Should you wash hair before coloring it? Beauty hair time is now on

If you’ve ever colored your hair, you’re certainly aware of how much maintenance is required to keep your color looking fresh and vivid.

I freshen up my purple blonde, color-treated hair on a regular basis, and whenever I go on a hair appointment, I do not wash my hair at least 2 days prior. Sometimes I do not wash them at all, sometimes I use just a bit of dry shampoo on them.

While I’ve never hesitated to forgo shampoo during a few shower visits before color appointment – believing it was the way to keep my salon color vibrant – I began to wonder: is it really a good idea to not wash hair before coloring it? Or maybe I should wash my hair before my next appointment?

Yes, you can color dirty hair. But…

If you’ve ever wondered, “Should I wash my hair before coloring it?” there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Even if promotional emails and personalized advertising tell you otherwise.

The condition of your hair and the new hue you’ve selected to dye them determine whether you’re better off going to the color appointment with dirty hair or freshly washed hair. If you don’t wash your hair prior to hair coloring appointment, natural oils are going to create a protective extra layer of grease on your scalp.

It can shield your cuticle from irritation produced by the coloring hair treatment. However, sometimes it is better to wash your hair before starting their coloring process.

It all depends on your natural hair dye, your hair type and desired effect of color service

While going to the salon with oily strands won’t make much difference in case of a root touch, it would make a huge difference in case of a full colorisation.

The oils in filthy hair can actually make your hair appear a shade or two darker than it is (especially if you are blonde). Freshly washed hair make it easier for a stylist to accurately determine your natural hue. Armed with this knowledge, your haidresser is able to select a correct amount of depth for your treatment.

The same principle is true in case of dark hair that need color-deepenig or adding lowlights, clean hair gives an accurate reading of your natural hue.

On the contrary, the hairdressers advise to have a break with hair wash if you’re using shampoos with toning effects or a clarifying shampoo. Such styling products can really damage overall outcome of color service.

It’s also advisable to skip a few washes before bleaching

If correctly applied, bleach should not bother your scalp; nevertheless, it may be beneficial to allow oil to build up an additional layer of protection over your scalp’s cuticle and the bleach.

Remember that whether you go to the hairdresser with freshly washed hair or dirty hair, the end effect will be the same in terms of success of coloring treatment.

Never arrive at your appointment with wet hair

Most permanent hair-coloring formulations require to be applied on dry hair. If you are going to go to your salon appointment with washed hair, remember to dry your strands thoroughly on your own. That way you can save some time and additional expenditures.

After session you might take a break from shampooing

Whether you’ve gone lighter or darker, it’s quite OK (in fact, encouraged) to miss a few washes in the days following your visit.

Missing a wash or two will allow your new color molecules more time to soak and oxidize. When washing your color treated hair, use a combination of a color-protecting shampoo and conditioner. This method cleanses and conditions the skin to prevent fade. For blonde hair, use color-toning hair products.

Alternative to professional appointment

Getting your hair properly colored at a salon requires a significant time and financial investment. Rather than spending both in a professional’s chair for a new hair dye and style, consider coloring your hair at home on your own!

Before you buy a box of dye, consider these tips for a glossy, perfect tint that seems like it just stepped out of the salon:

1. ignore the box’s photos,
2. as a guide, use your own coloring,
3. keep your color within two shades of your natural hair dye,
4. before committing to a permanent hair dye, take a test drive,
5. do damage contro before dying,
6. don’t skip the patch test,
7. avoid using too much dye.

Ignore the box’s photos

Many ladies will merely glance at the picture on the box while buying for at-home hair color. The girl on the package may have the right shade of brown, but we have no idea what her hair shade was before the dye. Instead, use the letters and numbers on the packaging to determine the required degree of color and tone.

As a guide, you can use for your own coloring

How to do this? Look up some tips on how to style your hair color to make it compatible with your skin tone!

• ladies with a light complexion and eyes seem more natural in lighter colors, whereas women with darker skin and hair look better in deeper tones,
• those with olive skin tones should use gold tones, which provide warmth to the face and make the complexion appear less green,
• if your skin tone is neutral, with no pink or green, you may wear either warm or cool blond colors.

Keep your color within two shades of your natural color

Don’t go more than two shades brighter or deeper when dying your hair at home. This is especially true for brunettes who desire to go blonde. If you have dark hair and wish to lighten it, I recommend that you schedule an appointment with a stylist at the salon.

This is due to the fact that at-home color kits lack the powerful chemicals required to drastically alter your color. There’s a reason why hair colorist (at least if he/she is a US resident) must attend school, pass an exam, and obtain a government license. The reason for this is that the chemicals, as well as related technologies, used to execute complex hair color changes, can severely harm both the hair and the scalp.

Before committing to permanent shafe, take a test drive

I advise demi-permanent hair color, that will fade gradually with each hair washing for safe coloring. Demi-permanent coloring formulas also reduce damage while just enhancing natural color. Demi-permanent colors are a combination of permanent and semi-permanent dyes. It cannot lighten dark hair, but it can blend or deepen your current color.

You may also experiment with semi-permanent dye when you style your hair at home. Semi-permanent formulations should completely vanish after you wash your hair for 8th to 12th time.

Do damage control before dying

A clarifying washing the day before coloring will eliminate any product buildup and will help level out the porosity of the hair so color absorbs evenly. You should next use a thorough conditioner to replenish any moisture lost during coloring.

However, do not wash your hair on the day of coloring. The shampoo has no effect on the color’s absorption. Furthermore, by coloring slightly dirty hair, you let the natural oils protect your scalp from irritation, caused by the ammonia in many colors.

Don’t skip the patch test

Do what every stylist does: test your coloring product before applying it fully!

It’s critical to test a new color on a tiny section of your hair before applying it to your entire head; otherwise, you’re asking for a disaster. For example, using an ashy tint could lead to aged and dull scalp appearance.

Apply the dye to a tiny piece of your hair and check to see whether the color is too bright, deep, or ashy – or (hopefully) perfect!

Avoid using too much hair dye

The good news is that you don’t have to dye your entire head every time you see your hair color fading. It is as unnecessary, as constant going through process of device identification when connecting your laptop to your home WiFi!

Dyeing entire head again and again would result in:

• hair color accumulation,
• discolored ends,
• light and dark bands,
• and unneeded damage.

You only want to dye new growth (roots touch up) and renew hair color on the fading ends.