There are so many different reasons to color your hair, but you already know this. I personally have gone through all of the different colors, from brown to black, and even red, of course. The problem is that while most hair colors are pretty much the same, you will find that red is a bit of an adventure. I use a lot of different products, from Argan hair oil all the way to silicone based leave-ins, but honestly, I’ve never had anything as ridiculous as red hair dye plaguing my existence. So, what happened exactly? Well, it’s actually pretty simple.

I first want to say that I take very good care of my hair. I use the best argan oil treatment, and I make sure it’s always shiny and soft. I really am on top of it, so you can understand my surprise and shock when I washed my hair for the first time and found that the red had almost completely faded. A quick look at the shower floor revealed something that was clearly out of a horror movie, not going to lie, so I did some research to help me figure out what on earth was going on.

Red Hair – Why it Fades so Quickly

Like I said, I use a lot of argon hair oil, and you know what? I thought that should leave my hair in pretty good shape, all things considered. Here’s the problem: red is big. No, I don’t mean that it’s big in terms of the way it stands out, though let’s be honest, it is. What I’m talking about is the particles, or molecules, if you will. The red hair molecule is the largest dye molecule there is, so it’s going to slip out of the hair much faster.

That said, it’s probably going to take more than one attempt to get it to stick. Is it, unfortunately? Absolutely, but hey, physics. The good news is that it’s not just you that are having this problem – it’s very common, and most people, regardless of their hair type, is going to end up dealing with it. Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do, other than switching to a different color. You want that red, and you deserve to keep that red. Read on to learn a few methods of keeping the red color and keeping your hair in good shape. It’s going to fade eventually, without a doubt, but you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to keep it up.

Hold off on Washing

A common question that we see, is how long an individual should be waiting to wash their hair after they do a red color treatment. The answer is as long as possible. The objective here is to let the cuticle close and remain closed as long as possible. Once you shampoo, the water will swell the cuticle, and shampoo roughs it up. As you do this, you’re going to lose those red dye molecules pretty quickly, which means you really need to wait up to three days before you wash your hair. Your solution? Dry shampoo. Don’t worry, it’s inexpensive and it keeps your hair in great shape.

Try Cold Water

That’s right, you can solve a lot of your problems by switching to cold water as opposed to washing with hot. Here’s the thing: when you wash your hair with hot water you’re steaming the color right out, so while it might be a bit uncomfortable, a cold shower is always going to be in order if you’re trying to rock red hair. Remember, a cool rinse will close the cuticle and keep your red hair nice and shiny. Keeping the red hair definitely presents a challenge but it’s also not impossible. Use our tips to get the best results and longevity for your red hair – they’re some extra steps, but they’re well worth it.

This article first appeared on HSI Professional

With summer quickly fading away and fall approaching,  it's time to start boosting your color care. Here we share the top 16 most surprising ways you're ruining your dyed strands (and wasting money) without realizing it.

1, Styling Your Hair Every Day
Andrew Carruthers, director of education for Sam Villa, warns that excessive heat, which usually comes from styling, can destroy the molecules in hair color. “Color fading increased dramatically as the industry introduced higher heat irons,” he says, adding that you should look for tools that only reach a safe temperature for color-treated hair.

2. Washing Your Hair Too Often
Because the chemicals in hair color make your hair more vulnerable to water, Maddison Cave, colorist at the Rita Hazan Salon in New York City, explains that you should avoid excessive rinsing. “Try washing your hair every other day or even every three days if you don’t get oily,” she says, also recommending using dry shampoo in between washes to keep it feeling clean.

3. Using Harsh Shampoo
Nelson Chan, celebrity stylist and founder of Nelson j Natural Salon in Beverly Hills, explains that the ingredients in shampoos and conditioners that contain sulfates and salts are often doing a number on your colored hair. “The solution is to look for sulfate-free and color-safe shampoos,” he says, adding that co-wash shampoos and non-foaming hair cleansers will also be the best for colored hair. “Try to mix conditioner with your shampoo to create a milder cleanser.”

4. Not Using a Thermal Protectant
Jim Markham, celebrity stylist and founder of ColorProof, says that heat protection is an absolute must if you’re using hot tools. “Heat styling can fry the cuticle, leaving hair frazzled, dry, damaged and broken over time.” Be sure to reach for a heat protectant every time you style to keep your color from fading and your hues looking bright.

5. Not Applying a Deep Conditioner Before Swimming
John Barrett, celebrity stylist and owner of the eponymous salon, explains that while wetting your hair before jumping into a pool filled with chlorine is a good option to prevent absorption and color fading, he says that applying a deep conditioner to your whole head before swimming is a great way to maximize color protection and stop any color altering.

