Tips for Maintaining Dyed Hair

Hair is one of the main ways we express ourselves outwardly to other people, and hair color is the primary medium. Dyeing hair and maintaining color is one of the core principles taught at Collectiv Academy’s premier cosmetology program, where we impress upon our students just how vital every little step of the process is for their clients.

That process doesn’t stop when the client leaves the salon, however. Proper maintenance and upkeep becomes even more important for dyed hair than normal hair, and you haven’t fully done your job as a stylist if your customers are unsure of how to care for their hair once they leave your chair. Here are a few tips for basic dyed hair maintenance.

High Quality Dye

Okay, so at least one bit of dyed hair upkeep actually begins in the salon.

Low quality dye is likely to wash out more quickly or leave streaks and undesirable marks, and it’s almost certain to lose you some repeat business. Would you go back to a salon that charged you a normal fee for a product that didn’t work or only worked briefly? No way. Not only will low quality dyes often lack the vibrancy you’re looking for, they can also potentially damage or weaken the hair.

Keep Hair Healthy

Hair is more likely to cooperate with dye and other products if it’s generally healthy. For people looking to change to a particularly bright or unusual color, this might mean patience in the process – it may take more than one dyeing for the color to truly stick, but bunching these up too closely together can damage hair long term.

For all people using dye, try to be as gentle as possible on hair. Hair masks and repair products are easy to find, and clients should be sure to take special care during sleep hours.

Temperature

You should be recommending only cold water to your clients while they wash their hair in the immediate aftermath of getting it dyed. Warm water opens up hair cuticles, which can cause the dye to fall off the cuticles and leave the hair. You don’t need to take your entire shower in freezing cold water, but turn it down any time you’re actively rising your hair.

At Collectiv Academy beauty school, you’ll also be taught to recommend limited sun exposure. UV rays aren’t good for artificial hair dyes, so be sure to cover up. Also, hair dryers and styling items like straighteners which use heat should be minimized, and protectants need to be used if they’re absolutely necessary.

Products

There are certain dos and don’ts when talking products for styling hair with color. Shampoos and conditioners with sulfates or alcohol are items to avoid – both can increase fading in hair color. In fact, it’s often recommended that shampoo usage itself be limited altogether during the first couple weeks after dyeing hair.

On the “do” side are gentler hair products which won’t rough up your cuticles. For some people, you can also recommend adding a little bit of hair dye into conditioner to help supplement dye levels throughout the weeks following your salon process.

Want to become a hair coloring expert? Start off right by attending our cosmetology program and learning from our skilled instructors. Apply today!