Experimenting with new looks can be a crucial part of defining your style. Bold lips, winged eyeliner, and new hair colors can be exciting ways to experiment and showcase your personality. But these fun trends can wreak havoc on your tresses, and they’re especially precarious for gals with dyed hair. That fire engine-red hair may look amazing today, but you may pay for it tomorrow in terms of damaged hair and expensive touch-ups. However, if you’re careful and take care of your hair, you can avoid some sticky situations. Here, four problems (and solutions) that are uber helpful for anyone with dyed hair.
1. You bleach it too often
While bleaching portions of your hair may be a necessary part of your dye job––especially if you are going from a dark to light color––too much bleaching can be a bad thing. Hasblady Guzman, owner and stylist at Bokaos Aveda salon says that “bleaching over a piece of hair multiple times” is a big no-no.
“Even when colored darker, if the hair underneath is bleached, it can potentially break the hair or kill its elasticity,” says Guzman. This process is known as “double processing.” Additionally, when bleached hair is wet, it’s much more susceptible to damage. Too much tugging and pulling can cause it to snap.
If you still choose to bleach your hair, there are ways to take good care of it.
Makenzie Moore, a junior at Emmanuel College, has been bleaching her hair since she was 12 years old, and knows how to keep her hair healthy.
“The quickest way to kill a good color is by buying cheap hair care. When I’m at school, I can’t afford anything other than the typical drugstore shampoo and conditioner, so my hair really suffers. However, lately I’ve invested in Ouai Haircare and I started seeing a difference in literally a week,” she says.
“Not only has my blonde become brighter, but the overall texture of my dry, dead hair has improved 100 percent! I invested in the Repair Shampoo and Conditioner, and the Memory Mist that contains a heat protectant. Blow drying my hair made it rough and gave it the consistency of hay, so investing in a heat protectant is key!”
Moral of the story? You should avoid bleaching over your hair multiple times. But, if you love your bleach blonde look, there are plenty of products that can keep your hair healthy.
2. You don’t protect it from the elements in the summer months
As much as we love summer and all of the Insta-worthy beach pics, your favorite summer activities can damage your dye job.
Sun, chlorine and heat can all dry out your locks, but there are relatively easy ways to prevent this problem.
“Use products that have SPF as leave-in conditioners. Wear a hat whenever possible to avoid the sun. Don’t submerge your hair when swimming (in pools, Jacuzzis, or the sea), if you can,” suggests Guzman.
Colleen, a senior at Saint Mary’s College, seconds Guzman’s advice.
“Going out in the sun too much with dyed hair fades the color and makes it look dull,” Colleen says. “You can wear a sunhat, or there are leave-in-conditioners with SPF from the brand Sun Bum, available at Target, and Aveda.”
And if you feel the need to take a swim, there are additional precautions you can take to protect your hair. Valerie Izquierdo, a student at Miami-Dade College, got a helpful hint from her mom:
“I have very curly hair and a tip I learned from my mom is to put a leave in conditioner on before you get into a pool,” Valerie says. “It will act as a sunscreen for your hair and will protect it from the chlorine.”
So, think twice before diving headfirst into the pool, and throw on hat before you take that beach snap. You will look stylish and save your hair!
Related: 7 Bad Habits That Are Ruining Your Hair
3. You don’t realize that different hair types have different needs
Just as every person is unique, every head of hair is different. This means that before dying your hair (and while caring for it) you need to realize that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to haircare.
If your tresses are dyed with bright hues like turquoise or purple, Guzman recommends that you only shampoo once a week and use lots of dry shampoo.
Sammi Burke, a Siena College grad, agrees that using the right shampoo is important.
“The biggest thing for me about dyed hair is making sure you use the right shampoo,” she says. “This doesn’t always matter with natural color dyes (for example, when I went from my natural dark brown to auburn), but with colors like purple or teal or fire engine red, it’s important to make sure you’re not using sulfates or parabens or other harsh chemicals. These strip out the color.”
Those with curls can also run into problems.
“Curly hair is permanently dry,” Guzman explains. “Always use leave-in conditioners. Gels or creams with very little alcohol in them will further dry out curly hair. Use pomades with jojoba oil in them. I especially like the humectant pomade by Aveda.”
Related: 6 Things To Know Before Dyeing Your Hair An Unusual Color
4. You don’t use the right products
Haircare is its own kind of science, so there are some important things to consider when it comes to choosing products.
First, you want to make sure that the pH of your hair is balanced. For this Guzman recommends a color conserve shampoo. And to prevent tinges of yellow and orange, Guzman recommends Blue Malva Color Conditioner.
To keep your hair as strong as you are, check out a Dry Remedy masque, which according to Guzman “strengthens the bonds of the hair cuticles.”
And finally, Guzman recommends “Pramāsana cleansing gel and scalp brush to keep the scalp free of debris and moisturized.” If you are moisturizing your skin, you should be moisturizing your hair too!
See? With a little extra care, you can rock your favorite dye job and still have healthy hair!