Use dry shampoo and use it right
On those unwashed hair days, dry shampoo is definitely your best friend since it's one of the main ways to prolong a regular shampoo. Nothing does the trick of making your hair look clean even when it's not washed.
Water-only washing works best with curly, coily, thick, and coarse textures that are prone to dryness. Chambers-Harris recommends following up with a deep conditioning mask or conditioner to seal in moisture after washing the hair with water.
For the average person, every other day, or every 2 to 3 days, without washing is generally fine. “There is no blanket recommendation. If hair is visibly oily, scalp is itching, or there's flaking due to dirt,” those are signs it's time to shampoo, Goh says.
"The average individual can typically go 2 to 3 days without shampooing their hair. However, if your hair is visibly oily, you may not want to wait that long," she says. "Usually, you can go longer without washing your hair when your hair is styled up, but no one should ever go more than 14 days."
What Is the No-Poo Method? The no-poo method is a hair-cleansing technique that removes shampoo from the equation, says Geeta Yadav, MD, a dermatologist in Toronto. Instead of using shampoo, followers of the practice use alternatives such as apple cider vinegar, a cleansing conditioner, or just plain water.
People with oily hair or who use hair care products daily should consider washing their hair once every 1–2 days. People with dry hair can wash their hair less frequently. Those with textured or coily hair should only wash it once every 1–2 weeks.
If you want to skip your next shampoo in the shower, instead try gently exfoliating your scalp with a salt scrub. A salt scrub is best used to help remove product buildup from dry shampoo or any other hair products and to slough away dead skin cells.
Use dry shampoo to get you through
If you're finding that your hair feels/looks/smells dirty when you skip wash day, a lot of people find some relief with dry shampoo. Dry shampoo is basically an oil-absorbing powder that is applied to your hair.
While some experts say that washing your hair once a week is alright as long as you use a good shampoo and your hair needs that frequency–we have not addressed the other side of the coin. When one has extremely dry hair which is not washed often, it can lose its natural moisture with age.
Hair traps moisture, Lamb said, meaning that built-up bacteria on unwashed scalps can start to pick up a mildewy or sour smell after several days or a week, especially if exercise is involved.
Hair Washing Frequency and Tips
“I recommend washing your hair two to three times a week,” Dr. Icecreamwala says. “If your hair is dry, you may only want to wash it twice a week. If it is on the oilier side, every other day is recommended.”
How Often You Should Wash Your Sheets (And How to Get Them Really Clean) Experts recommend washing or changing sheets once a week.
How often you need to wash your bras isn't an exact science. But dermatologist Alok Vij, MD, says that as a general rule, you should wash them after every two to three wears.
Dead skin cells, bacteria, and even sweat can accumulate quickly on your towels, so using a fresh one about every three days is a simple rule of thumb—for all kinds of towels. You can of course change them more often.