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Pre-Poo: Pre-Poo: Discover Your New Wash Day Secret!

Dry, damaged, or brittle hair can result from coloring, heat exposure, chemical treatments, and inadequate care. A common solution is to use shampoo and conditioner that are specific to your hair type, but you can also give your hair extra care by adding a pre-shampoo treatment. With numerous ingredients that feed and strengthen hair while styling, these treatments are crucial for both scalp and hair care.

What is “Pre-poo”?

A man getting his hair washed at a salon.
Pre-shampoo treatments may be the secret to healthier and stronger hair.

Pre-pooing is a hair care technique that involves applying a treatment to create a protective layer before shampooing. This keeps hair from drying out, which can happen when you shampoo it. In order to maintain healthy, silky, strong, and lustrous hair, pre-pooing locks in moisture and hydration. Although it is a frequently overlooked step in hair care, it can greatly enhance hair health.

What are the benefits of “Pre-poo”?

Anyone can benefit from pre-shampooing, a treatment that can have a restorative effect on dry, knotted, and damaged hair, regardless of hair texture. These treatments ensure that you and your hair look and feel your best by nourishing and hydrating it, in addition to shielding it from environmental and lifestyle factors.

Adds extra moisture to hair

Pre-shampooing treatments help prevent excessive drying of hair follicles by forming a protective barrier around the hair shafts through thickening agents, ensuring smoother, healthier, and more moisturized hair

Improves hair texture and strength

 A woman examining her hair in front of a mirror.
Curly hair can benefit from adopting a pre-shampoo routine.

Pre-shampoos act deep inside the cortex of the hair shaft to repair damaged bonds that are essential for the resilience, elasticity, and shape of hair, restoring its inner strength and structure. Coloring, bleaching, heat styling, and environmental stress can all degrade these hair properties.

Effortless detangling

When it comes to natural hair, a pre-poo treatment can help control knots and tangles on wash day. It gives hair the glide it needs to fight tangles and knots and stop unnecessary hair loss. People who have previously had trouble detangling their hair would benefit most from this treatment.

Do Pre-Shampoo Treatments Really Make A Difference?

A photo taken of the back of a woman’s head. She is brushing her hair which appears to be dry and damaged.
Are pre-shampoo treatments worth it?

Because daily activities expose hair to stressors, it is essential to use a tailored pre-shampoo treatment to preserve and nourish it. This keeps hair looking glossy and healthy while preventing damage. In addition to protecting and nourishing hair, pre-shampooing increases the cleansing and moisturizing properties of shampoo and conditioner, keeping your hair strong.

How Do You Properly Pre-Poo?

Applying a pre-poo solution to dry hair before washing and conditioning is a quick and easy technique known as “pre-shampooing.” This coats the hair strands before washing and helps retain moisture. Establishing this as a routine can have a big impact on hair care.

Take your pre-shampoo of choice

The selected product should be applied to the hair strands following the package instructions. After applying, let the product sit and then rinse it out before shampooing. Based on your selected pre-shampoo treatment, you can apply it to either dry or damp hair.

Choose a nourishing shampoo and conditioner

Two small bottles of shampoo and conditioner laid out onto soft, silky hair on a white sheet.
A good pre-shampoo needs equally good shampoo and conditioning products.

It’s important to use shampoo and conditioner that go well with the pre-poo treatment you used.  For best results, use a pure purifying shampoo on oily hair, and a sulfate-free bond repair shampoo and conditioner to rehydrate hair and  improve bonds.

Make use of a leave- in conditioner

One essential tool for increasing the moisture content of hair is a leave-in conditioner.  After washing, it is advised to use a dime-sized amount of conditioner, making sure to distribute it evenly throughout your damp hair.

The Types of Pre-poo

Because of its versatility, pre-shampoo treatments can be utilized in a variety of ways.  Though some treatments are better for particular hair types, there are no strict rules on what kind of pre-shampoo product to use. Your choice of pre-shampoo should depend on the kind of care your hair needs.

Oil treatments

Oils are a powerful tool for restoring moisture to hair, especially curly  hair. They help repair dryness and damage caused by heat, chemicals, or coloring. Oils remain on hair after washing, providing a significant moisture boost. Oils are also an effective pre-shampoo treatment, particularly for fighting frizz.

Serums

A bottle of Pantene gold series new lengths serums.
You can use many products as pre-shampoo treatments.

The majority of hair serums are usually applied to hair and are left on. This is to give time for the serum to penetrate the hair strands. However, there are some hair serums that are used before shampoo and rinsed out. Hair serums are perfect for oily hair because they are lightweight.

Treatments and Masks

Applying a deep conditioning mask treatment to wet hair and washing it out after 15 minutes is a hydrating way to quickly pre-poo. Shampooing and conditioning can come afterwards, ensuring that your hair stays hydrated and protected.

It is also possible to use liquid and cream hair treatments for pre-shampoo, which simplifies the task of purchasing hair care products. Combining these treatments with quality shampoos and conditioners will speed up and simplify your hair care routine.

How to choose the right pre-shampoo treatment?

Different pre-shampooing treatments can be beneficial depending on your hair type and specific hair goals.

For oily hair

To effectively treat oily hair, focus on the scalp, as it’s the starting point for oil production. Choose pre-shampoo with lightweight formulas containing ingredients like tea tree oil or rosemary water to clarify and remove excess oil.

For curly hair

For definition and hydration, curly hair needs a thick, creamy pre-shampoo treatment. Shea butter or aloe vera-based hair masks or creams deeply hydrate hair follicles, decreasing frizz and preventing curls from drying out.

For thinning hair

Pre-shampoo products containing proteins, keratin, or biotin can help to strengthen thin hair. These treatments strengthen hair follicles and enhance the overall health of hair. If you have thin or thinning hair, choose sulphate-free hair products or specially formulated treatments.

Summary and Key Takeaways

Pre-shampooing is a hair care technique that creates a protective layer before shampooing to prevent hair from drying out. It helps maintain healthy, silky, strong, and lustrous hair by locking in moisture and hydration.

Pre-shampooing treatments can have a restorative effect on dry, knotted, and damaged hair, regardless of texture. Which should be enough of a reason for you to include it in your wash day routine!

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