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8 Easy Ways to Extend the Life of Your Color-Treated Hair  Tips and Tricks to Prevent Fading
If you color your hair, there’s no doubt that you spend quite a bit of hard-earned cash, as well as precious time, sitting in hair salons each year to keep your color looking gorgeous. And if you’re like many people, you could unknowingly be washing a lot of that money down the drain each time you step into the shower. Yes, coloring your hair and keeping it looking good-as-new can get pretty pricey, but there are some tried and true tips and tricks that can help you get the most bang for your beauty buck. So before you vow to never wash your hair again, read on for the know-how that will keep your color-treated tresses fade-resistant and looking fresh between salon visits. Moisturize Your Mane The chemicals in dye strip hair of its natural moisture and can leave your once lovely locks looking fried. This “fuzzy” look is a result of damage to hair cuticles--the outermost part of hair strands. And since hair is porous by nature, each hair-care product you add penetrates deep down causing more damage and color dullness. So, it goes without saying that keeping your hair hydrated is essential in alleviating dryness as well as preventing color-fade. Maintaining moisture takes more than a simple application of daily conditioner. Using a deep conditioning treatment before and after coloring your hair will help offset damage and lock in color. To extend the life of your hair color even further, stylists suggest applying an at-home deep conditioning treatment every seven to ten days. Once you find a treatment that fits your budget and hair woes, apply it to damp, towel-dried hair and comb through from root to tip. Then, wrap your hair up in a bun, pin it in place and let the conditioner work its magic for 30 minutes before rinsing with lukewarm or cold water. Shampoo Smartly To maximize your color treatment, it’s important to know when you should and shouldn’t shampoo your hair. Shampooing incorrectly and too often can result in dull color - and more trips to the salon.
Condition Correctly When caring for your color-treated hair, it’s important to know how to use hair conditioner correctly and effectively. When searching for the right conditioner for your color-treated tresses, look for daily conditioners that infuse hair with extra conditioning. Look for conditioners that contain natural ingredients like shea butter, vegetable glycerin, avocado oil, aloe and jojoba extract. All of these will help hydrate your hair, create shine and prevent frizz. Once you pick your perfect conditioner, you must also be smart about applying it. Don’t just slather it on right after you rinse your shampoo! Conditioner won’t be able to penetrate hair strands when they’re dripping with water, so wring out excess H2O first before applying conditioner. Then, make sure to use your fingers or a wide-tooth comb to effectively coat each hair strand. When rinsing, always opt for lukewarm or cold water to prevent dehydration and brittle ends. Stay Out of the Sun Though that big, bright, warming star in the sky can offer natural health benefits like healthy doses of Vitamin D, and provide effective treatment for seasonal affective disorder, the sun’s harmful UV rays not only damage your delicate skin, but your hair, too. Light and heat from the sun can cause your hair color to fade and cause hair dehydration. You don’t have to stay out of the sun completely, though. Just be smart about it! Protect your color-treated hair from the elements to prevent the formation of free radicals that fade color. If you know that you’ll be in the sun for extended periods of time, be sure to spray a leave-in hair treatment with a UV filter. Look for products that contain benzophenone-3 or -4, polyquaternium-59, cinnamidopropyltrimonium chloride and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, and vitamins a, c and e. You might also want to double up on the pigment protection by choosing a shampoo with UV absorbers, as well. And for easy-breezy sun protection, simply throw on a stylish hat. One more important thing to remember is that hot, summer sun isn’t the only type of sun that damages your hair. No matter the season, the sun’s UV rays can fade your color, so always use your sun smarts during the fall, winter and spring, as well. Leave the Heat Alone Blow dryers can be convenient, but this type of heat styling and others can also be your hair color’s worst nightmare. Heat is actually the greatest factor in color fading. The heat from certain styling tools can scorch your hair--especially when used daily. And once your hair heats up, the hair cuticle opens which allows hair color pigments to escape. So, if you can bear it, put away that flat iron, curling iron and blow dryer most days. If you find yourself in a rush and need to dry your hair quickly, protect it with a spray containing UV filters and vitamins, then use your blow dryer on its lowest heat setting. Better yet, try to wait until your hair is just about dry before turning on the blow dryer or using any heat styling tools. When in doubt, just remember that damp is always better than dry! Go for Gloss If you find your hair color looking dull between salon visits, all you need is 10 minutes for a simple shine and color boost! Shiny hair actually masks dull color, and there's a