How to care for coloured hair so the colour lasts longer

Salon colour looks its best in the first few weeks and then slowly loses its vibrancy: water washes the pigment out, the sun fades it and a hot hairdryer oxidises it. You can’t stop this completely, but with the right care for coloured hair you can certainly slow it down. Here’s what genuinely helps — and what you can safely skip.

Why colour fades

After colouring, the hair becomes more porous. Its outer layer, the cuticle, is made up of overlapping scales, a bit like roof tiles; colouring lifts them, so pigment escapes more easily. Hot water, frequent washing, harsh cleansers, UV, chlorine, salt and high styling temperatures all speed this up. That’s where every aftercare rule comes from: less water and heat, more protection.

When can you wash your hair after colouring?

You’ll often hear that you shouldn’t wash your hair for exactly 72 hours. There’s no scientific evidence for that particular number, but the advice does make sense: after permanent colour, wait at least 48 hours; after toning, about a day. Skip the pool, the sea and heat styling for those first days too.

How to wash coloured hair

• Less often. If you can, wash every other day and use dry shampoo in between. Every wash takes some pigment with it.
• Warm, not hot, water. No need for an icy shower — just don’t turn the temperature up.
• Shampoo on the roots. The lather running down will clean the lengths; there’s no need to scrub them.
• Conditioner every time. It smooths the cuticle, so the hair tangles less and stays shiny for longer.
• Dry gently. Blot your hair with a towel rather than rubbing it, and detangle from the ends up.

Which shampoo and products to use on coloured hair

Shampoo and conditioner made for coloured hair are a good choice: they cleanse more gently. Whether you need to avoid sulphates (common cleansing agents) is still debated — there’s no research proving that they strip colour more than other cleansers. What matters more is a mild shampoo and a regular mask: once a week for normal hair, more often for lightened or dry hair.

Be careful with clarifying shampoos and scalp scrubs: they’re good at removing build-up, but they also speed up colour loss. If you use them, do so rarely and follow with a mask straight away.

Heat styling

High temperatures oxidise the pigment and dull the colour. Use a heat protectant, dry on a medium or cool setting, and keep your straighteners and curling tongs off the highest setting. If you can let your hair air-dry, even better.

Sun, ocean and pool

In Lisbon the sun is strong for most of the year, not just in summer, so your colour needs protecting almost all the time:

• on sunny days, use a hair spray with a UV filter or wear a hat;
• before swimming in the ocean or a pool, wet your hair with fresh water and apply conditioner — that way it soaks up less salt and chlorine;
• rinse your hair with fresh water straight after swimming;
• every 2–4 weeks, wash with a clarifying shampoo and always follow with a mask: this removes minerals from the water that can build up on the hair and dull the colour.

If your colour has taken a hit over the summer anyway, take a look at “Hair after summer: how to recover from sun and sea damage”.

Care by colour

Blonde and lightened hair

The main problem is brassiness. Purple shampoo neutralises it, but about once a week is enough: overdo it and the hair turns dull, greyish and dry. Lightened hair needs masks and sun protection more than any other type.

Red and copper shades

These fade faster than any others. Colour-depositing conditioners, regular toning and careful protection from the sun and hot water all help.

Dark shades

Over time they turn warm and brassy. Blue-pigmented correcting products and toning in the salon help bring back a cool tone.

When to come into the salon

• Toning (gloss) between colour appointments brings back shine and corrects the tone without lightening again.
• Roots are usually redone every 4–8 weeks with all-over colour, and much less often with balayage or AirTouch. There’s more in “Highlights, balayage or all-over colour”.

Myths you can ignore

• “Cold water seals the cuticle.” There’s no need to wash your hair in icy water — it’s enough that the water isn’t hot.
• “Use purple shampoo every day.” Once a week is plenty.
• “A shower filter softens the water.” It usually removes chlorine well but holds back very few minerals.
• Adding oil to the colour, or rinsing your hair with vinegar or baking soda. Colour manufacturers don’t recommend it, and the results are unpredictable.