The Abbey Yung Method: What To Know (From Someone Who Isn’t a Haircare Girly)

I am not, and never have been, a haircare girly.

I didn’t grow up knowing the difference between a mask and a conditioner. I’ve never instinctively understood which shampoo was “obviously” right for my hair type. I’ve always kind of assumed that haircare was one of those skills you either picked up early — or quietly accepted you’d never fully grasp. 

For most of my adult life, my hair routine looked like this: wash when it felt gross, condition (because you’re supposed to), heat style if I was feeling virtuous, air dry if I wasn’t. If my scalp flaked, I panicked. If my hair felt dry, I bought something heavier. If it felt greasy, I solved the problem with… a lot of dry shampoo.

Then I started watching Abbey Yung on TikTok, and for the first time ever, haircare started feeling less like a chore and more like a system.

What people on social media refer to as “the Abbey Yung Method” isn’t an official program or a rigid routine. It’s more of a framework: a way of understanding hair that cuts through a lot of the noise, marketing, and frankly, nonsense that dominates haircare advice online.

If you’re starting a haircare journey and don’t identify as someone who’s “good at this stuff,” here’s everything you need to know.

First: Start with how your hair behaves, not what it looks like

Abbey Yung doesn’t approach haircare by categorizing hair based on how it looks. Instead, she focuses on how hair functions — how it responds to products, how it interacts with moisture, and how the scalp behaves day to day.

Rather than centering visual traits, the Abbey Yung Method consistently prioritizes three foundational factors: Strand thickness, hair density, and scalp type.

These are the characteristics that determine whether products weigh your hair down, why your roots get oily or your scalp flakes (mine, somehow, does both), how often you need to wash, and why something that works beautifully for someone else might be a disaster for you.

By starting here, haircare becomes less about fitting into a category and more about understanding cause and effect. Once you know how your hair and scalp behave, product choices become clearer and styling becomes a secondary, optional consideration rather than the entire framework.

For someone who’s never felt fluent in haircare culture, this shift alone makes the whole process feel far more approachable.

Strand thickness: The most important thing you’ve probably never been taught

Strand thickness refers to how thick a single strand of hair is, not how much hair you have overall. This is the category that often determines which products will work for you and which ones never will.

Fine hair

Fine hair strands are very small in diameter. If you roll a single strand between your fingers and can barely feel it, it’s likely fine. Fine hair gets weighed down easily and tends to show oil faster. It’s also the most commonly misunderstood hair type. A lot of people with fine hair think their hair is dry because it looks limp or feels rough, but heavy oils and butters often make the problem worse, not better.

Abbey-style product guidance for fine hair: 

• Shampoo: lightweight, gentle cleansers; avoid ultra-rich or oil-heavy formulas
• Conditioner: lightweight hydration, slip-focused, minimal oils
• Treatments: bond-repair or protein treatments can help, but in moderation
• Leave-ins: sprays, milks, or very light serums

Medium hair

Medium hair is the most common strand type. You can feel it between your fingers, but it doesn’t feel wiry. It tends to hold styles better than fine hair and tolerate a wider range of products.

Abbey-style product guidance for medium hair:

• Shampoo: most gentle to strengthening shampoos work well
• Conditioner: balanced moisture; neither ultra-light nor overly rich
• Treatments: masks and bond repair are optional and situational
• Leave-ins: creams or sprays, depending on dryness and styling habits

Coarse hair

Coarse hair strands are thick and very noticeable. They often take longer to dry and generally need richer, heavier moisture to feel soft and manageable.

Abbey-style product guidance for coarse hair:

• Shampoo: moisturizing, gentle cleansers (not overly clarifying day-to-day)
• Conditioner: rich, deeply hydrating formulas
• Treatments: masks are often genuinely helpful
• Leave-ins: creams, oils, or butters can be appropriate

This distinction matters more than almost anything else. Once you know your strand thickness, a lot of past product failures suddenly make sense.

Hair density: How much hair you have (not how thick it is)

Density is about quantity, not strand size. Abbey keeps this simple: how easy is it to see your scalp?

• Low density: scalp visible easily
• Medium density: scalp visible mainly when parted
• High density: scalp difficult to see

Density mostly affects how much product you use, not which products you buy. This is important because many people with fine hair also have medium or high density, which can be confusing at first. In other words, you can have a lot of hair that still needs very lightweight products.