good chance that your salon offers hair glossing. You can utilize this affordable (and at times, free!) service to buy you more time between color retouches. And if your hair salon doesn’t offer hair glossing treatments, you can always opt for a gloss you can use at home. Look for a hair glossing product that contains broccoli seed, sweet almond oil and wheat germ to leave your hair looking absolutely gleaming. Touch Up Color-Treated Tresses When you color your hair, root touch up products are your best friend in keeping your color looking fresh. Once you begin to notice regrowth, head to your local drug store to try a touch up pen. These magical pens are simple to use for at-home color correction - and also cover grays! Touch up pens are available in many shades, so you shouldn't have a problem finding one that matches your unique color. Be sure to pick a pen that includes a brush for quick and easy application. Have a Thing for Highlights Before you decide on an all-over hair color treatment, consider opting for highlights instead to save more money and time. This look is low-maintenance and works with your natural hair color. If you go for highlights, your hair color won’t be masked completely which means that over time, roots and regrowth won’t be as noticeable. On your first visit, highlights will usually take more time to apply than an all-over color treatment, but follow-up visits to the salon will only require a partial highlight, which means a quicker, less expensive hair color treatment for you. Extend the life of your highlights by choosing a sulfate-free cream conditioner with chamomile extract. Chamomile naturally enhances highlights and nourishes chemically-treated hair. There are multiple ways you can protect your color-treated hair to save time and money. Trying any combination of these tips will not only help you extend the life of your hair color, but allow you to achieve stronger, healthier hair, too! Ready for your next hair coloring appointment? Contact our stylists today at 410-256-1000. This post is originally from our friends at https://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/articles_print.asp?id=1826. How Often Should I Wash My Hair? Well, to answer that question, we must first look at our hair type. Here's why... Hair Type Matters There is a reason why there are different products for different hair types. Every texture and hair type requires particular and specific attention and your wash routine is no exception. Hair with thicker strands can go longer without cleansing, while thin tresses tend to get dirty and oily quicker. Curly hair tends to be on the dry side, so can go longer without washing, while straight hair may require more frequent washing. Coarse hair can be left for longer without a good scrub, while silky hair can’t...you get the picture! How to Wash Your Hair By Hair Type Depending on your hair type — thick, thin, oily, dry, natural, curly, colored, etc. — your locks will have their own set of needs. Finding the right balance of hair washing for your hair type takes some trial and error, but every head of hair has that perfect balance. Pay attention to your scalp and hair appearance for the signals because over or under-washing have telltale signs (dryness and oiliness). Ladies with fine, thin hair should also try to avoid shampoos containing certain ingredients. For starters, women with oily hair typically feel the need to wash their hair more often, but doing so can be counterproductive. It can lead the scalp to think it needs to replace the oils and overproduce. To nip this nasty cycle in the bud, seek out a sulfate-free shampoo that offers a deep cleansing without the drying effect. Dry, damaged hair also responds well to more infrequent shampooing, so you might want to try washing your locks every other day. Colored hair should also be washed less often — with a moisturizing, sulfate-free formula — if you want to get the most bang for your buck. After all, color fades a bit with each shampoo, so you can extend the life of your dye job by only washing every other day or every three days. Lifestyle and Activity Here's something that not many people consider: the kind of lifestyle you're leading. Does the following situation sound familiar? You wash, blow dry and style your hair in the morning. You’re looking fresh and turning heads all day. Then, you hit the gym and your hair's oil city and you have to wash your hair AGAIN. Unfortunately, the more active you are, the more often you should wash your hair. The reason is pretty simple: sweat piles up, clogs your pores and dirties your scalp and roots faster. How Often You Should Wash Your Hair Based on Skin Type? In the never-ending battle for attention, the scalp almost always loses out to hair. But every time you shampoo, it’s the scalp that should be getting the TLC. Focus the washing there, instead of on the hair itself. Your hair will get clean enough as soapy water glides down the shaft. An oily scalp can often make hair oily, too, especially for those with straighter hair (since the sebum produced by the scalp can easily travel down the hair shaft). Normal to Dry: Every Three to Four Days. We suggest washing every three to four days, but if you feel like you may need to wash more often, incorporate a “conditioning rinse” every other day (instead of a full wash). Apply conditioner to your hair and rinse with tepid water.
