7 tips to help you fight the fade-Why does my hair colour fade so fast?
When you step out from the salon confident, on point, your colour so vibrant and shiny it blinds passers by, it’s a morale booster you wish to carry around with you always. But by giving your hair the wrong sort of TLC, your colour can feel flat, dull and faded far too quickly.
Do not despair. You actually have more control over your fading locks than you realise. Here we have seven tips that could help you keep your colour stronger for longer.
- Stop washing your hair in hot water
If you love nothing better than a hot bath or shower, then you’re not doing your colour any good. Hot water will lift the outer cuticle layer, and since this is the layer that holds your colour in, your hair is then defenceless against losing the colour you paid big bucks to have put in there. The hotter the water, and the more often you rinse with hot water, the faster your colour will fade. Instead, wash in warm water and rinse in cold. The cold water will actually seal the cuticle and leave your hair looking extra glossy.
- Stop over-washing your hair
Avoid washing your hair for as long as humanly possible. This may seem like a relatively gross thing to do, but your hair and colour will thank you for it. And always wait at least 24 hours before washing your hair after you’ve had it coloured, to let the dye settle in. Water fades hair colour. In fact, up to 80% of colour fade is due to water alone. Your hair absorbs water, and as your hair dries, the dye drains out with the water. Not only that, tap water contains a myriad of chemicals that interfere with the way your hair takes on and keeps colour. Over washing it exposes hair to these chemicals far too often. If you’re an ardent every day washer, try every other day.
- Don’t wash your hair with detergent
The word sounds so harsh, but, most likely, if you shampoo, you are using a detergent. Most contain salts, alcohol and sulphates as lathering agents. These bind to the colour molecules and lead to them running down the sink instead of staying where they belong. At Blue Hairdressing, we use sulphate free shampoos that we recommend for all colour services, from blonde, through red, browns and blacks. We use the amazing Davines range of products in our salon & they contain none of the harmful colour additives, as well as being salt, paraben and sulphate free. Always check the ingredients.
- Don’t let the sun damage your colour
Though you may be aware of the damage the sun does your skin, did you also know that it doesn’t do your hair any favours either? The ultraviolet rays in sunlight are harmful for your hair making it dry, brittle and dull, but not only that, the UV rays break down the chemical bonds in your hair, making the colour fade. Save your hair and colour by limiting your exposure to the sun. Wear a hat, or sunscreen (yes you can buy it for your hair!) or at the very least replenish some of the moisture with a daily leave-in conditioner like the SU Hair Mask from Davines For restoring sun-exposed or damaged hair. Anti-Aging SU replenishes softness, moisture and shine to all hair types.
- Get the right products
If you’re not using a colour-safe shampoo and conditioner on your colour-treated hair, then that is one of the best places to start with keeping your colour for longer. Look for shampoos and conditioners that are made for colour-treated hair, they will be safer for your colour and help to minimise fading. As a general rule, and one that will also help you maintain your colour, shampoo should be focused on the roots only and the conditioner stays on the mid through ends of the hair shaft. As mentioned earlier, avoid anything with colour stripping sulphates or alcohols in the ingredients like the Davines Alchemic Conditioner Red 250ml that enhances your colour & condition. Ask your Blue Stylist about the right product for you.
- Protect your hair from too much heat
We all know that the heat from hair dryers, curling irons and straighteners is damaging to our hair, but it also compromises colour. Protect your hair from the heat and over-drying with a lightweight oil or heat-protection product like Paul Mitchell’s Hot of the Press or Davines Melu range of products before you style.
- Take care of damaged hair before you have it dyed
When your hair is damaged, dry, split and brittle, getting a good finish on your new colour is hard to achieve and even harder to maintain. Porous and damaged hair means that the cuticle lays open, unable to lock in moisture or colour. Treating this before you have your hair dyed will help to keep your colour bright and your hair glossy. Have the ends that can’t be saved chopped off, and restore the porosity and condition of your hair with a conditioning treatment like the one we use at Blue Hairdressing, which is SMARTBOND helping to keep the condition of your hair strong after dying it with colour-safe conditioner. Click the link for more information about our treatments.
When you spend money and time on colouring your hair, make it worth it and hold back the fade by following our tips; and you will have just-stepped-out-of-the-salon-worthy confidence in your colour every single day.
To get your hair colour-ready, book your next appointment with us today. You can book a FREE no obligation colour consultation with one of our expert colour technicians. Book online or call 01428 607555 and ask one of our expert stylist on the right colour products for your hair.
The Blue Team x