How long should I wait to wash my hair after a haircut?

 

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 Do you want to know how long you should wait to wash your hair after cutting it? 

 

The answer is clear and concise: Nothing.

You don’t even need to wait half an hour to wash your hair after cutting it. Simply,  neither water nor shampoo or conditioner will change your cut. 

 

I can’t begin to explain how much I laughed about the timing between haircuts and washing today.

Why?

 

Yesterday, Noelia visited me at the salon. She wanted a change of look. I suggested a short Bob cut, as it would make look younger, Noelia is 55 years old, and it would add volume to her fine hair and enhance her features.

 

Noelia was very satisfied with the change of look. I didn’t hear from her again until five minutes ago.

My cell phone rang, and it was Noelia. When I heard her speaking so low, I thought she had regretted the haircut.

But after assuring me that this wasn’t the case, she asked: “Alejandra, can I wash my hair? I feel a terrible itching in the back of my neck since yesterday, and I can’t stand it anymore.”

 

If it hadn’t been for the fact that Noelia was really serious, I would have burst into laughter. However, I could tell that the subject was serious to her.

 

So I reassured her that she could wash her hair because washing it wouldn’t change the cut.

She was probably feeling itchy because short bobs or Pixie leave trimmed hair on the skin on the back of the neck or shoulders even though stylists brush them out.

 

So, rest easy about that.

Why is that?

 

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You can wash your hair right after cutting it

And you can wash it as soon as you leave the salon or when you finish cutting it at home.

I don’t know what Noelia imagined would happen to her hair if she washed it after cutting it. But the truth is that nothing would happen.

 

In short,   if you wash your hair after a haircut, the water will hydrate and strengthen your hair. 

 

And you can style your hair in any way you like, whether you use a flat iron, hair spray, or even styling cream.

Nevertheless, things change if you apply other types of processes when you trim hair. And that’s what I’ll talk about next.

 

When NOT to wash your hair after a haircut

Rules come with exceptions. And in this case, there are a few. Let’s analyze each of them in depth.

 

If you cut and color your hair on the same day, you shouldn’t wash it

In this case, washing won’t affect the cut. However,  if you wash your hair after cutting and coloring it, you’ll interrupt the settling process of the dye. 

 

Therefore, the color will fade faster. That’s why you should wait three days to wash your hair.

 

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If you cut and apply a keratin treatment to your hair on the same day, you shouldn’t wash it

You should make sure not to wash your hair in this case. If you do, you’ll remove some of the keratin, because your hair won’t have had time to absorb the protein.

Then, your new haircut will be frizzy.

You’ll also have to wait three days to wash your hair.

 

If you cut and perm your hair on the same day, you shouldn’t wash it

 If you decided on a curly mane and a haircut to go with this style,  you should wait 48 hours to wash your hair.

The hair perm liquid loses its effect if wet within 24 hours of application. Your hair will be frizzy, undefined, and uneven.

 

The same goes for the straightening treatment. If you cut your hair to give it a new style and then straightened it, you should wait 72 hours to wash it.

This is because the straightener loses its effect if it comes into contact with water within three days of application.

 

Finally, if you cut your hair and applied a nourishing or repair ampoule, I advise you to wait 48 hours to wash it.

In the meantime, your hair will absorb the vitamins and nutrients from the ampoule.

 

Conclusions

You can wash your hair after cutting it because washing won’t change the cut.

However, remember to avoid washing your hair after cutting it if you also apply hair color or a treatment such as keratin or perm.