Hair Care Routine for Beginners: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide

Before choosing products, it helps to have a rough sense of two separate things: your hair’s texture and your scalp’s behavior. These aren’t the same axis, and it’s worth keeping them apart.

Hair texture is often grouped loosely into:

• Straight
• Wavy
• Curly
• Coily

Hair thickness is a separate quality — how much hair you have and how coarse each individual strand is. A person can have fine curly hair, thick straight hair, fine wavy hair, or coarse curly hair. Texture and thickness don’t determine each other, so it’s worth thinking about them separately rather than assuming, for example, that all curly hair is automatically thick.

Scalp condition is a third, separate factor:

• Oily scalp
• Dry scalp
• Normal or combination scalp
• Chemically treated or color-treated hair

You don’t need to run a formal “hair type test” to get started. The American Academy of Dermatology’s general guidance is simpler than that: learn the broad category your hair falls into, choose products described for that category, and adjust from there based on how your hair actually behaves (American Academy of Dermatology).

These categories also aren’t permanent. Hormonal changes, seasons, hair damage, and chemical treatments can all shift how oily, dry, or textured your hair feels — which is part of why a routine that worked a year ago might need a small update now.

If you have curly hair, see our guide to Curly Hair Routine. If your hair leans fine or thin, see our Fine Hair Care Guide.

Shampoo’s main job is cleaning the scalp — removing oil, sweat, product buildup, and debris. It isn’t primarily meant to deep-clean the entire length of your hair; over-washing the lengths can leave hair feeling rough or “flyaway.”

In practice, scalp condition often matters more than hair texture when you’re deciding how often to cleanse — two people with similar hair texture can need very different washing routines if one has an oilier scalp than the other.

When choosing a shampoo, consider:

• Whether it’s formulated for your general hair type (fine, curly, color-treated, etc.)
• Whether you have specific scalp concerns like dandruff or oiliness
• How your scalp and hair feel afterward — tight and squeaky-clean isn’t necessarily a good sign; it can mean the formula is too stripping for your hair

Avoid chasing whichever shampoo is trending online, and be skeptical of viral claims that a specific ingredient is universally dangerous — most of those claims aren’t well supported. If you have an ongoing scalp issue, that’s a better conversation for a dermatologist than a search engine.

If you’d like specific products for any of these steps, a few options are noted below — you don’t need all five to have a solid routine.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Briogeo Shampoo
A shampoo some readers pair with the scalp-cleansing step above.

View on Amazon (paid link)

Conditioner is meant to soften, smooth, and add moisture back into the hair, mainly along the mid-lengths and ends, where hair is oldest and most prone to dryness or damage.

A few practical points:

• Apply conditioner mainly from the mid-lengths to the ends rather than the scalp, unless a product is specifically labeled for scalp use.
• Fine or oily hair usually needs a smaller amount, applied further from the roots, to avoid looking weighed down.
• Dry, coarse, or curly hair can sometimes tolerate conditioner applied a little closer to the roots — but this depends on your hair and scalp, so adjust based on what feels right for you.
• Leave conditioner on for the time listed on the packaging; more time isn’t automatically better, and less time may mean it doesn’t do its job.

Skipping conditioner entirely tends to leave hair feeling rougher and more prone to tangling and static — it’s one of the few “extra” steps that’s genuinely useful for most people, not just a nice-to-have.

Briogeo Conditioner
A conditioner some readers use for the mid-lengths-and-ends step above.

View on Amazon (paid link)

Detangling matters most for longer, curlier, or drier hair, but it’s a good habit for most textures.

General approach:

• Use a wide-tooth comb or a detangling brush rather than a fine-tooth comb.
• Start at the ends and work upward in small sections, rather than starting at the roots and pulling downward through knots.
• Apply light tension only — if you feel resistance, stop and work the knot loose in smaller pieces.

Whether wet or dry detangling works better depends on your hair. Curly and coily hair is often easier to manage when detangled with conditioner still in it, while some finer or straighter hair types detangle just as easily dry. Neither approach is universally correct — pay attention to what causes less breakage for your specific hair.

A leave-in conditioner isn’t required for everyone, but it can help specific hair types manage moisture and frizz throughout the day. People who often benefit include those with:

• Curly or coily hair
• Dry hair
• Frizz-prone hair
• Chemically treated, color-treated, or heat-damaged hair

If your hair is naturally on the oilier side or fine and straight, a leave-in product may feel unnecessary or even weigh hair down. It’s entirely possible to build a complete beginner routine without one.

If you’d like to try a leave-in, here are two well-regarded options — you’d only need one, not both.

Moroccanoil All In One Leave-In Conditioner
One option for the optional leave-in step described above.

View on Amazon (paid link)

Mizani 25 Miracle Milk
Another leave-in option for the same step — you’d pick one of these two, not both.

View on Amazon (paid link)

Blow dryers, straighteners, and curling irons can contribute to hair damage over time, mainly by drying out the hair shaft and, at high enough temperatures, weakening its structure.

