Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Always consult with your stylist to avoid uneven results.
Adding highlights to your hair can be a great way to add extra color and dimension to your look. With all the highlight types and conflicting information out there, should you wash your hair before foil highlights?
The answer to that question could change everything about your pre-highlights prep. Some people hold to the old standard that unwashed hair takes to the treatment better than washed hair.
Should You Rinse Your Hair Before Foil Highlights?
Yes, you should wash your hair before foil highlights.
Now, this might feel like conflicting advice. Typically, you’ll hear stylists want you to come in with unwashed hair before bleaching. However, that rule only applies to all-over bleach, where your natural oils are needed to protect your scalp from chemical burns.
With foil-type highlighting, your skin shouldn’t come in contact with the bleach. Clean hair can also give your stylists an idea of how light or dark your natural hair color is.
If your hair has excessive oil buildup, it can interfere with the lightener’s ability to lift evenly, resulting in patchy or inconsistent highlights.
How to Wash Oily Hair Before Foil Highlights
If your hair is oily or full of styling products, wash it the night before your appointment using a clarifying shampoo. This removes heavy buildup so the bleach can lift your color evenly.
The standard advice is to condition your hair with a lightweight conditioner only on the ends.
How to Wash Dry Hair Before Foil Highlights
If your hair is naturally dry, you should deep condition your hair a week before your appointment and again wash your hair with shampoo to remove hairspray, dry shampoo, oil, and other product buildup 1-2 days before. After washing, use a light conditioner only on the middle and ends of your hair.
Once you are done with washing and conditioning, avoid styling products or heavy oils that can create buildup again.
So, you should wash your hair before getting foil highlights. Clean hair ensures optimal product performance. While foil highlights minimize contact, there is still a risk of scalp irritation if the product swells out of the foil or during the rinsing process.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may have a few more questions, and we’ve done our best to round up the most important ones:
In most cases, you can wash your hair the night before getting foil highlights.
No. It is best to arrive with your hair free of styling products like hairspray or mousse, as these can create a barrier and interfere with the lightener.
No. Your hair should be totally dry when you go to get it highlighted. If it’s wet, the product won’t work as intended.