When you colour your hair, you still want it to look as healthy as it would naturally—just with the added change in hue. However, colour maintenance can take a toll and leave your hair dry and drab.
On top of that, washing your hair can cause your colour to fade over time and sometimes leaves strands looking strange and streaky.
Well, there’s a few things you can do to keep your hair hydrated and protected. And a range of products will help repair the damage colour treatments can cause.
When dealing with coloured hair that’s dry and damaged, it’s important to understand the cause of this compromised condition. Colouring treatments not only deplete the hair of moisture, causing dryness, but they also damage the bonds that make hair strong and in turn cause breakage.
This problem is created because hair dyes lift the cuticle, or outside layer, of the hair so that colour can penetrate. If the dye contains peroxide, this ingredient will remove your natural colour, leaving your hair dry and stripped.
If you colour your hair, it’s important to invest in a colour-safe shampoo that not only nourishes the hair but also repair these broken bonds and protects against environmental aggressors. On top of this, many regular shampoos actually strip away hair colour.
That’s right: shampoos with sulphates or harsh cleansing agents can cause colour loss and dryness. Hair that’s been coloured benefits most from shampoos that have fewer cleansing agents and a greater number of conditioning agents, the latter of which will protect and restore the hair.
A hydrating, colour safe shampoo is your best choice if you want to keep your tinted hair glossy and vibrant. Coloured hair will always fade over time as it’s washed. Shampooing causes the hair strands to swell and the artificial pigments in your hair to loosen and be rinsed away.
But don’t fret! A good colour safe shampoo should slow down this process. And be sure to consider the following tips if you wish to keep hair colour locked in:
Avoid washing your hair for 72 hours after a colour treatment.
Avoid overwashing your hair, and instead reach for a dry shampoo when you can.
Avoid shampoos with sulphates and detergents.
Keep your hair moisturised with colour safe conditioners, treatments, and masks.
Keep the water temperature on your hair low, as hot water can dry your hair out.
Hard water can cause a film to develop over the cuticle, which will stop moisture from sinking in.
Following these simple do’s and don'ts will help keep your colour intact and thriving so you can save on those extra trips to the salon.
