Hair Color Prep: 4 Important Steps You Need to Take

Are you thinking about switching up your hair color? Hair dye is a great way to add spice to your look and change things up.

Here are 4 important steps you should take to prepare your hair before you dye it:

#1) Skip The Shampoo

If you want your dye to take well and give you an even, vibrant color, then it’s best to dye clean hair that has been washed 1-2 days prior and is free of product buildup.

Don’t dye dirty hair, but squeaky clean hair may not give you the best results either.

Wash your hair a few days beforehand with a high quality clarifying shampoo and follow up with a moisturizing conditioner. Avoid loading your hair with products afterwards and try to limit your styling.

This will rid your hair of dirt and product buildup that can prevent the dye from penetrating your hair strands.It will also allow your hair’s natural oils to coat your hair and keep it moisturized and protected during the dyeing process.

#2) Consider the Condition of Your Hair

The dyeing process can leave your hair dry and fragile. Before you change your hair color, make sure your hair is healthy enough to withstand a chemical process.

You should deep condition your hair in the weeks leading up to getting it dyed. Your color will look much better on healthy hair.

#3) Choose Your Dye Type

When prepping your hair to be dyed, you should choose a high quality dye. There are a number of ways to alter your hair color.

Some forms of dye are more natural and gentler on the hair than others. There are dyes that are temporary and less damaging to your hair because they only coat the hair and do not penetrate your hair strand like a permanent dye. This type of hair color generally fades with washes and needs to be reapplied often.

Here are several hair dyeing methods that you can choose from:

Temporary (hair wax, spray on hair dye, hair chalk)
Semi Permanent (hair color rinse, hair gloss)
Demi Permanent
Permanent
Henna

curly haired woman with color treated hair

#4) Do a Strand Test

Whatever method you choose to dye your hair, you’ll need to do a strand test on a small portion of your hair before coloring your whole head.

Apply a small amount of the dye to a section of hair towards the back of your head that can be easily concealed. Hair color can be unpredictable and the results can vary. A strand test will ensure that:

there are no severe allergic reactions,
your hair will take the dye correctly
you will be able to achieve your desired shade
your hair will not be severely damaged by the dye

Make The Right Choice

Hair color can be used to enhance your look and take your hair to the next level. But it has to be used correctly.

Before you dye your hair, be sure to take all of the proper precautions, choose the right shade that best suits you, and implement healthy hair care practices to maintain your color.

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Brandelyn Green

Brandelyn Green is the Founder of VoiceOfHair, a platform to help women of color find the best hair care products, regimens and hairstyles! Since starting VoiceOfHair in 2014 she has grown the social media platform to over 1MM+ on Instagram and Facebook. As a natural who is also a salon goer, she wanted to create a platform where people could find the best products, hairstylists, advice and trends.