Love to colour your hair? We have some great tips for you. Image supplied.
We love to look our best and for some of us, that means colouring our hair. Whether it be maintaining our blonde, camouflaging those roots or a new year, new me vibe, who doesn’t love a trip to the salon? But, while it may be great for your hair, it certainly isn’t too great for your wallet and although we can’t barter the price down for our hair appointments, we can be more cost-effective by maintaining our new hair colour. So here are five tips to help you maintain that beautiful colour of yours and make it look salon fresh right up until your next appointment.
Don’t overwash your hair
Overwashing is the biggest cause of colour fade. For those of you with oily scalps who tend to wash your hair every day, try training your hair to get used to less frequent washing. Try to stretch it out to 48 hours or even more and a here’s a handy tip, use a dry shampoo to keep your hair looking and smelling fresh.
Choose the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair
Always use a colour-friendly, sulphate free shampoo and conditioner. There are many ranges out there that are particular to certain colours such as blonde toning shampoos and shampoos to keep your reds looking vibrant. At the time of your appointment, it may sound like your colourist is trying to upsell you, which may be true, but you should take their advice and spend the extra money, it really is worth it to have the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair.
Turn the temperature down
This is for both the shower and your hair styling tools. Lukewarm water is better for your hair than hot water and will maintain the colour much better and when it comes to straightening or curling your hair, try to minimise how much you are using your tools. Try blowdrying your hair straight or plaiting your hair overnight for a curly, wavy effect.
Swim smarter
Make sure when you’re out in the sun and swimming in both salt and chlorine water you’re using an SPF hair protector to protect that colour of yours as well as your scalp. Anything with sunflower oil can be good for your hair as it has lots of antioxidants to help protect the hair.
Use a thermal protectant
Finally, when you are using your styling tools, it’s important to use thermal protectants to protect the hair from heat. Your colour will maintain better because the thermal protectant will be keeping the integrity of the hair in good condition.