With salons till closed, give your coloured hair the most essential care

Colouring your hair boosts confidence and one feels transformed; but coloured hair also needs special care.

Over a period of time, the optimum state of grace of any hair colour fades. The sun's harmful UV rays, pollution, excessive styling, chemical treatments and an incorrect haircare routine, become important concerns.

During this lockdown, Monisha Bhatia, Head of Education, Kerastase India, shares the basic care for coloured hair to help your colour last longer.

Shampoo too often: Wash your hair less frequently. Shampooing twice a week is recommended, although those with oily roots can shampoo more frequently

Over style: Excessive heat will strip away your hair of colour and hydration and lead to dry & damaged hair. To avoid these problems while using hot tools, using a heat protectant product before blow drying or styling is a must! This will help reduce moisture loss, smoothen the cuticles of the hair, and protect from humidity.

Colour your hair at home - If your roots are showing, wear a head band or a scarf.

Wait for your salon to open to get that perfect hair colour.

Be aware of your hair's natural porosity before committing to colour treatments, especially bleach, because it will give you a better idea of the intensity of the treatments you can use. For example, if your hair has higher porosity, I would recommend not to frequently colour and chemically treat the hair, since it's already weak and prone to damage.

Use lukewarm or cool water/ turn down water temperature: Hot water can cause colour to fade sooner. Washing hair with hot water, opens your hair cuticles allowing your colour to wash out sooner.

Use a masque every time you shampoo, and keep it on for 5 minutes - till you finish your shower. A deeply nourishing masque will ensure your colored hair looks and feels healthy. Even if you have fine hair, condition the mid-lengths & ends as they require most care.

Deep conditioning – Apply the masque, make a bun and put on a shower cap. Wash out after 5 minutes. Kerastase masques act fast and go deep because of their advanced formulae

Protect your hair from the sun: UV rays fade hair colour and dehydrate strands. With summer coming up, it's all the more important to preserve your hair colour. Otherwise, your hair colour can turn brassy or dull a lot quicker than if it were to fade naturally. Use a colour protecting leave-in and cover your hair with a scarf/hat when going out in extreme sunlight.

Protect your hair before swimming: Chlorine in the water contains a number of properties that make it unsafe for hair. It dries out the hair fibre causing it to become coarse, brittle, and prone to breakage. For colour-treated hair, the chemicals in pool water can build up and cause hair color to fade easily. Before you get into the pool, apply a protective leave-in, tie up your hair and wear swimming cap.

Rule No1: Always use a colour protecting shampoo and masque

Frequently Coloured or highlighted hair, that is not well looked after can become dull, lose its shine, dry, porous, and eventually brittle depending on the colour process and technique used.

Using a shampoo followed by a masque for colour treated hair is an absolute essential. Additionally, colour-protecting masque, available for both thick hair and fine hair, will add the nourishment your hair needs. Reflection Chromatique Range by Kératase is ideal for coloured hair. The range has two shampoos – Bain Chromatique, a gentle sulfate free formula for coloured, dry hair and Bain Chromatique Riche, a clear shampoo ideal for extremely sensitized, coloured hair.

Blonde highlights or have your hair pre-lightened frequently? Using bleach over a period of time can make your hair feel dry, damaged and rough to touch. To take care of your highlights, I recommend the Kérastase Blond Absolu range. The shampoo has purple & blue pigments that instantly remove brassy and yellow undertones while protecting hair from daily oxidation and pollution, restoring shine and softness. The conditioner Cicaflash is a hybrid conditioner – like an intensely nourishing masque yet lightweight like a conditioner! It has Hyaluronic Acid for deep hydration & anti-oxidant power from Edelweiss flower to instantly heal, smooth, strengthen and soften the sensitized pre- lightened and highlighted hair.

Rule No 2 : Follow the 3 steps for an ideal haircare routine

Cleanse (shampoo),

Care (masque),

Protect (leave-in)

For the 3rd Step oils are great to keep moisture locked in and can restore, soften, and nourish even the most damaged hair over time! Apply a few drops to your hair (dry or damp) everyday mid-length to end for instantly smooth, shiny, tangle free hair with a sensual fragrance.

I recommend the Elixir Ultime L'Huile Rose by Kérastase. It's a leave in oil with a serum like texture that offers multiple benefits. Enriched with super oils - Marula and Camellia & the antioxidant power of imperial tea, it helps in providing lightweight nourishment, protecting the colour from oxidation, while providing 96 hours of frizz control. The Elixir Ultime L'Huile Rose also gives your hair heat protection up to 230 degrees so you can use it before your blowdry or heat styling.