What makes you feel like a queen?
For me, it’s when I am fresh from the hair salon. Stepping out of the salon with my new hair color made my hair look oh so stylish, so shiny, so beautifully colored. It was perfect! I was a queen.
However, perfect hair does not stay perfect forever. That henna color I intended to remove on my last salon visit? It looked perfect a few weeks earlier.
The truth is, it takes effort to take care of your fabulous hair. Because, that vibrant red color you have on now, could turn into the color of rust in a few weeks. That beautiful auburn shade you had could turn into a dull shade of mud in a month. That blonde shade will look brassy in a few days.
To make the most out of your perfect, just-stepped-out-of-the-salon-look, I have three
awesome tips that will make your hair color last.
Prepare Your Hair before having it colored.
I bet you have researched on stuff you should do AFTER you had your hair colored, but did you know that you need to prepare your hair BEFORE you have it colored?
Coloring your hair involves chemicals that can damage your hair. Before you have your hair colored, make sure your hair is healthy to begin with to minimize or prevent dry or damaged colored hair.
A week before you will have your hair colored, schedule a hot oil or hair spa treatment to make your locks gorgeous and healthy.
You can also check out DIY hair masks that you can buy at the local drug store. You can even use ingredients available in your cupboard like olive oil and mayonnaise.
Concentrate on the ends of your hair. The color will stay longer if your hair is healthy to begin with.
Don’t shampoo your hair after coloring it.
I know you want to shampoo really bad, but please put it off as long as you can. Yep, you heard that right. I usually hold off the shampoo for at least 2 days, that is why it makes sense to schedule your salon appointment on a Friday afternoon.
Putting off the shampoo thingie gives your hair color a chance to settle in. Have you noticed that when you wash your hair in warm water, hair dye gets off your hair as well? To avoid the hair dye from”running”, try to hold off the shampoo.
Speaking of shampoos, be on the lookout for shampoos that are labeled color-safe and sulfate-free. Sulfate is that shampoo ingredient that makes your shampoo bubble like crazy and will make your hair feel squeaky clean. It can also strip color from your hair. You definitely don’t like that to happen.
Stay away from the sun. And the swimming pool.
Have you tried swimming in the pool and ended up with hair with a weird shade? The chlorine in the pool, along with the heat from the sun can fade your hair color.
If you can’t avoid the pool, use a swimming cap. And oh, salty water and the sun could also fade your hair. Always use that beach hat if you can’t avoid the beach!
