Men's Hair Care: Tips and a Routine by Hair Length
9 min read Life stages Updated 5 October 2026 By Anna Sophie Schulenburg
Men's hair care depends on three things: how long your hair is, how quickly your scalp turns oily and how much styling product goes in every day. So wash your scalp with a mild shampoo as often as it asks for, give anything longer than about ten centimetres its own conditioner, and wash wax or pomade out thoroughly once a week. You can tell in the evening whether the routine fits: if the roots still sit loosely and your scalp doesn't itch, the interval and the amount are right.
There is no such thing as “men's hair” as a category of its own. Sebaceous glands do respond to male hormones, which is why the roots get oily faster for many men. How fast that happens for you is still individual, and a shampoo with a black label cleans no differently from one with a white label. Beard care is a separate topic with its own skin underneath, so this article leaves it out.
Your routine by hair length at a glance
Short hair is almost all roots. The longer it grows, the older the ends get and the more the care shifts from the scalp to the lengths.
| Hair length | Washing | Care for the lengths | Styling | Time per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very short, up to 3 cm | Daily or every other day, a pea-sized amount | Not needed, a two-in-one product is enough | Little or none | 2 minutes |
| Short, 3 to 10 cm | As needed, a hazelnut-sized amount | Only if the hair feels rough | Wax, paste or cream, pea-sized | 3 to 5 minutes |
| Medium to chin length | Two to three times a week, walnut-sized | Conditioner at every wash, from ear level down | Cream or spray, plus blow-drying | 5 to 10 minutes |
| Shoulder length and longer | Two to three times a week, on the scalp only | Conditioner at every wash, a mask every one to two weeks | Oil on the ends, hair ties without metal | 10 minutes |
The wash intervals are guidelines. Sport, a helmet or cap and a hot summer shorten them, and washing every day does no harm to the scalp as long as the shampoo is mild.
Men's hair care tips in four steps
Step 1 — Wash your scalp. Use lukewarm water, lather the shampoo in your hand with a little water and spread it over your scalp with your fingertips, from the temples over the crown down to the nape. Massage for a minute, then rinse thoroughly. The lather cleans the lengths on its way out. If you use MONAT and wear your hair short, MONAT Black™ Shampoo + Conditioner is designed for exactly this case: cleansing and light conditioning in one step. On its own it won't do for dry, coloured or long lengths.
Step 2 — Condition the lengths if they need it. From about ten centimetres, a conditioner goes in after the shampoo, only from ear level down, and stays in for two minutes. Chin-length hair needs a hazelnut-sized amount, shoulder-length hair a walnut-sized one. If the comb glides through afterwards, that was enough. If your hair feels limp or greasy once it's dry, use half next time.
Step 3 — Dry. Press the water out with a towel instead of rubbing, because wet hair stretches and the cuticle roughens with friction. Short hair can air-dry. If you want shape, blow-dry the roots on a medium setting from about 15 cm, in the direction you want them to lie, and finish with a blast of cool air.
Step 4 — Style. Rub a pea-sized amount of wax or paste between your palms until no lumps are visible, then work it into dry hair from the back of your head forwards. That way the least product ends up at the roots above your forehead. If you need more, add a second small portion rather than one big one.
Scalp care for men: what your scalp is telling you
With short hair the scalp is exposed. Sun, sweat, caps and styling products hit it directly, and sebum travels quickly to the ends of short hairs. That is why scalp care is usually the more important half of men's hair care.
| What you notice | What is usually behind it | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| The roots already shine by the afternoon, hair sticks together in strands | Your scalp gets oily quickly | Wash daily with a mild shampoo, on the scalp only |
| Your scalp itches and feels coated, even though you washed yesterday | Residue from wax, pomade or gel | A clarifying wash once a week, less styling product |
| Fine, dry flakes on a dark jumper, the scalp feels tight | Showering too hot or too harsh a product, such as shower gel | Wash with lukewarm water, mild shampoo instead of shower gel |
| Yellowish, greasy flakes, the scalp is red | Often seborrhoeic dermatitis, which care alone won't clear | Anti-dandruff shampoo from the pharmacy; if nothing improves after four weeks, see a dermatologist |
| The scalp at the parting or crown is red after a day outdoors | Sunburn, because the hair gives little shade there | Cap or hat, sun protection for the scalp |
Do two rows sound like you? The free hair analysis asks about scalp, length and styling and suggests a routine that fits your day.
If your roots get oily quickly, wash daily with a small amount instead of every third day with a lot of shampoo. When you cleanse an oily scalp, regularity counts for more than the strength of the product.
A clarifying shampoo, used once a week in place of your usual one, deals with residue. If you use MONAT, the Purifying Vinegar Shampoo is meant for this. Skip the clarifying wash on a red or irritated scalp until it has calmed down.
