Whether you dye your hair a sun-kissed blonde, a sultry chocolate or another fabulous hair color you already know that color-treated hair is expensive to maintain. There is nothing more frustrating then spending the time or money to color your hair to have it start fading shortly after it is done. With a few tips and tricks you can extend the life of your color.
There are a lot of reasons why your hair fades, some things you cant control or change but if you follow these steps you should see your hair color lasting longer!
1. Use the right shampoo
When you are paying lots of money to color your hair, don’t go for bargain shampoo. Cheap shampoo can be too harsh for your hair and cause your color to fade.Make sure you are using a quality shampoo and conditioner free of color stripping sulfates. Salon products are always a better choice, but you can get away with drugstore brands as long as they are color safe, and sulfate free. My favorite salon shampoo and conditioner right now is Pureology Hydrate. For a drugstore alternative it would be Organix or
L'Oréal Paris EverCrème Sulfate-Free Moisture System Nourishing Shampoo, keeps our hair healthy and shiny.
2. Deep condition before you color
3 days before you get your color done, use a deep conditioner to get your hair super soft moisturized. When your hair is moisturized the color will absorb better and more evenly.
3. Don’t wash your hair right away
Many experts recommend that you don’t wash your hair for 24-48 hours after you have your hair done. Your scalps natural oils will help the color to penetrate and adhere.
4. Use a leave in conditioner
Try a leave in conditioner to help protect your hair from the elements, like extreme cold or heat, that can be damaging to your hair and cause the color to fade or look dull.
5. Wash your hair less
Try washing your hair less often. The more you are washing the more it can fade. If you are concerned about your hair looking greasy, try a dry shampoo
limit hair washing to two or three times a week, tops. The amount of shampoo you use matters, too. “Most of the time people are still using too much shampoo, because they think they have to put more in to make it foam.” The amount of shampoo you normally use and pouring it into your fingertips instead of your palm. No need to rinse and repeat. Once should be enough to cleanse your hair without drying it out..
And always Wash your hair in cooler water especially if you color your hair with a red tone. You don’t have to shower in cold water, but when washing and rinsing your hair turn it down a little. It will help keep the cuticle closed, and prevent all that color you just put in from slipping out.
6.Oil is a must
Color strips natural oils and moisture from hair, so it helps to give your mane a little boost before you take the plunge. Add a dime-size drop of any nourishing oil (coconut or olive)to your hair a few times a week as a treatment to prep your hair for your next color appointment, or daily for an extra boost, 6. Deep condition weekly
Healthy, moisturized hair will hold it’s color better, use a mask or deep condition weekly. You can’t go wrong with this deep conditioner here.
7. Watch your water
Tap water contains chlorine and magnesium, which can accumulate on your hair and make it look dull. A filter will limit the amount of minerals and chlorine that come through your shower head and deposit on your hair and cause your color to fade and look dull.
8. Go easy on the heat
Heat from hair dryers, curling irons, and flat irons can dry your hair out and damage it and cause you color to look dull and faded. Let your hair air dry or dry some no heat waves.
9.Beat the heat.
Headed to the beach or a BBQ? Sun exposure can fade color (not to mention burning your scalp), so Casey suggests wearing a hat to protect your hair and scalp. Ideally you should not let freshly colored hair out in the sun at all, but that is not realistic. Covering your hair while you are tanning or sunbathing, and wearing a scarf or a hat while working outside if possible will really help extend your color. The sun is a big culprit in fading hair color.Spraying your hair with a leave-in UV sun protector can help, too.
10.Deep Condition to nourish
The chemicals in dyes leave hair porous and have a drying effect, so to keep it looking soft and healthy, smooth on a deep conditioner atleast once a week after shampooing. Apply it from just below the roots to your ends if your hair is thick, or from ear level down if it's fine. Let it soak in for ten minutes, then rinse. To boost effectiveness,put on a shower cap on after applying the treatment.The home made deep conditioners work the best,try on this homemade deep conditioner posted
here,for soft and super shiny hairs.
