Color-treated hair is an investment — in time, money, and the specific look you've worked out with your stylist. The frustrating part is that most color fades not because of bad technique, but because of what happens in the weeks after the appointment. Daily washing, heat styling, sun exposure, and the wrong products can undo weeks of work surprisingly fast.
The good news: with the right routine, your color can stay vibrant significantly longer between appointments. Here's what actually makes a difference.
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1. Wait 48 to 72 Hours Before the First Wash
This is the most overlooked step in color maintenance. After a color service, the cuticle is still slightly open and the dye molecules are still settling into the hair shaft. Washing too soon — especially with hot water — rinses color out before it's fully locked in.
Wait at least 48 to 72 hours after your appointment before shampooing. This applies to all types of color: single-process tint, highlights, balayage, and fashion shades.
2. Switch to a Color-Safe Shampoo
Sulfate-based shampoos are effective cleansers, but they're too aggressive for color-treated hair. Sulfates strip the natural oils that protect the cuticle and accelerate color fading with every wash.
Switch to a sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo. These clean effectively without the harsh detergent action that pulls pigment out of the hair shaft. If you have cool-toned color (ash, platinum, silver, violet), a purple or blue toning shampoo used once a week helps neutralize brassiness and extends the life of your tone.
3. Wash Less Often
Frequency matters more than product alone. The more often you wash, the faster color fades — regardless of what shampoo you use. If you're currently washing daily, try shifting to every other day or every two days.
Between washes, dry shampoo can absorb oil at the roots without stripping color from the lengths. This is especially helpful for finer hair that tends to look oily quickly.
4. Use Cool or Lukewarm Water
Hot water opens the hair cuticle, which lets color molecules escape faster. Rinsing with cool or lukewarm water keeps the cuticle tighter and helps color last longer.
This applies especially to the final rinse. Even if you shampoo with warm water, finishing with a cool rinse makes a measurable difference in how quickly tone fades — and it adds visible shine.
5. Deep Condition Regularly
Color-treated hair is more porous than untreated hair, which means it absorbs and releases moisture unevenly. This porosity is what causes fading, brassiness, and dullness between appointments. Regular deep conditioning keeps the cuticle smooth and reduces porosity over time.
Use a deep conditioning mask at home once a week. For more intensive repair — especially if your hair has been lightened significantly — ask about adding a deep conditioning or bond treatment at your next salon appointment. These penetrate further than at-home masks and restore the internal structure that chemical processing disrupts.
6. Protect Hair From Heat
Heat styling accelerates color fade and causes damage that makes the hair shaft more porous — which in turn speeds up future fading. Every heat tool application without protection compounds the problem.
Rules that help:
- Always apply a heat protectant before blow-drying, flat ironing, or using a curling iron
- Use the lowest effective temperature setting — you don't need 450°F for most hair types
- Air-dry when you can, especially on days you're not going out
If your color-treated hair is also heat-styled regularly, a bond treatment is worth adding to your maintenance routine to rebuild what the combination of chemical and heat processing has disrupted.
7. Limit Sun Exposure
UV rays break down hair color the same way they fade fabric over time. In Colorado, where UV exposure is higher at altitude, this matters year-round — not just in summer.
Practical ways to protect color from sun:
- Wear a hat when you're outside for extended periods
- Use a UV-protective hair product or leave-in spray on high-exposure days
- Plan outdoor activities before your next color appointment, not right after
Lightened and blonde hair is most vulnerable to UV-driven brassiness and warmth. A toner or gloss service between color appointments can neutralize this and refresh your tone without a full recolor.
8. Know When to Come In for a Refresh
Even with a perfect at-home routine, color needs professional attention on a schedule. Here's a general guide:
- Single-process tint / root touch-up: Every 4 to 6 weeks, depending on how fast your hair grows and how visible regrowth is
- Full highlights or balayage: Every 8 to 12 weeks; balayage is more forgiving on regrowth lines
- Toner or gloss refresh: Every 4 to 6 weeks if you have cool-toned color that warms up quickly
- Bond or conditioning treatment: Every 4 to 8 weeks for heavily processed hair
If you're unsure what schedule makes sense for your specific color, ask your stylist at your next appointment. The goal is to catch color before it fades past the point where a simple refresh can fix it. For more on trim scheduling alongside color maintenance, see our guide to how often to get haircuts for hair health.
9. Avoid Chlorine and Hard Water
Chlorine from pools and hot tubs can dramatically alter color — especially on lightened hair, which it can turn green or brassy. If you swim regularly, apply a leave-in conditioner before getting in the water and rinse immediately after.
Hard water, which is common in many parts of Colorado, deposits minerals on the hair shaft that dull color and increase brassiness over time. A chelating shampoo used once a month helps strip mineral buildup and restore clarity to your color.
Book a Color Appointment in Lone Tree
Burman & Co is a stylish, color-focused salon offering cuts, highlights, and keratin treatments in Lone Tree, Colorado. Whether you need a root touch-up, a full color service, or a toner refresh, our team will help you get the most out of every appointment.
Visit us: 8353 Willow St C1, Lone Tree, CO 80124
Call: (303) 706-9626
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