Do I need to wash my hair before highlighting my hair? Top 3 best products and features of care

You can look younger and more vibrant by highlighting your hair, but it’s not always clear if you should wash your hair first. It is important to know the proper approach because this small step can have a significant impact on the outcome.

We’ll address the question of whether washing your hair before highlighting is actually necessary in this article. We’ll also talk about how to maintain your highlights to keep them looking their best and examine the top three hair care products.

These pointers can assist you in determining whether your hair is prepared for a color change, regardless of whether you’ve never highlighted your hair before or just want to enhance your regimen.

Do I need to wash my hair before highlighting or not?

Whether or not to wash your hair before the procedure is the most frequently asked question. Let’s first examine the effects of coloring on hair. Furthermore, highlighting is just partial hair coloring—not the full head—just a portion of it.

Keratin scales, which make up human hair, firmly adhere to one another to form a tube-like structure. When coloring, the scales lift the hair; they resemble an open cone, and an oxidation reaction helps to bleach the natural pigment. Then the chosen shade of paint is sprayed here, painting over the original color with a synthetic one.

Crucial! The more oxidizer percentage and paint exposure time, respectively, the more loosening of the hair results.

And untangled hair

• easily breaks
• does not retain moisture
• loses reflective properties, that is, it stops shining

For the following reasons, the majority of knowledgeable experts advise against washing your hair right before the procedure:

• unwashed hair produces sebum, or fat, which serves as a kind of lubricant for the skin and partially neutralizes the harmful effects of the dye
• when using an alkaline shampoo (and this component will definitely be present), the rate of oxidation reaction slows down
• during drying with a hair dryer, the hair loses moisture and becomes even looser

Those who support clean hair also make the following arguments:

• the dye has to be kept on the hair longer, since first it is necessary to dissolve the layer of natural fat
• when using a conditioner after shampoo, there are practically no alkali residues on the hair
• so as not to further loosen the hair, you can use cold air when drying

It makes the most sense to discuss this matter with the selected master before dying in order to get his opinion.

Is it possible to do highlights on dirty hair?

Crucial! It is improper to highlight hair with a hat on dirty hair. Highlights in California are not always consistent.

How dirty should they be?How many days should you not wash your hair before the procedure?

Thus, the expert recommended against washing your hair prior to the procedure. To what extent, then, can you enter the salon with dirt? It is dependent upon your hair’s capacity to produce sebum. It will be sufficient to refrain from washing them for a few days if they have an oily tendency, and possibly for three to four days otherwise.

How dyes can harm?

In one way or another, hair dye has an adverse effect on it. They become dry and loosened. Consequently, it’s important to choose specific care products, such as shampoos, conditioners, and masks, after coloring.

Before using which types of dyes is cleansing allowed?

Certain dyes don’t change whether they are applied to clean or unclean hair. Direct action dyes, for instance, can be used to tint crayons, masks, mascara, shampoos, and foams. In these instances, the dye is applied directly to the hair without the use of an oxidizer. However, since these dyes are easily removed with water, this is a possibility if you want to color a few strands before a party.

Crucial! It is nearly impossible to forecast the outcome of chemical highlighting if you have previously dyed your hair with natural henna or basma. The hair may appear blue, purple, or swampy due to the dye’s uneven application.

When to wash your hair and whether you need to use a special shampoo?

If at all possible, refrain from washing your hair for 48 hours following highlighting to give the dye time to settle and prolong the vibrant color.

Crucial! Use only products made specifically for you; ideally, professional hair color products labeled "for colored hair."

Which shampoo is better to choose?TOP 3 best (description, manufacturer, country, price)

Special products for light-colored hair are available from luxury to reasonably priced Russian manufacturers in almost every professional brand. As an illustration:

Shine Blond Shampoo, L’Oreal Professionnel

Ideal for preserving cool blonde tones. It is packed full of tiny purple pigments that keep things from turning yellow. Additionally, the Ceraflash complex-enriched formula lessens the adverse effects of hard tap water.

Made in Spain; price range: 700–1000 rubles.

Total Results Brass Off line, Matrix

For brunettes who prefer to lighten their hair, this is a fantastic option. The yellowish tint that can gradually appear on highlighted hair is neutralized by blue pigments.

The cost of the shampoo and conditioner is between 800 and 1100 rubles. Manufacturer: USA.

Shampoo and conditioner "Argan oil and cranberry", Botanic Therapy Garnier

Cranberry will keep the color looking shiny longer, and the inclusion of argan oil in the mixture will help prevent dryness after coloring.

The shampoo and conditioner set is made in Russia and costs between 400 and 500 rubles.

How to properly prepare your hair and skin? Proper cleansing of your hair immediately before the procedure

To reduce hair stress, it’s critical to properly prep your scalp and hair for coloring.

• About a month before, take a course of intensive care, to neutralize the aggressive effects of peroxide. Various nourishing masks and products that strengthen the hair structure are perfect
• Use hot styling products less often — it is better to put the iron and curling iron aside, dry with a hairdryer at a minimum temperature. And be sure to protect your hair with thermal protection products, for example, a special spray.
• Buy a good shampoo, without sulfates, with caring oils

Crucial! Use a conditioner after shampooing to help the body’s natural acid-base equilibrium return.

• Do not use styling products immediately before coloring: hairsprays, gels, foams
• It is worth waiting at least a week if you have dyed your hair a different color. Frequent dyeing is very harmful to curls.

What will happen if you wash your curls?Consequences of highlighting on clean hair

Applying oxidizer to hair that lacks natural lubrication can result in burning, which is why highlights on clean hair can be harmful. This can lead to the accumulation of a "sheaf of straw" on your head, which can only be cut off.

Many people wonder if they should wash their hair before getting their hair highlighted. Washing your hair right before highlighting is generally not the best idea because natural oils help shield the scalp from irritation. This post will explain the benefits of skipping a wash, offer our top three picks for hair care products to prep your hair, and go over how to take care of your highlights to keep them vibrant and healthy.

Features of care after highlighting

After dying the strands, complex care should be used.

• Use special products for washing your hair, balm is a must
• Rinsing your hair with cool water will preserve the brightness of the color and add extra shine
• Do not comb wet hair – at this moment they are very vulnerable, comb them gradually, while simultaneously drying them with a hairdryer at low power
• Use a hairdryer at the minimum temperature, It is better not to use irons and curling irons at all
• In bright sunlight, the color can fade, and the hair can dry out – it is better to put on a nice hat, it will preserve the hairstyle and protect it from overheating
• Chlorinated water not only dries out curls, but can also give a greenish tint to bleached strands. Therefore, be sure to use a cap in the pool
• Supplement your usual care for colored hair with nourishing healing oils, argan oil is perfect

The health of your scalp and hair determines whether or not you should wash your hair before highlighting. Washing your hair a day or two before the procedure can help the highlights absorb more effectively if your hair is oily. Washing your scalp too often, though, can deplete it of its natural oils, which offer some protection while coloring.

To keep highlighted hair healthy and vibrant, the right products must be used. Seek for sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners made especially for colored hair. These products keep your hair nourished and help stop fading.

For your hair to continue looking its best after highlighting, proper maintenance is necessary. Your hair will stay healthy and your highlights brighter if you use color-safe shampoos, moisturizing treatments, and heat protectants on a regular basis.

Video on the topic

Do you need to wash your hair before highlighting, what will happen if you do it wrong

YOU ARE 100% USING HAIR PRODUCTS INCORRECTLY: the main mistakes in care

It is better to wash your hair in the morning or in the evening?