How Often Should You Wash Your Hair Based on Styling? If you get frequent blow-outs and use a lot of dry shampoo during the week to make your blow out last, wash your hair according to your hair or scalp type—but add a clarifying shampoo into the routine every two weeks, with a deep conditioner to follow. If you use a styling product that leaves a heavy, greasy build up, it needs to be washed off the hair and scalp. Product build-up can dry out the hair and cause it to lose elasticity. To remove build-up, cleanse with a gentle clarifying shampoo. Need help with your hair care routine, contact us today at (410) 256-1000 to schedule your appointment! The Benefits of Manicures & Pedicures Do you think of manicures and pedicures as just an occasional way of pampering yourself? Regular manicures and pedicures actually provide great benefits for your overall health and well being, especially in Maryland’s cold and harsh winters. They also help keep hands looking young. Here are some benefits of manicures and pedicures:
Increase blood circulation During any manicure or pedicure, you receive a relaxing massage of the hands and feet. This helps to improve blood circulation and improves mobility for the joints. Improve the Health of your Nails With regular manicures and pedicures, the chances of your nails developing fungi and other infections are reduced. Our hands, especially, are exposed to a lot of elements and products on a daily basis. It’s a good idea to have a deep cleaning so the dead skin cells on your hands can be removed. That encourages new cell growth, leaving your nails stronger and healthier. Besides working hard for us, our hands and feet are also exposed to a lot of dirt, moisture, and other pollutants that can build up under your nails and cause problems. Regular mani-pedi sessions remove dirt from under your nails and hard-to-reach places, thus keeping your nails strong and healthy. This in turn will reduce your chances of getting an infection. De-stress We all know that body massages are a great way to relax and rejuvenate your nerves, but sometimes all it takes to relax is a hand and foot massage. Manicures and pedicures are a great way to relax while improving the look and feel of your hands and feet. If you’re feeling stressed, some of us tend to pick at our cuticles, leaving them dry, cracked and bleeding. Plus, having great looking nails can always help to put a smile on your face, making stress levels decrease. The act of soaking your hands and feet in warm water and getting a stimulating massage at the end of the treatment promotes blood circulation. Gentle exfoliation with a scrub also increases the flow of blood, thus giving your skin a healthy and rejuvenated look. Keeps hands and feet smooth and soft. Maryland winters are harsh and last too long. With regular manicures and pedicures during these months you can help to keep your skin and nails smooth and soft despite the exposure to the harsh winter elements. If you don’t take care of your hands and feet, you can experience dry, cracked skin that leaves painful sores and potential cracking. You already know that a mani-pedi makes your nails look fantastic. What you may not know is that a professional nail treatment actually has long-term and health benefits as well! Maintaining your hands and feet with frequent mani-pedi treatments help you look more presentable and well-groomed. A beautician will clip, clean, buff, polish, and paint your nails as well as remove cuticles, thus instantly enhancing your appearance. As you can see, a mani-pedi session is not just an occasional treat you should indulge in, but a regular act of self-care that offers lasting benefits. Pick a good beauty salon and schedule sessions every two or three weeks to enjoy clean and healthy nails along with smooth and soft skin. Skin Care Your hands are more exposed to daily dirt and weather than any part of your body, except maybe your face. That means that they accumulate grime easily, as well as constantly create new skin cells and slough off the old. Your feet are generally only exposed in the spring and summer times, but walking on them all day can create callouses and other uneven skin conditions. A professional manicure includes a thorough cleaning and lotions designed to exfoliate your skin. Any grime will be removed, as will dead skin cells, keeping your hands smooth and reducing any appearance of wrinkles. A professional pedicure will also exfoliate your skin, as well as remove any callouses on the bottom of your feet. This not only makes your feet more attractive, it also helps you distribute your weight more evenly across your feet, which can reduce leg and back pain after standing for long periods. After a stressful day or week, these can completely relieve your stress, and the benefits of having gorgeous nails can last for weeks. A great nail color is a perfect accessory to any outfit, so you can cross painting your nails off your list of things to do. Both the physical and mental health benefits of getting a manicure and pedicure are incredible. Your feet and hands will both look and feel great, your stress will go down, and your circulation will increase. The whole procedure takes relatively little time, so contact Julinda’s Salon and Spa today to schedule your manicure and pedicure. |
