If you’ve decided on a new at-home hair color, you’re probably starting to put together your dye job prep. Before you break out the color, it’s always crucial to review all the at-home boxed dye kit steps, but while instructions will vary based on the hair dye, there are a few questions that may still need addressing — starting with the most common: Should I wash my hair before dyeing it?
Should You Wash Your Hair Before Coloring?
As it turns out, most hair dyes are designed to work better on hair that is not freshly washed. Skipping a wash allows for oils to build up on your scalp, which in turn helps protect against irritation that can be caused by hair dye. So if you're about to color your strands and find yourself asking, is it better to wash clean or dirty hair, keep this in mind.
However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t dye freshly washed hair — you’ll just need to be aware that your clean hair and scalp will have less of a barrier between it and the dye.
How Long Should You Wait to Wash Your Hair After Coloring?
While there is conflicting information on how to long to wait to wash your hair after coloring it, most experts say that you should wait about 24–48 hours after dyeing your hair to wash it, allowing time for the hair color set and for your hair’s cuticle layer to close without risking any color fading.
Source: L'Oréal
