When deciding whether or not you should wash your hair before a haircut, the experts overwhelmingly agree – yes! Washing your hair before a cut ensures the stylist can see and work with your natural texture and shape.
Not only is it hygienic, but showering before a haircut will also improve the quality of the cut. When your hair is clean, it's easier to work with. The barber will have a much easier time cutting it, and the results will be better.
It's generally not ideal to arrive with heavy product build-up from styling your hair the day of your appointment, especially if you're getting a dry cut or highlights before washing. It can cause hair color to go on unevenly and affect how your hair stylist evaluates your pre-cut hair type and texture.
Come In With Relatively Clean Hair
While it's okay for your hair to be somewhat dirty before an appointment (it's okay if you've gone a couple of days without a wash!), if you think your hair is overly dirty, your stylist probably will too.
Clean hair results in a better, faster haircut because it's less work for the barber and easier on the equipment. Avoid coming in with products in you hair, come with clean hair whenever possible. Shampoo or rinse product out of your hair before your haircut.
It's recommended to leave your hair as is, going into a color service. “No, you shouldn't wash your hair before coloring it,” says Stephanie Brown, Master Colorist at IGK Salon. “It's best to have your natural oils in your hair to help protect your scalp and hair.”
Pros of washing your hair
For one thing, it's just plain courteous. Your hair stylist will appreciate it if you come in with clean hair, and it's not fair to make them work with dirty hair. Secondly, wash your hair before going to the salon so that your hair color will look its best.
In general, it's always a good idea to arrive at your hair appointment with clean hair. This helps ensure that your stylist can properly assess your hair and determine the best course of action. It also helps avoid any potential scalp irritation that could occur if you had product build-up on your hair.
Greasy hair and oily hair will also have the same effect on scissors and clippers. If a client has gone days without washing their hair and you can see just how oily it is, it can cause damage to your tools.
Most barbers and hairdressers prefer your hair to be free from hair products (Hair oil, Gel, Wax, etc.) before they start cutting your hair, as they provide all the conditioning and nourishment with your hair needs after the hair is cut to the desired style. It will also make their job easier and show better results.
As the stomach starts to digest, the heart rate and blood flow increases. As there is more blood flowing through the arteries beneath the skin on the face and neck, there is a greater danger of being cut after eating. In addition, facial hair should be well moistened before shaving.
Tuesday or Wednesday would actually be your best bet, as it turns out most professionals would recommend a buffer of one or two days, according to Max Berlinger of The New York Times. This lets the cut "settle" and ensures your hair looks less freshly shorn for your big event.
A butterfly haircut combines short layers with long layers to give your hair dimension, movement and body. The short, wispy layers hit around the chin to frame your face, highlight your features and even contour a round face shape.
The experts say between every three and seven weeks for shorter cuts and bobs. According to celebrity hairstylist Richard Collins, if you have a specific style, like an Anna Wintour bob with bangs, then you probably need to get your haircut every three weeks to keep the look precise and polished.
If you're planning to visit the salon to get your colour done and are wondering whether or not to wash your hair prior to your appointment, Gareth advised showing up with hair that is "not too clean, but definitely not greasy" is the sweet spot - and explained why arriving with greasy hair is a big no-no.
"Often, with updos, washing the hair the day prior is best because it allows the client to come to the salon with completely dry hair that is ready to style," said Rivera.
If you're coming in to get your color done, it's better to leave your hair dirty ( the second day, the third day is fine). It makes it easier for our stylists to place foils in your hair and the color actually holds better to dirty hair due to clean hair being too slippery.
It's best to wash your hair a few of hours before your hair appointment so it's fully dry by the time you arrive in the stylist's chair. If you don't wash your hair every day, then we recommend that you wash your hair the day before your event.
Hairdressers opt for a wet haircut to avoid having to work around the natural movement of your hair when it's dry, which can make achieving blunt, smooth cuts a little more difficult.
The reason your hair feels silky soft after a visit to the salon isn't pure coincidence; it's because hairdressers are carefully trained to wash and condition hair using a tried-and-tested regime.
Wash you hair 1-2 days before. Hair should not be excessively dirty, sweaty or oily. Dirty hair does not “grab color better” *see next slide. However, you want there to be a natural protective oil layer on your scalp to act as a barrier against the chemicals in the hair dye.
Your hair should be a little greasy before you color it. Ideally, you should apply hair dye about 24-48 hours after hair washing. However, if you have not washed your hair for 3-4 days or more, it will become excessively greasy, and dyeing such greasy locks can be challenging.
Hair color needs at least 48 hours to settle into the hair strands. So, if you wash your hair 24 hours after highlighting, the color will quickly wash away and become dull.