How to Maintain Your Color-Treated Hair
It is a great feeling when you step out of your favorite hair salon in Dulwich Hill and know you look fantastic. Part of this is the style, part the new color you have chosen and part simply the confidence you feel in yourself.
But, the feeling can quickly fade, as the color fades in your hair. That is why it is essential that you understand how to maintain your color-treated hair properly.
Wait before shampooing
The first thing to do is nothing! You should wait at least 72 hours before you shampoo your hair. As your hair is colored, the cuticles open up, absorbing the color. However, the cuticles take time to close, if you wash your hair too soon you are effectively reducing the color intensity in your cuticles, which causes premature fading.
The longer you wait to shampoo, the better.
Stick to sulfate-free
Sulfate is actually a type of anionic detergent and is found in most cleaning products. It actually works to create a foam, making you feel like you are washing. However, it is also very effective at stripping natural oils from your hair. In effect, you are simply stripping the color from your hair after paying to have it put in!
Stick to sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners to help preserve your new color.
Water temperature
Hot water encourages your cuticles to open, ensuring that you are rinsing the color away from your head. That means, especially just after you have had your hair colored, you should reduce the temperature of your shower. It is not just better for your hair color, research shows cooler showers are better for your skin.
You will actually see some of the color going down the drain with a hot shower. Turn it down a few degrees and you will notice the difference.
Wash less
You have already waited 72 hours to wash your hair, and you have probably discovered that your hair still looks great. The truth is, you don’t need to wash your hair every day. Every time you wash your hair you are removing the natural oils that protect it and a little of the color.
Washing it every other day will help your color to last significantly longer. You can even wash it twice a week and it will still look great, while the color will last longer.
Dry shampoo
It is possible to use dry shampoo on the days that you are not washing your hair in the shower. As its name suggests, this shampoo is put directly onto dry hair. They can clean your hair and make it look as good as when you stepped out of the salon, without causing any of the damage that a wet shampoo does.
It is also easy to do on the go; saving you time on a hectic morning.
Use extra treatments
You will find there is an array of treatments available that add hydration to your hair and scalp, as well as protecting it from the sun’s rays. Use a leave-in treatment to help keep your hair hydrated, frizz-free and full of color.
Article written by Jesse Hughes
This article was written by the guest author listed at the end of the article.