Sometimes we just want to switch up our look a little bit. Maybe to signify a new phase in our life, or to simply refresh our look. How to better do this than give your hair a new color?
Changing up your hair color can add an edge to your look. But sometimes this color high may be short-lived, and your hair may start thinning out, get extra dry, and possibly even fall out.
Hair dye works by opening up your hair cuticle to lift off your natural color and, in turn, deposit the new one. This chemical process can leave your hair strands very porous and in need of extra care to prevent breakage.
Here are some tips on caring for and maintaining beautiful and healthy colored hair!
1. Examine the state of your hair before the dye application
Before you go in for a dye job, first assess the state of your hair. Is it brittle? Dry? Breaking? Healthy? Shiny?
Remember, applying color to hair is a chemical process, so if your hair is already vulnerable, you wouldn’t want to expose it to the potential damage caused by dyes.
To prepare your hair for a dye job, frequently deep condition, moisturize, and seal your hair in the weeks prior to application. Also, snip off any damaged ends prior to your appointment. This will ensure your hair is at an optimal healthy state going into your color process.
2. Use a color-safe, moisturizing shampoo
Chemicals in hair dyes dry out hair, and using the wrong shampoo can dry it out even more. After coloring your hair, be sure to steer clear of shampoos with sulfates because they’ll do more harm than good for you.
Look for shampoos that are not only sulfate-free but also have some strengthening and color-preserving properties in them. One good one is the Aphogee Shampoo for Damaged Hair. It’s gentle and moisturizing, and it strengthens the hair and keeps your hair color vibrant for longer.
3. Keep up with your deep conditioning treatments
Remember hair dyes make your hair strands more porous. This means that moisture escapes your strands faster than normal. To avoid dry colored hair, you need to ensure that you keep up with your weekly moisturizing deep conditioning sessions and your protein treatments every four weeks.
Protein treatments will help strengthen your hair by temporarily filling in the gaps in each hair strand. Mielle Organics Babassu Oil Mint Deep Conditioner is both a moisturizing and protein deep conditioner, and would be a worthwhile investment.
4. Moisturize your hair daily
Apart from your weekly deep conditioning sessions, moisturize your hair daily to help boost its moisture levels and help it stay elastic and healthy to prevent breakage. Spritzing your hair with a water-based leave-in conditioner and sealing it in with an oil like the Cantu Anti-Fade Color Protecting Oil is one way to go about it. This oil not only seals in moisture, but also protects the hair against damage by UV rays, and restores the vibrancy of your hair color. A good choice of leave-in conditioner for colored hair would be the Eden Bodyworks Citrus Fusion Hair + Body Butter. It’s lightweight, hydrates the hair and is a great styling product.
5. Protect your hair
As your hair is quite weak when chemically altered, it’s important to keep it nicely tucked in protective styles more often than not. Simple protective styles will help preserve your hair and allow it to ‘rest’ from the everyday manipulation.
At night, keep your hair protected by sleeping on a satin pillowcase or bonnet. We spend a good amount of time in bed, and placing your head on cotton material will surely suck out all the moisture from your hair. Get yourself a satin pillowcase or bonnet and enjoy lasting moisture and frizz-free curls.
What are some ways you keep your colored mane looking lively and vibrant? Leave us a note down below, we’d love to know!
