3 ways to lighten up: how to style your coloured hair
Thinking about shaking up your style this year? 2019 is shaping up to be the year for a new hue. Blonde, pastels and silver have graced the head of celebrities, your favourite influencer, your K-idol bias and people on the street. Whether you’re a pro at colouring your hair or it’s your first time, there are some best practices to styling your hair while preserving your colour.
- Use Olaplex (or something like it).
Olaplex, or a similar bonding treatment, is integral to caring for coloured hair. Bleach strips hair, prepping it for your chosen colour while leaving it prone to breakage.
Using a bonding agent, such as Olaplex, can help stem damage and even repair compromised hair. Olaplex treatments, however, start at the salon with maintenance products available at department stores and Sephora.
And while we’re at it, with a drastic colour change, it’s probably best to opt for a salon visit than play roulette with a DIY session at home with box dye. It will be less stressful, less messy and yield better results!
- Observe your new hair texture and work with it.
Your new colour is probably going to change your hair texture. If you’re bleaching your hair, you may experience “fuller” or textured hair or your curl might be less defined and frizzy. Whatever your situation, observe your hair. You might need to switch up your products or how you style your hair.
Gentle accessories such as wide toothed combs, detangling brushes and snag free hair ties are good ideas if you have thin, fine or bleached hair. Hair masks, either bought or homemade, can provide much-needed moisture. If your curls are wilting, revive them with some heavy conditioner and curl gel.
- Use heat wisely; it can harm your hue.
It’s sad, but true. Heat can fade your hot new colour. Abusing a heat tool–heat on too high, used too often, made with less sophisticated materials–can mean frequent visits to the salon and less money in your pocket.
If you want to preserve your colour, opt for a tool manufactured with modern materials such as titanium, ionic or ceramic plates and barrels. They retain and circulate heat more efficiently than metal resulting in a quick, less damaging styling session. Titanium plates work better for thick, robust hair. If the difference in your hair colour isn’t drastic–think a few shades lighter than your natural colour–try our hair styler or curling wand. Ceramic and ionic plates may work better for damaged, dry and brittle hair as they aren’t as hot nor do they heat up as quickly as titanium-plated hair tools.
A lower temperature and days away from heat will preserve your colour and keep damage at bay. If you’re using heat tools daily, try implementing a few heat-free styling days into your week.
With these three tips, enjoy a colourful 2019!
