I will work my magic on your hair to give your the color of your dreams in the salon but it's up to you to maintain and care for your hair investment at home. My goal for this post is to have a quick reference guide to keep your fantasy color vibrant, that overall tone rich and your blonde hairs sparkling.
Hair Damage
First things first, chemical treatments can be damaging but so is friction, heat, UV rays and the environment. This is hair damage prevention 101.
When and how to wash your hair. It's all up to you and how your hair is. Definitely use shampoo and conditioners formulated for your hair type-free of alcohol and sulfates- at least every couple days. Over or under washing can be damaging. Wash your hair when its dirty whether it's every other day if you have thin oily hair or once/ twice a week for extremely dry hair. Infrequent washing- especially if you use hair sprays or dry shampoos- can lead to buildup of bacteria, product residue, oil which can cause damage. Try to use lukewarm water when rinsing your hair, hot water drys your hair out.
Don't excessively brush your hair. When your hair is wet, apply a leave in conditioner and a heat protect oil. Use a wide tooth comb and start from the bottom and work your way up. Your hair is super elastic when its wet because the hair swells so it snaps and breaks easily, please be gentle. Your hair also snaps easily dry so no excessive brushing.
Use a hair oil. When your hair tangles and knots easily then your hair is lacking serious moisture. Apply a hair oil to dry hair that has UV and heat protection so it acts as a barrier/ lubricant then gently brush out your hair. Tossing your hair up in those pineapple buns(Use an invisibobble hair tie for less tension on the scalp=less hair coming out), sleeping crazy, convertibles even exercise, they all contribute to knots and tangles which lead to breakage.
Drying your hair. Let your hair dry 75%-you should have your leave in moisturizers and heat/ style protection in your hair at this point-then use the blow dryer on the medium setting to finish drying to cut down on your heat usage.
Heat tools. So we have the products to put in before and after heat now we need to talk about tools. When use hot tools make sure they have a temperature gauge and that its set to under 350 degrees. Excessive heat leads to damage, breakage and color fade. Make sure you clean your tools if you have product on your irons.
Towels and pillowcases. That wet, out of the shower hair is the most fragile, remember? Keep the cotton towels for the body and wrap your locks in a microfiber wrap or thin cotton t-shirt. They're more gentle on the hair and actually make the hair dry faster. Also, get some silk/ satin pillowcases, they cause less friction.
Diet, medications and stress. Adequate sleep, drinking all your water, and eating good foods all play a role in overall body function. Get enough zinc, iron, and folic acid in your daily diet as well as protein and antioxidants (found in plant foods) help your hair. The medications you take can cause hair complications. Telogen effluvium stress may make your follicles go dormant, so hair that’s in the middle of a growth cycle may break off. You might notice old hair fall out, too. Managing your stress may result in healthier hair.
When to see your stylist:
Glosses/ Toners - 4 weeks
Root touch up/ Refresh - 3-6 weeks
Bangs/ undercut refresh - 2-4 weeks
Haircut - 6-8 weeks
Foils - 6-10 weeks
Balayage- 8-12 weeks
Products I love and recommend:
Davines - beauty and sustainability
Evo - cruelty-free professional haircare
Olaplex - Repair, Protect, & Strengthen Hair
Oligo - Always innovate - for colored hair
Keratin Complex - stronger, healthier hair
Kenra - Trusted, inspiring, professional hair family
Moroccan Oil - Argan Oil-Infused Essentials For Beautiful Hair & Skin
Amika - every hair concern–no matter ethnicity, age or gender