What is Pre poo?

You must have heard about pre poo and wondered what is pre poo. This natural hair care treatment helps contribute to having healthier and longer hair. If you are serious about your natural hair, this is a treatment that you should understand thoroughly.

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Simple note
We are aware that there are different ways of representing this in writing, however, we would adopt ‘pre poo’. Let us move on to answer the question ‘what is pre poo’.

Introduction to Pre poo

Pre poo is a treatment you apply to your hair before applying shampoo or conditioner. Pre poo is an abbreviation of the term ‘pre-shampoo’. When you hear someone talk about pre-pooing they are referring to this treatment.

Reasons you should Pre poo your hair

1. It prevents hair damage:

Damage is done to the hair (curly hair) as a result of the hair cuticle expanding when it is wet and contracting when it is dry, which is bound to happen as long as you wash your hair or your hair gets wet. The damage is not immediately noticeable but over time it shows up in the form of hair breakage, limp hair, hair not retaining moisture and many more. We can’t prevent water from touching the hair but we can reduce the damage by pre-pooing.

2. Your hair needs moisture:

Hair needs moisturizing, especially curly ones. Weather changes can leave your hair dry. Prepooing keeps your hair moisturized and also replaces lost moisture due to changes in weather.

3. Improves hair texture and makes the hair shine

Due to its oil restorative ability, pre-pooing restores the natural oils responsible for your hair texture and will also leave you with softer, shinier hair.

4. Easy Detangling

You will agree that dry hair is hard to detangle. However, when you take your hair through a relaxing moisturizing journey through prepoo, you will find it easier to detangle your hair. It also prevents your hair from feeling dry after you wash with shampoo.

Products you can use to Prepoo.

• Olive Oil: This product is great for people whose hair needs a lot of moisture as it is a heavy oil. Stick to the extra virgin version of this oil as extra virgin olive oil retains most of its natural properties which are beneficial for your hair.
• Coconut Oil:  This product is great for pre-pooing especially in warmer weather as it is easier to massage your hair and scalp within its liquid form. Colder temperatures can cause the coconut oil to harden.
• Conditioner or Conditioner and Oil mixture: Yes, although you are supposed to use conditioner after you shampoo your hair, you can also use it for pre-poo and you can add your own natural oil to it.
• DIY Pre poo recipes: There are lots of DIY Pre poo recipes available on the internet, interestingly you can find some of the ingredients in your kitchen but ensure you read and follow the instructions strictly and carefully.
• Shea Butter: Many use Shea Butter for various things and in most cases, it is used for the body and hair but did you know that you can use it as a pre poo product too? Now, there are various DIY Shea Butter recipes but I will share the simplest one with you.

Shea Butter Recipe for Pre poo

• Take ¼ cup of Shea butter and melt it in a pot/saucepan.
• Once the Shea butter completely takes the pot off the cooker and allow it cool down a bit.
• Once it is warm enough, massage the Shea butter into your hair, ensuring that you massage every part of your hair and scalp
• As you finish massaging the Shea butter into your hair, tie your hair up into a towel and leave the Shea Butter in your for about 30 minutes before you wash your hair with shampoo.

You can use most natural oils for your pre-poo treatment but be sure to use natural hair oil that suits your hair.

How to Prepoo

You know what pre-poo is about, you know the products to use, now let’s talk about how to pre-poo.

Step 1: Divide your hair into sections, the length or thickness of your hair does not matter here just divide it into sections. The reason behind this is to cover every inch of your hair, from the scalp to the hair ends thoroughly in your pre-poo product.

Step 2: Take each section and massage in thoroughly with your pre-poo product.

For oil and conditioner pre-poo, massage your scalp and hair with the product thoroughly before moving to a new section.

For protein pre-poo or homemade Pre-poo recipes follow the instructions given on the product or on the site you got the information on.

Step 3: When you are done covering your entire hair and scalp with the pre-poo product, you can put on your bonnet or scarf and leave for 20 minutes or overnight for best results.

For DIY Pre-poo recipes follow the instructions that accompany the recipe.

That’s all there is to pre-pooing, easy and straightforward.

My experience

I’ll never forget the first time I heard about pre-poo. I was sitting in my friend’s apartment, her hair freshly washed, shiny, and thriving. She was talking about some “extra step” she does before shampooing called pre-poo. I nodded like I knew exactly what she meant, but inside I was thinking, great, another thing I need to remember to do. My hair was already a full-time job. Wash days felt like full workouts, detangling, sectioning, shampooing, deep conditioning. And now you’re telling me there’s something before all of that?

But curiosity got the best of me, as it always does. I decided to give it a shot. Honestly, I had no idea what I was getting into.

