8 Do's & Don'ts: Vivid Hair Maintenance

I would like to start off on a good note by saying vivid hair is not only super fun to have, but it literally can make you feel powerful. Like any dramatic hair change, it can leave us super confident and have you feeling like the majestic creature that you are! I get endless compliments on my hair no matter where i go. Ask Leslie, she has had her hair for about 3 weeks now and receives compliments daily. She is LOVING IT. Once you go vivid its almost hard to picture going back to a color that isn't on the spectrum. Vivid hair can easily be the most fun thing you can do to your hair, but it also isn't for everyone. It requires lots of up-keep and many sacrifices that some people may not be down for. As a hairstylist it is very important for me to be real with you guys, so brace yourselves for one brutally honest hair care.

1. Bye-Bye Daily Hair Washes

Say goodbye to daily hair washing / every other day washing. This is the biggest factor in your fade out, you cannot I repeat CANNOT wash your hair this often and expect it to remain vibrant. Pastel tones are extremely temporary and can fade out in 2-3 washes, I recommend going a little darker than your desired tone so you can get your money's worth with the longevity of your color. I've explained to my clients that your scalp gets oily the more you wash it. The more washes you do the more oils your scalp produces. The less you wash your hair, the less oils you produce. So become familiar with dry shampoo because it will save you big time!

2. COOL WATER

If you want to try something bold, yet subtle I'd strongly recommend pastels! This goes for any colored hair, silver tones, pastels, and vivids. So let's get technical for a second. Semi-permanent hair color lays on top of your Hair cuticle, it does not fully penetrate your hair shaft. Hot water opens up your hair cuticle and releases pigment on its own, resulting in your hair color fading when you wash it. Cool water helps maintain our hair cuticle closed and also promotes less frizz when you dry. I personally enjoy hot showers. So I generally keep my hair up in a treatment, let my body warm up then do a back bend into the cold water and try not to die. I'd like to think the agonizing piercing of cold water down my spine builds character lol.

3. DRY SHAMPOO

Meet your new best friend . What is dry shampoo? Dry shampoo is a dry powder like substance that requires no water. It is either in aerosol form or you can buy it in powder form and just sprinkle it on your roots. What it does is helps soak up any excess oils on your scalp and creates a matte looking root. Which can push your shampoo day an extra couple days. It also has a good smell to help make your head smell as clean as possible. Depending how gross you are (like me) you can go up to a full week without washing your hair.

4. HYDRATION.

It is so important to hydrate lightened hair. Having lighter hair does change your texture a little bit so it is important to put that extra moisture in by using products such as: Leave in conditioner, hair oils/seem and heat protectant. These are key to keeping your hair as healthy as possible, especially to preserve length.

5. GOOD HAIR NEEDS GOOD PRODUCTS

Can't stress this enough. If you are gonna pay 150+ on getting your hair done you cannot use suave and think that your color is gonna stay. I mean this in the nicest way possible. Sometimes i have clients complain about their color fading and i ask them what they use and it's something from the grocery store. A lot of drugstore brand hair products have any sulfates/detergents that are meant for scalp cleansing but will completely strip your color out and it sucks. Salon quality hair products are a bit pricier it if you just dropped that much money on your hair please be willing to use at home care. I like to use makeup as an example. We pay 30 to 50 dollars on primers and foundation, yet we cringe at the thought of spending that amount on our hair. Hair is just as important and I swear if you try an amazing shampoo and conditioner you will not regret it! You will feel like the hair-flipping model on TV, I swear.

6. BABY TRIMS/HAIR DUSTING

I recommend that every time you get your hair toned look into getting a baby trim and dusting those split ends off. A baby trim is what I like to call it when my clients don't really want length off and just want to clean up the cut and take off only the very ends. Hair "dusting" is when I fold the hair over my fingers and the ends that stick up I trim off. This cuts the spit end off the hair and prevents the rest of the hair from splitting all the way up.

7. HOT TOOLS WILL FADE YOUR HAIR

A lot of straighteners and curling irons have temperatures up to 450-500 degrees, and honestly that is way too hot to be applying on any hair. Pleaaaseeeee turn down your hot tools! It is very important to avoid those sort of damaging temperatures on your hair. I would suggest 300-350 and a heat protectant. I understand depending on the hair texture you may need a little bit more heat but your hair color can evaporate out of the hair depending on the porosity of your hair. I put heat on my hair about once a week. I start the week with tight curls and end the week in loose waves. Works for me and my hair, i enjoy the "lived" in look!

8. OLAPLEX

If you have not heard of it, it is a must in any hair coloring services . What is Olaplex? Olaplex is a bond multiplier, when the hair is lightened you break disulfide bonds in your hair. If you add Olaplex into a your hair coloring services it multiplies your hair bonds to make your hair stronger rather than weaker. As a hair stylist I would highly recommend this to keep your hair strong during any change. You will see and feel the difference. Ask your stylist about olaplex!

Doing these 8 things will help keep your hair color from fading while still trying to keep it healthy! I hope this helped shine some light on hair care and if you still have any lingering questions regarding your own hair feel free to ask away!