How to stop your new hair colour from fading

19/03/2021

Most of us have coloured our hair at some point in our lives. Whether it’s just a fancy new shade for fun or whether you’re a seasoned hair colourer that tops up those pesky greys every month. Either way, our colour always looks and feels it’s best the day we leave the salon, literally nothing beats that magnificent, uber-glossy, vibrant and luminous look of a fresh tint, a perfectly placed set of highlights or a beautifully balanced balayage and we want that look and feel to last as long as possible!!!

There’s a multitude of reasons why your hair colour can fade on you and unless you take care of your new look, your colour can end up quite literally down the drain! Franck Provost Macquarie Centre explores some of the reasons and provides some handy tips on how to prevent the disappointment of the dreaded colour fade.

Prep your hair before your colour appointment

This might sound like a strange one, but bear with us! We’ll be going over some of the things we can do to prevent colour fade after we’ve visited the salon but there are also some things we can do before our salon visit to ensure we achieve the best and longest-lasting colour results! It’s no secret that healthy hair holds onto colour better than hair that is unhealthy. Begin prepping your hair a week or 2 before your colour appointment with some deep conditioning treatments to restore moisture and strength of your hair – this will help your new colour take to your hair more evenly.

If you use lots of products in your hair try using a clarifying shampoo about a week before you visit the salon to help remove any styling product build-up – leaving a beautifully clear surface for your new colour to adhere to! We love the Kerastase Specifique Bain Divalent as it leaves the hair and scalp cleansed and purified whilst still remaining kind to sensitised ends. In the days leading up to your colour appointment give your hair 1 final wash. It’s up to you to find that perfect sweet spot where you show up to the salon with hair that is not too clean but not too dirty. Super freshly washed hair is not the ideal canvas for colour to adhere to but neither is hair that is dirty or oily.

Hair washing

The number one cause of premature colour fade is your hair washing routine. Firstly, it’s important not to shampoo your hair for a day or 2 after your hair has been freshly coloured. Let your new colour settle into its new home for a while before disturbing it with a vigorous shampoo!

Secondly, choose the right shampoo and conditioner combination. Not all shampoos and conditioners were created equally! Shampoo and conditioner formulations are targeted to specific goals – for example, volumising ingredients for limp hair or moisturising ingredients for dry hair. You’re looking for something that has a gentle formulation and is colour-safe. Ask your hairdresser to prescribe you with a shampoo and conditioner that Is perfectly suited to you and your hair to help combat colour fade.

Thirdly, even if you are using the perfect shampoo for your colour you should also consider using luke-warm water for your hair. Whilst hot showers are beautifully relaxing (especially in the colder months) warmer water encourages the cuticles on your hair to open up making it easier for the colour to come out!

Lastly is washing your hair too often. This is especially important for those of you that have chosen a vibrant colour and want to keep it that way. Try to stretch the time between your hair washing days and become best friends with a dry shampoo which is perfect in-between washes to keep your hair feeling fresh and clean.

Sunshine

If you’re a sun-lover and love spending time outdoors going for walks and frolicking in the sun you would no-doubt be accustomed to protecting your skin with an SPF. The suns UV rays are not only harmful to your skin but can do a real number on your hair colour too causing it to fade and lose its lustre. Rock a cute hat when you’re out and about so that your hair isn’t fully exposed! If you’re not really a hat kinda girl then invest in a hair product that contains UV filters like the Kerastase Soleil Crème UV Sublime Leave-in which can be applied to the mid-lengths and ends of your hair in the morning before you leave the house for all-day protection from the sun.

Heat Styling

Whilst the use of heated styling tools does not necessarily fade your colour, excessive heat styling can fry the hair cuticles, leaving it frazzled, dry, damaged and broken over time – this makes your colour look flat and dull with no vitality. Try limiting the use of heated styling aids to every other day instead of every day. When you are making use of your heated styling tools always use a heat protectant like Kerastase Chronologiste Thermique Leave-in Spray or Kerastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique Blowdry Cream to nourish your hair and act as a buffer to the heat!

Colour fade aside, if you’re a seasoned hair colourer you’ll already know that coloured hair, especially the permanent colours will naturally need recolouring every 6 weeks or so (depending on how fast your hair grows) because of the hair regrowth. Quasi- permanent colours will need similar maintenance at the 6 weekly mark because of its lifespan of around 20 washes and semi/temporary colours can be topped up as little or as often as you like!

Now with our top tips, when stepping out of the salon after spending all that time to achieve your fabulous new colour you can make it worth it by defying the colour fade. Visit the salon for more tips, tricks and advice to ensure that ‘freshly coloured feeling’ lasts!

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