Care for coloured hair

Many women dye their hair in order to make a change, to conceal the first grey hairs or to freshen up their colour. However, hair dyes damage and stress the hair because the hair structure is broken in order to change the colour. This means it is particularly important to care for and moisturise your hair. Here are some tips on how you can maintain the look of freshly coloured hair, care for coloured hair and postpone going to the hairdresser.

Coloured hair is sensitive and particularly susceptible in daily life. Following these tips can help:

• Do not blow-dry your hair too frequently and at high temperatures. This can further damage the hair structure.
• Do not use too many care products in your hair, otherwise it can look heavy, flat and limp. It also makes styling your hair more difficult.
• Once the hair grows past chin-length, it will rub against e.g. clothing, scarves or the shoulders. This can lead to split ends and breakage. Shorter hair is generally less susceptible to damage.
• The less often the hair is washed, the longer the colour is maintained. Washing the hair frequently can cause the colour to lose its intensity quickly, particularly in copper-coloured or red hair.
• The sun, chlorine and salt water attack the hair structure and can change or bleach the colour. In the summer, it is recommended to wear a hat and to protect the hair from the sun's rays.

Styling can also cause damage to coloured hair: Too many styling products and excessive styling weigh down the hair. The same goes for silicone in shampoos. Build-up from styling products can reduce the effect of colour shampoos as the colour pigments cannot properly adhere to the hair. Therefore, build-up from styling products should always be washed out thoroughly.

Your hairdresser can use special deep cleansing shampoos that remove all the build-up from the hair. These shampoos are also used before colouring the hair in order to ensure the colour properly permeates the hair.

Some home remedies are considered useful in caring for coloured hair:

A conditioner with black tea is particularly suitable for shiny and smooth dark hair. Olive oil is said to strengthen the outer cuticle layer and moisturise the hair. A coconut oil mask has a similar effect. Warm these two up slightly and leave in overnight.

The trendy fruit avocado is also said to moisturise the hair and make it flexible. Puree the avocado with a teaspoon of olive oil, apply the paste to the hair and leave in for one hour.

The effect of these inexpensive alternatives has not been confirmed, but it doesn't hurt to try them for some extra TLC.