How to Prep Your Hair for a Color Change
Thinking about switching up your hair color? Whether you're going for subtle highlights or a bold transformation, prepping your hair before coloring is key to getting the best results—and keeping your strands healthy. Hair color takes best on strong, well-nourished hair, and skipping the prep can lead to uneven results, dull tones, or unnecessary damage.
Here’s how to get your hair ready for a successful, vibrant, and long-lasting color change.
1. Clarify a Week Before Coloring
To get the most even color result, your hair needs to be free of product buildup, oils, and residue.
🧴 Use a clarifying shampoo about a week before your appointment (or at-home color).
🧴 This removes old styling products, dry shampoo, and silicones that could block color absorption.
⚠️ Don’t do it too close to coloring—clarifying can leave the scalp a bit sensitive.
2. Deep Condition in Advance (Not the Night Before)
Coloring can dry out your hair, so go in with moisture reserves.
💧 Use a deep conditioning mask 2–3 days before coloring to hydrate and strengthen your strands.
💧 Look for ingredients like keratin, shea butter, aloe vera, or coconut oil.
💧 Avoid heavy oils or leave-ins the night before, as they can act as a barrier to color.
3. Stop Washing 24–48 Hours Before Coloring
Natural oils are your friend during a color service—they protect the scalp and help color develop evenly.
🚿 Skip shampoo for a day or two before coloring.
💡 Slightly dirty hair is ideal: clean enough to take color well, but oily enough to protect your scalp.
4. Avoid Heat Styling for a Few Days
Heat tools like flat irons and curling wands can dry out or weaken your hair, making it more vulnerable to damage from dye or bleach.
🔥 Let your hair air dry for a few days pre-color.
🔥 If you must style, use the lowest heat setting and always apply a heat protectant.
5. Hold Off on Other Chemical Treatments
If you’ve recently relaxed, permed, or chemically straightened your hair, wait before coloring. Combining too many chemical processes can lead to major breakage.
⏳ It’s best to space out chemical treatments by at least 2–4 weeks.
💬 Talk to your stylist about the safest timeline if you’re planning a big change.
6. Trim Dead Ends
Coloring won’t fix damaged ends—in fact, it may make them worse. If your ends are dry or splitting:
✂️ Get a light trim before your color appointment.
✂️ Removing damage means the color will take more evenly and last longer.
7. Know Your Hair History
If you’ve colored your hair before (especially with box dye), make sure your stylist knows.
📋 Be honest about past color, bleach, or treatments.
📋 Certain dyes or henna can react unpredictably with new color.
8. Do a Strand Test (If Coloring at Home)
If you’re DIY-ing your color:
🧪 Always do a strand test to check how your hair reacts to the formula.
🧪 This helps avoid surprises with color result, irritation, or unexpected tones.
9. Mentally Prepare for Aftercare
Coloring is just the beginning—you’ll need to keep your hair healthy post-color too.
📦 Stock up on sulfate-free shampoos, deep conditioners, and heat protectants.
📦 Be ready to change how often you wash and style to preserve the color.
📦 Consider a bond repair treatment (especially if bleaching) to keep hair strong.