How to properly wash your hair after dyeing to preserve the color

Caring for colored hair is a process that requires attention to many details. The key problem after coloring is the loss of color saturation, not the condition of the hair or scalp.

Photo: flickr.com by geehairimages, CC BY 2.0

Dyeing is a chemical process in which natural pigment is replaced by artificial pigment. The main reason for rapid dye fading is damaged hair structure, especially if it is porous or weakened.

On healthy hair the color lasts longer. The life of the color also depends on the complementarity of the shades and the condition of the hair before coloring.

One of the common mistakes is underestimating the importance of care products. Shampoos, masks and conditioners marked “save color” really help to preserve the color, especially if they are developed by the same brand as the dye.

It is best to choose sulfate-free shampoos and use products with water-soluble silicones, which minimize pigment leaching.

An important aspect is choosing the right care products: shampoo for colored hair, mask, conditioner, leave-in care and thermal protection. Tinting products that fill in the pigment voids are especially useful.

In the first 48 hours after coloring, it is better not to wash your hair to stabilize the color. Further care is divided into stages: the first two weeks – color protection and moisturizing, the third – pigment enhancement, the fourth – maintaining shine and eliminating roots. The right approach allows you to maintain color saturation for 1-1.5 months.

Clarifications

Hair (Latin pili, ancient Greek τρίχες) — skin appendages derived from the epidermis, representing multilayered thread-like structures of epithelial cells (keratinocytes, melanocytes) that become keratinized as they move away from the growth point in the hair follicles and form the outer covering of the skin of mammals. == Literature == Dzerzhinsky, F. Ya. Vertebrate Zoology / F. Ya. Dzerzhinsky, B. D. Vasiliev, V. V. Malakhov. — 2nd ed. — Moscow: Publishing Center “Academy”, 2014. — 464 p. — ISBN 978-5-4468-0459-7. Animal Life: Encyclopedia: in 6 volumes / Under the general editorship of L. A. Zenkevich. – M.: Education, 1971. – T. 6: Mammals. — 628 p. Dermatovenerology. National leadership / ed. Yu. K. Skripkina, Yu. S. Butova, O. L. Ivanova // M.: GEOTAR-Media, 2013. – 1024 p. ISBN 978-5-9704-2305-9.

Hair color is determined by the content of two pigments in them – eumelanin and pheomelanin. The latter has a reddish tint and, unlike dark and granular eumelanin, its molecules do not form granules (they are distributed diffusely). If a large amount of eumelanin is synthesized, the hair color becomes dark – brown (if pheomelanin is present in sufficient quantities) or black (if there is little or no pheomelanin). == Literature == Yu. D. Nechiporenko. “Red-haired” or “funny” people in Ukraine: from Gogol to the present day // Logical analysis of language. Language mechanisms of comedy. Moscow: Indrik Publishing House, 2007, pp. 597-602.

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