How to Care for Color-Treated Hair

Color-treated hair, whether platinum blonde, brunette, black, red, or even blue, requires a little extra care if you want your color to last. Nothing is worse than spending a lot of money at your hair salon for the latest trending color only to have it fade after a week due to poor hair care. Believe me, I learned the hard way. As someone who has had pink, orange, black, brunette, and blonde hair, I’ve had to learn a few things about how to care for dyed hair. Here are some tips I’ve picked up over the years, as well as some from a hairstylist:

1. Wait 72 hours after coloring before shampooing.
When you color your hair, your cuticle layer is opened, allowing color to penetrate the hair shaft more easily. When you wash your hair too soon after your appointment, the cuticle layer may still be open, causing your color to be washed away. The cuticle layer takes up to three days to fully close, so the longer you wait to shampoo your hair after coloring it, the more time the color pigment has to soak into the hair cuticle, allowing your color to last longer between salon visits.

2. Use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner.

Sodium laureth sulfate, also known as sodium laureth ether sulfate, is an anionic detergent found in many personal care products. This ingredient is added to shampoos and conditioners to help them foam. By using sulfates, you risk stripping your hair of its natural oils and moisture, which can then strip your beautiful color-treated hair (which you just spent hours and dollars at the hair salon to achieve).

To prevent your hair color from fading, use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner. L’oreal has great options for all hair types, so whether you have frizzy, curly, straight, or even thin hair, there is a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner for you.

3. Colorize your conditioner
If you want to try a brighter look like pink, purple, or even blue, mix a little dye into your conditioner before washing your hair. “Using color depositing conditioners will help you keep your color vibrant at home,” said celebrity hairstylist Michael Dueas.

4. When shampooing, reduce the temperature of the water.

Hot showers may feel great to some, but they are bad for your hair color. When you wash your hair with hot water, the cuticle of your hair opens, allowing your color to wash out while shampooing and conditioning.

To avoid losing all of your color, shampoo with slightly warm water and then rinse with cold water after conditioning. Warm water allows the shampoo and conditioner to penetrate and cleanse, whereas cold water helps seal in the moisture from your conditioner while also preventing color fading by sealing the hair’s cuticle.

5. Wash your hair less frequently.
Washing your hair every day is something you should avoid if you want your hair color to last longer, especially if it is a bright color. According to Dueas, washing your hair removes not only the natural oils that moisturize and keep your hair color looking fresh, but it also removes a small amount of your hair dye. To keep your color vibrant, wash your hair every other day or even 2-3 times per week. Unless you work out a lot, you shouldn’t wash more than that, according to Dueas.

“If your color is fading quickly but your hair is oily/greasy and you need to wash it frequently, mix your shampoo with your conditioner,” Dueas advised. It will make the shampoo “less abrasive,” allowing your color to last longer.

6. Use dry shampoo on off days.

Use color-safe dry shampoos on days when you don’t wash your hair. These will revitalize your hair and make it look like you just got a blowout without the need to wash it! Color-tinted dry shampoos can also be used to refresh your color without having to visit the salon.