Keep Color Treated Natural Hair Healthy

If you’re ready for a change and a new hair color is what you’re after then go for it! You can have healthy color treated natural hair, you just have to take precautions to prevent dryness and breakage.

Opt for darker colors rather than light hair colors

It’s recommended that you go for darker colors rather than lighter colors because they’re not as damaging to hair. When you are making a drastic transition to lighten your hair, it takes a toll on your strands.

However, if you do choose to take the route of dying your hair let’s say a light blonde color consult a professional.  The at home kits are tempting because they are cheap and quickly done, but when you are making such a major change you definitely want a pro to take on this job. Not only does this help protect your hair from damage but they can get the hair color to complement your skin tone better by mixing the colors to find the right blend for you.

Give your hair plenty of moisture

Black hair is already lacking in the moisture department, so you’ll want to make sure you are even more consistent with keeping it moisturized when you decide to color treat your hair. Make sure you avoid sulfate shampoos to avoid stripped hair after washes.  Using a sulfate-free shampoo also helps your color last longer. Deep condition your hair frequently; if you can try to aim for every time you wash your hair. Use a good leave in conditioner and follow with the LOC method. Pay close attention to your ends as they are the oldest and weaker portion of your hair.

Protective Styling to conserve moisture and avoid breakage

Regardless of whether you decide to color treat your hair or not, protective styling should be implemented into your regimen, and after dying hair it’s especially important. If you already have hair that is fragile and is prone to dryness, you will want to keep your hair protectively styled the majority of the time. Also keep in mind the environment as well. If you just recently dyed your hair and it’s exposed to cold winter air it has the potential to easily become brittle. Aim for protective styles at least 80% of the time as this will help you retain more moisture and prevent both split ends and breakage.

If you decide to color your hair yourself here are some quick tips:

• Do not wash your hair before you dye it. The natural oils in your hair protect it during the dying process.
• When you do a retouch to avoid over processing your hair focus your concentration on your roots. Once you have completely covering your roots you can then smooth the dye throughout the rest of your hair.
• Try to extend the time that you go between applying your touch ups to give your hair a much needed break from the chemicals in the dye.