Why Do Salons Wash Your Hair After Coloring: 4 Top Reasons Explained + DIY Tips & Instructions

We’ve all heard this warning; don’t wash your dyed hair too often so the dye doesn’t fade.

But then, if you dye your hair at the hair salon, they’ll wash it right after the application.

So why is this?

Why do salons wash your hair after coloring, and should you do it if you color your hair at home?

These are some of the questions we’ll answer in this article.

Read on for more insights on this.

Is It Necessary to Wash the Hair After Dyeing

It’s absolutely necessary to wash your hair after dyeing it. Washing your hair helps eliminate the excess color and see if you got the hues right. It will also help you identify patches that didn’t get enough color so that you can do a reapplication on those areas.

If you’re looking for a new haircut before dyeing your hair, you can get a butterfly haircut.

Why Do Salons Wash Your Hair After Coloring

Contrary to popular belief, there are various reasons why salon stylists wash your hair after coloring it.

To Rinse Off Excess Dye

After coloring hair, washing it out ensures that the dye spreads evenly and removes any extra pigment. This will prevent your hair from bleeding for the remainder of your appointment.

Furthermore, salon-quality dye is much stronger than the dye found in at-home dye kits. Your hair won’t absorb too many pigments and become darker than you intended if the excess pigments are removed.

To Prepare Your Hair for The Next Treatment

Washing your hair prepares it for other salon services, whether you get a blowout, keratin treatment, or haircut. Washing your hair will help your stylist perform your upcoming service or treatment correctly because most styling procedures work best on clean hair.

While it’s not usually advised to wash your hair after coloring it, salons have access to a wide range of specialized products that can help seal your cuticles. Washing your hair right after a hair color also keeps the color from smudging their pricey styling tools and ruining them.

To Get You Relaxed

Getting a luxurious shampoo is essential to visit a salon, regardless of the service. To help you relax and enjoy your visit, your stylist may wash your hair after coloring it. While the stylist massages your scalp, take a moment to relax and let your worries fade.

To Introduce You to New Products

Most people are unaware that many stylists receive a commission for each item they sell. You are more likely to find a product you want to buy the more products your stylist uses while providing you with a service.

After coloring your hair, washing it is essentially a promotional opportunity. Salon shampoos and conditioners have wonderful scents and make your hair feel extra silky and smooth. It makes sense that you would want to bring them home.

Other reasons to have your hair washed include:

• After coloring your hair, washing it helps seal the color and slow down the fading process.
• It provides your stylist with one last opportunity to assess the color and make any necessary corrections.
• To replenish moisture and nourish your hair in preparation for the following treatment, they also condition it.
• Additionally, there are health advantages – who doesn’t enjoy a relaxing head and scalp massage?

How to Wash Hair After Dyeing It at Home

While stylists might wash your hair right away after coloring it, at-home colorists aren’t advised to do the same. After coloring your hair, washing it will cause the color to fade faster.

Instead, you can use cool or cold water to rinse the extra pigment out of your strands. While you shouldn’t shampoo your hair after coloring it, you can use a color-safe conditioner immediately.

Lots of dye kits include a tiny bottle of conditioner that intensifies colors. Conditioning your hair after coloring gives you a head start on repairing damage and maintains the health, shine and smoothness of your recently colored hair.

However, sometimes you have to wash your hair after a dye job. Even though it might seem obvious, properly washing dyed hair is essential to preserving both the color and condition of your hair.

Here’s how to complete the task correctly:

• Avoid using hot water on your hair and use a mild shampoo to prevent color fading.
• To create a lather, gently massage your scalp with your fingertips. Then, thoroughly rinse with clean water.
• If necessary, repeat this procedure; however, avoid going overboard, as this may also cause your hair’s color to be removed.
• After washing your hair with a shampoo, apply a conditioner and let it sit for a while before rinsing it out. This will aid in sealing in color and halt fading.

