Color treated hair, whether you are natural or relaxed, requires extra care.
I always suggest to use semi-permanent hair dye/rinses, henna, indigo, honey, coffee...you see where I am going...Go the Natural route!
BUT some can't find one that works for them and would like a more specific or dramatic color so they opt for Commercial/Chemical Hair Dyes.
IF you dye or would like to dye your hair, keep reading for some tips
- If you are Relaxed, NEVER Color and Relax the same day!!
- Always Relax Before Coloring- You should wait at least 3 weeks after Relaxing your hair to apply color. I suggest waiting 4 weeks
- Start Stretching Your Relaxers- Now that you have TWO chemicals in your hair, it is important to reduce the amount of 1 chemical treatment. You have to pick between the color or the relaxer and I vote for the relaxer
- If you want the color to last, do a Clear RINSE (Semi-permanent Hair Color which has NO peroxide) to seal in the color- This will help reduce the amount of touch-ups you will have to do.
- If you have no experience coloring hair, please go to a trusted Professional- A lot of women use the box dyes at home, but some aren't that successful. I suggest professional dyes because they tend to have a more vibrant color when applied correctly. I've heard great things about Aveda.
- MOISTURE, MOISTURE, MOISTURE and PROTEIN!- You need to keep your hair moisturized at all times. This means more Deep Conditioning Treatments, maybe incorporate Co-Washing and Moisturizing hair day and night. Also, don't forget about Protein treatments. A Hard Core Protein Treatment, such as Aphogee may be needed every 6 weeks if you start to notice damage. If not, a Mild Protein DC should be used at least bi-weekly. ALWAYS follow up a Protein treatment with a Moisturizing DC!
- Use Sulfate Free Shampoos- Shampoos with Sulfate will strip the hair color and may potentially dry out your hair. Opt for Sulfate free Shampoos
- LAY OFF THE DIRECT HEAT!!!!- Blow-drying and Flat-Ironing your hair should be done at the absolute Minimum.
*My bonus tip is to stay away from bleach- I just think this is way too damaging!
Too Scared to Dye?
If you are too scared to dye your hair, like myself, but would like to experiment with colors...try out a different color wigs, half wigs, sew-ins, clip in extensions or some braids.
There is also an option to use colored "spray paint". It washes out and is not damaging like regular dyes.
If you are too scared to dye your hair, like myself, but would like to experiment with colors...try out a different color wigs, half wigs, sew-ins, clip in extensions or some braids.
There is also an option to use colored "spray paint". It washes out and is not damaging like regular dyes.
I've been mulling over the idea of coloring my hair but the idea of double processing scares me! My next relaxer is in December so I may consider coloring it for New Year's. Thanks for the great information!
ReplyDeleteI think with proper care, your hair will be fine.
DeleteThanks for reading!
It's true about the sulfate shampoos, especially with indigo, it makes it fade faster. My natural hair color is horrible, and hideous (which is why I dye) for some reason it doesn't take to color as well as it should, so I need to leave my indigo in for about 4 hours, but it's worth it. Indigo is really good for the hair though, makes it nice and thick and the color looks gorgeous after 24-48 hours of dying. I'm definitely going to opt for a natural shampoo in the future, I'm just not sure where to look.
ReplyDeleteThey really do make indigo fade faster. For a natural shampoo, I was always a fan of Dr. Woods (a milder version of Dr. Bronners) Shea Butter soap. It was great for my skin and hair. But you can find other natural shampoos at Whole Foods.
DeleteI'm going to try leaving Indigo in for 4 hours next time because mine fades pretty fast as well.
Thanks for stopping by!!
I'm going to check that out, thanks! :) I love health stores.
DeleteI started coloring my hair at 13 with my mom's permission using the "spray paint" colors. I felt so super cool & could change up my highlight locations because I found that I could just brush the color out. Then in high school I started using semi-permanent hair dyes and have no desire to go past that. I get to change up my look with a color and always come back to my original hair color after a few washes. My hairdresser recently switched from Jazzing to another brand whose name escapes me right now but the color lasts waaaaaaaayyyyy longer. It's been 4 months now & I'm not sure if I still have red in my hair or if I'm back to my original hair color. It's brown but tends to have a reddish tint when I spend a lot of time in the sun.
ReplyDeleteI've also been doing color at the same time as my relaxer with no problem since it's a semi-permanent rinse.
Oh so you have used spray paint colors? I want to try it out.
DeleteYes, that's the beauty of semi-permanent rinses..you can switch up your hair color, they're healthy for the hair and you can do them the same day as a relaxer!
Thanks for stopping by!!
My first spray painted hair colors were a bright purple and then I had orange for my Jr High prom (orange stars to be exact). lol It wasn't as tacky as it sounds. I swear
DeleteLOL..I believe you.
DeleteNow I really want to try those even if it's only for a day.