A new haircut or a color change can align perfectly with the carefree spirit of summer. Summer may be an opportunity to experiment with lighter hues or highlights to complement the natural changes to hair that come with exposure to the sun and surf.
Hair care routines after changing colors may require a few additional steps, as weather or stying conditions can contribute to less-than-desireable results, including brassy tones.
According to the hair experts at The Matrix, everyone’s hair has warm colors within. Whenever hair is lightened, underlying gold or red tones become more visible. Hair also may turn brassy because the follicles are porous and can soak up everything from minerals in shower water to pollution or chlorine.
Exposure to chlorine and summer sun can contribute to brassiness, making hair more vulnerable to damage and breakage.
Many people may not know that some hair care products also can contribute to brassiness or bland color. The beauty product review source Beauty Mag warns that shampoos that contain silicones, sulfates, parabens, and coloring can contribute to the problem.
Avoiding hair damage and unwanted color changes comes down to prevention and correction. These tips can make a difference in hair health.
• Wear a swim cap before going into the pool or the ocean to protect against chlorine or salt water, which may leach into hair shafts and cause brittleness and brassy hues. Specialty hair masks to coat tresses also can be effective.
• Stick to the shade when outdoors to avoid having hair fried by exposure to the sun’s UV rays. If that’s not possible, wear a hat or hair products that contain UV protection.
• Determine if the water in your home is “hard,” which means it has high levels of chlorine, metals and minerals in it. Water-softening systems and filters can help mitigate hard water issues. Also, there’s no need to wash hair multiple times a week, which can cause hair dye to fade more quickly.
• Consider highlights over all-over hair lightening/coloring. With highlights, there will be fewer colored portions of your hair and less opportunity for lightened hair to turn brassy. Stylists can add enough highlights to make the total effect appear much brighter.
• Use a toner or correctional “purple” shampoo. Toning products rely on color wheel technology. Opposite colors on the wheel cancel each other out. Orange and yellow (brassy) hues are opposite blue and purple. Therefore, using special shampoos that contain blue and purple pigments will offset brassy hues. Don’t worry, your hair won’t turn violet with recommended use.
Summer hair can retain its vitality and color with some easy steps. Speak with a local stylist about other ways to maintain beautiful hair color all summer long.
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