Dyed hair is one of the most dramatic changes one can ever make to their hair. Aside from changing a person’s entire look and the way one looks in certain colors and outfits, the dying process is an extremely transformative one for the health and makeup of one’s hair. The chemicals and procedures involved in changing one’s hair color can alter one’s hair at a dramatic level, requiring a great deal of upkeep and maintenance to maintain your results while ensuring positive hair health.
While this may sound overwhelming, we’re here to guide you through the maintenance process of dyed hair and you’ll be an expert in no time! Read below for some tips and tricks on how to keep your dyed hair healthy, happy, and long-lasting.
What happens when hair is dyed?
In order to change the color of one’s hair, the hair dying process has to work in a truly powerful yet unique way to create long-lasting results. After all, changing one’s hair color is no simple ordeal, and it requires a great bit of work from the chemicals that interact with your hair. These dyes lift the cuticle layer, which allows the dyes to deeply penetrate the hair strand and change the pigments of the hair. Although this process is necessary for the dye to last as long as possible and be most effective, it causes a great deal of temporary damage to the outer layer of the hair, putting it in a temporarily weakened state. Due to this, the first several days following a dye job are when your hair is at its most fragile and dry, requiring a great deal of TLC on your part. Afterwards, while your hair will regain its health after the cuticle layer closes, you’ll still need to take extra care to ensure the new pigment remains in your hair strand as long as possible, otherwise you’ll risk losing that beautiful color you spent so much of your hard earned money on.
How to care for dyed hair: the first week
For the first 72 hours you absolutely must not shampoo your hair. Because your cuticle layer will still be lifted, you run the risk of not only removing the dye from your hair, but you also are at a huge risk of stripping the hair of its natural moisture and oils. As mentioned, your hair is in an incredibly weak and fragile state, and shampooing during this time period could be unbelievably harmful. After 72 hours, feel free to shampoo with a gentle shampoo, taking care to use a rich, nourishing conditioner afterwards. It should also go without saying that heat styling is a no-no during this first week.
How to care for dyed hair: long-term
After the first week you need to make sure to take some very important extra steps to ensure your hair color stays intact for as long as possible. Be sure to use a sulfate-free shampoo that will avoid stripping the pigment from your hair and consider using a tinted conditioner that leaves a small amount of pigment in your hair to match your dye job. Additionally, always use a heat protectant spray when styling to prevent fading the hair color, as well as using a hair spf when in the sun.
How to Take Care of Dyed Hair
