Just shampoos the hair and then rinse/blot -dry it on a towel. Apply Back2natural to damp hair..... I applied it using a wide-toothed comb....just squeezed it onto the comb teeth and drew it through the hair [hold the system upside down] from the `roots`to the tips.... I kept it off the lace but it doesn`t really do any staining as such if some gets on..... it`s not as strong as the `normal`products for coloring hair...try not to snag your lace with the comb too. Also apply it to your own damp growing hair to help with color-blending issues...... just hop into the shower to rinse it off.