6. Not Sealing Your Cuticles Before Washing
“Besides using sulfate-free/co-wash shampoo, apply coconut oil on the ends of your hair before shampooing to protect harsh water and shampoo from stripping your hair color,” advises Chan.

7. Never Using a Hair Mask
Celebrity hairstylist Ricardo Rojas says that after your hair has been exposed to the sun and/or chlorine, it's crucial to nourish it at it's most fragile state. "I like to do a nourishing jasmine or coconut hair mask every three weeks for my clients during the summer months.”  If you don't have enough time to dedicate to a mask, reach for a hair oil formulated with argan oil for the same effect minus the time commitment (apply it to damp or dry hair and style as usual).

8. Not Rinsing Chlorine Out of Your Hair Before Drying
“Chlorine must be removed from hair before it dries,” says Carruthers, adding that once it’s dry, the chlorine bonds to the hair and it very difficult to remove. “If possible, hair should be rinsed with clean water before the chlorine water has a chance to dry.”

9. Dying Your Hair Red
“When considering which hues to dye your hair, maybe reconsider red,” advises Cave, explaining that while it’s glamorous, if it’s not your natural tone, the artificial red pigments tend to leave strands the fastest.

10. Failing to Apply a Leave-In Treatment Before Outdoor Activity
Chan explains that outdoor activities will fade hair color just like heat styling will, so creating a custom leave-in treatment to seal cuticles to lock in hair color before spending the day outdoors or styling is your best bet. “Mix 2 ounces of lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of coconut oil and 0.25 ounces of your favorite conditioner,” he says, adding that we should apply this treatment on hair before and after we go in the sun, and before we start heat styling to keep color intact.

11. Washing With Hot Water
“Even if you are using the perfect shampoo for your hair type, water is a big contributor to fading,” explains Cave, adding that when washing your hair, the cooler the water temperature the better.

12. Using Alcohol-Based Products
Cave warns against using styling products with alcohol listed as one of the main ingredients, explaining that it can quickly dry your hair out, making the color fade much faster.

13. Not Applying Sunscreen to Hair
“The sun produces harmful UVA/UVB rays, which can burn and damage hair drastically while also fading your color,” explains Markham. Chan adds that to keep strands and color protected, you can either wet your hair in the shower first and apply skin-grade sunblock, or you can use a mixture of 2 teaspoons of zinc with 6 ounces of coconut oil. Apply either one of these solutions to hair before exposing it to the sun or going swimming to keep color safe and thriving.

14. Not Soaking Your Hair Before Diving In
“Human hair is one of the most absorbent materials around,” says Carruthers, who says you should think about a dry sponge versus a wet sponge when it comes to soaking your hair. “When that dry sponge is submerged into chlorine-filled water, how much more of that chlorine will it absorb versus a sponge that has already been saturated with clean water?” Because of this absorbency, Carruthers says to thoroughly soak hair with clean water before jumping into a chlorine-filled pool to keep your hair color vibrant.

15. Not Using a Clarifying Shampoo
Markham explains that once a week, or as often as needed, you should use a clarifying shampoo to give hair a deep-clean of all the impurities your normal shampoos have missed that may cause color fading. If you’re a swimmer or find yourself in chlorine or salt water more often than not, be sure to use this formula two to three times a week. Plus, Markham explains that clarifying shampoos work well for removing hard water minerals, chlorine, medication and unsightly swimmer’s green.

16. Using Shampoos With Pigment
“Shampoos that have color pigment or color-depositing products can alter your dye-job and leave you with less-than-desirable results,” explains Barrett.

This article first appeared on Newbeauty

Coloring your hair is easier than ever before; you don’t need to worry about heading over to the salon – all you need to do is go over to the store, buy a box and get started. It really is that easy, and there is a good chance that the box does not necessarily come with all of the instructions that you need. While this is unfortunate, there are instructions online that you can use to ensure you get the hair done properly.

There are a few things that you will need to do in order to ensure that your hair comes out right whether you have virgin hair, or if you’ve been using an ionic ceramic flat iron for your entire life. The first thing we want to say is that if you happen to be getting a keratin treatment, then it would be best to do so when you color your hair, no question there. Apart from that, there are certainly a few other things that you need to know.

The Importance of Keratin Treatments

Are you planning on getting a keratin treatment? If so, then it’s definitely something you can’t do at home with your ionic ceramic flat iron. That said, you should probably consider getting your keratin treatment at the same time as your hair coloring, as such a treatment should definitely be done as you seal the color into your strands.

