How to Keep Your New Hair Color Vibrant and Fresh
Dying your hair is a fun way to change up your look without making a drastic commitment. However, colored hair requires a little extra TLC to maintain vibrancy and shine. Overwashing, heat styling, sun exposure, and using the wrong products can lead to premature fading and damage.
With some simple adjustments to your hair care routine, it’s easy to keep your new hue looking fresh. This guide will walk you through tips to extend the life of your color while keeping your hair healthy and hydrated. Proper maintenance starts with choosing the right shampoo and conditioner. Then it’s essential to be mindful of how often, how much, and what temperature you’re washing at. Limiting heat tools, brushing gently, and using masks are also key for preserving color and moisture.
While dyed hair needs a little more attention, taking good care of it doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right techniques and products, you can rock your new color for weeks and months while maintaining soft, shiny hair. Let’s get into the tips!
Pick the Right Products
Using the right haircare products is essential for maintaining dyed hair and keeping the color vibrant for as long as possible. The key is to use sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners. Sulfates are harsh detergents commonly found in shampoos that can strip color from dyed hair quickly.
Opt for a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner that is specifically formulated for color-treated hair. These are free of sulfates and contain ingredients that help lock in color and prevent fading. Look for moisturizing oils like coconut, argan, or marula that will hydrate and nourish dyed strands. Additionally, some color-safe shampoos contain UV filters to provide extra protection against fading from sun exposure.
When shopping for products, read the labels closely and avoid anything with sulfates. Ammonium lauryl sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate are the main sulfates to avoid. Instead, choose shampoos and conditioners labeled “sulfate-free” on the front of the bottle. Investing in the right haircare products will keep dyed hair looking vibrant for longer.
Wash Less Frequently
Frequent shampooing can cause dyed hair to fade more quickly. The detergents and chemicals in shampoo strips away oils from the hair and scalp. This process also removes some of the hair dye particles each time you wash.
To help dyed hair last longer:
- Wash 1-2 times per week instead of daily. Daily washing causes faster fading.
- Use a dry shampoo between washes to refresh hair and soak up excess oils. Look for dry shampoos without sulfates.
- When you do shampoo, focus just on the scalp and avoid over-scrubbing the lengths. The scalp produces the most oil.
- Shampoo just once per wash, limiting detergent exposure. Repeat washes aren’t necessary.
- Rinse with cooler water instead of hot, since heat opens the cuticle and encourages fading.
- Use a cleansing conditioner or co-wash for some washes instead of a harsh shampoo. These are gentler on color.
Washing less frequently is key for keeping vivid hair color looking fresh for longer. It prevents excessive stripping of the dye and allows you to stretch out those salon visits.
Use Cool Water
Washing dyed hair in hot water will cause the color to fade more quickly. Hot water opens up the hair cuticles, allowing the color molecules to escape more easily.
Aim to use lukewarm or cool water instead when washing dyed hair. The cooler temperature will help the cuticles stay sealed, locking in the hair color for longer.
Washing in cold water can be too harsh on the scalp and hair. However, warm or lukewarm water provides a happy medium that prevents early fading while still being gentle.
Get in the habit of turning down the temperature when you wash color-treated hair. investing in a shower head filter can also help regulate the water temp. Taking this simple step to wash in cooler water will extend the vibrancy of your fresh dye job.
Protect from Sun
Direct sunlight is one of the biggest factors in fading dyed hair. The UV rays break down the hair dye molecules, causing the color to look faded and dull.
To protect dyed hair from sun exposure:
- Wear a hat or scarf when outdoors. Look for styles that provide full coverage over your hair and scalp.
- Use a UV protective spray made specially for hair. These create an invisible barrier over each strand to block UV rays. Apply it just like you would any styling product onto dry hair before going outside.
- Don’t part your hair down the center. Opt for a side part so that the top layers provide some shade to the layers underneath.
- If at the pool or beach, wet your hair with fresh water first before swimming. This helps prevent the chlorine or saltwater from penetrating into the hair shaft.
- Rinse out your hair with fresh water after swimming. Don’t let the chlorine or saltwater dry in your hair.
- Schedule color-refreshing appointments before and after summer to keep your color vibrant. Sun exposure is more intense in summer so book appointments closer together during this time.
Deep Condition Regularly
One of the keys to keeping dyed hair looking vibrant and healthy is deep conditioning on a regular basis. Deep conditioning treatments are designed to add extra moisture and nourishment to the hair strands.
Moisturizing helps dyed hair in a few ways:
- It prevents the cuticle of the hair from drying out and opening up, which can lead to fading of color. The moisturizing ingredients in a deep conditioner help seal the cuticle down so color stays locked in.
