Hold off on the first shampoo
The colour needs time to settle once it has been rinsed out. If you give your hair 48 hours before the first wash, the outer layer has time to close around the pigment, and the shade holds noticeably better.
If your scalp gets oily quickly, a dry shampoo is a better solution for the first couple of days than an extra wash.
Wash less often – and cooler
Hot water opens the cuticle and rinses pigment away, especially in the lightened lengths. Wash your hair every second or third day in lukewarm water, and finish with a cool rinse so the surface closes and reflects the light better.
Choose a sulphate-free shampoo. It lathers less, but it also does not strip the colour as quickly as an ordinary, strongly cleansing shampoo.
- Sulphate-free shampoo for everyday washing
- Silver shampoo roughly every third wash if your shade is cool or ash blonde
- Conditioner and mask through the lengths and ends – not on the scalp
Protect against heat and sun
Straighteners and curling tongs at high temperatures are the quickest route to dull, brassy ends. Always use a heat protector, and style at 180 degrees rather than 220 – you can see the difference in the shine after just a few weeks.
Sun, chlorine and salt water fade the colour too. A hat on the beach and a rinse in clean water after swimming do more for the shade than any treatment afterwards.
Refresh the shade between treatments
The lightening itself stays exactly where it was placed – it is the shade on top that fades. A toner in the salon revives the tone, calms unwanted warmth and brings the shine back, without any further lightening.
Many of the salon's guests have a toner halfway through and only have the balayage properly redone after three to four months. If your hair needs extra strength along the way, a Metal-DX treatment can be added alongside the colour for DKK 99.
When should you book again?
Because the transitions are painted freehand, there is no sharp regrowth line that suddenly has to be hidden. Book when you feel the lightening around your face has dropped too low, or when the shade has gone flat – typically every three to four months.
If you are unsure what your hair can take, start with a colour consultation. Then we can make a plan before anything is lightened.
