How to Care For Your Color-Treated Hair

Some of us are the type of people that need to wash their hair every day, while others are the type of people that can go days without a wash. With colored hair, it's important to wash your hair less frequently in order to keep that color looking vibrant. After you get your hair dyed, it's best to not wash your hair for at least three to seven days in order for the dye to get a better hold on your hair. To get the most out of your color, wash your hair no more than three times a week and use color-safe shampoo. 

While a nice steamy shower in the morning feels great, it's not so great for your hair. Hot water causes hair cuticles to open, allowing the color to detach from your hair. This causes your color to rinse out, and in some cases can completely wash it out. When shampooing and conditioning, it's best to rinse your hair in cold water to seal hair cuticles. During your final rinse, set the water to the lowest temperature you can stand and rinse out your hair. This will give your hair a refreshed and shiny look. 

Whether your hair was dyed with bleach or not, the integrity of your natural hair has been compromised. In order to keep your hair healthy and your color vibrant, hair treatments are a must-add to your hair care routine. Deep conditioning hair masks, heat-protectant oils or sprays, nourishing hair oils, and color-safe shampoos and conditioners are all products that will restore the integrity of dyed hair and protect it from any further damage. 

Hate the feeling of unwashed hair, but want to protect your color? For those that need to keep their hair clean as part of their daily routine, skip the shampoo and head straight for the conditioner. Shampoo can strip the color from your hair faster, causing hair dye to fade more. Conditioning your hair every day instead of shampooing and conditioning will give your hair a clean and silky feeling without compromising your color. 

Although we've all been loving our blowouts these past few months, blow-drying your hair is not great for your color. Like hot water, the heat from hairdryers causes your hair cuticles to open up, allowing color molecules to escape, and causing your color to become dull. Air drying your hair is the best way to ensure shiny colored hair that will last a long time. If you can't say no to the blow dryer, be sure to use a heat protectant and a color-sealing hair treatment on your hair before every blow dry and style to keep that color looking fresh.