From streaking to highlighting or may be just to cover those grays, we do anything to our hair to make that style statement. But do you realize how much damage does it all cause to our hair? With proper care and a little creativity, you can keep your color-treated hair looking shiny and vibrant. Here are some hair care tips that’ll help protect your color-treated hair.
1. Use Protective Products
The recent ubiquity of hair dyes has been accompanied with a surge in the availability of hair color protecting products in the market. Make sure to always wash your hair with shampoos and conditioners that claim to be safe for use on colored hair. Certain shampoos may even help you retain a particular shade of hair color. It is also advisable to avoid the use of styling products like mousse and gel, particularly those that contain alcohol and sulfates which are known to strip the color from your hair.
2. Shampoo Less Frequently
With each wash, some of your hair color goes down the drain. Make sure that you wash your hair with water no more than three times a week. If this seems too infrequent for you, it may be time to invest in a dry shampoo.
3. Use Hair Sunscreen
Protection from ultraviolet radiation is not just important for skin. The sun’s rays can penetrate the hairs’ cuticles and bleach or oxidize the hair color. Many spray-ion hair sunscreens can be found in the market these days. If you plan on spending a day at the beach, wearing a hat may be a good idea—this will protect not only your hair, but your skin as well.
4. Chlorine Protection
Chlorine found in swimming pools can also bleach the color from your hair, so make sure to wear a swimming cap, or apply strengthening conditioner, baby oil or olive oil before going for a swim. If you do discover that your lightly colored hair has a greenish tint after emerging from the pool, rinsing your hair with tomato juice can serve to neutralize the chlorine.
5. Cold rinse
Though some color is lost with every hair wash, changing the way you shower can help reduce this loss. Don’t wash your hair with very hot water and keep your head under the shower for as little time as possible, and wear a shower cap for the remainder. Minerals like iron and calcium carbonate which are present in large quantities in tap water can also contribute to color loss. Installing a showerhead filter however, can significantly reduce the quantities of such minerals in your shower water.
6. Use a Wide-toothed Comb
Colored hair is generally weaker and drier than natural hair and thus more susceptible to breakage. Treat your hair with extreme caution and prevent breakage by avoiding heat, vigorous towel trying and fine bristled hair brushes (try using a wide-toothed comb instead). If you must use a hair dryer, make sure to use the cold setting.
7. Deep Conditioning and Hot Oils
Dying leaves hair porous and brittle. To restore strength, moisture and shine, as well as to preserve color, treat your hair from roots to tips with store bough deep conditioners or hot argan, macadamia, Moroccan or sesame seed oil at least once a week. Allow your hair to soak in the oil for a few hours.
8. Don’t Color Your Hair Too Often
No matter how many protective measures you may take, the truth remains that dye is bad for your hair. If you are using a permanent dye, don’t dye your hair more than once in six weeks. Find More : Beauty tips