5 Effective Tips To Make Your Hair Color Last For Long Time

When you color your hair (either at a salon or in the privacy of your own home), you always look and feel your most fabulous when the hair color is fresh and recently applied. But that wonderful feeling rapidly starts to fade, just as quickly as your hair color begins to lose its vibrancy. That once rich, multi-tonal hair color that you first loved is now starting to look faded, less lustrous, increasingly more washed-out. If this sounds like a problem you’ve dealt with, fortunately, there are ways to make hair color last longer. Featured here are 5 beauty tips to teach you how to retain hair color longer, making your locks look shiny, healthy, and as beautiful as the day you color-treated your hair.

- Immediately after applying hair color (regardless if it’s a semi-permanent or permanent hair color), wait at least 2 to 3 days before you wash your hair. This helps the hair color bind to the shaft of your hair, which will help the hair color last longer. If the top part of your hair start to look a bit greasy during this time period, simply spray a dry shampoo on the roots, which helps soak up the natural oils and gives your hair a more voluminous look.

- When you do wash your hair, start by applying a pre-shampoo treatment that is designed to repel water from your strands (which pulls the hair color out over time). As an example, the Nexxus Color Assure Pre-Wash Primer acts as a pre-treatment to shield hair in the shower. It works by repelling water, to help your hair color last longer and look richer as weeks go by. This type of hair care product can help improve the overall health and condition of your hair by adding back moisture, softness, and shine.

- Make sure that you use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner that are designed specifically for color-treated hair. Sulfates (which are detergents) can be very drying and damaging to the hair, leading to breakage, dryness, and dullness. Cleansing conditioners (like Wen) and sulfate-free formulas (such as Living Proof Shampoo) not only clean your hair, they help add back necessary moisture, boosting shine, suppleness, and manageability.
- After you wash your hair, before blow-drying or styling, always apply a UV-protectant to your hair. The sun’s damaging rays are harmful for both your skin and hair, and quickly lead to fading, dryness, and dullness.