By Amanda Etkind, InStyle
A fresh dye job can make you feel all kinds of fantastic, but
dropping serious cash on color that fades fast often has the opposite
effect. Luckily, a few tricks can give your color a longer life, meaning
no more blowing paychecks on a trip to the salon. Here, pros share
their best tips for maintaining your color for longer.
Avoid Harsh Ingredients
[post_ads]No matter the color of your hair it’s best to steer clear of products
that contain alcohols, sulfates, and parabens, which dry the hair out
causing color to disappear quicker. “Stay away from anything that has
thickness to it, like a mousse or a heavy hairspray as those are loaded
with alcohols that dry out the hair,” informs stylist Caroline Mitgang
of Paul Labrecque Salon and Spa in New York. She suggests using styling products like the Paul Labrecque Color Style Fade Prevention Foam ($22; paullebraque.com)
that protects hair from heat and UV damage. Blondes or those with a
cooler hair hue should skip any hair oils that have an amber or orange
tint to them as they’ll alter your hair’s hue. “Opt for clear oils, and
avoid those with an orange or amber tint to them as they’ll turn ashier
toned blondes, or brunettes brassy,” shares colorist Heather Cie of Malibu's Sparks and Cie Salon.
Know When to Wash and the Right Temperature to Use
Those with jet black, blue-black or red strands should wait 48 hours
before washing. Mitgang says that this gives the color a bit of time to
sink in making it last a little longer. Also, all hair colors
should skip scalding hot temps, and choose a cooler temp when washing
your tresses. “Cooler water helps to seal up the cuticle ultimately
protecting the dye from fading too quickly,” shares Mitgang.
Protect Your Mane From the Elements
[post_ads]You probably didn’t realize to include your strands in your sun
protection regimen. To avoid having your color turn brassy while
enjoying the warmth from the sun, colorist Heather Cie of Malibu's
Sparks and Cie Salon, suggests coating locks with Huile de Leonor Greyl
($59; dermstore.com).
“It has sunscreen protectant in it so it shields the color from the UV
Rays while giving it a conditioning treatment,” informs Cie. You can
also wear a baseball or sun hat while outside to keep hair covered. In
addition to UV Rays, you want to make sure you’re protecting the color
from other harsh elements like chlorine. If you swim chlorine will get
in there, and slowly add a greenish tint to your blonde. Cie recommends
rinsing the hair well after swimming, and also getting a Malibu Crystal Treatment, which removes any green left behind from the chlorine. Your blonde will look brand new after.
Moisturize and Strengthen
The dyeing process can wreak havoc on your strands, essentially
drying out them out causing the dye to diminish much more quickly. To
give them the necessary TLC, Cie suggests using a strengthening
treatment like Olaplex #3, ($28; olaplex.com),
which helps repair damaged or broken locks. “Apply it at night on dirty
hair, and sleep with it on, and then in the morning shampoo and
condition it out, suggests Cie. Make sure to keep hair hydrated by using
a moisturizing mask like Evo’s The Great Hydrator ($33; evohair.com)
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Use Color-Depositing Shampoo and Conditioner
To preserve the tone add a color depositing shampoo and/ or
conditioner to your hair washing routine. Ashy blondes or brunettes who
want to neutralize orange tones should try a violet or purple color like
Oribe’s Bright Blonde Shampoo ($46; nordstrom.com). If you have black hair, try Aveda’s Black Malva Shampoo conditioner ($21; nordstrom.com) to diminish redness, while redheads should try a shampoo with a red tone like Joico’s Color Infuse Red Shampoo ($16; ulta.com) Cie warns to skip these if you have highlighted hair as they’ll alter the color of your highlights.
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