How to take care of coloured hair

While colouring our hair certainly makes us feel transformed, coloured hair also needs special care. Over a period of time, the optimum state of grace of any hair colour fades. Sun’s harmful UV rays, pollution, excessive styling, chemical treatments and an incorrect hair care routine for coloured hair, become even more important concerns. During this lockdown, one must take care of coloured hair to make the colour last longer. Here's a list of rules and tips one must follow during quarantine:

Always use a colour protecting shampoo and masque
Frequently coloured or highlighted hair, that is not well looked after could become dull, lose its shine, dry, porous, and eventually brittle depending on the colour process and technique used. Using a shampoo followed by a masque for colour-treated hair is an absolute essential.

Follow the 3 steps for an ideal hair care routine
Cleanse (shampoo), Care (masque), Protect (leave-in) For the 3rd step, one can use leave-in-oil with a serum like texture that offers multiple benefits. It helps in providing lightweight nourishment, protecting the colour from oxidation while providing 96 hours of frizz control.
Apply a few drops to your hair (dry or damp) everyday mid-length to end for instantly smooth, shiny, tangle free hair with a sensual fragrance.

The Don'ts

- Shampoo too often: Wash your hair less frequently. Shampooing twice a week is recommended, although those with oily roots can shampoo more frequently
- Over style: Excessive heat will strip away your hair of color and hydration and lead to dry & damaged hair. To avoid these problems while using hot tools, using a heat protectant product before blow drying or styling is a must! This will help reduce moisture loss, smoothen the cuticles of the hair, and protect from humidity.

The Dos

- Be aware of your hair’s natural porosity before committing to colour treatments, especially bleach, because it will give you a better idea of the intensity of the treatments you can use.
- Use lukewarm or cool water/ turn down water temperature: hot water can cause colour to fade sooner. Washing hair with hot water, opens your hair cuticles allowing your color to wash out sooner.
- Use a masque every time you shampoo, and keep it on for 5 minutes - till you finish your shower. A deeply nourishing masque will ensure your coloured hair looks and feels healthy. Even if you have fine hair, condition the mid-lengths & ends as they require most care.
- Deep conditioning – Apply the masque, make a bun and put on a showercap. Wash out after 5 mins. Masques act fast and go deep because of their advanced formulae
- Protect your hair from the sun: UV rays fade hair colour and dehydrate strands. With summer coming up, it’s all the more important to preserve your hair color. Otherwise, your hair colour can turn brassy or dull a lot quicker than if it were to fade naturally. Use a colour protecting leave-in and cover your hair with a scarf/hat when going out in extreme sunlight.

With inputs from Monisha Bhatia, Head of Education, Kerastase India