Scalp type: The thing we mostly ignore (but shouldn't)

One of the most helpful parts of Abbey Yung’s approach is how she treats the scalp as skin (because it is!). Your scalp has its own needs, and they’re often completely separate from what your hair lengths need. The main scalp types are:

• Dry scalp: tight, flaky, uncomfortable, rarely oily
• Oily scalp: greasy quickly, often within 24–48 hours
• Balanced scalp: minimal issues

Abbey-style shampoo guidance by scalp type:

• Dry scalp: Look for gentle, hydrating shampoos; Avoid frequent clarifying or harsh anti-dandruff formulas; Ingredients that support the skin barrier are prioritized
• Oily scalp: Effective cleansing matters more than richness; Clarifying shampoos can be used regularly (but not daily); The goal is clean, not stripped
• Balanced scalp: Flexible (most gentle shampoos work well); Clarifying as needed based on buildup and styling habits

This matters because not all flakes are dandruff. Light, powdery flakes are often a sign of dryness, not a fungal issue. Abbey frequently cautions against jumping straight to harsh anti-dandruff treatments unless there’s redness, itch, or greasy scaling. For dry scalps, the goal isn’t to strip; it’s to support the skin barrier.

How the Abbey Yung Method thinks about product

Once you understand your hair and scalp type, product choices stop feeling overwhelming.

Shampoo is for your scalp

Choose shampoo based on what your scalp needs, not your hair length. Dry scalp benefits from gentle, hydrating formulas. Oily scalps need effective cleansing without over-stripping. Abbey often emphasizes that “clean” shouldn’t mean tight or squeaky. If your scalp feels uncomfortable after washing, that’s information.

Conditioner is for your hair

Conditioner should be matched to your strand thickness. Fine hair usually does best with lightweight conditioners focused on hydration and slip, not heavy oils. Coarse hair often needs richer formulas. Application matters too: mostly mids to ends, unless your scalp specifically tolerates conditioner. 

Masks and treatments are optional

Hair masks aren’t inherently better than conditioners; they’re just more concentrated. Abbey treats them as situational tools, not mandatory weekly rituals. Consistency with the right basics usually matters more than piling on treatments.

Oils and leave-ins should be strategic 

This is where a lot of fine-haired people go wrong. Dry hair doesn’t always mean it needs oil. Fine hair often responds better to lightweight serums or milks. Abbey frequently points out that hair can be dry, dehydrated, damaged, or some combination, and each requires a different approach.

Why this method clicked for me

What I appreciate most about the Abbey Yung Method is that it removes the moral judgment from haircare. If something doesn’t work, it’s not because you failed or didn’t try hard enough; it’s because the product wasn’t designed for your hair’s actual characteristics.

For years, I thought I had “thick” hair. As it turns out, I have fine, dense hair with an oily scalp that also happens to flake sometimes. That mismatch explained a lot: why heavy products never worked for me, why my roots felt greasy so quickly, and why I kept cycling through products that were clearly designed for someone else’s hair.

The goal here isn’t a specific texture, routine, or aesthetic; it’s hair that functions well in real life, not hair that performs for the internet. As someone who’s never felt naturally fluent in beauty culture, that reframing mattered.

Starting a haircare journey (without becoming a different person)

I should note: I’m still early in this process. I’m not suddenly fluent in ingredients or maintaining a perfectly styled “everything shower.” But I do understand my hair in a way I didn’t before. I know what questions to ask, why certain products don’t work for me, and I no longer feel like haircare is some mysterious skill I missed the memo on.

If, like me, the idea of a multi-step routine makes you want to lie down, this is the pared-back version Abbey often points people toward (four products, no extras):

• A clarifying shampoo, used occasionally. Think of this as a reset, not a daily habit. Used once a week or every few weeks, it helps remove buildup when hair feels heavy, dull, or inexplicably greasy.
• A regular shampoo chosen for your scalp type. This is your everyday wash. Pick it based on how your scalp behaves, not how your hair looks. Discomfort after washing isn’t failure; it’s feedback.
• A conditioner matched to your strand thickness. Finer hair generally needs lighter formulas; coarser hair tolerates more richness. Apply mostly to mids and ends. Conditioner isn’t meant to fix your scalp.
• One leave-in product you’ll actually use. Ideally lightweight, suited to your hair’s weight tolerance, and protective enough if you heat style.

That’s it. And the best part? Abbey is firmly pro-drugstore, favoring affordable, accessible products over anything obscure. Her method doesn’t promise perfect hair — it promises clarity, which, for someone who isn’t a haircare girly, is more than enough.