Okay, so the other day I was staring at my dull, lifeless hair in the mirror and thinking, “Girl, you need a change!” I had this box of vibrant blue hair dye sitting in my bathroom cabinet, just calling my name. But then a question popped into my head: Should I wash my hair before I dye it? Or is it better to dye it dirty?
I’ve always heard mixed things. Some people swear you gotta have squeaky clean hair for the dye to “take” properly. Others say the natural oils on your scalp protect it from the harsh chemicals. My brain was in a total twist, so I decided to do a little experiment.
The Great Hair Dye Experiment
First things first, I took a “before” photo. My hair was looking pretty sad, I gotta admit. It had been about three days since my last wash, so it was definitely on the oily side.
Next, I divided my hair into two sections. On the left side, I went ahead and washed it with my usual shampoo, really scrubbing it clean. I skipped the conditioner, though, because I figured that might interfere with the dye.
The right side, I left as is – oily and unwashed. Then came the fun part: applying the dye! I carefully painted that blue goop onto both sides, making sure to saturate every single strand.
While the dye was processing, I paced around my apartment, feeling like a mad scientist. I was so curious to see if there would be a noticeable difference between the two sides.
After the recommended time (about 30 minutes, according to the box), I hopped in the shower and rinsed, rinsed, rinsed until the water ran clear. Then I did a light conditioning treatment, because my hair always feels like straw after dyeing.
The Results
Okay, drumroll, please… Honestly, I was pretty surprised. I expected the clean side to be way more vibrant, but truthfully, there wasn’t a huge difference.
- Color Intensity: Both sides took the color pretty evenly. The blue was definitely popping on both the washed and unwashed sections.
- Scalp Sensitivity: I did notice a bit more tingling on the freshly washed side while the dye was processing. Nothing unbearable, but it was definitely more noticeable than on the oily side.
- Overall Feel: After drying and styling, both sides felt pretty much the same – soft, shiny, and BLUE!
So, what’s the verdict? Based on my little experiment, it seems like washing your hair right before dyeing might make your scalp a little more sensitive, but it doesn’t necessarily make a huge difference in the final color result. At least, not with the dye I used. Maybe it varies depending on the brand or color? Who knows! I’ll keep experimenting for sure. I’ll probably go with the two or three days unwashed hair next time.