All the tricks to make your colored hair stronger and healthier

By Danae Mercer

From special shampoos to home-made hair masks, here’s everything you need to know to keep your treated hair happy

I have been dying my hair since I was 15 years old. Add in swimming, the ocean, the sun, and Dubai’s feisty summer temperatures, and these days my hair is feeling a bit more brittle than Barbie. So what’s the secret to healthier treated hair?

To sort out all the salon secrets (both at home and in the professional’s chair), I spoke with Cat, Tips and Toes Hair Artistic Director. Here’s what she said.

Get a special shampoo if you’ve colored your hair.

Really. Go for something that’s sulphate-free, as it will keep the color locked in while maintaining the pH balance. Try Schwarzkopf Bonacure Color Freeze shampoo and conditioner for colored but not super processed hair, or the brand’s treatment masque for extra dry hair.

Have a deep treatment anytime you go in for a color.

“During the coloring process, the cuticle is opened. This leads it to feel dry,” she says. Having a treatment right away helps add protein and moisture back, and close the cuticle to keep the hair feeling healthy.

You might not need a trim every six weeks.

This really depends on your hair, explains Cat. “If it’s shorter, I have clients that come in every two weeks. I also have clients that come in every 12 weeks with long hair, but they regularly treat their hair and it’s healthy.” The more you color or add chemicals to your hair, the more you should visit the salon as the ends will split.

Maybe skip the mayonnaise or avocado at home.

“I’m all for natural products, but I’m not sure what benefits putting mayonnaise on the hair would have, except making it heavy and greasy,” says Cat. Try things specifically sold for deep treating, like Schwarzkopf, Oribe, Olaplex and Kérastase. “These have years of testing to make a difference on hair.”

Use a leave-in conditioner after every wash.

Then add in a leave-in conditioning spray as well. “It makes the hair look so much healthier.”