As all of you have noticed, bright shades of colorful hair and rich pastels are all the rage right now.(Unless you have been living under a rock then welcome to the world where everyone has hot pink and lime green hair.) From one color to multiple colors, it seems like everyone is coloring their hair as fast as they can so they can have as many colors as they possible can in their hair. Part of the process of this coloring is bleaching your hair which is something I highly suggest a professional hair stylist does in a salon and not something you do in your bathroom. Bleach is a powerful chemical and if used inappropriately can damage your hair beyond measure i.e. hair falling out, burning off or turning into almost a gummy like substance. So best to the leave it to the professionals. Then when the color is on your hair and you have fallen so deeply in love with it you want to do everything you can to make it last. You definitely want to start with high quality professional product which goes back to having a professional in a salon color your hair. Once you have done that then follow these simple steps and that mermaid hair you have will last far longer than you expected.
First, you NEED high quality salon shampoo and conditioner. They can contain harsh chemical
s so look for shampoo and conditioner that is made for colored hair. Look for the key words of “color-preserving” or “color safe” or “for color treated hair” anything of that sort. These shampoos have more mild ingredients which can help preserve the color of your hair. Even you can find a sulfate free color safe shampoo than that’s a double win. So throw that Suave in the trash! And using a conditioner with extra moisture can help make your hair look extra healthy and shiny. Coloring your hair can dry it out and make it look stiff so really conditioning the ends all the way to the middle of the hair can help make it looks its very best.
Secondly, rinse your hair with cold water. Yes, cold water. The hotter the water the more dryer your hair can get and the more dull it can look. Hot water also makes dye fade super quickly. So use the hot water for your body but cold water for your hair.
Thirdly, do not wash your hair everyday. It’s not good for your hair whether it is colored or not but it’s especially not great for colored hair. The more you wash the faster it fades. I know that is this a very hard habit to brea
k especially if you have oily/greasy hair. I suggest in using a dry shampoo in place of washing every day.
Fourthly, check your hair’s condition before you dye it. If your hair is unhealthy and weak than coloring it will only make it worse. Try some deep conditioning treatments every two weeks to get hair healthy again.
I know some of these tips may be more maintenance for your hair than you would like or are used to but that is part of having colored hair. I follow the tips and my purple hair still looks fresh even after 3 months of coloring. Below are some extra tips that you can definitely incorporate into your routine but are not as important as the four listed above!
Extras!
1. Protect your hair from the pool. An excess amount of chlorine can strip that color right off. If a swimming cap is not your style (best way to protect) then rinse your hair in the shower first and apply conditioner before swimming. This will help prevent the hair from absorb the water and then rinse after swimming.
2. Avoiding heat tools all together is highly suggested due to colored hair being way more susceptible to damage and heat tools can add to that. But if those tools are necessary than make sure to use a heat protectant product.
3. Eating healthy. A diet full of vitamins and lean proteins can help keep your hair strong and healthy.