Now that you are officially a colour addict and have chosen to join the ranks of rainbow haired people, it's time to talk about the care of your fabulously vivid hair.
Maintaining hair in bold fashion colours takes some dedication, but it can easily become one of your simplest routines. To be perfectly blunt, you just spent a good 4-6 hours at the salon and spent a good chunk of change on your hair colour, you are going to want to make this colour looking fabulous for as long as possible.
First, frequent shampooing is NOT your friend! Every time you wash your hair, the cleansers gently lift the cuticle layer of the hair to rinse away dirt and product build up INCLUDING YOUR COLOUR! Due to direct dyes “sitting” on top of the hair (learn more about direct dyes in our blog post here) the cleansers gradually wash away the color molecules. By shampooing less, the color molecules remain vibrant in the hair longer. When you absolutely must shampoo, use a sulfate free shampoo and conditioner. This will also help protect your color because the cleansers are gentler and don’t lift the cuticle as much. We recommend Redken's Colour Extend Magnetics. This product line secures color-treated hair with maximum vibrancy and alluring shine.
The next tip to keeping your colour brighter, longer is to use cold water to wash your hair. This causes the hair molecules to contract locking in your colour. Warmer temperatures effect the hair shaft, and are strongly advised against when you have coloured hair. It is also a good idea to turn the temperature way down on your styling tools. The heat will severely damage your colour. Check out this short video clip by Guy Tang which perfectly illustrates what can happen:
When colouring your hair in the summer, keep in mind that chlorine is a colour killer! It can cause drastic uneven fading or even a complete color change. We have all heard horror stories of blonde hair turning green in the pool! Avoid submerging your locks to maintain those vibrant hues. Just like colored paper, fashion colours fade in the sunlight. Redken’s Color Extend Magnetics Products contain uva and uvb filters to help fight fading from the sunlight. If you are planning to spend long periods of time soaking up rays, its a good idea to cover your hair with a hat, or bandana.
As a dedicated rainbow hair wearer, my routine is simple: I shampoo my hair once every 7-10 days in cold water, with Redken Magnetics sulfate free shampoo and conditioner. I use Redken anti-snap leave in treatment to protect my hair from heat and add it adds protein for strength. Next I blow dry my hair on low heat. I finish with Redken Diamond oil for shine and added strength, and I am set to go for the next week or so.
After a few weeks of this you will notice your bright hair colour staying brighter, longer. And now that you are a veteran colour addict, you can joke with other addicts about how much cold water washes suck in the winter (actually, all the time) but you do it because it is one of the best steps you can take to fight the fade!
