7 Unexpected Ways You're Damaging Your Hair Color (And How to Fix It)
Keeping pace with color-treated hair is a tough nut. Apart from caring for your hair’s health, you also bear the work of protecting the color’s longevity, its shine, its intensity - the whole works. And despite your best intentions, some of your day-to-day habits may be responsible for the fading of your hair color. Missing heat protectants on busy days or over-washing before date nights, these small, one-off instances may culminate into hair color fading. You need not walk on eggshells around your colored hair, but a few precautionary measures can take your hair care regimen a long way. Look out for these 7 common pitfalls and learn how to prevent hair color fading.
You're using the wrong shampoo
You see a wide array of shampoos on shelves because they each cater to different needs. In fact, shampoos take a large blame for hair color fading unless you pick out the right one. Sulfates, and other powerful cleansing ingredients can strip off your color and moisture along with dirt, leaving you with brittle fibres and hair color fading. If you’re using shampoos that aren’t color safe, your color may literally go down the shower drain. For all of these reasons, it is essential to buy a shampoo that preserves and enhances your hair color. Sulfate-free, color-care, pH balanced are some non-negotiables to spot on labels when you wish to put off color fading. You can also prevent hair color fading with a professional, amino-ions formula that seals the color, as found in the Redken Color Extend Shampoo .
You wet your hair in the shower
Yes, while it's natural to rinse your hair before shampooing you can’t get them wet every single day while you take a shower. This habit is infamous for accelerating hair color fading. If you’re a proud shower-cap owner and still see color fading, then it’s probably your water. Colored hair, and even the natural kind, must be protected from hard water. If the water isn’t filtered, the hard minerals present in it can build up in your hair. Over time, this build up can dull your shade, cause hair color fading, and even make it harder for your hair to be colored in the future. Try to keep your hair out of water’s way whenever possible. If you can’t, invest in a thoroughly nourishing and strengthening shampoo that restores your hair’s pH to give you intense conditioning and protects you from color fading. The Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate is one such color-safe genie in a bottle.
You aren't telling your stylist about at-home hair dyes
Your stylist knows when you’re cheating. So it’s best not to lie about using at-home hair color. From the change in texture, evident hair color fading, to the overall look of your strands, there are several ways that your stylist can spot a DIY. However, what they can’t tell is how often you’ve been using them to touch up your color. If you aren’t honest with them about your at-home hair coloring frequency, then your stylist doesn’t know how to adjust your new in-salon hair color formula to meet your hair’s needs. Basically, that box dye can prevent your in-salon color from looking as amazing as it should and also give way to hair color fading. Wonder why that is? Well, in order to remove the old dye, your stylist needs to know how much pigment they need to lift or remove. If they don’t have an accurate idea, your new professional hair color can be affected. So, not only is box dye a lower quality but it can also be hard to remove. This may mean that your hair needs to be further lightened than it normally would be. Excess lightening and corrective coloring on top of the damage from at-home hair color can really do a number on your strands, amping up your hair color fading problems.
You're using styling products that contain alcohol
Alcohol, even when it sits atop your hair, can be quite damaging. It can dry out your strands and lead to color fading. If you are constantly using alcohol-based products on your hair, you may notice an increase in split ends, breakage or dullness in your hair. Keep your hair color fading at bay by dodging alcohol-based hair sprays or gels and go for products that are color-safe and alcohol-free.
You skip protein treatments
Just like your body, your hair needs protein in order to be strong. For those with color-treated hair, protein treatments are essential for replenishing damage from chemical services. Damaged, dried out, and brittle hair can lead to hair color fading. Every time you color your hair, your cuticle lifts to allow the color molecules to deposit. Protein treatments go in and help strengthen the hair and allow it to repair itself after these services. Since frequent in-salon visits may not always be feasible, it’s important to inculcate protein treatments into your regular hair care regimen. If you wonder how to stop hair color fading, try using rinse-off protein sprays, such as the Redken CAT Treatment, that effectively treat your hair pre-color touch ups and keep them strengthened.
You never wear a hat
We barely think of hats while wondering how to stop hair color fading. Turns out, they do more that we give them credit for. Just like the sun stands to damage your skin if you don’t wear protection, it can damage your hair too causing color fading. Consider wearing a hat or scarves if you plan to be outdoors for a long time for some added protection to prevent color fading.
You aren't consistent with your haircare
Using a volumizing shampoo one day and a curl enhancing conditioner the next? While trying out new products is always fun, it certainly fastens your hair color fading. The differing product formulas often don’t pair well and can leave your hair in a frenzy. By constantly changing or switching up your regimen, your hair does not need the color fading protection it needs Remember, consistency is key when maintaining your hair color, so keep your trusty color-safe hair care productsaround to prolong the shade and shine. Ask your stylist to recommend the best hair care routine for maintaining your hair color. With all the essentials listed out for you, pick out the perfect Redken color-safe shampoos and nourishing conditioners and bid adieu to hair color fading. With a proper regimen in place you can change your hair game for good. Also, do check out stylist approved hair color tips, professional advice, and everything related to hair by visiting Redken India.