Top 5 Tips for Protecting Colour Treated Hair

For us colour junkies, we know the damage we’re doing, but we’ll do just about anything to get that perfect shade. The bad news? Damage is dullness, which is why it’s so important to try to protect hair from further damage, and restore the healthy appearance that was lost by colouring in the first place. Hair is naturally transparent, which is what allows the core colour to shine through. Unfortunately, damage done by colouring clouds this “window,” making your hair colour appear less vibrant. Check out our survival guide for protecting colour-treated hair from further damage.

1. Unleash the power of your conditioner: instead of shampooing and conditioning at the end of your shower, do it at the beginning and leave the conditioner in for the duration of your shower to help improve hair texture and protect colour-treated hair. A deep conditioning hair mask once a week won’t hurt either!

2. Try an overnight hair mask: using a leave-in treatment while you sleep will smooth rough cuticles to help repair some of the damage done by colouring. Plus, waking up with deeply conditioned hair that smells awesome is pretty much the best thing ever.

3. Take a break from the heat: instead of busting out the hairdryer, curling tongs, and straighteners daily, consider taking a day or two off. Try an air-dried look, or an awesome up-do like the timeless topknot or a loose braid. Pro tip: no hairdryer necessary – the messier these up-dos look, the better!

4. Take a cool shower: hot water is the enemy of colour. Rinsing with super hot water can make the colour fade faster. Try sticking with cooler water and using only enough water to rinse out the shampoo and conditioner to help your colour last longer

5. Guard against heat damage: If you must blow dry (it’s Friday night, of course we have to blow dry) always use a heat protecting spray. A heat protectant will help keep your strands from getting fried while adding some conditioning into the mix to enhance shine and manageability.