Caring for colour-treated hair

If you’ve just popped in to get your hair coloured, you’ll probably want to protect that fresh colour for as long as possible. When you’ve first had your full head of colour, highlights, balayage or other colour treatment done, the colour is bold and vibrant. However, all too quickly that seems to fade. Don’t panic, though - there are plenty of ways you can prolong the life of your hair colour in between top-ups.

Don’t rush to wash it straightaway

If you’re tempted to give your hair a wash and restyle it over the few days after your treatment, resist the temptation. Give the colour a chance to fully sink in over 48 hours. If you wash it straightaway, your colour is liable to fade lots quicker - so step away from the shampoo for a couple of days to let your new colour fully shine.

Choose the right shampoo

When it is time to give your hair a wash, make sure you’ve chosen the best shampoo for the job. There are lots of amazing colour protect products for all different hair types and shades, so have a shop around to find what’s best for your specific colour (eg, purple or silver shampoo to keep bright blonde from getting brassy).

Reduce how often you wash your hair

Even if you’ve picked the perfect shampoo, don’t be tempted to use it on a daily basis. Washing your hair too often is the main cause of colour fade. Ideally, aim to wash your hair 2-3 times a week - dry shampoo is a great way to keep it fresh between washes. There are even colour-enhancing dry shampoos available, which are a great way to help you reduce how often you wash without hair becoming too greasy or oily.

Turn down the heat

Toasty hot showers are such a lovely treat when the weather isn’t great - but hot water actually opens up your hair strands, allowing colour to escape and fade away. Reduce the heat of your shower water to warm rather than hot (if you’re brave, shower in cold water for optimum results). 

When using heat styling tools like curlers, make sure you’ve adequately protected your hair beforehand. Use heat protection sprays to reduce the damage, and leave-in conditioning treatments to nourish and rejuvenate your colour.

When you’re ready for a colour top-up, come and visit us. Pop over to our Contact page to book an appointment or get in touch.