We Indian women truly understand the pain of sticking with the same hair color all our life. It’s not like we have anything against the black hair color- it’s natural and beautiful, but who doesn’t like to experiment a bit with their hair. After watching Kate Winslet change her hair color in blue, pink, red and brunette in the movie ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’, surely many of us were tempted to try that too. Sadly several women back out from coloring their hair, because of the side-effects it causes if not taken proper care.
Lucky for you ladies, we have just the solution you need. If you are planning to color your hair anytime soon and do not know how to take care of it, take a look at the below-given list.
Hydrate your hair – Grandma’s can never be wrong. Remember how all our grandma’s forced us to put oil in our hair when we were kids? Well, that trick works magically. Serum, condition, and shampoo also are necessary, do not provide the amount of moisture natural hair oil can provide. At least 2 months before you plan on dyeing your hair, start applying oil every week and also apply hair masks. This way your hair will be healthy even after you color it, and ensure that your hair is well-nourished and hydrated, get regular trims and avoid heating tools. Our hair loses enough moisture after hair coloring, which is why you should not be negligent when it comes to taking good care of your treated hair.
Avoid Chlorine – It’s crucial to avoid too much exposure to chlorine if you have treated hair. Chlorine is a harsh chemical that can make your hair dull and lifeless. If you are brunette, this is especially important, as too much time in the swimming pool can damage your colored treated hair and pull weird color tones in the hair that are tricky to counteract once the damage is done. If you do plan on swimming, we recommend to check out tips online on how to protect your hair before, after, and while swimming.
2 days rule – Once you’ve colored hair, try to wait at least 2 days before you wash your hair again. You can also extend it up to 72 hours depending on the quality of your colored treated hair and your comfort. Washing hair immediately after coloring can result in the fading of the hair color. The cuticle layer could still be open which then leads to your color being washed down the drain When you wash your treated hair too soon after your appointment, the cuticle layer could take 2 to 3 days to fully close. It is advisable because if you wait for 2 to 3 days to shampoo your hair, the more time the color pigment will have to soak into the hair cuticle. Since the colors are not natural, you have to wait for a period for the new color to get set.
Wash hair with cold water – For colored treated hair, we’d recommend sticking to lukewarm or cool water temperatures in the shower. Washing hair with hot water dye out of the hair faster because it opens the surface of the hair strand. It has been proven that washing hair with cold water rinse is a better option and also brings extra shine to the hair. This is a great way to keep your colored hair healthy as cold water seals your cuticles, controlling frizz and sealing the color in your hair shaft.
Avoid sulfate shampoo – Sodium Laureth ether sulfate or sulfate is a type of anionic detergent that is found in many personal care products like shampoos. What many are not aware of is that sulfate, which is used to help produce a foaming effect to your shampoos and conditioners. It increases the chances of stripping your colored hair of its natural oils and moisture, which can then lead to stripping your beautiful color-treated hair. To keep your hair color from fading, try using a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner. You can also opt for natural and herbal shampoos.
Regular trims – Regular trims keep the hair healthy and can make the hair grow long faster. Go to a parlor or take the help of a friend or a family to trim hair regularly, if you struggle with broken hair and split ends. You can get your hair trimmed every six to eight weeks to ensure clean ends and healthy hair overall. Trimming off the ends keeps this damage from spreading, which you get after coloring hair.
Avoid UV rays – It’s been proven that direct sun exposure and UV rays can not only be harmful to the hair but also fades color, and the sun naturally lightens the hair and breaks down chemical bonds that are present in hair dye, which in turn strips the hair of color and causes the dye to fade. Take precautionary measures like wearing a hat in the sun or using products that have UV protecting properties.
Shampoo less often – Dry and easily breakable hair suffer more damage after hair color, so to keep it moisturized shampoo your hair less often. Wash your hair two to three times a week at a maximum, because washing too often can strip the oil from your hair. Washing hair less often helps make the color last longer and also preserves the natural oils produced by the scalp that nourishes our hair. You also wash away a little bit of your hair dye every time you wash your hair, so for all these reasons avoid washing your hair frequently.