- Deep conditioning replenishes moisture that gets lost from the oxidation process of dyeing. This keeps hair feeling soft, smooth and looking shiny rather than dry and brittle.
- Extra moisture helps counteract any damage to the hair strands from the chemical process of coloring. This prevents breakage and split ends.
- Soft, moisturized hair is able to hold onto the dye molecules better and keep color looking rich and vibrant.
Aim to use a weekly deep conditioning treatment made specifically for color-treated hair. Look for ingredients like fatty alcohols, silicones and oils which coat the hair and provide a lot of moisture. Leave the deep conditioner on for at least 5-10 minutes before rinsing for best results.
Limit Heat Styling
Using heating tools like blow dryers, curling irons, and straighteners can damage hair and cause color to fade more quickly. The high heat applied to dyed hair causes the cuticle to open and allows color molecules to escape. This leads to accelerated fading, especially for red, pastel, and fashion colors.
To preserve your color for as long as possible:
- Let hair air dry when you can. Air drying is gentler on the hair cuticle than blow drying.
- Use the cool setting on your hair dryer and keep the dryer constantly moving. Concentrated heat in one spot can damage hair.
- Allow hair to cool completely after heat styling before touching or brushing. Hair is vulnerable when hot.
- Use heat protecting sprays or serums before using heated tools. They provide a barrier against damage.
- Limit use of hot tools to 1-2 times per week if possible. The less exposure to heat, the better.
- Opt for low-heat tools like heated rollers instead of curling irons.
- Avoid placing straighteners directly on already color-treated areas.
Being mindful about your use of heating tools will help extend the vibrancy of your hair color and maintain the health of your strands.
Call Matin Beauty Salon today and request a professional hair CARING in Thornhill.
Trim Regularly
Regular trims are important for maintaining the health of dyed hair. When you color your hair, the process causes damage to the ends. The ends of your hair are the oldest and most fragile parts. Over time, the ends can become dry, brittle, and split. These dry, damaged ends will make your color look dull and faded.
Getting your hair trimmed regularly (every 6-8 weeks) will remove the dry, split ends. This helps maintain your color by getting rid of the oldest and most damaged parts of your hair. Freshly trimmed hair will make the colors look crisp and vibrant. The trimmed ends will also prevent breakage and split ends from traveling up the hair shaft.
When getting your hair trimmed, ask your stylist to take off around 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Taking off just a little bit each time prevents cutting away too much length. Be sure to time your trims around when you plan to touch up your color. Get a trim right before you plan to redo your dye. This will allow the fresh color to deposit on hair that has healthy ends.
Regular trims are a simple way to care for dyed hair. By removing damaged, dry ends, trims help lock in moisture and keep your color looking fresh and bright. Make trims a key part of your routine for maintaining beautiful, healthy colored hair.
Use a Clarifying Shampoo
Using a clarifying shampoo can help keep dyed hair vibrant. As hair products like conditioners, styling creams, and oils build up on the strands over time, they can make color look dull and faded. A clarifying shampoo is formulated to deeply cleanse and remove residue without stripping moisture. Look for ones with gentle surfactants like cocamidopropyl betaine that lift dirt without damaging hair. Use a clarifying shampoo once a week or every other week to clear away product buildup and reveal shine and color. Focus it only on the scalp area and not the lengths to avoid over-drying dyed strands. Rinse thoroughly after to wash away any residue. Regular clarifying will help maintain bright, fresh color from root to tip.
Consider Temporary Colors
When you want to frequently change up your hair color, temporary dyes and rinses are a great option to consider. They allow you to experiment with different hues without causing as much damage to your strands.
Temporary hair color washes out within a few shampoos and doesn’t penetrate the hair shaft like permanent dye does. This makes it a safer choice if you know you’ll get bored of a color quickly and want to switch it up often. It deposits color onto the hair’s cuticle only.
Some advantages of temporary hair dye:
- Less drying and damaging to the hair and scalp
- Color washes out gradually and naturally
- Allows you to frequently change your look
- Cost effective for testing colors before committing
- Fun way to try fashion colors like blue, pink, purple
- Safer option if pregnant or have other health concerns
- Works well even if you have color-treated hair already
Popular temporary hair color options are rinses, gels, mousses, sprays, and chalks. Follow the brand’s instructions closely so the color comes out even. Applying to pre-lightened hair will help the color show up better. Take care to keep temporary color off your skin, towels, and clothing during application.
While temporary hair color fades out on its own, you can quicken the removal process by using a clarifying shampoo several times. Be gentle when brushing wet hair, as it will be more prone to breakage with the temporary color coating the strands.
Give it a try at Matin Beauty and see what everyone’s fussing about.
