To quote Elle Woods, “The rules of haircare are simple and finite.”
Everyone’s hair is different, but follow our suggested steps, and your color will last as long as it can until it’s time for your next appointment!
1. Wash with cold water
This is ESPECIALLY important if you have red hair, pink hair, or any other vivid colors. This doesn’t necessarily mean cold showers- lots of folks at Wheelhouse will take a normal shower with a cap on, then lean over, change the temperature, and wash their hair in as cold of water as they can stand at the end.
Why is this important? When your hair is exposed to heat and water, the cuticle where your color is locked in opens. This lets the color in your hair slip out. When the water is cold, the cuticle stays closed. This doesn’t stop your color from leaking out over time, but it absolutely keeps your color inside longer.
A note about vivids:
Red and pink have a very small molecule size, so they slip through the cuticle even quicker than say a blue or yellow would. This is why red, and any colors with red in them, like pink, fade faster than any other color. Vivid colors sit on top of the exterior of the hair, so they fade VERY fast in comparison to permanent color. They aren’t inside the cuticle at all!
2. Don’t let your hair drip dry. Get it as dry as possible to airdry, or blowdry right away!
When the hair is wet and dripping, your color is dripping out with it. This is why folks with vivids may see splotches of color on their pillow or bedsheets when they go to bed with wet hair. Get it as dry as possible, as fast as possible- just don’t forget to use heat protectant!
We recommend keeping face products or cleansers out of your hairline as well. This is often responsible for color fading faster just around the face.
2. Stay out of sea, lake, pool, and the sun
These environments are haircolor kryptonite. This is why we often recommend that you get your hair colored AFTER a beach trip, not before. These things cause fast fading, and in the case of vivid color, may take out your color completely. The sun will fade your hair just like it would anything else (think about a piece of fabric
Saltwater and chlorine are known to damage the cuticle, leaving your locks dull and frizzy. Plus, as we know from above, the longer your hair is wet, the longer the color has to drip out.
Now, is following this always possible? Nah – especially in the summer. Don’t miss out on fun just because of your haircolor! Here’s what we recommend to help:
- Use hair products that contain UV protection. We highly recommend Oribe products because every product in their line has UV protection, but you should use anything that fits into your budget and lifestyle! If you are prone to burning, apply sunscreen to your part (This never hurts- put it everywhere else too!)
- Wear a hat. The best way to keep your hair from fading is to keep it out of the sun.
- Apply a leave-in conditioner before swimming to act as a barrier, and reapply throughout the day.
- Be sure to rinse your hair right when you get out of the water to get any chemicals (especially chlorine) out of your hair. This is a great tip for anywhere you go swimming! Use a moisturizing mask after to replenish moisture- especially if you’ve been at the beach where there is a lot of drying salt.
3. Use Professional Products (or at least color safe ones!)
We recommend professional products to protect the color investment you’ve made in your hair. Always use products labeled as color safe, and if they are silicone free, even better. The most reliable way to get high quality products is to talk to your stylist about what would be right for you. Whether those products are at Wheelhouse or elsewhere, the most important thing is that you have haircare within your budget that fits your lifestyle to keep your hair as vibrant as possible for as long as possible!
Got any questions for us?
Email at wheelhousesalon@gmail.com and just Ask Wheelhouse!
