10 Rules to be a colour queen
01 Consider your hair type
When trying to achieve a bold hair colour, your hair texture plays a big role. If you have fine hair, always pre-lighten your hair colour by using a peroxide formula, then deposit the bold shade of choice. See a pro so that it gets done properly.
02 Coloured and chemically-treated hair can be fragile
Frequent colouring, UV rays, water and friction can leave it feeling even more fragile, and leave you with a sensitive scalp. Always use a sulphatefree shampoo, which is gentle on hair and non-foaming, that protects your colour, as sulphates tend to strip hair of its colour and leave your hair looking dull.
03 Cut off damage
Adding bleach to fragile, dry or chemically-treated hair can cause breakage. If that’s happened to you, go to a salon to cut the weakest part of your strands because bleached and damaged hair can’t be repaired.
04 Go ombré on relaxed hair
An ombré look allows your roots to not come into contact with chemicals, preserving the hair for your following relaxer treatment.
05 Go semipermanent
When choosing a DIY colour, go for a semi-permanent dye from a reputable brand.
06 Deep condition
A weekly treatment restores and maintains the moisture in your hair. Colour-treated hair that’s starting to feel dry and slightly damaged can be rescued with a deep conditioner for restoring lost moisture, making it feel and look healthy and moisturised.
07 Avoid covering grey with red
Warm red tones can turn grey hair orange when the colour starts to fade. The colour will also fade quicker.
08 Learn to DIY
A few simple tricks will make athome treatments easy. Always use a petroleum jelly around the hairline and your ears before applying colour. If you’ve previously coloured your hair a different colour, the result might not be as portrayed on the box. Buy two boxes, in case you run out, and ask a friend to help with the areas you can’t see.
09 Stay away from heat
Heat can fade colour, so use a heat protectant – it creates a barrier between the heat and the strands.
10 Pamper your locks
Pre-treat your hair before you wash it. Melt a good amount of hair food in the microwave, so that it turns into a warm oil. Massage it into the scalp, place a shower cap on to cover the hair and leave it on for 15-20 mins.