Keep your Color Protected

The importance of keeping your color protected simply cannot be overstated. Your first instinct is probably going to be to buy some shampoo, and while this is a great first step, it should ONLY be the first step. One of the best things you can do is use a color treated shampoo and conditioner specially formulated for your hair, and you should also be making use of a color protecting styling spray. A UV spray will also be in order, as UV rays can easily fade the color of your hair, leading to you visit the salon more often. The right products, however, can keep your hair color intact, and keep you from spending more money than you have to.

Root Touch Ups are Key

A root touch up can keep your hair in great shape as well, and you have several choices here. You could head to the salon, or you could buy a home kit. Either way, you’ll be able to keep your color in good shape and your hair healthy.

Avoid Products with These Ingredients

If you have a ceramic iron at home, there is a good chance that you’ve tried all kinds of different products to get your hair to come out looking amazing. Well, if you’re going to color your hair, there are certainly a few that you should be doing your best to avoid and we’re going to go over them one by one:
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•     Ammonia
•     Coal
•     Tar
•     Acetate

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While these might seem relatively harmless, they can cause serious problems. Ammonia, for example, can dry out your hair and the others can cause considerable harm. Finally, before you start coloring your hair, make sure that your hair is dirty. Okay, that might sound a little bit silly, but let us explain. Clean hair is typically too slippery, and color holds better to dirty hair.

Also remember that if you wash your hair before coloring, the dye/bleach may burn your scalp as you won’t have the natural oils to protect it. There are a ton of reasons to keep your hair protected, from the use of ceramic flat irons all the way to serums, so don’t settle for just one thing – keep doing research and keep your hair looking great!
 

This article first appeared on HSI Professional

Celeb Colorist Debunks Myths
by Dory Larrabee-Zayas, Beauty Director
 
I’ve been coloring my hair for the past 15 years. So many women rely on hair dye to cover grays, add dimension and brighten your base, but there are also a lot of scary notions out there that just aren’t true!

Hair color doesn’t have to be scary! Whether you want to add lowlights, highlights or dramatically change your shade, it CAN be an easy and seamless process. And summer is the perfect time to try something new!  There is a lot of misinformation out there, so we enlisted the help of Global Redken Artist Sean Godard to set the record straight. He’s breaking down the true story on hair color myths and misconceptions!

“HAIR MYTH #1: “COLORING YOUR HAIR WILL LEAVE YOUR STRANDS DRY AND BRITTLE”
Fiction! Colored hair has more shine and condition compared to uncolored strands. This is especially true if a client has had a gloss service. Generally, the only color that will make your hair feel dry and brittle is when using a lightener to strip the color.  You can also combat that with weekly mask treatments.

“HAIR MYTH #2: “CONSTANT HAIRCOLORING STRIPS AWAY SHINE”
Fiction!  Constantly coloring hair the same shade over time leaves the hair shiny and reflective. This is why a demi-permanent hair color that delivers color, shine, and condition, is our best friend.

“HAIR MYTH #3: “COLOR PROTECTING SHAMPOOS DON’T REALLY DO ANYTHING”
Fiction!  Do a swatch test using color-protective versus non-color protective shampoos and the results will be apparent. The UV filters and ceramides found in the shampoo’s formula are crucial for color protection.”

“HAIR MYTH #4: “HAIRCOLOR ADHERES BETTER TO FRESHLY WASHED HAIR”
Fact!  Let’s kill the myth that dirty hair is better. Fresh hair will color better with more even results, better gray coverage, and increased longevity. “Dirty” hair is only good if you are going to be doing a global lightening like highlights. The natural oils will help protect the scalp from being agitated from the lightener.

“HAIR MYTH #5: “IF YOU WASH YOUR HAIR WITHIN 24 HOURS OF COLORING, THE HAIRCOLOR WILL FADE DRASTICALLY”
Fiction!  Once the color reaches its maximum processing time, the chemical process stops, and yes, with continued shampooing it will eventually fade, but there will be no difference between waiting three hours or waiting 24 hours post-service.
 
This article first appeared on Hollywood Life

Pink-hued dreams.

Just when you thought nothing could get cooler than having a rose gold iPhone, rose gold hair is coming in strong. #RoseGoldHair is the newest cool-girl hair color trend to blow up all over Instagram and I can't stop staring. If you're completely over denim hair, rainbow bangs, or cinnamon swirl hair, and onto the next, I'd say this is one of the most wearable trends out of the bunch because it says, "My hair is fabulous and you know it," in a subtle way. 

Whether you want to dye your entire head of hair, play with streaks, coat your ends, or even do a two-tone gradient, this color is pure (rose) gold. 

Click on the photo below for more gorgeous rosy-tinted tresses.  Warning: You're going to want to dye your hair rose gold for the first time in your life: ​
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