Picture this: You’ve just left the salon with a beautiful new mane sporting your favorite fresh new color – ombre, highlights, or the complete job – and you feel like you’re in a hair commercial with the way the wind is blowing in your hair.
As you drive home, you wonder how you’re going to maintain this gorgeous new look. What if you go to the gym – does oil affect the color? What if you go swimming in the ocean or the local pool?
Don’t stress – we’ve got your back! To maintain the color and vibrancy of your new colored hair, there are some things to remember and implement at home. Check out our tips below!
How to Maintain Colored Hair
1. Use Color Treated Hair Shampoo and Conditioner
To be sure you retain the vibrancy of your color, make sure you buy hair products specifically for that. Look for words like “color last,” “color extender,” “colored hair repair,” and “for color-treated hair.”
You should also try to use products that are sulfate-free. Sulfates are meant to remove dirt and oil from hair, which means they also strip your hair follicles of whatever is clinging to them. In this case, that’s the color.
2. Shampoo Less Often
If you typically shampoo your hair every day or every other day, switch to every three days to give your hair a rest. The more you wash your hair, the more quickly the color fades.
3. Use Low Water Temperatures
Avoid using very hot water when washing hair as those higher temps are damaging. A cool to lukewarm temperature is gentle on hair and the cool water seals in moisture and color.
4. Avoid Using Hot Hair Tools
Straighteners and hair curlers can both be damaging to colored hair. The high temperatures penetrate color, making it fade faster.
If you must use a hot tool, use heat protectants and leave-in conditioners to create a barrier between the hair follicle and the hot temps.
5. Don’t Expose It to Chlorine
If you’ve ever seen what chlorine can do to silver jewelry, you’ll understand why. But just in case you haven’t seen, chlorine is a big no-no for colored hair. It will dry it out, turn blonde hair green, and fade brunette hair colors more quickly.
Chlorine also damages the quality of it as well as dries it out, but these possibilities are made higher only if you’re consistently exposing hair to chlorinated water. If you must visit the pool or take a dip in the ocean, douse your hair in conditioner to prevent salt-water and chlorine damage.
6. Wait Awhile before Coloring Again
Coloring your hair already does a number on the hair follicles, but if you gloss over it again with a completely different shade, you’re in for not just an expensive hair appointment, but more damage to the hair.
You should wait at least three months before visiting the salon again. If you absolutely need to color the roots, there are special kits of color for that.
Conclusion
Protecting your color-treated hair is important for keeping it looking its best. Our last tip for colored hair is a little extra secret we think a lot of people probably don’t do: to treat your tresses to something special, try a weekly hair mask!
A restorative mask is protein-rich and, according to Sephora, “restores and helps repair dry, weakened hair to improve texture, elasticity, and manageability.” Who doesn’t want that?
Following the six tips above will ensure your hair stays looking gorgeous with rich color and your confidence can continue! At least until you visit the salon in three months!