WHAT IS PRE-POOING?
Pre-poo is a shortened version of the term “pre-shampoo.” It’s a popular treatment that curly and kinky-haired individuals do. It is a protective moisturizing treatment you apply to your hair and scalp before you wash or ‘shampoo’ your hair. People who have tighter curl patterns and textures. Type 3 or 4 curls that experience more shrinkage and the hair tends to be more dry. Or if it takes you thirty minutes or more to detangle your hair on wash day. Then incorporating a pre-poo into your wash day routine is going to be a game-changer!
Most pre-poo products fall into either one of two
categories: clarifying (e.g., scrubs rinses, and detoxifying serums) or moisturizing (e.g., oils, conditioner or hair masks).Both are formulated for hair and scalp.
The main pre-poo treatments aim to do one of four things, though some products will give you a few benefits in one. These include: add hydration to dry ends, deep clean your scalp, bond-building for damaged strands, and define coils and curls.
How does it work?
Pre-pooing works by adding a much-needed layer of protective moisture to the hair before shampooing. This is to avoid stripping or drying out the hair during cleansing, which can happen even with gentle, sulfate-free cleansers. Leaving hair feeling too clean and stripped from moisture, and causing dryness, breakage and more knots and tangles. The protective barrier of a pre-poo not only prevents all of the moisture being removed during cleansing. But it also cuts down on time during wash day. Allowing you to ease through knots and tangles not only faster, but with less breakage too.
While clean hair is a must for your healthy hair journey, it’s important to create a consistent wash regimen but not overdo it. Excessive shampooing can actually strip your hair of essential natural oils. The consequence of going overboard with your cleansing regimen? Dry, brittle, and damaged curls.
What can I use for Pre-Poo?
A pre-poo can be anything from your favorite oil or hair mask, to a DIY deep conditioner. When using oils, it’s better to use hair penetrating oils such as babassu, coconut, grape seed or argan oil. As these will protect both the outer and inner layers of the hair. And provide extra moisture to the
hair both during and after cleansing. However, you can’t use just any oils, because not all oils are the same. You need to make sure you use a penetrating oil for pre-pooing, and not a sealing oil.
If you use a water-based deep conditioner, you should use much less product than when using it as a mask to deep condition. I prefer to apply anything water based 15-60 minutes before I wash my hair. A pre-poo is usually applied to dry hair. However, you can lightly mist your hair with some warm water before applying, if you prefer. You may find this works better if you have low porosity hair. The aim is not to wet the hair completely, but to dampen to hydrate.
THE BENEFITS OF PRE-POOING
If you’re new to the concept of pre-pooing, you’re probably questioning the point of applying product to your hair pre-wash. It isn’t a necessary step in your wash-day process. However, it can help stimulate hair growth and bring out the beauty of your natural curl pattern.
Here are the main benefits of pre-pooing that you should know.
Replenishes moisture in dry locks, which in turn creates softer and shinier curls
Makes detangling your hair a lot easier
Maximizes the efficacy of your conditioner, which minimizes hair breakage
Protects hair follicles and restores your hair’s natural oils
Removes product buildup with ease
Another great benefit of pre-pooing is that it makes styling a breeze. A lack of natural oils in your hair can cause your follicles to frizz. With pre-poo helping to preserve those oils, your curls are better equipped to hold their own when you try different hair styles.
HOW OFTEN YOU SHOULD PRE-POO?
The frequency of your pre-pooing regimen is typically contingent on the product and your curl pattern. Using a clarifying formula and a treatment once every month should do the trick. With moisturizing formulas, you’re better off pre-pooing more frequently than that.
If you have a looser curl pattern, you probably won’t need to pre-poo as much as an individual with drier, kinkier curls. Rather than everyday pre-pooing, occasional treatments of this nature are more suitable for fine to medium-textured hair.
If your hair feels weighed down after a pre-poo, you might want to try a deep conditioner to bring life to your hair.
How to Pre-Poo
I like to part my hair down the middle and warm the oil in my hands. With hands pressed together, press the oil into small sections of hair with a downwards smoothing motion, from root to tip. Then I finger detangle, adding more oil when needed. For type four curls in particular, whose curls that are densely packed and can easily wrap around each other. I’d suggest dividing your hair into 4-6 sections. Then twist the hair and clip it up to prevent the hair shrinking back up. Leave in for as long as your hair needs. When in the shower, take out each section at a time, ensuring each is adequately cleansed, moisturized and detangled. To avoid unnecessary breakage, I always detangle using my fingers, working from end to root . Once I’ve done that, then I go in with a paddle brush to distribute product through the hair.
Level Up Using Heat
Combining gentle heat with your pre-poo will maximize both the absorption and the benefits of a pre-poo into the hair. It’s also a game changer when it comes to deep conditioning, especially if you have low porosity hair! You can purchase a thermal heat cap, which is great for pre-pooing, hot oil treatments and deep conditioning. You’ll need a microwave to heat it up. But if you don’t have one, you can use a steamer. You can also use a hooded drier or if you don’t have one of those, hold your hairdryer and/or diffuser away from your hair, directing the heat towards it for a few minutes.
LET THE PRODUCT SINK IN WHILE YOU’RE SHOWERING
Cover your head with a shower cap once you’re finished detangling. It’s good practice to take a shower thereafter. Shower heat along with your shower cap will help speed up the absorption process as the oils penetrate your hair follicles.
For best results, let the pre-poo formula seep into your hair follicles for a minimum of 20-30 minutes. The goal is to leave it in for as long as possible. Try to either: a) pre-poo in the morning and wash it out hours later, or b) pre-poo in the evening, wrap your hair, and let it stay in until the next morning.
THOROUGHLY WASH, CONDITION, AND RINSE YOUR HAIR
Resume your normal wash-day routine after completing the pre-poo regimen. A thorough rinse should get rid of all product residue.
Who Can Prepoo?
Pre-pooing is not suitable or recommended for everyone. For example, pre-pooing works great for my tight, kinky, coily curls which tend to be quite dry. However, wavy or a looser curl pattern, over-moisturized hair doesn’t need and wouldn’t benefit from a pre-poo, as it would cause your hair to be over-moisturized.
Also keep in mind that you can only leave a pre-poo in overnight if you’re using an oil. you can use a water-based overnight conditioner if it is formulated for this purpose, which you can only use once a month. Do not over do this type of overnight prepoo. Other than that, It’s not recommended to leave a regular water-based conditioner or hair mask on overnight as a pre-poo. As it can quickly and easily lead to hygral fatigue, which is severely over-moisturized hair. Not only can it cause damage to the cuticle. But hygral fatigue can take weeks, if not months to recover from.
I really hope you found this post helpful and informative. And you feel more confident about incorporating a pre-poo into your wash day routine. Let me know in the comments what your favorite product is and how you use it to work best for your hair. Do you prefer to use an oil or deep conditioner? Just before you wash your hair, or do you prefer to leave it in overnight/all day?
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. You can follow me on Instagram or TikTok for loads of other hair content. And I’ll see you in my next post.
Comments