Before Your Appointment

One of the most common questions I receive is, "Should I wash my hair before coming to my appointment?"

The answer is no.

Please come to your appointment exactly as you are.

Whether your hair has product buildup, flakes, perspiration, oils, or has been tucked away in a protective style, there is no need to shampoo your hair before arriving. Your wash service is designed to thoroughly cleanse your scalp and hair using professional products and techniques that are difficult to achieve at home.

Coming with your hair in its natural state allows me to properly assess the condition of your scalp and hair so I can recommend the products and treatments that will best support your healthy hair journey.

Every wash service is more than simply cleansing your hair, it is an opportunity to reset your scalp, replenish moisture, and build healthy hair habits.

During your appointment, your wash service may include:

- A professional scalp analysis.

- A deep scalp cleanse to remove oils, dirt, sweat, and product buildup.

- A relaxing scalp massage to stimulate circulation.

- Professional shampoo and conditioning using products selected for your hair type.

- A moisture treatment and/or protein treatment when recommended.

- Personalized product recommendations based on the current needs of your hair.

Starting with a healthy scalp creates the best environment for healthy hair growth.

After Your Appointment

Your salon visit is only one part of maintaining healthy hair. The routine you follow at home is equally important.

To maintain the health of your hair between appointments, I recommend:

- Washing your hair consistently every 2 to 4 weeks, depending on your hair type, lifestyle, and the style you are wearing.

- Moisturizing your hair regularly to maintain elasticity and prevent dryness.

- Sleeping with a satin bonnet or on a silk or satin pillowcase to reduce friction and preserve moisture.

- Limiting excessive heat styling and always using a heat protectant when heat is necessary.

- Following the customized home-care recommendations provided during your appointment.

- Booking regular treatment services when your hair needs additional moisture, strength, or repair.

Healthy hair is built through consistency, not occasional treatments.

Each wash appointment removes buildup that can clog the scalp, restores moisture balance, improves circulation, and keeps your hair in the best condition possible. Making professional wash services a regular part of your hair care routine helps reduce breakage, supports healthy growth, and keeps your hair looking and feeling its best throughout the year.

At Swiss Hair, I encourage my clients to view shampoo appointments as an essential part of their healthy hair journey, not just something to do when the hair feels dirty. A healthy scalp is the foundation of healthy, thriving hair, and investing in routine scalp care is one of the best things you can do for your long-term hair goals.

Before Your Appointment

A traditional sew-in with partial leave-out is a beautiful protective style that allows you to achieve versatility while still maintaining access to your natural hair. However, the success, longevity, and overall health of this style begins long before the installation process.

Proper preparation ensures your natural hair is strong, clean, and properly protected underneath the install. This helps reduce tension, prevent breakage, and allows your sew-in to last longer while maintaining the health of your leave-out.

Please arrive with the following:

Your hair should be:

• Freshly washed and thoroughly cleansed of any oils, product buildup, or residue.

• Treated with both a moisture treatment and a protein treatment to strengthen and hydrate the hair.

• Completely detangled from root to end to ensure a smooth installation process.

• Sectioned (if possible) into manageable parts for braiding.

• Free of leave-in conditioners, oils, butters, gels, grease, or heavy styling products.

If your hair is not properly prepared, your stylist will need additional time for prep work before beginning the installation, which may affect appointment timing.

Your stylist will then:

• Blow-dry your natural hair to ensure it is properly stretched.

• Braid your foundation in a way that supports even tension and long-term wear.

• Prepare your leave-out area carefully so it blends naturally with your install.

• Trim or shape your leave-out if necessary for a seamless finish.

If You Are Unable to Prepare Your Hair

You may book an add-on service prior to your installation:

• Regular Wash

• Treatment Wash

These services ensure your hair is properly cleansed, treated, and prepared before your sew-in installation begins.

Starting your sew-in with properly prepared hair is essential for:

• Preventing excessive tension on your scalp

• Reducing breakage under the install

• Supporting healthy hair growth

• Improving the longevity of your sew-in

• Ensuring a smoother, more natural blend

After Your Appointment

Your sew-in is a protective style, but it still requires consistent care and maintenance to ensure your natural hair remains healthy underneath.

