7 Top Tips to Prevent Coloured Hair from Fading

Coloured hair can completely transform your look, so it’s worth keeping it looking its best. Read our easy tips to keep your colour looking brighter for longer.

1. After colouring your hair, wait 72 hours before shampooing

Hair dye works by opening the cuticle layer of your hair and penetrating the hair shaft. Once this has happened, it can take up to 3 days for the cuticle to close again. If you wash during this time, a lot of your hard work and money could be going straight down the drain, literally! The longer you can wait between colouring your hair and that first shampoo, the better.

2. Use products specially formulated for coloured hair

Not all hair products are the same. If you dye your hair, it’s important to use hair products that are made to be used on coloured hair. Most products will clearly state if it is for coloured hair, but as long as it is sulphate free, your coloured hair will thank you.

3. Use a deep conditioner

If your hair is healthy it will hold onto your colour for longer. A deep conditioner is the perfect product to repair dry, damaged hair. Just make sure it is a deep conditioner specially formulated for coloured hair!

4. Wash your hair less

Every time you wash your hair, you wash away a little bit of your hair colour. If you are washing your hair every day, this means your hair colour will fade more quickly than if you washed your hair every other day, or even 2-3 times a week. The longer you can leave between each wash will help your hair colour hold on for longer.

5. Heat protect

To keep your hair colour looking vibrant for longer, you need to protect it from heat. Showering in super-hot water may be relaxing, but it is probably leaving your hair looking dull and dry. Wash and rinse your hair in lukewarm water. If you use heat to style your hair, use a heat protectant spray. Heat will strip away your colour and damage your hair. Heat protectant sprays will help to reduce moisture loss, smooth the outside of the hair, and protect your hair from humidity after styling which, will help maintain your colour. If possible, opt to air dry your hair.

6. Avoid chlorine

Chlorine is a natural bleach that will clean the pool but strip the colour from your hair. Blonde hair is particularly susceptible to turning a greenish tint after coming into contact with chlorine, but it will still cause darker shade to become dry and dull. If you want to go swimming, try using a swimmers cap.

TOP TIP: It sounds a little crazy, but ketchup can neutralise the greenish tint in blonde hair that has been affected by chlorine.

7. Keep up with trims

Freshly cut hair will ensure that colour looks even from root to tip. Dead ends won’t hold your colour and will fade even faster than the rest of your hair, so make sure to get a trim every 6-8 weeks to keep your colour looking fresh.