Wash less, and rinse cooler
Every wash draws out a little pigment. If you go from washing daily to every second or third day, you noticeably extend the life of the colour – and your scalp adjusts within a couple of weeks.
Wash in lukewarm rather than hot water, and finish with a cool rinse. That closes the outer layer of the hair, holds on to the pigment and adds shine at the same time.
Choose products that do not cleanse too harshly
A sulphate-free shampoo cleans perfectly well without stripping the colour. If you have a cool or blonde shade, silver shampoo can be used every third wash to keep warm tones at bay – but no more often, as the hair can otherwise take on a greyish cast.
Conditioner and mask belong in the lengths and ends. On the scalp they mostly make the hair go flat and greasy sooner.
- Sulphate-free shampoo for everyday use
- A moisturising mask once a week
- Leave-in or oil through the ends on damp hair
- Heat protector every time you use a hairdryer or irons
Turn the heat down
Straighteners and curling tongs at high temperatures break down the surface of the hair, and damaged hair looks dull and brassy even when the colour itself is perfectly good. 180 degrees is enough for most hair types.
Let your hair air-dry halfway before you blow-dry – that halves the time the hair spends exposed to heat.
Watch out for sun, chlorine and salt water
Summer is hard on coloured hair. Chlorine can give blonde hair a greenish cast, salt dries out the lengths, and sun fades the shade.
Rinse your hair in clean water before you get into the pool – wet hair absorbs less chlorinated water. And use a hat or a leave-in with a UV filter on the long sunny days.
Book a toner rather than colouring at home
When the shade fades, the temptation of a box colour is strong. The problem is that box colour sits unevenly on lightened hair and can make the next salon treatment both more expensive and harder on the hair.
A toner in the salon corrects the shade without lightening again – and keeps the hair in a place where we can carry on working with it next time.
