Does your hair color fade within days after you have had it colored? You’re not alone. Most hair color fades about 20% with the first shampoo. Look at the following “reminders” to help you keep your color looking radiant and healthy everyday of the month.

Six Easy Steps

1. Shampoo First

One of the easiest ways to help the color last is to shampoo and dry your hair before you color it. This applies to whether you do yourself or have it done in the salon. I know some of you are thinking, “I can’t just rinse out the color. My hair will dry out.” Keep in mind that the only reason you shampoo your hair is to cleanse it and remove products like hair spray. The hair color product itself does not make your hair dirty, so it really doesn’t matter when you shampoo your hair to cleanse it. Your hair can be thoroughly rinsed out and simply conditioned. The color will retain the shade value and last longer, which is your ultimate goal.

2. Hair Spray

If you use hair spray, always spray it about 10 inches from your hair. Hair spray coats the hair shaft and suffocates it, leaving it dull and dry. Often women spray so close that their hair looks like pastry crust when it dries. The chemicals in the hair spray dry out the hair and lift the hair color molecules from the hair shaft. When color is being applied and the hair spray has not been removed, the color molecules can’t penetrate into the hair shaft, causing uneven deposits of color. Use hair spray and other high-volume alcohol hair products sparingly. Make it a habit of rinsing your hair every day with warn water because this will help to remove the daily build-up. It is not necessary to use shampoo each time.

3. Hot Appliances

My heart often stops when I watch women using hot appliances to either curl or straighten their hair. When the hot smoke comes up off the hair when it is being blown dry, for example, I am compelled to step in and ask them to turn down the heat. These small appliances can do more damage to color-treated hair than any anything else can. Generally, when hair is broken off or frazzled on the hair shaft, you can almost be sure the hair dryer or flat iron was too hot. Often stylists are more concerned with the outcome of the style rather than the length of time the color will last, so you must remind them. Simply say, “Please don’t use such a hot iron on my freshly color-treated hair.”

4. Regular Appointments

Hair color starts to oxidize with time. After you shampoo your hair the oxidation becomes apparent as your hair begins to fade, most predominately on the ends. If your hair is in poor condition, it will lose the color much faster than hair that is in good condition. Even though there isn’t anything permanent about hair color, the color will last much better if you schedule your appointments one month apart.

5. In Between Color

Here is an easy way to keep your hair color beautiful all month long. Using semi-permanent colorants will allow your hair color to last longer than any other in-between color product. This product comes in the same shades as your permanent hair color.

6. Dead Ends

It’s important to keep your “dead ends” cut or at least trimmed. This will help the ends from looking so faded. The whole hair shaft is dead once it grows from the scalp. By the time it reaches 4 to 8 inches, it is generally drier than the mid-hair shaft and needs to be trimmed off. You will often see women with flat color on the ends of their hair because their hair was not prepared properly when it was colored. Therefore, the color from this area is the first to slip down the drain with the shampoo. This can also be corrected with Semi-Permanent colorant.

Last Word

Good hair color takes work. If you want beautiful hair color you must make a commitment. Keep your hair appointments and have treatments in the salon or do them yourself at home. You will be glad you did, and you will notice a big change in your hair color.