Behind the chair I get a lot of questions but there is one universal question that I tend to get eventually from everyone regardless of gender or service they come in for. How do I prepare my hair for my big event? Or, some other version. How long before my big event should I get my hair done? Here is what I say…

You have somewhere to be.

Maybe it’s a wedding.

Maybe it’s your birthday.

Maybe you’re getting headshots taken, going on a big date, attending a reunion, giving a presentation, taking family photos or going to an event where you know approximately 700 pictures are going to be taken.

Whatever it is, you’ve decided:

I want my hair to look really fucking good.

So what should you actually do?

After more than 21 years behind the chair, I can tell you that the best pre-event hair plan usually isn’t about doing more.

It’s about doing the right things at the right time and not creating a brand new problem for yourself three days before you need to look good.

Here’s how I approach it.

1. Make Big Hair Changes Early

Let’s start with what NOT to do.

If you have an important event coming up, the week before it is probably not the time to suddenly decide:

Maybe I should get bangs.

Maybe I should become a redhead.

Maybe I should cut 10 inches off.

Maybe I should completely change how I wear my natural texture.

Maybe I should try a smoothing treatment I’ve never had before.

Could any of those things look amazing?

Absolutely.

But give yourself enough time to actually live in the change.

This is especially important if the way you plan to wear your hair for the event is different from how you normally wear it.

If you’re considering something bigger like a major color change, significant haircut, curly makeover or smoothing service like Cezanne talk to your hairstylist early.

You don’t just want enough time to decide whether you like it.

You want enough time to learn how your new hair behaves.

2. Don’t Follow Some Random Internet Haircut Timeline

You’ve probably seen advice that says things like:

Get your haircut exactly two weeks before an event.

I don’t believe in a universal rule for this.

A short, precise haircut and waist-length layers do not need the same timeline.

Bangs don’t have the same timeline as a curly reshape.

Some people love their haircut the second they leave the salon.

Other people like their hair after they’ve washed and styled it themselves a few times.

I know my clients and how often they come in for clean ups and how they like their hair to look. I can give every single one of my client’s guidelines to look out for in the months leading up to their event to help figure out a perfect timeline for them.

So rather than counting backward according to a rule you found on Pinterest, ask the person who actually cuts your hair:

When should I come in if I want my haircut looking its best on this date?

That’s a much better way to go about it.

3. Figure Out What Your Hair Actually Needs

This is where people start panic treating.

They have an event coming up and suddenly:

DEEP CONDITION EVERYTHING.

Maybe.

But what if your hair isn’t dry?

What if it’s coated with buildup?

What if your biggest problem is damage?

What if the problem isn’t your hair at all and your scalp is what actually needs attention?

What if your hair feels perfectly healthy but your haircut has completely lost its shape?

Different problems need different solutions.

I talked about this in my guide to when your at-home routine isn’t enough and you may need a professional hair treatment.

The important part is that you start with the problem.

Not the treatment.

If your hair feels coated and heavy, throwing a rich conditioning mask over it may make you hate it even more.

If it’s actually compromised from lightening or heat, we may need to think about strength and condition.

If your scalp is buried under a week’s worth of dry shampoo, let’s address that.

Treat what is actually happening.

4. Give Your Scalp Some Attention

We spend an incredible amount of time thinking about how our hair looks and surprisingly little time thinking about the skin underneath it.

Your scalp produces oil.

It sweats.

It collects product.

It collects dry shampoo.

And when you’re preparing for something important, I don’t want the entire focus to be on making the last six inches of your hair shiny.

Start with appropriate cleansing.

If your scalp needs washing, wash it.

If you’re regularly stretching your wash schedule several days beyond the point where your scalp is comfortable because you’ve heard washing your hair is “bad,” I would rather fix that routine than pile another product on top.

You don’t need to suddenly develop an elaborate 12-step scalp routine before your event.

You just need to stop ignoring it.

5. If Your Hair Feels Weird, Don’t Automatically Add More

This one deserves its own section because I see it constantly.

Your hair suddenly feels heavy.

It looks dull.

Your curls aren’t behaving normally.

It feels coated even after you wash it.

Your normal products aren’t working the way they used to.

And the instinct is:

I need a new product.

Sometimes you don’t.

Sometimes you need to remove what’s already there.

Product, oil and residue can build up on hair. Depending on your water and environmental exposure, mineral or metal deposits can also become an issue.

Those aren’t exactly the same problem, which is why clarifying and chelating aren’t interchangeable treatments.

If your hair feels like it needs a serious reset, I’ve written a whole guide about what a chelating treatment is and when you actually need one.

The week of an important event is not when I want you randomly throwing aggressive treatments at your hair.

Figure out what it needs first.

6. This Is a Great Time for Professional Hair, Scalp + Skin Care

Sometimes you don’t have a problem to fix.

You just want to look and feel extra good.

And honestly?

That’s allowed.

This is exactly the kind of situation I had in mind when I created The Glow Up.

The Glow Up is my new hair + scalp + skin treatment experience at Makers Make Parlor in San Francisco.

It’s dedicated time to give your hair and scalp professional attention, incorporate LED for the scalp and face, treat the hair, give the skin a little love, and then very importantly finish your hair.

Because if you’re getting ready for something, I don’t want to send you home looking like you need another appointment.

The Glow Up isn’t formal event or bridal hairstyling. Although if you want that, we can chat.

It’s also not a facial or a medical hair-loss treatment.

It’s an opportunity to come in, get taken care of for a while, and leave looking put together.

Birthday dinner?