Proper aftercare is essential not only for maintaining the appearance of your install but also for protecting the integrity of your leave-out and natural hair.

Maintenance & Daily Care

• Wrap your hair nightly using a satin scarf or sleep with a satin bonnet to reduce friction and prevent dryness.

• Carefully maintain your leave-out by wrapping it or setting it to preserve your blend and minimize heat damage.

• Use a lightweight heat protectant anytime heat is applied to your leave-out.

• Keep moisturizing your natural hair and scalp with lightweight, non-greasy products.

• Avoid heavy oils, thick creams, and product buildup near the scalp or braids.

Ongoing Care

• Cleanse your scalp every 2–3 weeks using a diluted shampoo or scalp-friendly cleanser.

• Avoid excessive tension hairstyles such as very tight ponytails or high buns that can stress your leave-out.

• Limit heat usage on your natural hair to prevent dryness, breakage, and long-term heat damage.

• Book a sew-in maintenance appointment or refresh service as needed to maintain the neatness of your install.

• Consider a weave maintenance wash to properly cleanse your scalp and extend the life of your install while supporting healthy growth underneath.

• Remove your sew-in within 6–8 weeks to avoid matting, buildup, and tension-related breakage.

Seasonal Care Reminder

During colder or drier months, your leave-out and scalp will require additional moisture. It is important to be intentional about hydration during fall and winter, as low humidity can cause dryness, brittleness, and increased breakage.

Healthy Hair Reminder

A sew-in should always support your natural hair, not compromise it. When installed and maintained correctly, it allows your hair to rest, grow, and remain protected. However, the health of your natural hair still depends on how well it is cared for underneath.

At Swiss Hair, the goal is always long-term hair health first, and styling second. When you follow proper preparation and aftercare, your sew-in becomes more than a style, it becomes part of a healthy hair journey that supports growth, strength, and confidence.

Protective styles are designed to protect your natural hair, but only when they are maintained correctly.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that once braids are installed, there is nothing more that needs to be done. In reality, proper maintenance throughout your installation is what keeps your scalp healthy, minimizes breakage, and makes your takedown much easier.

I highly recommend booking a Perimeter Clean-Up Service approximately 4 to 6 weeks after your installation.

This service refreshes the outside edges and visible rows of your braids without removing the entire style. By maintaining the perimeter, your braids continue looking neat and polished while reducing unnecessary frizz.

Many clients remove their braids after six weeks simply because the perimeter looks grown out. A perimeter refresh allows many clients to comfortably wear their installation for up to three months, depending on their rate of hair growth and how well the style has been maintained.

This maintenance appointment is available through the online booking system.

Moisture Is Everything.

One of my favourite recommendations for clients wearing protective styles is Scurl Moisturizer Spray.

This product helps:

• Maintain moisture within your natural hair.

• Reduce dryness during your installation.

• Prevent excessive matting.

• Make the takedown process significantly easier.

• Improve flexibility within your hair strands.

• Keep your scalp feeling hydrated throughout your install.

This spray becomes especially important during the fall and winter months, when cooler temperatures naturally remove moisture from the hair.

Every client's hair is different.

At your appointment, I will personally recommend:

• How often your hair should be moisturized.

• Which lightweight oil is best suited for your scalp.

• Which products work best for your specific hair type.

Following your personalized recommendations will help your protective style remain healthy from installation to removal.

Crochet styles are one of the most versatile protective styles available and require regular moisture just like your natural hair.

Most crochet installations can comfortably be worn for 6 to 8 weeks.

Crochet locs, however, often have a much longer lifespan because the style naturally disguises new growth.

Longevity depends on how well you maintain your natural hair underneath the installation.

To maximize the life of your crochet style:

• Moisturize your scalp regularly.

• Use the moisturizing spray recommended during your appointment.

• Follow the schedule your stylist provides based on your individual hair type.

