Tips to keep hair color from fading

Hair Care Tips

Great news! 70% of women in the U.S. color their hair so chances are you might want to add a few of these tips into your hair routine to help protect your hair color and keep your hair looking lovely. The Artists at Nicole Fae Salon have a few suggestions to keep your color-treated hair looking vibrant and beautiful.

Well-Conditioned Hair = Long Lasting Hair Color

Hair color can prevent your hair to absorb and release moisture as normally would because it makes your hair more  porous. This means that every time you wash your hair or wet your hair you will loose more and more color molecules. Check out our tips to help keep your hair moisturized and in the best possible condition. 

1. Only use professional stylists who use professional color lines.

Do your research. It only takes a few mins to search their website or give them a call to ask a few questions before your first visit. Ammonia-free hair color is a great professional option that treats hair with TLC. But hair color with natural oils will help retain that moisture. 

At Nicole Fae Salon we use Pravana. Infused with hydrolyzed silk amino acids, acting as “color carriers,” to deliver color deep into the hair’s interior, providing long-lasting, vibrant color. Natural keratin protein protects hair during processing and leaves reflective shine. Superior dye and protective protein system guarantees the greatest gray coverage.

2. Remember: Red dye fades the quickest

Red hair colors are the largest molecules.  The molecule size makes it more difficult for red dyes to penetrate deeply into the hair, which is the reason it fades so quickly.  If you like a red hue be sure to have your stylist use hair color that maximizes high-definition color results with minimum stress to the hair’s cuticle. ColorLush delivers color through new nurturing technology found in its proprietary Omega-9 Oil Delivery Complex that gently opens the cuticle without the stress to the hair or the odor associated with ammonia or the residual effects of MEA. As the Omega-9 Oil Delivery Complex embeds color, it simultaneously infuses the hair with nourishing Omega-9 (found in Avocado, Grapeseed and Olive Oils).

3. Invest in a Dry Shampoo

Use a dry shampoo.  To prevent water from washing away your vibrant color, the answer is simple: try to wash your hair less often. I know that it sounds painful, but when you have a great dry shampoo, you will find yourself washing your hair 1 or 2 times a week. Retaining those natural oils will also keep your color treated hair conditioned. We love the Amika Dry Shampoo because of all the benefits that it offers. Grgeat for dark hair colors, dry skin, and it removes oders so if you like to work out, its a great after workout hair freshener. 

4. Wait 2 Days Before You Shampoo for the first time

When you color your hair, wait at least 48 hours to shampoo, preferably longer. If you can go three or four days before shampooing, even better. This will give the color plenty of time to set.

5. Keep Your Hair Dry in the Shower

On days where you are not shampooing your hair, wear a shower cap. Every time you get your hair wet, a little ore of your color will fade. Heres some cute ones on Amazon!

6. Rinse with cool water

When you shampoo, stick to lukewarm or cooler water temperatures. Super-hot water will open the hair's cuticle and the dye molecules will fall out and cause your hair to fade quicker. 

eeches dye out of hair faster and strips the color because it opens the surface of the hair strand, which causes the dye molecules to escape.

7. Skip the shampoo & try using conditioner Only on Color-Treated Hair Sometimes

If you can, consider using moisturizing conditioner only on your color-treated hair. Shampoo can take more color from your hair more than conditioner.

8. Condition Every Time You Shampoo Color-Treated Hair

Even if you have fine hair, condition the tips.  These are the oldest hairs and have the most damage. Start mid-shaft and work down to the ends. Be sure to condition your color-treated hair every time with a color-protecting conditioner. Conditioned hair will help your color look shinier and more even.

9. Product Matters

Salon-grade products formulated for colored hair. Color-protecting shampoos and conditioners can help protect the color and add shine, volume and luster. Salon-grade products designed for color treated hair is typically sulfate free. Sulfates can strip color from hair, so look for a sulfate-free shampoo.  Sulfates contain salt, which strip away moisture, and moisture loss is one of the main causes of color fading.

*Avoid clarifying shampoos after you get your color as they can strip hair color because contain a high level of detergent in order to deep cleanse and remove build-up of dirt and hairstyling products.

 Using a leave-in conditioning treatment can help detangle your hair and protect it from heat tools, the elements and other damaging forces. Look for leave-in conditioners that are specially formulated to protect color-treated hair. This is particularly important if you frequently use blow dryers, curling or straightening irons or if you spend a lot of time near a heater or in the sun.

10. Prep before your next color appointment

A couple of weeks before your next hair color treatment, use a mask or deep-conditioning treatments so your hair is strong and ready to receive color. Then shampoo with a clarifying shampoo just before your appointment.

11. Use Products With UV Protection

The sun’s rays can fade hair color. Try to avoid long exposures to the sun, but when you are outside on a bright day, care for your color-treated hair by using products containing UV protectors. Many styling products, leave-in conditioners and hairsprays have SPF in them. Some UV-protecting products even contain a mix of vitamins to help restore color-treated hair and prevent future damage. If you know you’ll be outside in the sun for an extended period of time, wear a hat to provide extra protection. During the summer when the sun’s rays are at their most harmful levels, spritz on a moisturizing spray with an SPF factor of 10 to 15 throughout the day to protect your colored locks.

12. Avoid Chlorine on Color-Treated Hair

If you spend much time in a swimming pool, wet your dyed hair and apply a protective leave-in conditioner before you get wet to help prevent the chlorine from damaging your color, because the chemicals in chlorine can build up and cause haircolor—especially lighter colors--to shift to an unattractive green hue. Or, wear a swim cap to keep your hair dry.

13. Don’t Double-Process Color-Treated Hair

Again, don’t overdo the chemicals on your hair. If you color, try to avoid simultaneous perming or relaxing. If you want to do both, stagger the treatments, and be sure to ask your stylist for low-ammonia, botanical formulas that condition the hair while processing.

14. If Your Hair is Damaged, Don’t Skip Regular Trims

– If your dyed locks are frizzy, your hair may be damaged. The best way to keep your color-treated hair looking its healthiest is to get regular cuts or trims. You don’t have to get a super short cut; just enough to keep frayed ends at bay.