For long lasting shine and healthy-looking colored hair, you need to stick to a few basic rules… follow our quick tips when washing, drying and styling your colored hair.
All colour-treated hair changes over time, whether it is temporary or permanent. It fades gradually each time you shampoo it, and roots will soon start to show. Blonde hair, which is often more sensitive to light and humidity, can become dull and may have a tendency to yellow. You should therefore care for your hair appropriately to maintain your colour – this way you can make sure that it looks healthy and shiny for longer.
1st rule: Choosing the right shampoo
There is a wide range of products on the market today which are specially designed for coloured hair.
These help to maintain your colour and leave your hair shiny. Shampoo designed for coloured hair gives it strength and nourishes the delicate hair fibre (try Fructis Color Last Shampoo).
You should also condition your hair regularly (try Fructis Color Last Conditioner), to smooth coloured hair deep down and give it more shine. As a special treatment, you can also use a mask once a week (try Fructis Color Last Mask).
2nd rule: Gentle hair styling
If you are not gentle enough, styling your hair can cause the hair fibres to break.
Repeated brushing, blow-drying and heated stylers can dry the hair and dull your color. Before styling, always dry your hair with a towel. Blow-dry your hair on a low temperature and, whenever possible, leave your hair to dry naturally. And remember to have your hair trimmed regularly – dry or split ends need cutting!
Finally, if you perm your hair, make sure you wait at least a week before coloring – particularly if you want to use a permanent color!
3rd rule: Maintaining your color
It can be easy to care for colored hair!
If you have used a permanent color, visible root re-growth will mean you need to reapply color every 4-6 weeks. It is possible to apply color in just a small area, as indicated on the packaging. Alternatively, by using a tone-on-tone color, re-growth will be barely noticeable.
Tone-on-tone color fades gradually, so you will need to re-apply it every 6-8 weeks. If you go into the sun, swim in the sea or walk in high altitudes, you will need to take extra care of colored hair, to protect the hair fiber from the elements.
4th rule: Keeping good habits
Here are a few daily tips for beautiful, healthy-looking colored hair.
First, always read the packaging – some shampoos and hair colorants (and soaps and shower gels too!) contain oxygenated water which can react with your hair color.
Dust, smoke, dry air, heat, chlorine and sun can also all dull your color. Try to avoid closed or smoky surroundings, and always shampoo after swimming.