Five Quick Tips for Keeping Your Color Vibrant

All good things must come to an end, but you don't have to give up your awesome new hair color without a fight! There are many factors that lead to the fading of your new hair color. Fortunately, the tips in this article will help you keep your hair color vibrant and strong longer!

5 Quick Hair Color Tips!

1.) During the Color Application:
If heat is used to set your new hair color, allow your hair to cool for several minutes before you rinse the color from your hair. Hot hair leaches color, especially deposit only colors and temporary rinses! Don't rinse your hard work back down the drain! Give your hair time to cool after heating.

2.) The Water Problem
The water problem, as it pertains to hair color, can be broken down into three major parts: water frequency, water type, and water temperature.

a. ) Water Frequency: We all know that simply washing the hair will fade your hair color. No matter which type of hair coloring you have done (i.e. permanent, semi-, temporary), each wash will pull a little color. Obviously, temporary colors will be pulled faster. For best results, allow your new hair color to settle at least a day or two after the initial color job. From there, I suggest washing every 4-7 days, as your hair dictates. You should lean toward the 7 day range at least for the first two weeks out. Overhandling and frequently washing color-treated hair can stress the cuticle, encourage your hair color to fade, and increase your hair's porosity. Keep it simple. Always make the most of your regular washings by treating the hair with carefully planned ormulations (protein or moisture) in thorough, deep conditioning treatments.

b.) Water Type: Washing your hair in hard water, or water that is partially chlorinated, will also strip your hair color. If your water is hard, or if you are a regular swimmer, you should consider purchasing a chelating shampoo for regular color maintenance. For longer term results, a good water filter (though expensive) may give you several more weeks of vibrant hair color. For swimmers, thoroughly saturating the hair in regular water prior to hitting the pool will help keep pesky chlorine molecules at bay. Once you hit the pool, your hair won't be able to absorb as much of the chlorinated water. You will still want to shampoo and deep condition pool hair as soon as possible.

c.) Water Temperature: Avoid washing and rinsing your hair in hot water. Hot water is drying to the hair whether it is color-treated or not, and it has the opposite effect of cold water which helps close and seal the cuticles. (Hot oil treatments are included in this category.) Hot hair will release some of its color, and over time your color will grow duller. Always wash and condition your color-treated hair in cool water. After conditioning the hair, do a final rinse in the coldest water you can stand. This final rinse will seal the cuticle and impart amazing shine to your strands.

3.) Product Selection:
Use color safe shampoos and conditioners. Strong shampoos that are not formulated for color-treated hair can cause even the most vibrant hair coloring jobs to fade. Many color safe shampoos and conditioners, particularly those that are geared toward a certain shade of hair color, will contain small bits of color and color enhancers to give your hair color a "pick me up" at wash time. They are wonderful for slowing the color fading process. In addition to a good, color safe shampoo and conditioner, select supporting daily products that contain sunscreens and light oils. Keep your hair thoroughly moisture and protein conditioned! Regular conditioning goes a long way toward preserving hair color and keeping the hair radiant with little product!

Finally, use finishing products like hair sprays, spritzes, mousses, and gels sparingly. The alcohols used in these style setting products are used to help your hair dry faster in your style, but can fade your hair color prematurely. Some have also reported that volumizing product lines, or those for fine hair, also fade new hair colors quickly because they allow a slight lifting of the cuticle layers to provide the illusion of increased hair shaft thickness.

Kenra and Joico offer great options for color-treated tresses. Haircared (Italian Professional Hair Color and Professional Hair Care Products) is a salon exclusive line that also offers an amazing line of support products for color-treated hair.

4.) Styling:
Avoid over-drying the hair with blow dryers and/or flat irons. These styling tools degrade the cuticle and can cause the hair color to become dull over time. The regular heat styling of colored tresses reduces moisture levels and can lead to that all too common color damage and color breakage we've seen on some people!

5.) The Elements:
Avoid going outdoors with damp hair. The sun has powerful hair color fading effects, and that problem is exasperated when the hair is damp and exposed to harsh sunlight. Again, swimming in pools and natural bodies of water introduces the hair color to chlorinated water, salts, and other impurities that also leave hair colors looking dull.

Bonus Hair Color Tip: Try a clear color rinse to seal in a permanent color. Applying a clear rinse over a permanent color will enhance your hair's shine and help preserve your permanent hair color longer. Hair color rinses are also good, low maintenance shine boosters for non-color treated hair!