Fight the fade
KATIE WRIGHT UNCOVERS SOME EXPERT TIPS TO KEEP YOUR HAIR LOOKING VIBRANT ALL SUMMER LONG
WHILE there’s a lot to love about summer holidays – like lie-ins, lazy beach days and spamming your friends with envy-inducing Instagram posts – there’s one downside: even the brightest of hair colours can be ravaged by all all that sun, sea and sand.
“When we think of the sun damaging coloured hair, we immediately think of the effect on blonde hair, but in reality, all colours are prone to fade and this can be disastrous for redheads and brunettes too,” says Maria Kovacs, Tigi European session director.
So what do you do – just whack on a heat-protection spray and hope for the best? Actually, there’s a lot more you can do to keep your colour looking vibrant and your locks healthy, starting before you jet off. Here are the experts’ top tips for fighting the fade...
1 DON’T DYE BEFORE YOU FLY
“HAVE your hair coloured eight to 15 days before departure on holiday,” says hair colourist Christophe Robin.
“Or else opt for a very minimal ‘tie and dye’, or highlights on just a few strands around your face.”
2 CHOOSE YOUR COLOUR CAREFULLY
“EXCESSIVE colour fade comes from damaged hair,” advises Sophia Hilton, founder of Not Another Salon.
“Prevention is better than cure. We use INNOluxe in all our colours, to protect at the same time to stop this. My advice is to make sure your colourist is using something to protect your hair.”
3 DON’T WASH YOUR HAIR EVERY DAY “IF YOU can avoid daily washing, it is preferable for coloured hair. Just get used to spritzing with dry shampoo on no-wash days and you’ll see a difference,” says Kerrie O’Reilly, TIGI Academy technical director.
4 WETTER HAIR IS BETTER “HAIR is like a sponge, so if you don’t have any swim protection cream, just drench it with fresh water from the shower or even a bottle before you go in the sea or pool,” suggests Paul Dennison, hair colourist at Ken Picton Salon. “The water effectively fills the gaps in the keratin, so the salt or chlorinated water can’t get in as much.”
5 RINSE WITH COOL WATER CELEBRITY hairstylist Phil Smith says: “I always advise clients to avoid rinsing hair with hot water; instead opt for cold water as this helps to preserve the hair dye. Washing with hot water opens the pores and allows the dye to escape.”
6 BE GENTLE WHEN TOWEL-DRYING
“TOWEL-DRYING your hair is yet another way to make colour fade fast,” Smith warns. “It will scrape colour out of the cuticle layer of hair that could already be open from your shower. Try gently blotting the hair and let it air-dry as much as you can.” Or, try the AQUIS Lisse Luxe Hair Towel, £30 (aquishair.co.uk), which is made from an extra-soft textile that isn’t as harsh on hair.
7 MAKE YOUR OWN HAIR SUNSCREEN “HAIR sunscreens are really important but if you’re on a budget, add a teaspoon of factor 50 to a small spritz bottle and mix with hot water, then spray in,” says Jack Howard, colourist at Paul Edmonds.
8 DITCH THE HEAT STYLERS “WHEN we use heat on our hair again and again, it begins to damage the outer layer of the hair, meaning colour molecules can escape faster,” says Esther Couchman, salon specialist & technical educator. “Ditch your straighteners and tongs over the summer months and opt to let your hair dry
naturally instead.”
9 INVEST IN HIGH-QUALITY SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER “AIM to keep your colour fresh by using a professional shampoo or conditioner. High street brands may be cheaper but they are often not powerful enough to maintain colour to a noticeable standard,” say the pros at Taylor Taylor salon.
10 USE PROTECTION
“APPLYING a water-resistant cream that contains a UV filter will help prevent colour change when you’re in the sun or swimming in the sea or pool,” says Anabel Kingsley, trichologist at Philip Kingsley. “To additionally prevent colour change, wear a wide-brimmed hat or sit under a beach umbrella.”