I guess some of you will be puzzled by the title of this post and go “what is she thinking?”. None of us wants to go around with dirty hair and washing it regularly is important to always keep it clean and beautiful. But, as those that have perms or botox know all too well, washing hair at the wrong time can lead to a disaster. So, when it is better not to wash it? Read on..
1. After a perm
If you’ve just had a perm, don’t wash your hair straight away or you will deactivate the chemicals that set the curl. Don’t even be tempted to do it if if you didn’t like the result and want to get rid of your perm, because washing your hair won’t make it go back to normal, but simply turn it into a curly and ungly-looking mess. Wait at least 24 hours (but try to stetch it to 72 if you can) for best results. Also, try using shampoos for chemically treated hair as they are supposed to be gentler. In addition, this same rule applies to any treatments (like Keratin or Japanese straightening for example) that retexturizes hair.
2. Before your visit to the hair salon
When you go to the salon to have your hair cut, dyed or treated in any way, you know that they are going to wash your hair first. I understand that going there with your locks dirty can be embarassing, but washing your hair a few hours before going or even the night before is not a great idea. You’d risk drying out your hair and cause some damage. If you really must, wash it the day before and condition hair well.
3. After Botox injections
Botox is fast becoming a very popular treatment but if you plan to undergo this procedure you should know that you can’t massage any areas of your face afterwards. That’s because Botox can cause bruising which could bleed if you touch your face, including the area around the hairline. If you need to wash your hair, wait at least six hours to avoid any unwanted side effects.
Do you know of any other occasions when it’s best to wait a while before washing your hair?
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
I always wash my hair before going to the salon to have a haircut, because I don’t like other people washing my hair!
Stavroula Plag´s last [type] ..A small update! -
Stavroula, I love it when they wash my hair at the salon! They massage my scalp while washing my hair and it’s so relaxing! But if you’re not gonna have your hair washed at the salon, then it’s ok to wash it beforehand.
I have oily hair, so I don’t like people touching it! :/
Stavroula Plag´s last [type] ..A small update! -
I’m like that too as I have oily hair as well.
But I really like having my scalp massaged at the salon so I make an exception for that. 
I only wash my hair every 5 to 7 days, and I don’t tend to wash before going to the salon for a cut exactly for the reason you mention!
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Phyrra, I’m so envious you can go that long without washing your hair. Mine is so oily that the day after I wash it it’s dirty again.
me too
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I think after dying/coloring the hair, it’s best not to wash it within 24 hours, in order to let the color to ‘set’. That’s what I do, anyways.
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Vonvon, you’re right. I forgot to mention that, so thanks for the remainder! Evey time you wash your hair, a bit of color is stripped off, so it’s best not to wash it straight away. Unless you really hate your new hair color, of course. lol.
and for straightening hair too! at best, i could only wait up to 24 hrs
Xin, that’s true as well. It’s always best to wait after any kind of retexturizing treatment.
Yeah I was going to say don’t wash your hair before dyeing your hair at home – at least most of the home kits tell you that.
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Jeni, now that you make me think about it, when I used to have my hair dyed at the salon, they never washed it beforehand so that makes sense. Thanks for sharing.
I don’t wash my hair before dying it because the oils protect the hair and scalp from the harsh chemicals. I also don’t wash my hair for at least 3 days after dying, and that’s really tough because my hair is oily. It really does help my resistant hair keep the color a little longer, though.
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Tammy, I have oily hair too so I know how hard it is not to wash it for three days. But not washing it for a while does help the color stay longer so it’s worth it.