Can You Wash Hair 24 Hours After Coloring?

Is your post-color routine sending all your hairdresser's hard work down the drain – literally? It’s important you know how and when to wash your hair to get the most out of your new, dream shade. So, here, we’re answering the question that may be on your mind: can you wash hair 24 hours after coloring? Turns out, if you’re wash day obsessed, your might be making a big mistake with your freshly applied hue…

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU WASH YOUR HAIR 24 HOURS AFTER COLORING?

It’s one of the biggest faux pas you can make with your colored hair: washing it too soon after leaving the salon. By lathering up within 24 hours of your appointment, you risk fading the shade. This is especially important if you’ve colored your hair with a demi-permanent or semi-permanent hair color. As you know, these products are designed to wash out gradually, so every single wash day counts.

The good news is, because you shampoo your hair when you rinse out your color formula, your roots should be fresh and clean enough that they won’t need to lather up the day after they visit the salon. If your’re still concerned about getting greasy roots 24 hours after coloring, mist in a dry shampoo, like EIMI Dry Me. This will help to bridge the gap until your next shampoo.

SO, HOW LONG AFTER COLORING CAN YOU WASH YOUR HAIR?

Put simply, you should wait as long as you can before washing your freshly colored hair, as this allows the cuticles to fully close up and seal in their dream shade. For some, this could be 48 hours, while others may be able to hold on for up to one week. Waiting also gives color-treated strands a well-earned break from any chemical, physical and thermal damage, so you're putting less pressure on your just-processed hair.

SHOULD YOU WASH HAIR BEFORE COLORING?

Every colorist has their own answer to this question. Some pros think the hair shouldn’t be freshly washed before coloring, as the natural oils in your hair can act as a form of protection against hair damage. Others say they prefer the hair clean, as it’s easier to work with and apply color to. We say it’s all about striking the right balance: hair doesn't need to be squeaky clean, but it shouldn’t be oily either. Day-old or two-day-old hair can create a great canvas for flawless coloring.

WHAT'S THE BEST SHAMPOO FOR COLORED HAIR?

When it’s time for yout to wash your colored hair, not just any shampoo will do. Here are three features to look for in the ultimate color-kind formula:

1. IT PROMISES COLOR PROTECTION

First up, you should look for shampoos that are labeled ‘color safe’ or offer color protection, like INVIGO Brilliance Color Protection Shampoo. This isn’t the case for all formulas, so it’s important they find a shampoo that specifically states it’s for colored hair. There are a range of color-friendly formulas in the Wella Professionals collection, each offering different levels of nourishment to care for every type of hair.

2. IT PURIFIES FADING METALS

Metals in the hair are a key culprit for shade fading – and they’re more present than you think. In fact, even the water you wash hair with can be packed with metals, such as copper from the plumbing pipes. That’s why we’ve included Metal Purifier in all Wella Professionals shampoos. It neutralizes these harmful metals to maintain health, shine and vibrancy from one wash to the next.

3. IT'S TAILORED TO HAIR CONDITION

You don't have to compromise on tailored hair care in your quest for color protection. As well as shielding your shade, the right shampoo should also enhance condition and support your style. So, whether your’re working a curly balayage, highlights through dry, brittle hair or an all-over red on strands that are prone to dullness, your shampoo should put in the work to make the most of their mane. Which leads us to the next step…

HOW TO PICK THE RIGHT SHAMPOO FOR COLORED HAIR

Now you know exactly what to look for in a color-kind shampoo, here are three that tick every box. They’re protective, packed with metal purifying powers, and offer benefits for all hair types.

FOR COLOR VIBRANCY AND SHINE: INVIGO BRILLIANCE

If your hair is prone to dullness – or just can’t get enough of shine – INVIGO Brilliance Color Protection Shampoo is their new go-to. It’s pH-optimized, so it helps to close the cuticle post-salon, which boosts color retention. Plus, the radiance-enhancing formula is packed with Lime Caviar and potent antioxidants to keep fading free radicals at bay. You client also get the choice between two formulas: one for fine to medium hair or one for coarse hair. So, if your hair is on the thinner side, you don’t have to worry that their shampoo will drag strands down.

