Hair prep before colouring!

[ahtisyourself]

Do you guys wash your hair before colouring/highlights? I always do but was told today it’s best to have two day old hair for highlights also what products do you use before a salon visit? Anything particularly good clarifying wise that I should use to get the best colour result?

 

[1001 others]

Do you guys wash your hair before colouring/highlights? I always do but was told today it’s best to have two day old hair for highlights also what products do you use before a salon visit? Anything particularly good clarifying wise that I should use to get the best colour result?

No washing beforehand, in fact two-three days old 'dirty' hair. Dirty is best!

I wouldn't worry about using anything beforehand. Depending on the condition of your hair, your stylist may recommend a pre- or post-treatment (which is definitely worth spending the money for).

 

[HoGi]

One of my previous hair dressers used to wash and blast dry my hair before applying highlights but none others have.

I only wash my hair once a week so I just try to wash it a day or two before I go so it isn't a week old

 

[fandwild]

No washing beforehand, in fact two-three days old 'dirty' hair. Dirty is best!

I wouldn't worry about using anything beforehand. Depending on the condition of your hair, your stylist may recommend a pre- or post-treatment (which is definitely worth spending the money for).

This actually isn't true, despite what many people seem to think. Dirty hair doesn't "grab" colour any better than freshly washed hair, quite the opposite infact. Colour will always take better to freshly washed hair. It makes zero sense to go in with hair which hasn't been washed for days and will therefore have a buildup of minerals, metals, etc. Colour will take better on clean hair, coverage will be more even, etc. The only time having dirty hair actually works better, is if you're going for lightening with global bleach.

Do you guys wash your hair before colouring/highlights? I always do but was told today it’s best to have two day old hair for highlights also what products do you use before a salon visit? Anything particularly good clarifying wise that I should use to get the best colour result?

Worth looking into the Metal Detox range by L'Oréal Professionnel (although a little pricey). Although chances are, the salon may offer this as a pre treatment anyhow.

 

[1001 others]

This actually isn't true, despite what many people seem to think. Dirty hair doesn't "grab" colour any better than freshly washed hair, quite the opposite infact. Colour will always take better to freshly washed hair. It makes zero sense to go in with hair which hasn't been washed for days and will therefore have a buildup of minerals, metals, etc. Colour will take better on clean hair, coverage will be more even, etc. The only time having dirty hair actually works better, is if you're going for lightening with global bleach.



Worth looking into the Metal Detox range by L'Oréal Professionnel (although a little pricey). Although chances are, the salon may offer this as a pre treatment anyhow.

I can only go off my own experiences - which are a mix of getting my hair professionally coloured and doing it myself for the past 30 years.

I have been to salons where they've applied foils and colour (using a brush) to freshly washed hair (which they've done), and the results have been lackluster. On the occasions I've been back to complain, I've been advised to wait a few months for it to fade, then return with unwashed hair for them to re-do it (which they've done without washing first).

On the packets I use (normally L'Oreal), they always say to apply the colour to unwashed hair (and that's been blonde, brown, red and everything in between).

This advice from L'Oreal explains:

Should I Wash My Hair Before Dyeing It? | L’Oréal Paris

Unsure whether it’s best to dye clean or dirty hair? Let’s find out. Explore everything you need to know about washing your hair before dyeing it.

www.lorealparisusa.com

The in-salon treatments I mentioned in my post above are usually something like Olaplex or KMS, which encourage the colour to look its best.

 

[ahtisyourself]

I use L’Oréal metal detox shampoo the night before I get my colour done. I’m going lighter for the summer so I’ve heard it’s good to use a clarifying shampoo to strip the hair of product build up as the colour penetrates better when there’s no build up interfering with the lightening process

I can only go off my own experiences - which are a mix of getting my hair professionally coloured and doing it myself for the past 30 years.

I have been to salons where they've applied foils and colour (using a brush) to freshly washed hair (which they've done), and the results have been lackluster. On the occasions I've been back to complain, I've been advised to wait a few months for it to fade, then return with unwashed hair for them to re-do it (which they've done without washing first).

On the packets I use (normally L'Oreal), they always say to apply the colour to unwashed hair (and that's been blonde, brown, red and everything in between).

This advice from L'Oreal explains:

Should I Wash My Hair Before Dyeing It? | L’Oréal Paris

Unsure whether it’s best to dye clean or dirty hair? Let’s find out. Explore everything you need to know about washing your hair before dyeing it.

www.lorealparisusa.com

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The in-salon treatments I mentioned in my post above are usually something like Olaplex or KMS, which encourage the colour to look its best.

That just says the oils on your dirty hair can help with any irritation that might occur when colouring. Nothing about the colour looking better if your hair is unwashed vs washed

 

[unidentified]

I tend to wash my hair a day or two before I go so it’s clean but not ‘too’ clean and there’s no dry shampoo. I only wash my hair once a week too. My hair is in much better condition for it. Make sure your shampoo and conditioner has no sulphate etc in and only use the shampoo on your scalp not the ends (wash twice) and use the conditioner on the ends only and do try and go to washing once a week.

 

[Blonde_moment]

I only wash my hair twice a week max anyway and usually wash it around 3 days before I get my colour done. Before I get it done I use Paul Mitchell Shampoo Two, which is a good clarifying shampoo to really clean the hair. Then I do a second shampoo with the L’Oreal metal detox, to target metal build up. I then use the metal detox mask as the final step to condition.