If you have locs, you have probably gotten a lot of different answers to this question. Some people say once a week. Others say once a month. And somewhere along the way, someone likely told you not to wash them at all, especially not in the beginning.
The truth is, there is no single number that works for everyone. But there is clear guidance from professionals who have been in this field for years, and it all points to one truth: clean locs are healthy locs.
Let's Start With the Biggest Myth
The idea that locs should not be washed is one of the most stubborn myths in natural hair care. It has been passed around for generations and has caused real harm to a lot of people's hair health. Locs are hair. Hair needs to be cleaned. Skipping washes does not help your locs lock faster, it just allows sweat, dirt, and product buildup to settle into your strands and eventually embed itself deep inside the loc, where it becomes very hard to remove.
Ebuni Ajiduah, an award-winning certified trichologist in London, addresses this directly. She consistently advises her clients that regular cleansing is one of the most important things they can do to support healthy locs and a healthy scalp. In her professional practice, she emphasizes that correct products combined with regular washing work together to reduce buildup and keep locs thriving at every stage.
So How Often Should You Wash?
The honest answer depends on who you are, how active you are, and where you live. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that to keep Black hair healthy, you should wash your hair once a week or every other week. For loc wearers specifically, most professionals support that same range as a solid starting point, with your personal lifestyle guiding adjustments from there.
Here is a simple way to think about it based on your lifestyle:
Very active lifestyle. If you work out regularly, sweat heavily, or work in a dusty or outdoor environment, you may need to wash once a week or more often. Sweat and environmental debris collect quickly in your locs and on your scalp, and letting them sit can lead to odor, irritation, and buildup.
Moderate lifestyle. If you exercise a few times a week and spend a mix of time indoors and outdoors, washing every one to two weeks is a good rhythm for most people.
Lower activity level. If your daily routine involves less physical exertion and you mostly spend time indoors, you may be comfortable washing every two to four weeks. The key is paying attention to how your scalp feels rather than sticking rigidly to a calendar.
Anu Prestonia, founder of Khamit Kinks salon in Brooklyn and one of the most respected voices in natural hair care, puts healthy hair above all else. Writing on her own blog, she states directly: "All hair types and lengths are beautiful to me when the hair is healthy and well cared for. That should be the goal." For loc wearers, that philosophy begins and ends with a consistent, clean hair care routine that prioritizes scalp health and proper cleansing at every stage of the loc journey.
What About Starter Locs?
If you are in the early stages of your loc journey, the rules shift a bit. Most locticians recommend giving your locs time to set before your first wash, typically four to six weeks, so the hair has a chance to begin the locking process without being disrupted. That said, you do not have to let your scalp go completely without attention during this period. A gentle cleanse with a damp cloth around the scalp can help manage itchiness and light buildup between washes.
Once your locs mature past the baby stage, you have much more freedom to establish a consistent wash routine without worrying about disrupting the loc’ing process.
Aaliyah Alicia Thompson, a certified loctician and founder of Aaliyah's Beauty Bar in Jonesboro, Georgia, advises her clients to use a residue-free shampoo and be gentle at the roots when washing starter locs. She recommends waiting at least two weeks after a fresh retwist before washing. This gives the hair time to set and reduces the risk of unraveling. When you do wash, gentle pressure at the roots and a thorough rinse are the keys to keeping your locs intact during those early stages.
Choosing the Right Shampoo
The type of shampoo you use matters just as much as how often you wash. For locs, you want a formula that is lightweight, residue-free, and effective enough to clean the scalp without leaving anything behind. Anything that leaves residue in your hair will eventually work its way into the core of the loc and become very difficult to remove.
A 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner is an especially practical choice for loc wearers because it simplifies wash day without skipping the conditioning step. Locsanity's Rosewater and Peppermint 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner and Grapefruit Coconut Lime 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner are both formulated to clean effectively while conditioning at the same time, using clean, lightweight ingredients that rinse out fully without leaving buildup behind.
The Part Regular Washing Cannot Reach: The Detox
Even the most consistent wash routine has limits. Over time, things like environmental debris from pollution and dust, hard water minerals, and product residue, work their way deep inside the loc and settle into the core of the strand where shampoo cannot reach them. This is not a sign that you are doing something wrong. It is simply the nature of how locs work. Their dense, tightly matted structure is what makes them beautiful, and it is also what makes them very good at holding onto things you do not want in there.
This is where a loc detox becomes essential.
A detox is a deeper cleansing process, usually done as a soak, that is designed to pull out the kind of buildup that has become embedded inside the loc itself. Even with regular washing, product residue from improper rinsing or overuse of styling products and environmental buildup can accumulate over time. A proper detox removes those embedded impurities, excess oil, and trapped debris while refreshing both the scalp and the locs from the inside out.
How often you should detox depends on your personal environment and routine. If you live in a city with hard water, work in a setting with heavy air pollution, or exercise intensely and regularly, a monthly detox may be what your locs need. If your lifestyle is less intense, detoxing every two to three months is likely sufficient to keep your locs feeling clean and light.
Ebuni Ajiduah also points out that protecting your locs at night with a silk or satin bonnet, pillowcase, or durag helps reduce the amount of environmental debris that finds its way into your locs between washes, which can extend the time between detox sessions for some people.
Locsanity's Rosewater and Peppermint Dreadlock Detox Powder was created specifically to address this deeper layer of loc care, getting to the buildup that regular shampooing leaves behind and giving your locs a true reset.
Signs Your Locs Need a Wash
Not sure whether it is time? Your locs will usually tell you. Here are the most common signals to look for:
Your scalp feels itchy or irritated. You notice flaking at your roots. Your locs feel heavier than usual or look dull. You detect an odor that was not there before. Your scalp feels oily, sticky, or uncomfortable.
Any of these is a signal to wash, and if you have gone more than a few weeks between washes, consider pairing your wash day with a detox treatment as well.
Tips for a Thorough Wash Day
Wet your locs and scalp fully before applying shampoo. Work the shampoo into your scalp first, then move it through the length of your locs. Rinse completely; any shampoo left behind will eventually become buildup. Squeeze water from your locs gently rather than rubbing them. Allow your locs to dry fully before going to bed. Damp locs that are covered or tied up overnight can develop mildew, which is extremely difficult to reverse. If you need to speed up drying, use a hooded dryer or a blow dryer on a low heat setting.
The Bottom Line
There is no magic number for how often to wash your locs. What matters is that you are washing consistently, using clean and residue-free products, and going deeper with a detox when your regular wash is not enough to address what has built up inside. Listen to your scalp. Pay attention to how your locs feel. And when in doubt, wash.
Your locs reflect how you care for yourself. Treat them well and they will reward you for it.
Sources
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Ajiduah, Ebuni. "Afro Answers: Why You Should Stop Retwisting Your Locs Too Often and Too Tightly." Untype. untypeyourhair.com. https://www.untypeyourhair.com/blog/afro-answers-why-you-should-stop-retwisting-your-locs-too-often-and-too-tightly
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Thompson, Aaliyah Alicia. "Starter Locs Retwist: How to Maintain Your New Locs." Aaliyah Beauty Bar, 2025. https://www.aaliyahbeautybar.com/post/starter-locs-retwist — Confirmed African American loctician, no competing product line.
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Prestonia, Anu. "Is Your Hair Long Enough?" Ask Anu — Khamit Kinks Blog. khamitkinks.wordpress.com, June 2011. https://khamitkinks.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/is-your-hair-long-enough/
- American Academy of Dermatology, via WebMD. "How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?" webmd.com, January 2024. https://www.webmd.com/beauty/features/how-often-wash-hair
