How to Prep for At-home Hair Color

Hair Color Beginnings
A hair color session can either leave your locks overworked and dry as straw, or shimmering with depth and glossy shine. The difference is in the way you prep for hair color, from smoothing strands before treatment to ensuring the whole process runs neatly.

Before you begin, perform a patch test to check for allergies first. Mix up a smidge of color and apply it to a discreet area like the back of your ear or the inside of your elbow. Wait a full 48 hours to see if you experience any redness, hives or itching.

Wash the Night Before
Product buildup can block hair from absorbing color consistently, but dye may not fully take to hair that has just been washed. The perfect medium is to wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo the night before you color, so strands are clean, yet perfectly primed for dye, says New York salon owner Angelo David.

Deep-condition
Healthy hair is essential to a good color job, so be sure to deep-condition your hair after every fourth shampoo as a routine. The night before dyeing hair, apply a deep-conditioning mask from mid-shaft to ends and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. If your hair is still dry after this process, try using a little bit of conditioner on the most porous areas before applying your color. “Mix your conditioner with a little bit of water so it’s easier to lightly pinch through your strands. Apply color right over it,” advises celebrity color expert Rona O’Connor, who is also co-owner of Lukaro Salon in Beverly Hills.

Wrap Yourself
Wrap two small white towels around your shoulders and neck. Fasten them in the front with a claw clip or safety pin to protect skin and clothing from staining. If you color regularly at home, try fashioning your own spa-like terry robe with a fluffy white towel and two Velcro strips from the fabric store. O’Connor recommends sticking with white, as you can bleach stains out of the fabric more easily -- keeping your towels looking fresh and clean.

Cream Your Hairline
Apply a petroleum-based cream around your hairline to create a barrier against irritating dye that could otherwise seep into your skin. To avoid a sensitive-skin reaction, you’ll also want to refrain from getting a facial and using exfoliating skin care products (like scrubs and retinols) near the hairline for at least two days beforehand, says O’Connor.

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