How to Care for Newly Color Treated Hair

So you want to change your hair color, inspired by your favorite celebrity’s latest hair change. Perhaps you’re still thinking about Kylie Jenner’s epic transition to red or Kaia Gerber’s brief-but-fabulous stint with pink hair. If you’re thinking about giving a statement-making style a go yourself, it’s important to do your research beforehand to make sure you’re prepared for its inevitable upkeep.

What does that entail, you ask? We reached out to some of our favorite hairstylists across the country for their best tips on how to protect and maintain color-treated hair. Keep scrolling to find out what they had to say.

How to maintain and protect color-treated hair

Wait to Wash

“Always wait at least 48 hours after your color services before shampooing your hair,” Rob Peetoom Williamsburg hairstylist Michael Bowman tells GRAZIA. “This gives the hair color time to settle. And I always tell my clients to use a color-preserving shampoo, like Davines MINU Shampoo.”

Keep It Cool

“Rinse with cool water to keep the hair shaft closed and ultimately keep the hair color from fading,” says Hollywood hairstylist Bradley Leake. This is especially important if you want to transition to a vibrant color. “If your hair is more of a natural shade, then it will fade a lot less rapidly.”

Add a Reparative Treatment

“Replenish and repair your hair every time you wash it,” celebrity hairstylist Andrew Fitzsimons tells us. “Coloring your hair is a chemical process, which is inherently damaging and drying. The healthier and more moisturized your hair is, the better it will retain your color. Add a reparative treatment, like TIGI Repair Booster, to your conditioner to help replenish and nourish your color-treated hair.”

How to maintain and protect color-treated hair

Consider a Bond Builder

NYC-based hair colorist Kirsten Stuke suggests “a bond builder like Olaplex,” adding that “these products help rebuild the bonds in your hair that are broken during the color process, heat treatment, and even just from the environment. ”

Limit Sun Exposure 

“It’s important to understand that the hair continues to lighten and fade in the winter months and the summer months,” Phenix Salon Suites founder and hairstylist Gina Rivera notes. “With this in mind, make sure to keep a hat or scarf on hand to limit sun exposure when possible.”

…And Heat

“Heat is the enemy of hair color, so make sure to use a thermal protector like Davines MELU Hair Shield or Liquid Spell to style,” Reverie Salon owner Sal Misseri explains. “Back the temperature settings down on blow dryers and irons if they go over 300 degrees. The heat may speed up styling time, but it will also speed up color fading.”

Keep scrolling to shop some of these expert-approved product picks to protect and maintain color-treated hair.

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DAVINES MINU SHAMPOO, $29 VIA DAVINES. SHOP NOW
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DAVINES MINU CONDITIONER, $33 VIA DAVINES. SHOP NOW
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DAVINES MELU HAIR SHIELD, $37 VIA DAVINES. SHOP NOW
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TIGI COPYRIGHT CUSTOM CARE REPAIR BOOSTER, $15 VIA AMAZON. SHOP NOW
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OLAPLEX NO.3 HAIR PERFECTOR, $28 VIA OLAPLEX. SHOP NOW