What to Do Before a Hair Colour Appointment: From a Stylist
A few simple things before your appointment can genuinely improve your colour results and protect your hair during the process. The most important one, and the one that surprises almost everyone, is to not wash your hair the day before. Your natural scalp oils are actually protective during chemical services.
48 Hours Before Your Appointment
Stop putting anything new on your hair, especially protein treatments, heavy masks, or products you haven't used before. These can create a barrier on the strand that affects how colour deposits, or cause unpredictable results. Leave your hair in its natural state so your stylist can see exactly what they're working with. A light dry shampoo at the roots is fine, but skip anything that adds significant buildup.
The Day Before: Please Don't Wash
This is the piece of advice that surprises almost everyone: come to your colour appointment with hair that hasn't been washed for at least 24 to 48 hours. Your natural scalp oils form a protective layer between the chemical and your scalp, which significantly reduces the risk of irritation, sensitivity, or that stinging feeling during bleach or colour application. Fresh, oil-free hair is actually more vulnerable to chemical irritation than naturally oily hair. Your stylist will have absolutely no problem working with hair that hasn't been washed for a day or two; it makes no difference at all to your colour result.
On the Day
Come in with your hair down or in a very loose style, since tight ponytails on appointment day create pressure marks and make hair less easy to work with. Skip heavy products like wax, pomade, or thick serum. Arrive with dry hair, because wet hair dilutes colour product and affects results. Wear a top you don't mind getting a stray splash on; colour can occasionally find its way to a collar or sleeve despite everyone's best efforts, especially around the neckline.
What to Tell Your Stylist
Share anything that might affect your colour: any chemical treatments in the last 6 months (at-home box colour, keratin treatments, relaxers), any medications that can affect how colour takes (some antidepressants, blood thinners, and others do), any scalp sensitivities or allergies, and the inspiration photos you've been saving. Photos are the most useful thing you can bring. "Lighter" means different things to different people, but a photo removes all the guesswork.
What Not to Do
Don't use any at-home colour, bleach, or chemical treatment on your hair in the 2 weeks before a salon appointment without letting your stylist know. At-home colour in particular changes how professional colour behaves and can lead to patchy results or unexpected colour reactions. And don't load up on a deep protein treatment the day before; protein-heavy hair resists colour absorption.
What to Wear
An old dark top, or bring a change of shirt. Professional stylists use capes and are very careful, but colour does occasionally find its way to a collar or sleeve, especially during toning at the basin. Save your favourite white top for after the appointment.
Good Questions to Ask on the Day
Before your stylist begins, ask: how long will this take? What should I do at home to look after the colour? How long before I can wash my hair? When should I book my next appointment? These are all great questions and any good stylist will be happy to walk you through everything.
Understanding Pre-Colour Appointment Preparation
Your colour results are shaped by preparation just as much as by skill. Natural scalp oils protect the scalp during chemical processing. Clean, product-free hair takes colour more evenly. Giving your stylist accurate information about your hair history helps them choose the right formula and developer strength. The small preparation steps below directly improve what you leave the salon with.
Safe Home Steps, Right Now
- 48 hours before: stop using any new products or treatments on your hair.
- Do NOT wash your hair the day before; aim for 1 to 2 days of natural oils on the scalp.
- Day of: arrive with dry hair in a loose, comfortable style.
- Wear an old dark top or something you don't mind potentially staining.
- Bring photo inspiration; the more specific, the better.
- Write down any chemical treatments from the last 6 months, including at-home colour.
- Note any scalp sensitivities, allergies, or medications to share with your stylist.
- Prepare any questions about aftercare before your appointment.
Professional Salon Care
At Backstage, every colour appointment starts with a proper consultation, where we'll talk through your current hair condition, colour history, and what you're hoping to achieve. We'll walk you through exactly what we're going to do and why. If this is your first colour service with us, a free consultation before the appointment is always available, so book one if you have any uncertainty.
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Book Your Colour Appointment at Backstage
A free consultation is included with every first colour service. We'll walk you through exactly what to expect from start to finish.
We welcome clients from across the Greater Toronto Area.