How to Maintain Hair Color

Maintaining the longevity of your color is very important,
whether you dye your hair a solid color or prefer highlights. Using the right
products is just the first step. Developing the right habits is just as
important in order to protect your color for longer.

Find out how to maintain hair color in order to keep your preferred
shade vibrant and gorgeous. From protecting your hair against UV
radiation to a simple conditioner trick, here’s what you need to know in
order
to prevent fading for as long as possible.

Avoid Sun Damage

Keeping your hair protected when you’re spending time
outdoors is very important since the free radicals produced by UV radiation
play a big part in fading. If you don’t want to wear a hat, then you absolutely
have to use a protecting spray or a leave-in treatment. The ingredients that
help protect the color on your tresses the most include cinnamidopropyltrimonium
chloride, polyquaternium-59, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, along with benzophenone-3
and benzophenone-4.

Rethink Your Shampoo
and Conditioner

Most shampoos and conditioners don’t affect color negatively,
but when you’re wondering how to maintain hair color, using specially
formulated products is a must. Both your shampoo and your conditioner should be
protective for your color. Sulfates can actually strip color, and so does
clarifying shampoo, so these should be avoided.

Stay Cool

Washing your hair with hot water is a big mistake. Using
cool or lukewarm water is the way to go when color protection is a priority.
The hotter the water, the more pigment will escape from your hair, and you
might end up needing touch ups sooner than you expected.

Experiment with Dry
Shampoo

Even with cold water and the right shampoo and conditioner,
exposing your hair to water still fades the color each time. The most important
time to skip the suds is right after you got it dyed. Aim for keeping it dry
for the next 3 days to preserve color longevity. Try to to maintain hair color
by using dry shampoo or opt for shampoos that contain small amounts of dye.

Avoid Water Issues

When you’re washing your hair every day, you should
absolutely make sure that the water isn’t contributing to color fading. Lime,
iron, magnesium, and chlorine can all strip color or make your hair look dull.
A showerhead filter can help remove most of these minerals, but you should also
make sure that you avoid scrubbing your hair with towels once you’re done
washing. Gently patting prevents frizz while also protecting color.

Try a Glaze

The simplest way to get a touch up is using a glaze or a
gloss that’s compatible with your hair dye 
to maintain hair color for longer. You can use it as often as every
other week in order to maintain the vibrancy of your shade and add shine.

Protect Your Hair in
the Pool

If wearing a swim cap isn’t an option, you can still protect
your color from the heavily chlorinated water. Get your hair wet before you go
into the pool, and use a little deep conditioner or baby oil to coat your hair
and protect it. Always remember to rinse well once you’re done swimming in
order to get all the chlorine out of your hair.

Avoid Products with Alcohol

Using the right products is a big part of the answer to the
question of how to maintain hair color, and that also means you should make
sure alcohol isn’t a top ingredient in your styling products. No type of
alcohol should be listed in the top 5 ingredients of any product that touches
your colored hair.

Add Color to Your Conditioner

Even with a bi-weekly glaze, you can still make a difference
every time you condition your hair. Add a bit of color, but never peroxide to
your conditioner. This simple tricks only works for solid colors and allows you
to keep the conditioner on for longer.

More: 10 Dangerous Ingredients in Hair Products

Reduce Heat Styling

You’ll have trouble when you try to maintain hair color, but
also use heat styling tools every day. Make sure that you use a strong
protectant, and try to reduce the heat. Obviously check the ingredients in your
heat protectant to make sure it’s sulphate-free.

photos: Schwarzkopf

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