Whether you’re new to colour or can’t remember your natural shade, without a proper regimen colour treatments can cause a lot of unwanted (and, for the most part, preventable) damage to your hair. We’ve put together some tips on how to keep your hair healthy so you can enjoy that fresh colour feeling for as long as possible.
Permanent colour treatment traditionally involves an oxidation process that alters the colour at the core of the hair. Ammonia, or alkaline agents, open up the hair scales so colourants can penetrate the hair whilst oxygenated water, or hydrogen peroxide, dissolve natural pigments in our hair to allow the colouring pigments to latch on.
For those of you with cold feet, semi-permanent and non-bleach alternatives work in a slightly different way to bring about your desired colour. Temporary dyes deposit colour on top of your hair without opening the hair shaft making it a less aggressive but shorter-lived treatment (around six weeks if you’re lucky) in comparison to permanent dyes. For darker shades, non-bleaching or ammonia-free products can be milder on our strands but offer a limited colour range.
If you’re anything like us, curating a routine to care for your colour-treated hair every so often is a welcome moment all to yourself. Diversifying your everyday routine once in a while by incorporating a hair treatment once a month, or more frequently if you have the means, could make all the difference to the health of your colour treated hair.
K18 Biomimetic Hairscience offers products that target the damaged keratin chains that make up the building blocks of our hair. If you think of hair as a ladder, products that fix the keratin chain - like the K18 product range - target the long sides.
For bond building treatments that fix the bars between the ladder, salon favourites Olaplex No 0 Bond Builder and Olaplex No 3 Hair Perfector are tried and tested options for repairing those broken disulphide bonds that lead to less than healthy hair.
Moisturising also goes hand in hand with the hair treatment you decide to go for. Colouring your hair will dry it out so, if you don't already, try incorporating products with superior conditioning agents and slip! Why not try some SLIQ faves like Joico Moisture Recovery Treatment Balm or Redken All Soft Range.
We've also had our eye on newcomers, Amika The Kure Bond Repair Conditioner and Color Wow Dream Cocktail - Kale Infused, so stay tuned for a review!
Now you have the do’s, let’s go over some don'ts for your newly dyed locs. Avoiding frequent use of harsh stripping shampoos can save your hair from excess dryness.
Watch out for shampoos formulated with sulphates/sulfonates (SLS or SLES) and opt for nourishing shampoos with surfactants like Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide MEA, Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate - we like to call them the ‘cocos’ - instead. Pureology Hydrate Shampoo or Olaplex No 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo are perfect products to start with if you find your current shampoo doesn't make the cut.
Limited heat styling on your hair is always advised if you’re trying to maintain healthy curls. If you must, make sure to apply a thermal heat protectant beforehand. For a simple blow dry, Bumble and Bumble Straight Blow Dry Balm offers ease to the at-home DIY stylist while Chi Silk Infusion and Tresemme Care and Protect Heat Defence Spray are perfect for a sleek straightened look.
Additionally, one of the greatest enemies to long lasting bold colour are UV rays which can bleach artificial pigments and break down the chemical bonds present in hair dyes. Protect your hair from excessive direct exposure to the sun by wearing a hat or incorporating products that act as a shield to UVA and UVB rays like Sachajuan Hair in the Sun.
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