Growing up, I was told in no uncertain terms that you had to wash your hair every single day. This was not presented as a suggestion. This was gospel. Daily hair washing was right up there with brushing your teeth and saying thank you. You didn’t question it. You complied.

So I complied. Religiously.

Which meant waking up extra early before school to wash my hair, blow-dry it, and style it. I had super curly hair, which meant this process was not a “wash and go.” This was a full Olympic event involving time, heat, prayer, and emotional resilience.

Fast forward to college and then early adulthood when whispers began circulating. Apparently you don’t actually have to wash your hair every day. Whaaat? Excuse me? What do you mean don’t have to? Mom!?!

Little by little, I realized I may have been fooled by society. Misled. Betrayed by Big Shampoo. Betrayed by commercials.

Why, exactly, did people advocate for daily hair washing? Who benefited from this? (Other than shampoo companies and alarm clocks.) Apparently, there are factors that influence how often you should wash your hair such as how often you exercise, whether you use styling products daily, and hair texture.

And yet, now we are told in a very casual way, that most people probably shouldn’t wash their hair every day. Regardless of texture. This is said with the breezy confidence of people who did not grow up wrestling curls at 6 a.m.

Suppodedly, washing your hair too frequently can lead to excessive dryness, breakage, and split ends. Fine. Great. Love that for us. This information would have been useful approximately 20 years ago.

And then comes the real kicker.
Curlier hair such as my hair tends to get dry faster and is more fragile. Because it’s prone to breakage, it’s now recommended that we wash curly hair at most once a week, maybe even once every two weeks.

Ok. Once. A. Week. Every two weeks?!

So you’re telling me that all those early mornings? The blow dryers? The scorched ends? The emotional labor? Entirely unnecessary? Possibly harmful?

I feel betrayed by science. By evolving knowledge. By every adult who watched me struggle and said nothing. Where were these dermatologists when I needed them? Why didn’t anyone pull me aside and whisper, “Put the shampoo down. Step away slowly.”

Now, of course, this is known by everyone. TikTok teens casually announce their “wash day” schedules like seasoned dermatologists. Meanwhile, I’m still unlearning decades of lather-based anxiety.

So how often should you wash your hair?Apparently, it depends. On your texture. Your lifestyle. Your products. Your scalp. Your soul.

But mostly, it depends on whether you, too, grew up believing cleanliness was measured in bubbles.

If nothing else, let this be a lesson. Sometimes the science changes. Sometimes the rules were wrong. And sometimes, the real damage isn’t the split ends. It’s the sleep we lost trying to do it “right.”

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to skip wash day. Out of spite.