There’s nothing quite like stepping out of the salon with fresh, vibrant hair color. You look good. You feel good. But as you well know, hair color fades. There are several ways to keep that gorgeous, smooth color longer. Here, we’ll have a look at the top enemies of hair color and what you can do to battle them.
Select the Correct Shampoo for Your Hair Color
Shampooing too soon after you color your hair can strip out some of that fresh saturation. The typical dye process opens up the cuticles. These cuticles take a couple of days to close and seal in color. Shampooing with open cuticles is like inviting hair color to leave. Waiting a couple of days before lathering up will help your color last longer than washing right away. Once you do wash, avoid using hot water (more on that later).
Along with waiting to shampoo, you should mind which shampoo you use and how often you use it. Certain shampoos are killer on color. Many, especially super-cheap ones, contain alcohol and sulfates. These harsh ingredients strip hair of natural oils and dry it out. Look for products with low or no sulfates and alcohol. Ask your stylist to recommend a stellar color-safe shampoo. Also, try skipping the shampoo at least every other day.
Heat is the Enemy of Hair Color
Oh, those cuticles. Heat from steamy showers, smoking-hot styling tools, and toasty blow dryers all lift the cuticles that help keep color in place. To reduce this as much as possible, rinse your hair with cool or lukewarm water and apply protective pre-styling sprays before drying or styling your hair. Set the heat levels on your styling tools to match your hair type and use the least amount of heat possible to get the job done.
UV Rays Can Damage Hair Color
The sun damages hair just like it damages skin. It dries, fries, and lightens hair. To avoid over-exposure to sun, and maintain hair color and health, cover up. Use hats and scarves to limit the time your locks spend in the harmful sun.
You can also ease the beat-down the sun gives your hair by using sunscreen. There are plenty of sprays and creams on the market made specifically for hair with varying levels of SPF as well as nourishing conditioners.
OTC Hair Color Boxes are a Bad Idea
While it may be tempting to grab a root touch-up kit from the local drug store, you might want to leave this to the professionals (unless you’re particularly adept at this in-between DIY). These kits may result in unmatched, splotchy color that will have you begging your stylist to squeeze you in ASAP. Instead just pre-schedule your follow-up and touch-up appointments according to your stylist’s recommendations and try to stick to it!
Time May Heal Wounds, But it Fades Hair Color
Every day in between appointments, hair color fades a little. For all the reasons listed here, in addition to normal hair growth, your hair color’s days are numbered. To battle the effects time has on hair color, follow the steps listed above. You may also consider a balayage treatment. This is a specific hand-dye procedure. It allows a gentle fading process, without the shock of deep roots.
Don’t let these hair color enemies shorten the lifespan of your color. Use gentle shampoos, protect against sun and heat exposure, and treat yourself to a gloss service or a professional touch-up in between appointments.
If you’re ready to pep up your color or need a touch-up soon, Bang Salon and Day Spa has got you covered! Contact us today to schedule!