Nobody ever says to a woman with red hair, "You look absolutely beautiful brassy." And we bet a blonde would rather stuff her strands under a baseball cap before flaunting dry and frizzy hair. And these are just a few of the hair color woes women face, specifically during the summer months.
Avoiding the heat and humidity is practically impossible when the sun is blazing hot, so we asked colorist Meg Sanchez-Hartigan of the Marie Robinson Salon to share her top tips on how to keep hair color vibrant and healthy.
Put a cover-up... on your hair
The biggest summer haircare mistake is over-exposure to the sun. If your hair is highlighted, the sun will accelerate the lightening process, which can fry the hair a bit. Take care to wear hats or cover hair up with a scarf as often as possible. Dark hair will also lighten in the sun, although it will more likely go through more brassy or red tone stages. So the same rules apply for keeping the hair out of direct sunlight for too long. Products with SPF can't hurt, but it's the same as with your skin: Even if you have it in your hair.
Going green can be a really bad thing
Getting mineral or chlorine deposits while swimming is another common mistake. Pools and hard water with harsh minerals will cast a green hue over the hair, and the blonder the hair, the more noticeable the green. There are shampoos on the market that help to wash away mineral build-up, but it won't get rid of the green. Visit your stylist for a treatment like Redken Pre Art to remove copper and iron and regain even hair color.
Make gloss your best friend, brunettes and redheads
Women with brown and red hair colors should be wary of getting brassy. Go into your salon at least one time in between your usual color appointment to get a gloss treatment as a refresher and shine enhancer.
Take a cold plunge when shampooing
Choosing the temperature of the water you use to shampoo should mimic the rules of doing laundry: the colder the water, the more the color sticks to your hair. At least one shot of cold water at the end of your shower makes your hair shinier because it seals the cuticle -- colder water is never a bad idea.
No time to bust suds? Grab the conditioner
Salt water will give the hair a lot of awesome t texture, but it can also dry the hair out. So even if you're not washing your hair running your conditioner or even a very moisturizing styling creme like Oribe Supershine through your hair will help keep it feeling smooth. You can also use dry shampoo to refresh frizzy hair and keep it looking clean and nice.
Treat sun and water damage in baby steps
Sun-damaged hair really takes the same treatment as over-processed hair -- you can treat it gradually by getting little trims to dust off the frayed ends, using glosses to tone out the brassiness and restoring moisture with conditioning treatments.
How do you summer-proof your color-treated hair?
Meanwhile, stay safe in the sun with our SPF product guide:
Sunscreen Shopping Guide
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