair and new growth.
CLEAN: If you're looking for a general deep cleansing shampoo, CLEAN is the one. It's jam-packed with tea tree oil, which is essential for healthy hair and scalp. Tea Tree oil not only helps fight bacteria and clear pores, which can prevent infection of the scalp and hair root, it can also prevent dandruff, and is used as a remedy for hair loss
BOLD: If you want all the benefits of CLEAN, but prefer a bit more of a manly scent, BOLD is your go too. The bourbon-scented, manly but sweet shampoo is ideal for all hair types and richly lathers delivering weightless volume and strength. And no gents, your hair won't catch a buzz with this one.

Experiment and Find a Good Rhythm

To put it simply, overwashing your hair is definitely a thing, and it may be worsening your locks with every scalp scrub. But there’s not a one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how often to wash your hair. You’ve got to do some experimentation for yourself to find that nice happy medium where you’ve got mucho Bueno Hair without all the annoying stuff that comes with over-cleansing. No matter what though, be sure to tag-team your shampoo with an awesome conditioner.