Longer Lasting Hair Color

Fading is something that anyone who colors or highlights their hair worries about. You love going to the salon and getting that perfect color combination on your locks but are then disappointed when it starts to fade. You wish you could keep your color looking as perfect as day one for as long as possible but fading is something that will eventually occur. Since your hair has to be stripped before permanent coloring, post-color care is crucial to lessen the effects of fading and will determine how long your hair color can last. These tips will help you space out your salon appointments for longer and keep your hair color looking great all year long.

Sun Damage

The sun can be a big culprit in fading your hair, it can overly lighten or add brassiness to your hair color. If you plan to go to the beach, make sure you cover your hair up with a hat. If you plan to go to the pool, it makes it trickier since the chlorine can be even more damaging to your color than the sun! I try to keep my hair far away from pools unless I have an appointment with my color stylist in the near future; no one wants chlorine damage to ruin their hair color. That's because blond hair and highlights can turn green from exposure to the chlorine. So unless you don't mind swimming in the pool without getting your hair wet, I'd stay away from pools if you don't have a hair appointment in the near future.

Shampoo

Another big color fading culprit is over-shampooing. Shampooing swells up the hair follicles and allows the color pigments to be washed away, leading to quick fading. I'm not suggesting that you never shampoo your hair again (although I've heard some people who swear by it), I'm simply suggesting not washing your hair everyday. I usually wash my hair twice a week and my hair color stays bright and true for longer thanks to it. When you have just finished color treating your hair, try not to wash it for as long as possible; this will give the pigments more time to settle into the hair, making it harder for fading to occur.

If you can stand the thought of shampooing with cold water, do so as well. Hot water makes it easier for color to seep out, it doesn't have to be freezing, but it can't be hot. You should also invest in a shampoo specifically designed for treated hair, it will greatly help delay fading. There are plenty of shampoos to choose from, as always: do your research before you buy to make sure it's right for your hair type and specific color.

Styling Tools

After making sure your hair is looking nice and bright, the next step is to ensure that you don't over dry your hair by using heat styling tools incorrectly. Color treating takes a toll on your hair and adding heat can be tricky if you don't want your locks to suffer heat damage and breakage. I like to protect my hair by applying a heat protecting spray before using my Victorya flat iron by ISA Professional. It protects my hair follicles and color, leaving my hair smooth, shiny and colorful. Afterwards, I like to apply 100% argan oil to ensure a frizz free head of hair and absolutely love how it looks all day long. Color treated hair looks amazing as long as you know how to protect it from fading; now get to it!