Following these easy tips, you can maintain the gorgeous appearance of your freshly dyed hair for weeks.

Best Products for Washing Color-Treated Hair

Your new dye job doesn’t just end when you leave the salon – using a quality hair shampoo intended for color-treated hair is key to maintaining a fresh and vibrant shade.

Doesn’t matter whether you’ve colored your hair blonde, black, brunette, red or in a bolder hue like rose gold or purple. Shampoos are designed to clean away dirt and oil.

Color-protectant shampoos work the same way in that they contain the same cleansing agents. The only difference is that they minimize the amount of dye that washes down the drain every time you clean your hair.

Color-safe shampoos not only work to preserve your dye job, but they also do an incredible job of masking any damage by making the strands feel smoother and softer.

While at it, ensure that you get a color-safe conditioner with the shampoo. Dyed is usually weaker than normal hair and can get dry easily if you don’t use the right products.

A quality conditioner will help restore the oils lost while washing the hair, thus ensuring that your strands remain well-moisturized and nourished. You can get a color-safe shampoo-conditioner combo, but we always recommend buying separate products.

Do’s and Don’ts

What are some of the things to keep in mind when it comes to washing your newly colored hair?

Well, here are some of the dos and don’ts you need to be aware of:

Do’s

• Use shampoo and conditioner that is color safe.
• When you wash your hair, pay attention to your scalp.
• There’s no point dying wet or damp hair.
• Rinse your hair with cool or cold water to maintain the vibrancy of your color.
• Use products that will brighten your color.
• Be careful when dealing with hot roots.
• Use a showerhead filter to preserve the vibrancy of your color.
• Use a dry shampoo to soak up extra oils without washing your hair.
• Use a deep conditioner to make bleached hair soft.
• Wear a nightcap to protect your hair at night.

Don’ts

• Avoid washing your hair in hot water because the color will fade.
• Avoid using harsh or hair-stripping products.
• Use a clarifying shampoo only after you are prepared to lighten your color.
• After you’ve colored your hair, don’t forget to deep condition it.
• Hot oil treatments shouldn’t be applied to freshly colored hair.
• After coloring your hair, wait a few days before washing it.
• Useless products with sulfates or drying alcohols should not be used.
• Limit the times you wash your hair weekly to two or three.

How Long Should You Wait Before Washing Your Colored Hair

Your hair will fade much more quickly if you wash it right away after coloring it. But how long you ask? Well, you should wait at least 72 hours after coloring your hair before washing it for the best results. Your hair cuticles will have more than enough time to close entirely in this manner.

They’ll keep your strands brightly colored for a lot longer by trapping more of the dye pigments inside of them. After the first three days, you can keep washing your hair as you usually would. Try spreading out your wash days to prevent hair fading.

You should also use a sulfate-free and color-safe shampoo to clean your strands. The less color you lose, the gentler your shampoo should be. Lastly, always wash and rinse your hair with cool or cold water.

You can also try to lighten the hair without bleach to reduce exposure to harsh chemicals. Your hair cuticles will open in hot water.
While this is a great way to help your shampoo and conditioner penetrate your strands, it will cause fading much more quickly.

On the other hand, cold water keeps your cuticles sealed, making it less likely that your color will bleed. Try to avoid washing the hair after coloring it.

FAQ

Does washing the hair after coloring make the hair color more vibrant?

Yes. Washing the hair after coloring makes the dye seem more vibrant.

How long should you wait to wash your hair after coloring?

If you color your hair at home, wait at least 72 hours before washing it. However, your hair should be washed immediately if you get the job done at a salon.

What are some tips for washing colored hair?

When washing colored hair, always use a color-friendly shampoo and follow it with a deep conditioner to nourish and moisturize it. When washing your hair, one thing you must keep in mind is to use cold water since hot water tends to fade the colors faster.

What happens if you don’t wash your hair after coloring it?

When you don’t wash your hair after coloring it, you will be left with a lot of color residue, which might mess up your clothes.