5 Tips for After Color Hair Care

Summer is right around the corner and it’s the perfect time to add a little pop of color to your hair. While there are plenty of different options to color your hair, there are a few tips that you should take note of in order to maintain healthy color treated hair.

Coloring Process

It’s recommended that you don’t transition your hair more than a few shades lighter or darker than your current hair color. Making an extreme transition will increase your chances of permanent damage to your hair. Also, you do not wash your hair before you dye it. The natural oils in your hair protect it during the dying process.

Consult a Professional

The at home kits are tempting because they are cheap and quick, but when you are making such a major change you definitely want a professional to handle the job. A professional should have the experience to mix the right colors for your skin tone and make any corrections throughout the process if necessary.

Moisture

If you have kinky or curly hair, you already may be lacking in the moisture department. Adding a chemical to your hair will increase your need for moisture. Try to use protective styling (tucking the ends of your hair away, to prevent damage) whenever possible to keep more moisture in your hair.

Products that strip and lighten the hair always affect the hair’s cortical layers and porosity, making it easy for moisture to escape and dryness to persist.  Pay close attention to your ends as they are the oldest and weaker portion of your hair.

Cleansing & Conditioning

Make sure you avoid sulfate shampoos to avoid stripped hair after washes and to make your color last longer. When you color your hair, wait at least 48 hours to shampoo, preferably longer to give the color plenty of time to set.

Stick to lukewarm water when cleansing and conditioning, the hotter the water, the quicker the color may fade. Deep condition your hair frequently; if you can try to aim for every time you wash your hair.

Protein Treatments

Coloring your hair may or may not cause a temporary or permanent change in your curl pattern.  Anytime you chemically treat your hair, you alter the hair’s protein bonding arrangement.  This sometimes results in a change in the texture or curl pattern of your hair.  Using a protein reconstructor after coloring may help some lost curls find their way again.

Protein treatments help to repair the protein that you have lost during you color treating process. Try using a protein reconstructor after the second week that you have colored your hair and wait about 6 weeks before you reapply this treatment. Protein treatments stay on the hair for a few weeks so there is no need to overload your hair strands.