AFTER CARE

• A general after-care rule of thumb is to shampoo & condition every 2 - 3 days. If you can go longer, do! 

• Shampooing every day is going to dry out your hair and scalp - avoid it if you can. Over-cleansing can even cause your scalp to over-produce oils... making your hair look and feel dirty.

• Consider investing in a professional dry shampoo, dry shampoo powder, or a hair purifying spray if you find yourself really visibly needing to shampoo daily. Sometimes we need to reset our scalp; these products will help absorb oils and stretch out how frequently you're needing to shampoo.

• If you're struggling with your shampoo schedule, your stylist will be happy to help direct you - just ask!

• Curl-specific professional products are a game-changer. If you aren't using them, make the switch ASAP!

• Don't skimp on moisture! We recommend picking up a professional moisture mask and leave-in conditioner to help keep your locks hydrated.

• Avoid shampooing too often - this strips your natural oils and will make your hair frizzy, dry and more unmanageable.

• Avoid heat styling - even blow dryers. If you must use a blow dryer, crack out that leave-in conditioner and make sure you use a diffuser.

• Avoid using a hairbrush and switch to a wide-tooth comb; it won't damage your hair or disrupt your curl pattern.

• Curls are more prone to tangles and knots. Make sure you're regularly having your hair trimmed - damaged hair tangles much easier than healthy hair. Also, consider purchasing a silk pillowcase to help reduce friction in the night.

• Make sure you're protecting your hair investment by using professional products! Drugstore products are full of fillers and low-grade ingredients that are not only bad for your hair, but they also kill the longevity of your colour.

• Pro tip: If you're looking to begin investing in the good stuff, always invest in a shampoo and conditioner first - they're your most important care items. 

• Need products, advice or recommendations? Your stylist/colourist will be happy to help direct you - just ask!

• Always check with your colourist to make sure that pigmented shampoo/conditioner is right for you and your colour before using.

• Never use pigmented products on dry, damaged hair - the hair will unevenly pick up the pigments and you could wind up with darker/spotty hair.

• Don't use purple shampoo more than once a week - overuse can make your blonde appear dull and dark.

• Pigmented products need to be left in for a few minutes before rinsing in order to work. Warm blondes: 1 - 3 minutes; neutral blondes: 3 - 5 minutes; and cool blondes/other vivid colours: 5 - 10 minutes.

•  If you're finding you need to leave your pigmented product in for more than 10 minutes, it's time to head to the salon for a toning/colour fill appointment.

• Stop using pigmented products 1 week prior to your colour appointment. If you're going blonder/lighter at your next appointment, stop 2 weeks prior.

• Always use heat protection.

•  Never turn your heat tools hotter than 350 degrees.

• Never use heat tools if your hair isn't 100% dry - you will utterly and completely trash your hair.

• If possible, try to work with your hair's natural texture, rather than against it.

• Consider investing in an extra product or two for home care; treatment masks are an excellent option!  

• Chlorine is terrible for your colour -  avoid it if you can. If you can't avoid it, consider wearing a bathing cap - especially if you're a blonde.
  
• Make sure you shampoo and condition your hair as soon as possible after swimming. Do NOT skip the conditioner - your hair will need it.
  
• Consider picking up a professional clarifying shampoo to help remove chlorine buildup.

NOOO WASHY!

Wait at least 72 hours before shampooing when you first have your vivid colour done. 

We say this because it can take up to three days for the cuticle layer of your hair to fully close after a colour service. You'll want your cuticles to close because when they do, it traps in the color molecule - this is how your hair holds onto colour.

STAY COOL

Shampoo your hair in cool water – as cold as you can possibly stand it! The reason for this is that hot water opens up the hair’s cuticle. Any time the cuticle opens, it releases the colour molecules. 

FYI, you will still see colour rinsing out... but you won't lose nearly the amount of colour you will if you were to use hot water.

Dry your hair afterwards! Water opens the hair's cuticle, causing the dye molecules to wash out, fade, or bleed. Because vivids are often direct dyes that sit on the surface or in the outer layers of the hair rather than deeply penetrating the cortex, they are highly sensitive to water.  You'll want to shampoo as little as possible, utilize dry shampoo as much as possible and make sure you're drying your hair right away after shampooing to maximize the longevity of your vivid colour. (Make sure you're using heat protective spray!)

PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT

Speaking of shampoo… you MUST use a professional shampoo that is colour-safe. If you don't, you will strip the colour from your hair. Even professional shampoos can cause your hair to fade prematurely if they aren't colour-safe.

If you aren’t purchasing your products from us, check in with your colourist before using any product you’ve obtained elsewhere to make sure it isn’t going to wreck your colour.  

MAKE FRIENDS WITH DRY SHAMPOO

Washing your hair too often is a no-no! With vivids, you don’t want to wet your hair at all, unless it's absolutely necessary.

Aim to shampoo as infrequently as is possible - once a week is ideal, even better if you can stretch it longer. You'll find that your scalp will get used to this new shampooing schedule, and your production of natural oils will adjust. 

Some of us simply just produce more oil than others - if that's you, talk to your colourist about professional products you can use to help stretch out your no-wash days if you feel like you're super grungy all the time. Dry shampoo, for example, is a wonderful thing.

BE CAREFUL WITH PIGMENTED PRODUCTS

There are tons of products out there that contain colour pigment - they are specifically made to help you tone, or even to refresh vivid colours. However! These products may not be right for your colour.

Always clear the use of pigmented shampoos/conditioners/ treatments with your colourist before using them, or you risk wrecking your colour. 

Make sure you run any pigmented products by your colourist before using them!

KEEP YOUR HAIR HEALTHY

Don’t skip conditioner! Moisture is very important for the health of your hair, especially if you’ve got vivids. 

The porosity of your hair determines how well moisture and oils pass in and out of the outer layer of your hair (the cuticle). When hair is damaged, it becomes porous, which means your hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture is diminished.  Your goal is to keep your hair as healthy as possible so that your hair doesn’t become porous. Remember: healthy hair holds colour better. 

CHLORINE IS BAD, M'KAY?

Chlorine is  t e r r i b l e  for your hair even if you don't colour it at all. But to go swimming when you have vivids? You may as well soak your hair in dish soap. 

Bottom line - chlorine will ruin your colour almost immediately, so avoid it completely. If you are a swimmer and absolutely have to have vivid colour, you must always wear a swimming cap, and you must be ok with the fact that your colour just isn't going to last as long.

TOOL RULES

Beyond the blow dryer (which you do need to use), avoid using heat tools completely if you can – they are notorious for causing premature colour-fading. Yes, we're talking flat irons, curling irons, and crimpers.

If you must use heat tools, ensure that you use a professional heat protection product every single time, and make sure you are using the product correctly. Even with heat protection, use your heat tools sparingly and keep the temperature at 180 degrees (or less).  Some blow dryers have a cool setting - if yours has it, use it! If it doesn't, pick up a dryer that does.

UV RAYS AREN'T JUST BAD FOR YOUR SKIN...

UV rays cause all hair colours to fade, but they are especially hard on vivid colours.  Protect your hair from the sun!

Obviously, this is easier said than done because let's face it... we get some sun here. (Just a little, right?) So when you can't just avoid the sun, use a UV protecting professional styling product before you go out.
It doesn't matter if your protecting product is a treatment, cream or hairspray - as long as it has UV protection (and as long as it's colour-safe), you're golden!