Perfect.

Headshots?

Yep.

City Hall?

Absolutely.

Attending a wedding?

Great.

Date night?

Go for it.

Or maybe you’ve had a week that absolutely kicked your ass and the big event is you feeling like yourself again.

That counts, too.

I’m deliberately not going to explain every part of it here. You can read all about The Glow Up on the service page and decide whether it sounds like your kind of afternoon.

7. Get Your Color Timing Right

Just like haircuts, there isn’t one universal rule for when everyone should color their hair before an event.

If you cover gray and like absolutely no regrowth showing, your ideal timing may be fairly close.

If you wear lived-in balayage, you have much more flexibility.

If you’re doing a major color change?

Please don’t make your first attempt three days before your family photos.

Talk to your colorist.

Tell them the date.

Tell them how you’re planning to wear your hair.

Then work backward.

Sometimes the best pre-event color appointment isn’t a giant transformation at all.

It might simply be refreshing what you already have or adding a gloss so everything feels polished.

8. Stop Experimenting as the Event Gets Closer

This may be the least glamorous beauty advice I will ever give you:

Become boring.

As the event gets closer, use the things you already know work.

This is not the moment to discover whether your scalp enjoys some treatment you found at 11:45 p.m. on TikTok.

Don’t suddenly switch every product in your shower.

Don’t try an aggressive DIY treatment.

Don’t decide you’ve always secretly wanted to cut your own bangs.

Don’t put random things from your kitchen on your head.

And definitely don’t use an at-home color you’ve never used before because the box said “medium brown” and you’re pretty sure that’s what you are.

We want predictable hair.

There will be plenty of time for chaos later.

9. Style for Hour Five, Not Just Minute Five

This is a big one.

When I style someone’s hair, I’m not only thinking about how it looks when I turn the chair around.

I want it to last.

If you have an event, your hair needs to survive things.

Getting dressed.

The car.

Dinner.

Photos.

Dancing.

People hugging you.

Maybe some weather.

And, because this is San Francisco, quite possibly walking directly into a wall of fog that wasn’t there 30 seconds ago.

This is why product matters.

When I style hair behind the chair, I generally build what I think of as my 5-product stack:

PREP → HOLD → VOLUME →BLOW DRY → TEXTURE → FINISH

You absolutely do not need five products every time you do your hair at home.

But if you’re wondering why your beautifully curled hair completely collapses before you even arrive at dinner, we need to look at what you’ve given that style to work with.

I assure you, the girl in your inspiration picture has product in her hair.

Probably several.

If you want to understand exactly how I layer products and why each one has a job, read my complete guide to the order you should apply hair products and my 5-product styling stack.

10. Don’t Automatically Assume Dirty Hair Is Better

Ah, yes.

The ancient beauty commandment:

Dirty hair styles better.

Sometimes hair with a little grip can absolutely be easier to manipulate than extremely soft, freshly conditioned hair.

That does NOT mean your hairstylist wants you showing up with four days of oil, sweat and dry shampoo on your scalp.

If someone else is styling your hair for the event, ask them what they want.

Seriously.

“When would you like me to wash my hair?”

That’s it.

Let the person creating the style tell you how they want their canvas prepared.

If you show up to your hair appointment without your hair the way the stylist has asked you to come, you may not get what you want and that is honestly 100% on you.

If you’re styling it yourself, you already know I’m going to tell you to pay attention to your actual hair rather than follow a universal washing rule.

What do you do that works and what have you done before that was a disaster.

You are your own science experiment.

11. Give Yourself More Time Than You Think You Need

Nothing ruins getting ready quite like realizing you have 17 minutes left and half your head is still wet.

If your hair is important to you for this event, build in time.

More than your fastest-ever blowout.

More than “Google Maps says it takes exactly 23 minutes to get there.”

Hair has an incredible ability to sense urgency.

Give yourself and your hairstylist enough time to dry it completely, style it properly, let things cool, finish it, get dressed, change your mind about your earrings and still leave without screaming.

That is part of the beauty routine, too.

12. You Don’t Need to Turn Into a Different Person

This might be the most important part.

When we have something big coming up, beauty advice suddenly gets weird.

You need a facial.

You need supplements.

You need six treatments.

You need new products.

You need whiter teeth.

You need different hair.

You need to start drinking chlorophyll under a full moon.

Whatever.

You don’t need to become an entirely different human because someone is going to take pictures of you.

You want your hair to look like your hair on a really fucking good day.

That’s the goal.

Maybe that means a fresh haircut.

Maybe it’s color.

Maybe it’s a treatment.

Maybe it’s The Glow Up.

Maybe it’s a really great blowout.

Maybe your hair is already in fantastic condition and the best thing you can do is leave it alone.

The right answer depends on you.

The Quick Version: Your Pre-Event Hair Checklist

If you skimmed this entire article because your event is in three days and you are currently panicking, here you go:

Make major changes early. Give yourself time to live in a new haircut, color, texture or smoothing service.

Get your haircut and color timing from your actual hairstylist. Universal timelines aren’t useful for every head of hair.

Treat the problem you actually have. Don’t automatically throw moisture at everything.

Pay attention to your scalp. Clean hair and a comfortable scalp are part of good hair.

Consider professional treatments when there’s a reason or when you simply want some extra attention before the event.

Stop experimenting as the event gets closer.

Use styling products if you want your style to behave and last.

Ask your event hairstylist when they want you to wash your hair.

Give yourself enough time to get ready.

And finally:

Don’t forget to enjoy whatever you’re getting ready for.