Use it with: INVIGO Brilliance Vibrant Color Conditioner and, as a weekly treat, INVIGO Brilliance Vibrant Color Mask. The mask should be left on for at least five minutes to smooth the hair surface and level up shade vibrancy.

FOR COLOR MAINTENANCE AND NOURISHMENT: COLORMOTION+

For hair that craves a little extra nourishment, we suggest ColorMotion+ Color Protection Shampoo. It offers up to eight weeks of color protection*, while elevating smoothness and shine from root to very tip. Gentle to hair and kind to even sensitive scalps, it also teams up perfectly with the ColorMotion+ Structure+ Mask.

Use it with: As well as the Structure+ Mask, which you should use once per week as a deep treatment, the shampoo partners with the ColorMotion+ Color Reflection Conditioner for a boost of moisture after every wash.

FOR COLOR PROTECTION AND DAMAGE REPAIR: ULTIMATE REPAIR

When colored hair is deeply damaged, ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo is the answer. The rich, luxurious lather delivers a skincare-inspired blend of AHA and Omega-9, which cares for strands from the inside out. This dream duo kick-starts the bond rebuilding process to restore strength, smoothness and shine, then rinses completely clean to leave straight, wavy, curly and coily hair feeling fresh and sumptuously nourished.

Use it with: The complete ULTIMATE REPAIR regimen. First, you should apply the ULTIMATE REPAIR Conditioner to just shampooed hair, focusing it through the mid-lengths and ends, where hair tends to be most damaged. Then, after towel drying, advise them to mist Miracle Hair Rescue from root to tip. The leave-in treatment repairs damage in just 90 seconds**, leaving you with 12x smoother hair*** and 99% less breakage***.

CAN I USE A CLARIFYING SHAMPOO ON COLORED HAIR?

Just like your skin sometimes needs a facial to hit the ‘reset’ button, your hair may call out for a deeper cleanse when it’s feeling overworked. A clarifying shampoo is the answer to ridding strands of product build-up or excess oil, but is it almost too effective for colored hair? In other words, could it strip out your dream shade?

The goal of a clarifying shampoo isn’t to protect colored hair, so you won’t want to use one too often. However, as a once-in-a-while treatment, it will give your roots the detox they crave, but not so much that it will affect their color. Your favorite color-safe shampoo should be enough to leave your hair clean and purified from day to day, then you can reach for your clarifying shampoo when signs of build-up appear.

We recommend you to try INVIGO Balance Aqua Pure Purifying Shampoo, which whisks away impurities, oil and pollutants for purified strands from root to tip. By working it into the roots of wet hair then letting it run through the lengths, they refresh the scalp, while giving the rest of the hair a gentler (yet still effective) cleanse.

3 MORE COLOR-BOOSTING TIPS FOR HAIR WASH DAY

When hair wash day arrives, small updates to your routine can help you color stay intact for longer. Here are the tips you need to start following now…

1. TURN DOWN THE WATER TEMPERATURE

Washing with too-hot water can open up the hair cuticle, allowing the pigment inside to escape and causing your color to fade faster. Meanwhile, all that heat can be drying on strands, resulting in dullness and hair damage . That’s why you should turn the temperature down when you wash your hair, so you’re lathering up with lukewarm water only.

2. USE A SHOWER FILTER

While the Wella Professionals shampoos all feature the Metal Purifier, your living in area where the water is extra hard (meaning extra polluted) may want to fit a filter to your shower head too. This will give your strands even more protection against the damaging effects of metals in your hair.

3. FOLLOW WITH CONDITIONER

To keep your colored hair looking healthy and shiny from one wash to the next, we advise you not to skip the conditioning step. By applying one after every shampoo, and treating strands to weekly hair masking, they give your shade the best chance of a long lifespan – with a boost of radiance too.

Looking for more ways to care for their hair? Discover our complete collection of Hair Care Guides, featuring tips for every type and concern.

* When using Structure+ Mask.

** When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue.

*** When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue. Instrumental test versus non-conditioning shampoo.