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Why This Topic Matters

Pre-poo comes up a lot in natural hair communities, but it’s one of those things that feels mysterious if you’re new to natural hair or even transitioning. Everyone talks about it like it’s a must-do, but no one really explains why it matters or why skipping it can actually make a difference.

For me, the struggle was real. My hair was prone to dryness, tangles, and breakage. Even with consistent moisturizing, protective styling, and careful handling, there were weeks when my ends looked sad, my hair felt brittle, and wash days became emotional. It’s frustrating when you put in all this effort, and it still feels like your hair is working against you. That’s why pre-poo suddenly became important. It wasn’t just another optional step then it became a kind of insurance for my hair, a way to protect it before the cleansing process.

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Personal Experience or Observation

The first time I tried pre-poo, I was skeptical. I grabbed a simple oil blend, coconut and castor oil, warmed it slightly, and massaged it into my scalp and strands before shampooing. I left it in for about 30 minutes, trying not to let my impatience take over. And when I finally shampooed, something felt… different. My hair didn’t feel stripped, my scalp wasn’t screaming in protest, and detangling was noticeably easier.

Over time, I experimented with different pre-poo methods: heavier oils, moisturizing conditioners, even avocado and honey blends. Some worked better than others. Some smelled amazing but weighed my hair down. Others felt light but didn’t offer much slip. Trial and error became part of the process. My hair was teaching me its preferences, not the other way around.

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How Natural Hair Makes This Topic Unique

Natural hair is special, complicated, and beautiful, but it also reacts differently to every product and routine. Pre-poo works differently on my 4C hair than it would on a 3B curl pattern. The coils, shrinkage, and density mean that tangles are more likely, and dryness shows up faster. Without pre-poo, shampooing felt like a double-edged sword: cleaning my hair but leaving it dry, frizzy, and stressed.

The texture, porosity, and curl pattern all affect how pre-poo is absorbed and how effective it is. I learned that my low-porosity strands actually benefit more from heat when pre-pooing, while my higher-porosity ends just needed a generous coating of oil to avoid breakage. It’s not one-size-fits-all, which is why I think so many women struggle to get pre-poo right at first.

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Emotional Side of the Journey

Trying pre-poo also hit me emotionally. Wash days already come with pressure, how clean your hair looks, how much breakage you see in the shower, how smooth your detangling session goes. Adding a new step made me nervous. Would I have the patience? Would I even notice a difference?

I think part of why natural hair can feel so heavy sometimes isn’t just the maintenance, it’s the emotional weight of wanting your hair to look healthy and feeling like you’re constantly failing. Pre-poo, for me, started as a little act of self-care, a way to protect my hair without putting more stress on it. It became a reminder that sometimes slowing down pays off.

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What Helped / What Didn’t

What helped me most was keeping it simple at first. I didn’t buy fancy products or try complicated DIY blends immediately. I started with coconut oil, something I already trusted. I applied it gently, didn’t overdo it, and learned how long my hair actually needed it to feel protected.

What didn’t help? Trying too many oils at once, or leaving it in overnight in desperation. That ended with greasy strands and scalp discomfort, which made me swear off pre-poo for weeks. I also realized that skipping the follow-up conditioner after shampooing undermined the benefits. Pre-poo isn’t magic, it’s part of a bigger routine.

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Realistic Expectations

Pre-poo is not going to instantly fix dry ends, magically grow your hair overnight, or prevent all breakage. It’s subtle, protective, and gradual. You need time, consistency, and patience.

I used to get frustrated when my first few tries didn’t feel dramatic. But I learned to see it as insurance. My hair could handle shampoo better, detangling was easier, and breakage was slightly reduced. Those little improvements added up over months. That’s the beauty of natural hair: progress is quiet but real.

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Lessons Learned

I wish I knew earlier that pre-poo is about protection, not pampering. I also wish someone had told me it doesn’t have to be complicated, your hair will tell you what it needs. And finally, I wish I knew that experimenting is part of the process. Oils, butters, and even gentle conditioners can all work, but your hair’s reaction is the best guide.

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Who This Might Help

Pre-poo can be helpful for anyone with natural hair, but especially for:

• Women struggling with dryness or breakage
• Women with dense or coily textures that tangle easily
• Women transitioning from relaxed to natural hair
• Anyone who wants to make wash days less stressful

It’s not a requirement for everyone, and that’s okay. Your hair journey is personal, and what works for me might not work for you.

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Closing Thoughts

Pre-poo changed the way I see wash days. It’s not glamorous or exciting, but it protects, nourishes, and makes the rest of the routine smoother. My hair feels less stressed, my ends feel a little safer, and I feel a little more confident handling my curls.

Natural hair teaches patience, attention, and care. Pre-poo is just one small way to show up for your hair and for yourself. It’s quiet, subtle, but worth it. And at the end of the day, that’s what all these little rituals are about, taking time to care for yourself, one strand at a time.

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