By Erin Lukas, In Style
Coloring your hair in the summer is a gamble. If the odds
are in your favor, your new platinum blonde, rich brunette, or vibrant
red shade will look just as fresh as when you got up from your
colorist's hair for the entire season. When luck isn't on your side, the
swimming and the extra sunlight you're taking in will result in your
color fading faster than the bottle of rosé you go through on a summer
evening.
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Let this year be the one where the likelihood that your dye job holds
up for the entire season is in your favor. We turned to COLOR.ME by
KEVIN.MURPHY design director, Kate Reid for her tips on how to keep your strands from fading in the summer.
"Spending time in the sun, the pool, and outdoors increases in
summer," says Reid. "These environmental influences break down the outer
layer on the hair shaft, making it look dull and discolored while
causing your color to fade faster."
Protecting your color starts in your bathroom. Reid recommends
placing a water filter in your shower to ensure you're washing your hair
with clean water. She also suggest ditching your hot tools, when
possible. "Thermal styling can lead to over-heating, which dries out the
hair, opens up the outer layer and can fade color. If the hair is
over-styled, its exterior loses shine quickly becomes dull, making it
hard for the hair shaft to reflect light. It is essential to use a heat
protectant when using hot tools."
If you're going to be spending a lot of time pool- or beach-side this
summer, she suggests protecting your hair with a leave-in conditioner
like KEVIN.MURPHY's UN.TANGLED ($28; kevinmurphy.com.au for salons) which will re-nourish your strands, or a smoothing cream like R+Co's High Dive ($27; nordstrom.com) to seal the hair shaft.
[post_ads]While avoiding the sun is impossible, there are a few things you can
to prevent rays from ruining your color. "It [sun damage] is most
noticeable when dark hair fades or lightens, as it will generally show
through in warmer, orange tones," says Reid. To stop the rays from
stripping the warm tones in your hair, she suggests using a reparative,
color-enhancing shampoo and conditioner combo such as KEVIN.MURPHY's
BLONDE.ANGEL.WASH ($29; kevinmurphy.com.au for salon locations) and BLONDE.ANGEL treatment ($35; kevinmurphy.com.au for salon locations).
Another preventative measure you can take is to slightly alter how
you dye your hair. For darker colors, Reid says to opt for a demi color
rather than a permanent dye. Blondes can keep their coloring process as
is, but make sure they're using a color-enhancing shampoo and
conditioner to keep their shade fresh and clear
