How to Maintain Colored Hair at Home: 7 Tips

Changing your hair color can be daunting, especially if you’re worried about the aftercare it needs, such as color maintenance and hair care routine. Most hair color enthusiasts would agree that knowing how to maintain colored hair’s vibrance is one of the most tedious processes in DIY hair color. Here is a list of a few reasons why hair color fades

• Washing your hair too often

• Using a regular shampoo

• Washing with hot water

• Not using a heat protectant

• Hair styling every day

• Using alcohol-based product

All these factors add up to why it’s very important to spend time researching how to take care of colored hair. Luckily, proper maintenance won’t cost you much time and money, as most of the habits and tips you must follow can all be made at home. You can easily learn how to maintain that beautiful, newly-colored hair with the tips below—at your convenience! 

How to Take Care of Colored Hair at Home

If you prefer coloring or bleaching hair at home, you should know that taking care of it should be just much of a priority as choosing the “perfect color.” Make sure you use the right products and follow expert tips for taking care of your new ‘do. 

1. Wait for three days before shampooing

Your cuticle layer is loosened during hair dyeing, making it simpler for color to permeate the hair shaft. The cuticle layer may still be exposed if you wash your hair too soon after your session and could cause your color to wash out the drain.

The longer you wait to wash your hair after coloring, the more time the color pigment will have to seep into your hair cuticle, extending the period between salon appointments. The cuticle layer takes up to three days to close completely. 

2. Use a color-safe shampoo

Sulfate and salt-containing shampoos and conditioners frequently damage your colored hair.

Formulas for clearing hair are another no-no for colored hair. Any shampoo or scalp treatment with the words “clarify” or “detox” should be avoided because they can remove color.

Colored hair owners should be especially wary of products that claim to add volume as the volume these goods refer to frequently results from the cuticle being opened, which fades the color. This advice also applies to shampoos and styling aids. The best is always sulfate-free. 

L’Oreal’s Ever Pure Anti-Brass Toning Purple Shampoo is 100% sulfate-free and offers anti-brass Purple Technology that eliminates any copper tones, neutralizing hair effectively. This shampoo has proven results for lightened, highlighted, and even those with ash hair color.

3. Opt for the right conditioner

You won’t achieve the outcomes you desire if you don’t use a conditioner made specifically for colored hair. Use a color-protecting conditioner because colored hair has a different chemistry than its virgin counterparts. Purple conditioners, like their shampoo counterparts, prevent fading. It forms a shield on hair that has undergone color treatment, such as those who did DIY hair bleach.

L’Oreal’s Ever Pure Anti-Brass Toning Purple Conditioner is a specialized conditioner that’s 100% sulfate-free, making it perfect for color-treated hair. 

4. Wash your hair less frequently

Wash your hair less frequently to prevent the water from erasing your brilliant color. Shampoo only twice or three times a week, and never more than every other day, to preserve the natural oils that help condition your color-treated hair. This will extend the life of your color and keep the health of your colored hair. 

5. Avoid heat

While hair highlights look amazing curled, heat will harm it by removing the color and hydration. Use a heat protectant spray before blow drying or styling to help avoid these issues while using hot tools. These will smooth the outside of your hair, prevent humidity damage, and help keep your color by reducing moisture loss from the inside of the hair. Experts also advise starting any styling tools on the lowest setting. 

6. Keep your hair dry in the shower

Wear a shower cap, or make sure to tie your hair up to prevent your color-treated hair from becoming wet on days you don’t wash it since this can cause some color to fade. Avoid long showers or humidity as these can also fade hair color. You can use anti-humidity serums to protect your hair, especially during the rainy seasons.

7. Always condition your hair after every shampoo

Make sure to condition your colored hair with a color-protecting conditioner after each shampooing. Your color will appear shinier and more even if your hair is conditioned. Even if you have fine hair, condition the ends as they are the oldest and most damaged strands. A tip is to work your way down to the ends, starting at your ears.

Brass Be Gone

From products to hair care tips, knowing how to care for colored hair is something all hair color enthusiasts should know. Coloring your hair and maintaining it can only be achieved using the right hair color and hair care products.

People bleach their hair as a pre-step to recolor to achieve the best and most vibrant results. However, there’s a common fear of damage from bleaching; good thing that L’Oreal has the solution. Their Bleach Supreme has up to 8x tone lift with damage protection, ensuring you achieve the intense hair color you want.