Keeping Your Color Vibrant
What are the unique color needs of redheads?
When you are dealing with a client who has red hair, or reddish tones (auburns, coppers), those dyes are very sensitive. Typically they want to leave quickly, so a color shampoo, a color conditioner can help support that in order to make sure that it stays and it's durable over the length of time. One of the real keys is not shampooing your hair that much. So, the less you shampoo, the less chance you're using an agent that's in the detergent type of family to pull out the color. So rinse your hair, use a little bit of conditioner on the ends and style. Redheads also need to be more consistent with their color. If they're consistent with coloring every four weeks, five weeks, six weeks, they're going to have a color that has more longevity. Redheads, they wait two months, three months, the color really dramatically changes from the day of the color service to the day that they walk back into the salon. My recommendation is always for redheads, at least every four to five weeks.
Why does red hair color fade so quickly?
The red hair color fade quickly couse the dyes are more sensitive and they want to leave the hair. Again, we're using shampoos, conditioners, things that soften the hair, detergents that are extracting oils from the hair, so of course at the same time, it's going to extract the dyes.
Are shampoos with sulfates bad for color-treated hair?
There's a lot of hype about sulfates. And there's a lot of information - you know, "no sulfates." Sulfate is a lathering agent, to my knowledge. So it creates lather. In America, we love lather because we feel like it's clean. I've used many a shampoo with sulfates; I've had great results. Again, every texture of hair is different and every product...you know, you will find the perfect product for your hair through trial and error.
How can hair spray affect color-treated hair?
Hairspray can affect your hair in that it can create a build-up. A lot of girls these days that are wearing their hair in long, loopy curls and are spraying it are getting a little bit of a build-up on their hair. My recommendation is always a clarifying shampoo. It helps to take off any build-up. The only challenge for that is that it might make your hair a little bit lighter or it might fade your color a little bit.
How can silicones or serums affect color-treated hair?
Silicones are products are used to coat the top layer of hair. Now that's a great thing when it comes to shine, but when you're applying color and chemical services you can get a build up of it. So, sometimes your color can't penetrate through that, and you can get a little bit of a blockage there. My recommendation is, again, not using too many of the serums, watch out for the silicones, just use a little bit- a little bit goes a long way, and then use a clarifying shampoo to make sure you're removing any of those things before coloring.
