When Should I Wash My Hair Before My Wedding?
- Alev Miller
- Feb 16, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 16
If you're getting married and feeling confused about wedding hair prep, I'm a bridal makeup artist and hair stylist based in London/Hertfordshire. I work with people who want modern, natural wedding hair and makeup that feels like themselves.
This is the most common question I get from brides: when is the best time to wash your hair before your wedding?
The short answer is either the night before or the morning of your wedding, as long as your hair is fully dry before styling. Clean hair styles better, photographs better and holds better. The longevity is all in the prep.
There’s a long-standing myth that hair needs to be dirty in order to hold. That may have been true years ago when styles were heavier and more structured, but modern bridal hair relies on clean hair and the right preparation, not grease or product build-up.
When to wash your hair
Wash and fully dry your hair either the night before or the morning of your wedding. If your hair feels very soft or slippery after washing, you can skip conditioner, but clean hair will always give a better result than hair weighed down with old products.
Why clean hair works
Soft, textured styles depend on prep rather than oil. Freshly washed hair feels lighter, gives more control during styling and photographs far better, which is especially important for close-up shots throughout the day.
The exceptions
If you have curly hair, we usually judge this by your favourite curl day and work around that.
If you’re booked in for a blowdry, you can arrive with wet hair.
These are the only real exceptions.
Build up and hair oil
If you regularly use hair oils, I recommend stopping at least three washes before your wedding and using a clarifying shampoo. Any oil or build-up left in the hair will affect both the finish and the longevity of your hairstyle.
If you’re travelling to the UK
If you don’t live in the UK but you’re travelling here for a wedding, you may need to adjust how you wash your hair. Hard water makes it harder to rinse products out properly, which can lead to very heavy hair with build up almost instantly. I can usually feel it immediately and in some cases it limits what can be done with heat styling.
Hair prep is one of the easiest ways to set your wedding morning up for success. If you’re unsure what will work best for your hair, this is something I always talk through during trials and if you're having your hair done as a guest, you can always drop me a message using the link below if you have any questions.