Hair Colour Aftercare Advice

Prolong your hair colour and keep the hair healthy post colouring services.

You’ve just left the salon, and your hair is fresh, glossy, and gorgeous. But how can you make this feeling last? In this article, we’ll explore all the ways to keep your hair and colour looking its best between salon visits.

Aftercare Products

Various factors can affect the longevity of your hair colour, one of the most important being the aftercare products you use. By this, we mean shampoos, conditioners, and styling products. Choosing the right products that enhance your colour, rather than those that strip and dry your hair, is crucial. Avoid products containing sulphates, and look for ones formulated specifically for colour protection.

The Oway Colour Protection line allows the hair’s cuticle to hold colour pigments inside, helping to prolong the duration of your colour while also protecting it. It also contains additional ingredients to intensify your hair colour.

Heat

Heat is extremely damaging to both hair and hair colour, and it is one of the major causes of colour fade. This includes both environmental heat and heat from hair tools. Wearing a hat and using proper sun protection while outdoors, as well as thermal protection during heat styling, will help prolong the vibrancy and depth of your hair colour, while also protecting the condition of your hair.

All Oway products contain a level of heat protection, but there are specific products with higher UVA, UVB, and thermal protection. The Oway Sunway range provides protection and nourishment for the hair, as well as UV protection. The range is formulated for hair that has been exposed to sun, sea, and chlorine (more on chlorine next).

Oway Thermo-Detangling Cloud offers high thermal protection while also nourishing the hair, making it ideal for use with heat tools. Use it after washing to help detangle, tame, and protect the hair.

Chlorine

Now, onto chlorine. Chlorine is extremely stripping and not only removes hair colour but also the natural oils from your hair and scalp, leaving it brittle and dry. The best advice is to avoid chlorine altogether, but that isn’t always easy. If you’re a keen swimmer, hot tub, or pool lover, there are still steps you can take. Thoroughly rinse your hair before chlorine exposure and apply a conditioner for protection. You can also wear a swimming cap over your conditioned hair. After chlorine exposure, give your hair a thorough cleanse to remove any residue, followed by a deep, nourishing mask. The Oway After-Sun Hair Mask revitalises the hair by adding shine, restoring the lipid balance, and sealing the cuticles.

Vivid Colours

What if the hair colour you’ve chosen is super bright, vivid, or possibly a red? All the same aftercare applies, but unfortunately, due to the size of the colour molecule (it’s larger, so it can’t penetrate the hair as deeply), these colours are more prone to fading faster. Aftercare is important for everyone, but even more so with vivid colours and reds/coppers. It’s a hair colour that will need to be refreshed more frequently, especially during the first few appointments, as it takes time for the colour to fully lock under the cuticle.

Further recommendations

Some other easy and simple tips to prolong your fresh hair colour include using cooler water when washing. This helps keep the cuticle sealed, preventing it from ‘opening’ and releasing colour molecules.

Wash less frequently, and use gentle, colour-protecting products (refer to the aftercare section above).

Wait 48 hours after your colouring service before washing. This gives the cuticle time to fully ‘close’ and lock in the hair colour.

Regular toners between colours are also beneficial. Toners can enhance, colour correct, and condition the hair, breathing new life into your hair colour. It’s a quick way to refresh your colour between services.

Lastly, rebook your appointments to maintain your colour. Your stylist will advise you, based on your lifestyle, the colour you’ve had, and the condition of your hair, how long you should go between appointments.

You can book your free consultation with a colour specialist here.