Hair care: Tips to keep in mind when colouring your hair

Colouring is a chemical treatment and is damaging to all hair. Here are the tips to keep in mind when colouring your hair to mitigate the damage and keep your hair healthy, happy and shiny.

Colouring is a chemical treatment and is damaging to all hair, there’s no getting around that some find it more damaging than others, so if you are colouring your hair you need to take extra measures in your routine to mitigate the damage. It is also worth noting that everyone is different and how one person's hair reacts will be different from someone else’s. Some people find their hair gets looser with colour and others find the opposite and their pattern tightens. You won’t know how your hair will react until you try it. ⁣⁣Hair colouring can truly be transformative as it empowers a fresh and changed appearance as well as adds a certain dimension to one's personality.

Hair care: Tips to keep in when colouring your hair (istockphoto)

Hairstylist and Hair Care Expert Chloe Amber shared important tips to keep in mind when colouring your hair.

• Use bonding treatment

Colouring breaks the disulphide bonds within the hair. Bonding treatments mitigate this damage. These leave-in and in-shower bond treatments will consequently result in smoother, more lustrous hair and less colour loss.

• Use minimal products

Naked hair is claimed to let the hair and scalp breathe, similar to makeup-free days. Ideally, the less product on your hair the better, so naked curls or minimal styling products is best.

• Target where you want to dye

If you only need your roots dying, focus on those. Don't chemically treat your hair unnecessarily. Chemical dyes can quickly turn smooth hair harsh to the touch by removing the natural moisture in your hair.

• Take your own products if you want

The salon may need to use specific products post dye but after that, you can use your own if you want.

• Don't wash for a few days after colour

This will allow the colour to settle and stop it fading, meaning your colour will last longer. To stop your hair colour from fading too soon, don't wash it more than once or twice a week.

• Use a protein treatment after if needed

Colouring can raise your porosity creating 'holes' in the cuticle. Protein can help fill these 'holes'.

• Deep condition your hair

Colouring can make the hair feel dryer and rough, so deep conditioning can help nourish and soften it. Deep conditioning is the best way to tackle dry and damaged hair and it also makes your hair softer and protected from further damage.

• Don't panic if your hair throws tantrums

You've just chemically treated your hair, it may take a few washes for your curls to bounce back.

• Look after your colour

Help stop your colour fading by using colour-safe products, toners as needed and UV hair protectant. Whatever the season, the sun's rays can fade hair colour. Try to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. The salon may need to use specific products post dye but after that, you can use your own if you want.

Follow more stories on Facebook & Twitter