White flakes on your jumper can come from a dry scalp or be actual dandruff. You can tell dry scalp from dandruff by the size and greasiness of the flakes, and that decides whether a mild shampoo is enough or you need an anti-dandruff one. With short or thinning hair, your scalp also belongs in your sun protection for hair and scalp in summer, because it burns there just like the back of your neck.
Red, sharply outlined patches with silvery scales, weeping or bleeding spots, and itching that doesn't ease after three weeks of mild care belong with a dermatologist. Psoriasis, eczema or a fungal infection can be behind them, and no cosmetic treats those.
Which styling product suits which hair
Styling leaves the most residue behind. If the product matches your hair, a small amount holds, and less stays on the scalp.
| Your hair | Product | Amount | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine, falls flat quickly | Matte paste or volumising spray | Pea-sized, 3 to 4 sprays | Pomade and oil make fine hair stringy |
| Thick and straight | Wax or pomade | Pea-sized, two portions for a lot of hair | Water-based pomade washes out more easily |
| Wavy or curly | Light cream in damp hair | Hazelnut-sized, don't comb through | Air-dry or use a diffuser |
| With a cowlick or growth against the cut | Hairdryer and a little wax | Pea-sized | Blow-dry the cowlick wet against its direction, then set it |
The firmer the product, the harder it is to get out in one wash. With daily wax or pomade, a weekly clarifying wash makes sense; with a light cream, every two to three weeks is enough. You can spot product build-up on hair and scalp when your hair looks dull and heavy straight after drying and your styling holds less well than usual.
Straw-like hair in men
Hair feels like straw when the cuticle is roughened and the fibre loses moisture. In men this often comes down to everyday habits. Shower gel or a three-in-one product replaces shampoo, the water is very hot, salt or chlorinated water stays in the hair unrinsed after the sea or the pool, or the hair has grown while the routine has stayed the same. Bleached or coloured hair is rougher anyway and always needs care for the lengths.
First switch to a mild shampoo and lukewarm water, and condition the lengths at every wash, even if your hair is only ten centimetres long. After swimming, rinse your hair with clear water straight away. If the comb glides more easily after the first wash, you're on the right track. If the ends still feel rough after four weeks, they are probably so damaged that only a cut will remove them. If your hair stays rough even after the cut, work through the other causes of dry, brittle hair and give the lengths a mask every one to two weeks.
When your hair starts thinning
Receding temples and a thinning crown in men are usually hereditary and hormonal. No shampoo changes that predisposition. Effective treatments for hereditary hair loss are medicines and belong in a doctor's hands, and the earlier a dermatologist sees the pattern, the more options there are. Round bald patches, hair suddenly coming out in clumps and hair loss after starting a new medication need a dermatologist straight away, because treatable causes can be behind them.
Within cosmetic limits, care can give existing hair more grip and make the roots look fuller. In the MONAT range, IR Clinical™ Thickening Shampoo is meant for this: it cleanses the scalp and is designed to make the hair you already have feel fuller. It does not grow new hair. Whether your density is actually decreasing shows in photos of your temples and crown, taken every four weeks in the same light. For looking after thinning hair, what counts from there is light products that don't weigh the roots down.
Common mistakes and what to do instead
- Shower gel or a three-in-one product for body and hair → a mild shampoo just for the scalp.
- Showering hot and washing your hair at the same time → lukewarm water, especially on your head.
- Rubbing shampoo into the lengths → scalp only; the lather cleans the lengths.
- Washing rarely so your scalp “gets less oily” → wash as often as your roots ask for it, daily if need be.
- Applying a large amount of wax right above your forehead → rub a pea-sized amount between your palms and start at the back of your head.
- Treating longer hair with a short-hair routine → from about ten centimetres, conditioner from ear level down.
- Reaching for an anti-hair-loss shampoo for receding temples → have a dermatologist look at the pattern.
Quick questions
Is dry shampoo worth using for men?
Yes, as a stopgap for one day between two washes. Spray it onto the roots from about 20 cm, wait a minute and massage it in with your fingertips; with dark hair, choose a clear or tinted one, otherwise it leaves a grey film. The next day your scalp needs to go back under the shower, because the powder stays on it.
Does washing every day make more hair fall out?
No. The hairs left in your hand after washing were already in the shedding phase and would have come loose over the next few days anyway. Around 50 to 100 hairs a day are considered normal.
How often should I get short hair cut?
Every four to six weeks if you want the shape to hold. Hair grows about a centimetre a month, and with a two-centimetre cut that is already half the length. The interval makes no difference to how healthy your hair is.
Does wearing a cap damage your hair?
No, as long as it is clean and not too tight. Your scalp sweats more under a cap, so your roots may need an extra wash on those days.
Whether your scalp needs a mild daily wash or a weekly clarifying one, the free hair analysis sorts it out for you by length, scalp and styling.