Through sickness and in health, till death do us part.
You may consider putting into action this wedding vow by taking care of yourself – particularly your hair.
Yes, you are not married to your hair but you are entitled to take care of it. Keep it shiny and healthy. Otherwise, who will be blamed and disgraced if you don’t do so, right?
In the experimental age, you tend to change, tweak and style your hair in different ways that you like. New color each month, perhaps week. And once you started coloring and masking your hair with all the mixed chemicals and products, it is only essential to put extra effort in keeping it nourished and hydrated. Failure to do so may cause damages which may then lead to dryness, hair loss, and breakage.
Here are some tricks on how to maintain your hair color and keep it protected:
Professional dye / high-quality dye
You might think why purchasing an expensive dye if you could opt for a cheap one, right? If you could find a generic product that’s of the same quality as the professional one, then why not?
The point is, if your cheap dye damages your hair, you’ll just spend more cash to undo the damage. Might as well buy the quality, however, expensive product to save yourself in the long run!
Deep condition
To have your hair retain that health and shine, deep condition at least once a week after shampooing. If you have thick hair, apply it from your roots down to your ends.
If your hair is fine, apply from ear level downwards. Leave it for 15-30 minutes. To boost its effectiveness, put a shower cap on. Add luster to your locks!
Mild shampoo
Use a sulfate-free shampoo to prevent impurities without altering the color as well. Or shampoo less. Even better, avoid using shampoo and washing your hair too often. When you wash your hair, you’re also washing your hair color which results to fading.
Shield with hair sunscreen
If your skin needs sunscreen to protect it from the harmful rays of the sun, so does your hair! Protect your strands from being oxidized by ultraviolet rays by using hair sunscreen. Apply the SPF on damp hair before stepping out under the sun and focus on your crown (since it’s the most affected area).
Less heat styling
Dyed hair is more prone to damage. So resist your urge in using curling irons and strengthening irons if you can. But if you prepped yourself for an important occasion and you need to style your hair, use heat protectant products.
Avoid hot water
Why? Because it causes your hair color to strip down faster because it opens up your strands which airs out the dye molecules. Use lukewarm water if possible instead.
Avoid frequent coloring
You’ve had your hair colored more than three times in just 4 months? If your hair could speak, it would be pretty pissed at you for constantly damaging it and not letting it catch its breath.
Applying more layers of chemicals (i.e. perming and relaxing) strips down your hair’s nutrients, making it weak. Feel your ends, is it dry? Then stop damaging it!
What should be the takeaway on this?
Your hair is your best accessory. It is your trademark, protect it and style it with pride. Whether it be short, medium or long, it is your responsibility to keep it healthy and strong. Then maybe, the next time you flip your hair, heads are about to turn.