How to Maintain Your Hair Colour Between Salon Visits

Nothing beats that salon-fresh shine, and the way that a refreshed and renewed colour catches the light and frames your face to perfection. It doesn’t matter what colour you go for, whether you opt for highlights or lowlights, or whether you decide it’s time to try something new – a trip to the salon will always leave you feeling lighter (and not just because a hair trim removes some of the weight from your shoulders!)

But while we love seeing our clients on a regular basis, and always believe that a little salon TLC is the answer to many everyday problems and upsets, we also recognise the need for clients to be able to maintain their colour and nurture their hair at home.

So, we’ve created a quick-fire guide to colour care and maintenance between salon visits, so that you can head out and about, feeling your very best, for weeks and even months after each treatment.

Why it’s so important to care for and maintain your hair colour between appointments

While hair salons and hairdressers can absolutely work magic on even the dullest and most damaged hair, by far the most successful treatments are achieved on hair which has been well kept and well cared for at home.

When you head to the salon with dry hair which depicts a lack of care and attention, it truly shows. In these instances, hairdressers spend half of the appointment time reviving your hair – with hair colouring, highlights and lowlights all dulled by the underlying poor health of the hair.

In short, hair which is hydrated holds colour better and presents a clean, smooth finish immediately after colouring – and in the weeks and months that follows. Hair which is parched and neglected will look much drier and more damaged after colouring.

Which is where this blog post comes in. Here are our tips on maintaining your hair’s colour (and health) between appointments, starting with the timeline and what your hair needs at different stages of the haircare process.

Know what your hair needs, when!

The best time to focus on hydrating your hair and maintaining its fresh colour shine is in the first couple of weeks, when the colour is at its most vibrant and vivid. Focussing on shampoo and conditioning products which are designed to moisturise hair will help to ensure that your colour lasts as long as possible.

Why? Because dry and dehydrated hair is notorious for losing its colour more quickly, with dye finding it hard to stick in hair which has been neglected or left to dry out.

As part of your hair colour routine, we recommend focussing on the following timeline:

• First two weeks, focus on nurturing your colour with hair masks and deep treatments
• From two weeks on, use specific coloured shampoos and conditioners to hold onto colour as the dye starts to fade
• Once the colour is starting to fade, book your next colour appointment

Don’t over-wash your hair

This is such an important pointer when it comes to hair care and really maximising the health of your hair – and it doesn’t just apply to those with a fresh colour! Over-washing your hair not only causes the colour to wash out more quickly and fade, but it strips your hair of natural oils and renders it much drier for the next treatment and colour appointment you have.

Get the right balance of washing your hair but also ensuring that you allow the natural oils to work their magic – with nourishing hair masks every so often to inject a little extra hydration.

Manage (and minimise) heat styling

Heat styling causes damage to hair, increases the chance of it drying out, and fades any added colour to your hair more quickly.

Minimising your hair’s exposure to heat is one of the best ways of locking in moisture and ensuring that the colour remains steadfast in each strand.

Keep on top of haircare with regular appointments

Finally, when your colour starts to fade and you feel like your go-to style has been compromised, it’s time to book a refresh! Our experts can advise on how regularly to have your hair coloured and will be able to offer advice on how to maximise the retention and maintenance of colour in your hair with a tailored plan.