How To Prevent Your Hair Color From Fading

Here are 7 essential steps to ensure your hair is well taken care of after bleaching/coloring.

1. Wash Your Hair Less Frequently

Photo Credit: All Things Hair

As mentioned previously, washing your hair less often will not only keep your hair looking vibrant but reduce the chances of it fading quickly. You may opt for a dry shampoo in between washes to freshen up the hairline and crown, the two areas which gets greasy easily. We love Kevin Murphy’s Fresh Hair that smells great and leaves hair feeling really clean! You can purchase them here.

2. Condition Your Hair

Besides using colour safe shampoos, it’s essential to use a conditioner and/or hair mask regularly to replenish moisture and enhance shine. Just like our skin, lack of care will lead to quick fading of colour and hair becoming dry quickly. These products help to form a protective barrier on hair strands, which seals the cuticles and locks in moisture, ultimately adding shine and luster to your hair. To achieve the soft, healthy and glossy hair of your dreams,  you can’t afford to miss this crucial step! Our favorites are Kevin Murphy’s Hydrate Rinse / Masque for regular dry, colored hair, Repair Rinse for damaged, colored hair or Young Again Rinse/Masque for frizzy, dry hair. Find them here.

3. Apply Leave-In Product

Photo Credit: Refinery29

With Singapore’s hot weather, the blazing sun and high humidity are one of the factors which can cause your hair’s inevitable fade. Fortunately, there’s a way to combat this through leave-in haircare which contain anti-frizz properties and heat protection. In fact, some UV-protecting products even contain a mix of vitamins which restore colour-treated hair and prevents further damage. Wearing a hat on an especially hot day works as well! Try Kevin Murphy’s Heated Defense, Un-tangled or Staying Alive that works really well as great leave-in treatments that does not weigh down the hair. Find them here.

4. Tone your hair every 8-10 weeks

Regardless of whether you color your hair or not, hair washing, sun exposure, oxidation can all lead to color fading. Hair will lose its lustre and shine, turn brassy and dry. A color toning session in between hair color helps stretch your dollar, giving you healthier, shinier hair that lasts longer. Non-ammonia toners are use during the color process that mainly deposits color, thus it does not cause further damage.

5. Trim your hair regularly

Photo Credit: Artists Hair Design Studio 

As your hair is more prone to damage post-colouring, it’s important to get regular trims as this helps to maintain your hair’s health and prevent the spread of damage. If you love to color your hair regularly, hair trims play a big role in keeping frayed ends and breakage at bay, keeping hair manageable and healthy. Bear in mind that split ends travel upwards towards the scalp, thus waiting too long in between haircuts will lead to split ends that are hard to tackle.

For short hair, cut your hair once every 4 weeks to maintain shape, bob-lob lengths typically need a trim every 6-8 weeks and long hair will require one every 3 months. If you have permed hair, trims are highly recommended every 8-12 weeks to maintain shape and volume.

6. K18 and Olaplex Treatments are Essential

To keep your hair in peak condition, we can’t stress how important it is to do K18 and Olaplex treatments after colouring. For instance, the Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector repairs damage and your hair structure, while the K18 Leave-In Repair Mask increases your hair’s strength and elasticity, reducing breakage and colour fade drastically. Both products help to restore hair health with repeated use, allowing your hair to be colored again without the breakage.

7. Tinted Shampoos and Treatments

Use purple shampoos/masks after doing blonde, gold tones to help remove brassiness. It works as a neutralizer for the warm tones and keep your blondes looking better, longer. Our recommendation is to use it every 3 days and leave the product in hair for a few minutes before rinsing. Our favorite includes Kevin Murphy’s Blonde Angel Treatment that conditions while neutralizing our blonde highlights.