Hi, i wouldnt say that it matters if you wash it or not before, but the less you wash your, the better. In fact in your case, you should only wash your hair once a week. The more you wash it, the more natural oils you wash out and strip out of your hair. I wash my hair usually twice a week, and my best hair days are on the third and fourth day of not washing it! So give your hair a break, and put some really raw honey on it for at least an hour, or if you wrap up your hair really well, overnight it! And it is antibacterial! You should do this whenever your hair fealls like it needs it! Good Luck!~sarah