• Avoid excessive product buildup.

• Sleep with a satin bonnet or scarf nightly.

• Cleanse your scalp when necessary.

Proper maintenance keeps both your crochet style and your natural hair healthy.

At Swiss Hair, healthy hair will always take priority over routine chemical services.

One of the biggest differences in my approach is that I do not promote the traditional 6 to 8-week relaxer schedule.

Although this has been common practice for many years, frequent chemical applications can gradually weaken the hair, increase breakage, and contribute to thinning over time.

Instead, I recommend a healthier schedule.

Most clients receive:

• A minimum of two relaxer or texturizer applications per year.

• Some hair types may require up to three applications annually, depending on hair density, texture, and growth.

Every client receives an individual assessment before a chemical service is performed.

Please understand - not every client is an ideal candidate for a relaxer or texturizer.

There may be occasions where I recommend against performing the service.

A consultation may result in the service being declined if I believe it could negatively impact the health of your hair.

This decision is never personal.

It is made with the long-term health of your hair in mind.

As we age, our hair naturally changes. Hair density can decrease, strands may become finer, and our scalp becomes more sensitive over time.

Repeated chemical processing on already fragile hair can contribute to:

• Excessive breakage

• Hair thinning

• Loss of density

• Damage to the scalp

• Earlier signs of traction or chemical-related alopecia

My responsibility as your stylist is not simply to perform a service, it is to educate you and recommend what is healthiest for your hair.

Sometimes protecting your hair means saying "not yet" or even "this service isn't the best option for your hair."

My commitment is to your long-term hair journey, not short-term results.

Healthy hair doesn't stop when you leave the salon.

The tools you use at home every day have a significant impact on the health of your hair.

Satin Bonnet

A satin bonnet protects your hair while you sleep by reducing friction against cotton bedding.

Without one, your hair loses moisture overnight, increasing dryness, tangles, frizz, and breakage.

Silk or Satin Pillowcase

Even if your bonnet comes off while sleeping, a silk or satin pillowcase continues protecting your hair.

Benefits include:

• Less friction

• Better moisture retention

• Reduced breakage

• Fewer tangles

• Healthier hair strands

This is one of the easiest investments you can make in your healthy hair routine.

Heat-Free Curlers

If you enjoy wearing curls, I strongly encourage using heat-free curling methods whenever possible.

Reducing unnecessary heat helps preserve:

• Moisture

• Elasticity

• Shine

• Hair strength

This recommendation is especially important for natural hair and chemically treated hair.

Using heat-free curlers allows you to enjoy beautiful curls without exposing your hair to repeated heat damage.

Before & After Care Guide

Get the Best Results from Your Keratin Treatment

BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT

* Arrive with clean, product-free hair whenever possible.

* Let your stylist know about any recent chemical services (color, relaxers, or bleach).

* Avoid heavy oils and butters before your appointment.

* Be prepared to spend several hours in the salon depending on your hair length and density.

AFTER YOUR APPOINTMENT

* Use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner to help extend the life of your treatment.

* Wash your hair only 2–3 times per week when possible.

* Always apply a heat protectant before using heat tools.

* Sleep with a satin bonnet or silk scarf to reduce friction and preserve your results.

* Keep your ends moisturized with a lightweight serum or oil.

* Avoid excessive exposure to chlorine and salt water. If you swim, rinse your hair thoroughly afterward.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I GET A KERATIN TREATMENT?

For most clients, 2 treatments per year are recommended to maintain smooth, healthy, manageable hair.

Some clients may benefit from up to 3 treatments per year, depending on:

- Your hair growth rate

- Your hair density and thickness

- Your hair texture and level of frizz

- Your at-home maintenance routine

- Heat styling frequency

Every head of hair is different. Clients with denser, thicker hair or faster hair growth may require treatments more frequently, while others can maintain beautiful results with just two treatments each year. Your stylist will recommend the ideal schedule based on your hair's condition and goals.

Healthy Hair Starts with Proper Maintenance!