The dos and don’ts of coloured hair

Whether you’ve been bleaching your hair for ALL of the years or have just dipped your toes in a casual ombre look, nothing sucks more than forking out for a fabulous new hair colour, only to find it ends up dull, brassy and is hard to manage. 

But before you start a full-blown vendetta against your hairdresser, it’s important to know that with proper care (and the right products) you can keep your colour-treated hair healthy, shiny and vibrant.

Once your new hair colour is in place, there are some crucial steps you should take to ensure optimum hair health and a long-lasting colour. Here we’ve rounded up the dos and don’ts of salon colour-treated hair.

#1 / Do indulge in at-home treatments over winter

You’re more cautious with nourishing and hydrating your skin in the winter, so why not your hair? Moisture loss and dryness are common after-effects when you colour your hair, and these escalate even more in the chillier months. Using maintenance hair treatments in between salon visits is an absolute MUST as they help rebuild the strength, structure and pretty much ‘reset’ your locks.

Tracey Cunningham, celebrity hair colourist and Olaplaex ambassador says, “Winter months are the best time to concentrate and rejuvenate the hair. You don’t have that harsh sun damage, swimming in chlorinated pools or the beating of the salty surf.” 

A weekly at-home conditioning hair mask is great way to help repair damage, lock in moisture and restore vibrancy and shine instantly. Look for a nourishing, antioxidant-rich formula specifically designed for colour-treated hair in order to target weakened and damaged strands. We recommend L’Oréal Professionel Vitamino Color A-Ox Jelly Masque.

#2 / Don’t overheat your hair 

In short, heat-based styling tools won’t do anything good to colour-treated hair. Remember that your hair is vulnerable after colouring, so using too many heat-based styling tools can wreck havoc on your freshly-dyed tresses.

If you absolutely must use heat styling on your colour-treated hair (let’s face it, sometimes a blow-dry is crucial), we recommend following two rules: do not use heat on your hair for two days after colouring, and use a thermal protectant on your hair every time you apply heat. Every. Time. 

A good hair protectant will work to absorb some of the heat to minimise damage and save your hair from frying and losing that vibrant colour. Before styling, we recommend applying a heat protectant like Kérastase Sérum Thérapiste to ensure you keep your hair in good nick.

#3 / Do use a colour-specific range

Okay, so making the leap to colour your strands at-home is big. But it doesn’t need to be disastrous. Picking a range that has not only the perfect colour (a must), but also a heap of nourishing colour-enhancing and extending products is a must. 

And we’ve got the perfect suggestion. The Clairol Colour Studio range starts with a pre-colouring treatment serum ($7.99 at Priceline) that purifies your strands to help the colour hold better. Next up, the nourishing Clairol Colour Studio Permanent Cream Colour ($24.99 at Priceline). 

Once your strands are looking fresh, extend the life of your colour (and keep your strands hydrated and nourished) with the revitalising shampoo ($13.99 at Priceline) and shine-inducing conditioner ($13.99 at Priceline). 

#4 / Don’t wash too often

Overwashing your hair will dull your colour and make it fade WAY faster. Try cutting down your hair-washing schedule to just two times a week, (although those with oily or fine hair may need to shampoo every other day to keep greasy strands at bay). It’s also a good idea to add a cool rinse at the end of your shower, because this will work to seal the cuticle, meaning the colour molecules in the hair strands are protected and won’t rinse out.

Want to discover more tricks to repair coloured hair? Here’s how to repair your hair without having it cut.

Do you have a favourite product for colour-treated hair? Let us know in the comment section below.

Main image credit: Getty