Salon treatments don’t come cheap these days. Don’t you just hate it when your beautifully (and expensively) salon-colored hair becomes dull and lacks luster only weeks after you’ve had it colored? Everyday exposure to pollution, daily blow-drying, straightening or perming, or even regular use of chemically potent hair products can all contribute to your hair color’s fading. Thankfully, you can prevent this from happening, and can keep your crowning glory’s shine and vibrancy excellent, for longer, just by following these tips:
Prevention is better than cure, so they say, and it applies to hair coloring. Before you even have your hair color, ask your stylist to assess the health of your strands. Some strands are too weak and thin to hold color, or there may be too much build-up to toxins in the hair that the strands don’t readily absorb and maintain color. As a result, the color washes out after a few showers. Before having it colored, go for treatments that restore the hair to its natural thickness and health.
Avoid shampooing your hair on the day of your scheduled hair coloring. Shampoo 48 hours before the schedule, but that’s it. 48 hours is a good time to allow the natural oils of your hair to grab more product and retain color better. If the hair is freshly washed, it will be squeaky clean, and the product will not have much to hold on to. When you have your coloring done, do not shampoo till 48 hours after the treatment, to allow the hair to soak up the product.
Clear your bathroom of your usual shampoo, and go for shampoos and conditioner that are meant for color-treated hair. These contain ingredients that consistently add luster to your colored strands and help prevent washing out.
If you can, avoid everyday shampooing. Shampoos are built to cleanse the hair, but unfortunately, they also cleanse some of the color out. To prevent this, switch to lathering up every other day of the week, or every three days.