I’ve done the whole double cleansing routine for my face, which means I wash it twice with different cleansers to ensure a deep clean. But did you know there’s a thing called triple washing for hair?
Let me break it down from personal experience. Triple washing involves washing your hair not once, not twice, but three times in one shower. Yeah, I know it sounds excessive, but hear me out. During each wash, you lather up, rinse it out… and then do it all over again.
Now, while many of us try to stretch out our hair-washing days as long as possible, the truth is clean hair is happy hair.
If you don’t wash your locks enough, stuff like product buildup and natural oils can hang around on your scalp and cause irritation and thinning — or even worse — actual hair loss. Trust me on this one.
Some experts — like my friend Dr. Kahen who’s a hair transplant surgeon — might tell you not to wash too often if you dye your hair (guilty as charged).
But many trichologists — including Helen Reavey from Act + Acre — swear by frequent cleansing for healthier hair overall. According to these experts, keeping your scalp clean and hydrated is key to optimal growth.
So if you’re curious about triple washing and whether or not it’s right for you, keep reading.
I’ve gathered insights from top hairstylists and trichologists that should help you decide if it’s worth adding an extra step (or two) to your wash-day routine.
What are the benefits?
If you’re like me and love experimenting with different products — from oils to stylers and everything in between — triple washing could be the secret sauce missing from your routine.
Whether you rely heavily on dry shampoo between washes or constantly layer on hairspray for that perfect look… trust me when I say that triple washing will give both your strands & scalp some much-needed TLC.
Think about it like this: just as a multi-step skincare routine can do wonders for your complexion, a triple hair wash can do wonders for your locks.
According to Mara Roszak — celebrity hairstylist and Global Styling Ambassador for Pantene — different shampoos are formulated to target specific issues like product buildup, dryness, volume, texture & tone.
This means you can personalize your wash to fit your hair’s needs… whether that means getting rid of stubborn hairspray residue or silicone buildup or excess dry shampoo.
Dr. Joshua Zeichner — a dermatologist in NYC — says that multiple washes have been proven to get rid of any & all build-up in the hair, even the toughest residues like hairspray or hair dye.
Not only will this leave you with cleaner strands overall… but it’ll also create a much healthier environment for new growth!
And if you have thin/fine hair like me, Dr. Kahen suggests that triple washing could seriously change the game for you.
Thin hair tends to show oiliness & build-up more prominently than other types… meaning this technique could be an absolute lifesaver when it comes to maintaining scalp health between shampoos.
But why stop there?
According to Roszak, triple washing isn’t just about cleanliness — it’s about creating the perfect foundation for healthy growth while enhancing shine & setting strands up for additional moisture & nourishment.
RELATED: How to Maintain Long Hair and Keep It Healthy
It’s basically giving yourself (or your client) a fresh start with their hair… waking up the scalp so that everything can grow properly + look its very best.
So now I bet you’re wondering… how often should I be triple washing?
Triple washing every day or even every other day is discouraged by Dr. Kahen, who recommends it only if you’ve been using a lot of styling products or dry shampoo and your hair needs some extra TLC.
Trichologist Ricardo Dinis has a tip: If your shampoo isn’t lathering as much as usual, try triple-washing to refresh your hair and scalp, getting rid of buildup and oiliness for a clean slate.
So if you’re looking to level up your hair-care routine and give your locks some love, consider incorporating triple-washing. Your hair will reward you with new life, shine, and health.
Deciding how often to wash can feel like navigating a maze—it’s different for everyone.
Dr. Zeichner breaks it down:
“The frequency of washing depends on the amount of oil in your scalp as well as the texture of your hair.”
Those with fine, oily strands may need to shampoo more frequently, those with coarse, dry ones may get away with once a week or every two weeks.
But wait—there’s more! Dr. Kahen notes that lifestyle factors into how often you should wash your hair too. If you’re hitting the gym daily or living an active lifestyle, you’ll want to suds up more often to remove sweat and grime.
Now, let’s talk about the fine details of triple washing — which products should you use?
Dr. Kahen recommends using two different shampoos in a tag-team manner. Start off with a detox shampoo to get rid of buildup and dead skin on the scalp, then follow up with a moisturizing shampoo to hydrate your strands. Think of it as a one-two punch for clean, healthy hair.
For an even deeper cleanse, try incorporating a chemical exfoliant such as Act+Acre’s Salicylic Acid Scalp Exfoliator.
This powerhouse product gently removes buildup while calming scalp irritation, and also addresses concerns like dandruff and psoriasis to leave your head feeling refreshed and reborn.
And don’t forget about the scalp massage! Dr. Kahen suggests using a scalp massager during the detox shampoo step to supercharge the cleansing process and stimulate healthy hair growth. Look for brushes like Pacifica’s
Clarifying Scalp Massage Brush — it’s not only effective but cute and shower-friendly too.
Dr. Zeichner has an alternative perspective: spot treating. Different parts of our hair have different needs, so he suggests using clarifying shampoos at the roots for oily scalps while hydrating options should be focused on the lengths and ends instead.
RELATED: What Causes My Hair to Feel Like Straw?
If you’ve dyed your hair, go with a color-safe shampoo such as Moroccan Oil Color Care Shampoo to preserve vibrancy.
At the end of the day, finding the right routine comes down to understanding what our hair needs are individually speaking; whether that means triple washing or spot treating – just listen to your hair and give it some love.
Addressing specific concerns like combating dandruff & downsides
If someone is dealing with something like dandruff though Dr.Zeichner would switch out that clarifying/detox shampoo for specialized dandruff shampoos instead; one example being Neutrogena T/Sal Therapeutic
Shampoo which has 3% salicylic acid to exfoliate the scalp.
Think of the dandruff shampoo as a skin treatment and massage it into your scalp, letting it lather, and sing “Happy Birthday” to yourself before rinsing, Dr.Zeichner instructs.
One round with the shampoo should be enough before moving on to another one for subsequent washes.
That being said there are potential downsides to triple washing that Ricardo Dinis cautions against.
If hair feels too stripped, is color-treated or if someone has a sensitive scalp – triple washing might not be best for you.
Triple washing can be very aggressive as it strips away our hair’s natural oils which they need for moisture; this can lead to dryness and breakage.
For colored hair, this could speed up color fade. Also, those who have sensitive scalps should not wash their heads so often nor use strong shampoos every day because these actions may cause irritation on such individuals’ skins either way
Once you’ve washed, it’s good to use something like Color Fanatic Multi-Tasking Leave-In Conditioner.
This will help moisturize the hair as well as protect it from heat and make it easier to comb through which could reduce damage caused by triple washing.
Therefore, although triple washing might work on certain people’s hair types, you must consider the cons and adjust your method accordingly so that it remains healthy and lively.
