We love the look and feel of fresh-from-the-salon hair color. But if you’re not careful, your fabulous new look can fade fast. Rich brown turns dull, and blonde suddenly looks brassy.
Keep your hair vibrant and extend the life of your new hair color. Use these seven tips to avoid faded color and keep your hair shiny and healthy.
1. Prep for your visit
About a week before your appointment, use a deep conditioning treatment. The healthier your hair, the longer your color will last.
2. Prolong your first after-color shower.
After you color your hair, you need some time for the dye to settle into the hair, so you need to avoid shampooing as long as possible. Wait a minimum of 24 hours before shampooing, and use dry shampoo to extend this wait time even longer.
3. Shampoo less frequently.
Shampooing every day strips hair of oils and color. Instead, try to go every other day and use a dry shampoo if you get oily. Also, consider alternating between a hydrating shampoo and color-preserving shampoo with natural ingredients. When you do wash your hair, focus shampoo on cleaning at your roots — not the middle or ends of your hair.
4. Switch to better products.
Not all shampoos are created equal! Look for gentle, color-safe and sulfate free. Also avoid products with salts and detergents, as these ingredient will strip hair color out. Instead, look for sulfate- and alcohol-free products that help your hair hold onto its color. Also, invest in a shampoo and conditioner treatment specifically designed for color-treated hair. And avoid clarifying shampoos (and also dandruff shampoos), which strip your hair, including your color.
5. Don’t skip conditioner.
Make sure to wring out your hair really well and then apply conditioners evenly in small sections to thoroughly saturate the hair. Also, remember that color fades more when hair becomes dry. To add moisture back into the hair, invest in a conditioning treatment once or twice a week.
6. Protect your hair from heat.
We each have a protective cuticle layer surrounding each individual strand of hair. The protective layer is stripped away when you color your hair so the dye can penetrate the hair and deposit in color, making your hair much more vulnerable to drying out, especially when using hot styling tools. Avoid super hot water when washing your hair — using a cooler temperatures when washing dyed hair will help prolong the brilliance of the color. Also, every time you blow dry your hair or used a heated styling tool, you’re damaging your hair. If heat styling is a must, lower the heat on your hot tools and apply a lightweight oil or heat protectant first, combing it through the hair to form a protective barrier.
7. Avoid the sun and swimming pools.
Protect your hair from by the sun by wearing a hat, cap or headscarf, and apply a leave-in conditioner or UV protection spray. Chlorine will also fade your color. Before you swim, apply a leave-in conditioner. Or tie your hair up in a topknot or ponytail and try not to get it wet. Or rock a swimming cap if you plan on doing a lot of laps.