Discover expert tips on washing your hair after coloring to maintain vibrant color longer. Learn when to wash, dye clean or dirty hair, and how to care for highlights.

There are many schools of thought when it comes to washing your hair. Is it better to wash less to maintain the color? What about washing your hair before you dye it? Does it really matter? We got to the bottom of these questions and more. Read on for all you need to know about washing your hair after coloring it, in addition to tips for maintaining your hair color longer.

After you immediately wash the dye out of your hair during the coloring process, it’s recommended that you do not shampoo your hair again for at least 48-72 hours. Waiting longer to wash it will help the color penetrate the hair further and ultimately last longer than it would if you wash right after your initial color treatment. Washing your hair too soon can cause it to fade quicker and might even cause discoloration or unevenness in the overall color of the hair. You don’t want to strip the color you just put in, so it’s best to wait a few days before you wash again if you’re able to. If you get sweaty or get an oily scalp, you can try a dry shampoo like Pantene Refresh Dry Shampoo Spray to absorb the oil until it’s time to shampoo your hair fully.

Another common question is whether it’s better to dye hair when it’s clean or dirty. Ultimately, you can color clean or dirty hair, but there are pros and cons to both approaches. For example, if your hair is freshly washed and you have a sensitive scalp, you run the risk of irritation from the coloring process. Conversely though, if you have too much buildup and oil in your dirty hair, it can cause the color to not penetrate as effectively. So, slightly dirty hair is probably your best bet, but you should be fine with freshly washed hair if you don’t have a sensitive scalp, too.

So, how long should you wait to wash hair after highlights? Bleaching hair isn’t quite the same as depositing hair color, but most stylists will use a toner, usually a color gloss or demi-permanent color, over the highlights to adjust the tone. Because of this, you should follow the same rule of thumb for semi-permanent and permanent hair color. Avoid shampooing for 48-72 hours to keep your color locked in and looking its most vibrant.

Use a color-safe shampoo like Pantene Radiant Color Shine Shampoo to help maintain your hair color. You can also avoid chlorine and consider washing your hair less often to try and extend the life of your hair color. When it is time to wash highlighted hair, consider a purple shampoo like Hair Biology’s Silver & Glowing Shampoo to counteract the brassiness and orange tones that might appear on bleached hair.

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