Whether you visited a salon for hair color services a few months ago or a few weeks ago, this guide will cover all the dos and don’ts of maintaining your hair color at home and keeping it that way longer! You might consider the following tips as common sense (which we always like to reinforce), while other hair coloring hacks may surprise you.

With proper care and the right advice (like this guide), maintaining your hair color while staying at home will be a breeze. That’s if you follow these three simple tips:

Condition, Don’t Shampoo

Whenever possible, you should use just a moisturizing conditioner rather than a shampoo when washing your hair.  Shampoo products have the power to strip more color from your hair than conditioner or any other hair product, so this hack is a must if your hair can do without a deep cleanse. This is especially useful after you haven't washed your hair for two days.

It will feel weird at first, but we guarantee that your hair will feel soft and silky if you're using the right products. Plus, you might even be shocked at how clean your hair can feel after only using conditioner. 

That said, it's important to note we don't recommend doing away with your shampoo permanently. Our stylists recommend adopting this "conditioner-only" routine every two washes — that way, you aren't stripping too much color from your hair. 

Every time you wash your color-treated hair, use a color-protecting conditioner. It helps your hair stay conditioned in between colorings and gives the bonus of making it look shinier and more radiant.

If you have fine hair and have stayed away from conditioner because you’re worried it will weigh your hair down, apply it only on the ends of any fine hair you have.

Cool Temperatures = More Color

If you are going to shampoo color-treated hair, avoid hot water temperatures. We’re not kidding; it works. If you can tolerate cooler temperatures on your scalp, this little hack will help prevent color fade. High temperatures rapidly drain hair dye, causing the color molecule to escape. 

If you can’t stand a cold shower, try taking a blast of cool water at the end of your shower instead. This will help seal the hair cuticle up before you start to pat dry your hair.

Less Washing = Longer Color

We aren’t going against hygiene directives. This hack might feel a little icky if you’re used to washing your hair every day. However, if it’s crucial to maintain your hair color, you must know that daily shampooing strips away hair color much faster. 

In the future, try using dry shampoo instead of washing your hair more than once a week. You may also wash your hair less because it’s harder to get outside and smells less bad.

Special note for redheads: Red hair color tends to fade faster than any other shade? No, we’ve got nothing against gingers. We’re simply explaining a scientific fact. It has to do with the size of the color pigment molecules. The red pigment contains comparatively large molecules, making it difficult for them to penetrate the hair fiber, thus making them more likely to wash away. 

If you are a redhead, shampoo less often, and try to wear a rubber band or a hairnet during days off to protect your color from getting wet. This is especially helpful right after getting hair color services done.

Conclusion

In short, wash with cold to lukewarm water, condition — don’t shampoo, and wash your hair less often to lock in those colorful strands after a day of hair color services. These simple tips will keep visits to the salon more intermittent so you can keep whipping your colored locks back and forth!

Book your next appointment for hair color services in Denver at The Glam House! We’ve got professional hair salon services like haircuts, hair extensions, balayage, and hair coloring! Schedule your visit on our website now!