The Care and Feeding of your Hair Color
Here are a few important things to know, to protect the investment you have made in your hair color.
1. DO NOT shampoo your hair for 48 hours. This allows the cuticle to close completely, and helps
to lock in your color.
2. ALWAYS shampoo with cool to tepid water. Steam and hot water will cause the cuticle to open, and allow the color to slide out. If you like hot showers or baths, always protect your hair with a shower cap, or towel. Put your daily conditioner in and cover your hair, just before you get out rinse your hair with the coolest water you can handle.
3. Use only "Professsional" products formulated to protect your color, such as Pureology or Redken Color Extend. CONDITION your hair every time you shampoo. Drug and Department store brands are highly alkaline, and can strip your hair color. Also many contain waxes that can coat your hair in a way that makes it difficult for color to fully penetrate, meaning it will wash away faster.
4. When towel drying, always pat and squeeze. Rough toweling will only rough up the cuticle, allowing for faster color loss.
5. There are shampoos and conditioners available that contain color pigment (Shades EQ,
Artec, Aveda, Matrix). Using these once or twice a week can help maintain the intensity of
your color. Also a gentle clarifying shampoo once a week to remove buildup is helpful.
6. Get your touch-ups regularly. The longer you wait between touchups, the harder it is to get consistant color from roots to ends. 4- 5 weeks is normal for a regular color. 3-4 weeks for bleach and tone.
ALL color products, even the best quality, will fade to some degree, although by following these tips the fading can be minimal.
Several factors can affect the amount of fadage that may be experienced, things such as: the products used on the hair, the amount of UV exposure (both natural and tanning beds), the porosity of your hair, and, to some extent the hardness and mineral content of your tap water.
