To wash or not to wash? This is a great debate amongst both clients and hairstylists. First of all, you wash your clothes and dishes. Your hair, however, is shampooed. You also pluck a chicken but tweeze your eyebrows. These fun tidbits were drilled into me when I first trained as a stylist–but back to the great shampoo or no shampoo debate.

Should you shampoo before your hair appointment? The answer is more complex than you think. There are many variables to consider. Should you show up at the salon with hair that hasn't been shampooed in a week? No! Should you do a deep clarifying shampoo the morning-of? Also no! Leaving a little extra natural oil on your scalp prior to hair colouring can prevent discomfort if you have sensitive skin or a sensitive scalp. We always want our services to be comfortable for our clients, so in this case, please skip your shampoo the morning before your salon appointment.

Something else to consider: perhaps it's been a while since you've visited your favourite salon, and you may have no choice but to load up on the spray-on color touch-up to get by. We can't let our friends, family, and coworkers see nordic blonde regrowth (also known as the dreaded grey hair). However, you should know that excessive products can prevent colour from penetrating the hair shaft, and while a little spray the morning of your appointment is rarely a problem, three days in a row would be.

Here's a simple rule of thumb to clear up any remaining confusion: I recommend shampooing 12-24 hours before and using minimal finishing products before your visit.