What’s the best way of looking after coloured hair?

A good colour job can transform hair, giving it shine, making it fuller and giving your whole look a “lift”.

However, as pigment fades, your hair can easily look lacklustre. So what are the best ways of looking after coloured hair?

There’s a few pointers from the wonderful StyleCraze on how to look after coloured hair.

Wait Before You Shampoo

Once you’ve colored your hair, try to wait at least 2 days before you wash your hair again. This will help the colour set in well and will minimise color bleeding. It would also help to oil your hair before you wash it as the oil will form a protective layer around your hair shaft, minimising fading.

Chop Off The Damage

It is always a good idea to trim your hair right after it has been through any kind of processing. Damage after colouring your hair is inevitable, and trimming off the ends keeps this damage from spreading. If you are transitioning from a dark brunette to a platinum blonde, be prepared to shear off a considerable amount of length.

Get The Right Products

Freshly colored hair is vulnerable to damage and bleeding. To ensure that the colour lasts for longer and that your hair stays healthy, it is crucial to invest in some good colour-protecting products. Colour-protecting shampoos and conditioners from a protective layer over the hair shaft, which keeps the colour from bleeding. While most colour-protecting shampoos work for warm-toned shades, go for a colour protecting, sulfate-free shampoo if you’ve opted for a cooler-toned shade. Sulfate-free shampoos are always a good option because they do not strip away the natural oils from your hair and also do not leave deposits, altering your hair colour.

Cut Down Your Washes

Colour bleeds when you wash your hair often so one of the best ways to make it last longer is to cut down on your washes. If you wash your hair 3-4 times a week, try cutting it down to 2-3 times. Not only will this help make the colour last but also preserve the natural oils produced by your scalp that nourish your hair.

Rinse With Cool Water

Washing your hair with hot water causes the cuticles on the outer layer of your hair shaft to rise. This leads to moisture loss and frizz. It also makes your hair more susceptible to damage. An effective way to avoid this is to always rinse your hair with cool water. Cool water seals your cuticles, controlling frizz and sealing the colour in your hair shaft. If you cannot handle a cold shower, rinse your hair with some cool water after a lukewarm shower.

In and amongst all that, choose a good shampoo, like La Biosthetique Shampoo Vital Protection Couleur – Silkening Shampoo.

Protection Couleur Vital colour protection shampoo gently cleanses stressed coloured hair, protects it from colour and moisture loss and powerful active ingredients restore softness and lively, shiny colour to the hair. The hair is protected against fading.

Evenly distribute Shampoo Vital Protection Couleur into hair and on the scalp. Lather with a little water, lightly massage the scalp and carefully knead the hair with the fingers. Then rinse thoroughly with water.

Ingredients:

• Sunflower extract: strengthens the resistance.
• Basic surfactant on the basis of coconut oil: gently cleanses.
• Panthenol: provides volume and shine.