Booking an appointment for a dye job touch-up isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do these days, with many salons still closed or open with plenty of restrictions. Even if your neighborhood salon has since reopened, the safety of visiting these locations is still up in the air, especially if you’re immunocompromised.
The best option is to either do your own hair at home and try to maintain color-treated hair for as long as possible. While it’s not necessarily a crisis of the highest degree, it’s still quite inconvenient for most people, particularly those that still have to look their best for corporate Zoom meetings.
If you want to keep your color-treated hair from fading and preserve it for as long as you can — preferably until you can safely return to the salon — here are some actionable tips on how to do just that.
Invest in a shower filter and water softener
Showering in hard water can strip hair of moisture and natural oils and prevent it from retaining color treatments. This is because hard water is full of mineral deposits like copper, calcium, and magnesium, which sticks to the hair, creating a thin film that essentially weighs it down. You can eliminate hard water by installing a shower filter on your shower head and a high-quality water softener near your pressure tank.
Avoid washing your hair every day
Frequent hair washing can wash away your vibrant hair color. If possible, avoid washing your hair every day. Unless you sweat a lot, have very fine hair or an oily scalp, or live in a very hot and humid area, you don’t really need to wash your hair daily anyway since spacing out your wash days helps the scalp retain its natural oils and moisture. Doctors recommend washing at least every other day or every 2 to 3 days, depending on the texture of your hair and condition of your scalp.
Stay away from the heat
Dyed hair is more vulnerable to damage, so it’s important that you steer clear of hair straighteners, blow dryers, and curling irons whenever you can. Instead of blow-drying your hair, wrap it in a towel for a few minutes after you come out of the shower then let it air dry. You can even add a few spritzes of a texture spray and sit in front of an electric fan to give your hair some volume and speed up the drying process. If you have to use a heat styling tool, then make sure you apply a good amount of heat protectant on your hair before doing so.
Protect your hair from UV rays
Your hair and scalp need to be protected from the sun’s harmful UV rays just as much as your skin does. Staying under direct sunlight for too long can fade hair color and damage the scalp. So, before heading out on a sunny day, don’t forget to put on a large hat, and spray on hair products that have UV protectors in them and an SPF of at least 15+. You should also try to limit your exposure to the sun as much as possible.
Opt for a color that’s closer to your natural one
If you’re prepared to put in the work when it comes to maintaining pastel hair colors on your own, then by all means, go for it. However, if you want a hassle-free dye job that doesn’t need constant touch-ups, then opt for a hair color that’s closer to your natural one. At least two to four shades lighter or darker than your natural color is optimal, just so that your roots don’t show too much.
Dye your hair with temporary hair color
There are some DIY touch-up kits you can easily buy at any drugstore that gives you everything you need to successfully hide any overgrown roots. If you need an overall hair color solution, then go for temporary box-dye hair color. These usually have a milder formula than salon-quality dyes, so you won’t risk damaging your hair or scalp. Since it’s temporary, you also won’t have to worry about messing up, since it’ll eventually wash away over time. You can even put some of it in your conditioner so that you can lightly re-dye your hair each time you wash it.
Shower with lukewarm or cold water
Hot water can fade hair dye really quickly. It’s much better to shower with lukewarm or cold water instead. Not only is it better for your hair color; it’s also better for your skin. You can still take a hot shower every once in a while if you’ve got aching muscles that need soothing, but just be sure to put your hair up in a shower cap before doing so.
Keep your hair color around for longer, at least until it’s much safer to pay your hairdresser a visit again, with these practical hair color care tips.
Meta title: Maintaining Color-Treated Hair
meta desc: Booking an appointment for a dye job touch-up isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do these days, with many salons still closed or open with plenty of restrictions. The best option is to either do your own hair or maintain color-treated hair for as long as possible. Here’s how to do just that.