Practical ways to reduce heat damage:

• Use a heat protectant product before blow-drying or using styling tools.
• Use the lowest effective temperature setting rather than defaulting to the highest.
• Let hair air-dry partially before applying direct heat, when your schedule allows it.
• Limit how often you use high-heat tools, especially on hair that’s already dry, damaged, or chemically treated.

There isn’t one universally “safe” temperature that applies to every hair type and tool, so rather than fixating on an exact number, focus on using the lowest setting that still works, along with a heat protectant.

See our Heat Protection Guide for Beginners.

Beyond heat, several everyday habits quietly wear hair down over time:

• Tight hairstyles (ponytails, buns, braids) worn constantly can pull on the hair shaft and hairline.
• Rough towel-drying — vigorously rubbing wet hair — can roughen the hair cuticle and lead to frizz and breakage.
• Aggressive brushing, especially on wet hair, which is more elastic and prone to snapping.
• Frequent chemical processing (coloring, relaxing, perming) done back-to-back without recovery time.
• Chlorinated pool water and prolonged sun exposure, both of which can dry out and weaken hair over a season.
• Friction from certain fabrics, like standard cotton pillowcases, which some curl patterns catch on more easily.

None of these need to be avoided entirely — the goal is reducing unnecessary damage, not eliminating every hairstyle or trip to the pool.

Main concern: Oil tends to travel down the hair shaft quickly, so straight hair can look greasy faster than other textures.
Basic routine: Shampoo scalp as needed, condition lightly on the ends, avoid heavy leave-in products.
Avoid: Overloading hair with rich, heavy products that can weigh it down.

Main concern: Balancing definition with frizz control.
Basic routine: Gentle cleansing, conditioner focused on mid-lengths to ends, occasional lightweight styling product.
Avoid: Heavy oils or creams that can flatten the natural wave pattern.

See our Wavy Hair Routine.

Main concern: Dryness and frizz, since natural oils have a harder time traveling down the curl pattern.
Basic routine: Less frequent shampooing, generous conditioner, gentle wet detangling, leave-in product as needed.
Avoid: Rough towel-drying and frequent brushing when dry, which can disrupt curl pattern and cause frizz.

Main concern: Coily hair is often the most prone to dryness and shrinkage, and can call for the most moisture-focused routine.
Basic routine: Infrequent shampooing, deep conditioning, detangling with conditioner in the hair, regular moisturizing between washes.
Avoid: Over-manipulation, harsh detangling, and excessive heat.

Main concern: Fine hair can look flat or oily quickly and shows product buildup easily. (Remember: fine refers to strand thickness, not curl pattern — fine hair can be straight, wavy, curly, or coily.)
Basic routine: Lightweight shampoo and conditioner, applied conditioner mainly to the ends, minimal heavy styling products.
Avoid: Rich oils and heavy creams applied near the roots.

Main concern: Thick hair can take longer to fully clean, condition, and dry, and may tangle more if not detangled regularly.
Basic routine: Thorough but not excessive shampooing, generous conditioner throughout the mid-lengths and ends, regular detangling.
Avoid: Skipping conditioner, which can leave thick hair feeling rough and hard to manage.

See our Thick Hair Care Guide.

Dry hair often looks dull, feels rough, and may be prone to static or breakage. A routine focused on moisture — a gentler shampoo, a richer conditioner, and reduced heat exposure — tends to help.

See our Hair Care Routine for Dry Hair.

Oily hair usually needs more frequent, scalp-focused cleansing and lighter conditioning applied further from the roots.

See our Hair Care Routine for Oily Hair.

Frizz often comes from a combination of dryness, humidity, and hair cuticle damage. Moisturizing products, reduced heat, and gentler drying methods — like patting hair with a microfiber towel instead of rubbing with a regular one — can help manage it.

Breakage differs from hair loss: it usually shows up as short, uneven strands rather than thinning at the scalp. Common contributors include aggressive brushing, excessive heat, tight styles, and chemical over-processing. Reducing these factors and increasing conditioning can help reduce new breakage over time.

Dandruff is a common, non-contagious scalp condition that causes flaking, and it’s considered a mild form of a related condition called seborrheic dermatitis (Mayo Clinic). Mild dandruff can often be managed with a gentle daily shampoo, and more persistent cases may respond to a medicated dandruff shampoo (Mayo Clinic). If flaking doesn’t improve with regular use of an anti-dandruff shampoo, that’s a reasonable point to check in with a doctor or dermatologist.

See our Dandruff vs Dry Scalp guide.

Losing some hair every day is a normal part of the hair growth cycle. According to the Cleveland Clinic, healthy adults typically shed somewhere between 50 and 150 hairs per day on average (Cleveland Clinic). Shedding is worth paying closer attention to when it noticeably increases, comes out in clumps, or is accompanied by visible thinning.

See our How to Reduce Hair Fall guide.