3 Expert Tips for Maintaining Glossy Locks and a Fresh Colour Between Salon Visits

Colouring your hair is an investment, so stretching the time between salon visits by maintaining healthy, shiny locks in a forever-fresh hue will always be the goal. The thing is, often when we have our colour refreshed, it feels bright and bold for the first week before it settles into our perfect colour and, if we’re not careful, it then starts to fade.

It’s frustrating, but there are ways to slow it down and it’s helpful to understand why our colour fades, to figure out how to stop it from happening. According to pro stylist and HASK ambassador, Cassie Russek, there are many potential reasons why your hair colour fades. Everything from how often you wash your hair to the minerals present in your shower water, and the type of colour (for example, permanent or semi-permanent) used to tint or bleach your hair, will all have an effect on it.

Here are Russek’s top three tips for preventing your colour from fading and maintaining glossy locks for as long as possible.

Don’t Rush the Colouring Process

It can be tempting to walk into a salon and request a total overhaul of your look — anyone who has ever been through a breakup in their life will know this feeling all too well. But Russek explains that going slower and embracing the process could help with achieving a colour with longevity. 

“When changing your hair colour significantly, you want to ensure you are filling your hair correctly or it will fade quickly,” she tells POPSUGAR Australia. “It is so important to have that consultation [with your hairdresser] first when making big changes, and be aware that sometimes your hair colour will take more than one visit to achieve your desired shade — that is what keeps your hair healthy, and stops it from fading quickly.” 

In short, patience is key if you want your colour to last.

Avoid Stripping Ingredients

Russek’s top tip for slowing down the fading process is to take a look at the products you have in your shower. “The most common reason [for your hair colour fading] is the shampoo you use”, she explains, adding that shampoos with tea tree oil and anti-dandruff or clarifying formulations are particularly notorious for fading hair colour. “Anyone using shampoo with harsh chemicals will strip their colour — and using a sulphate-free shampoo is very important.”

Russek suggests sticking with the HASK Colour Care range, which is a colour-safe, sulphate-free, paraben-free, silicone-free, and cruelty-free range of products that prevent fading while nourishing the hair with rose oil and peach extracts. She also cautions against using “colour-safe” shampoos at every wash, because they often contain silicones (to be clear, the HASK Colour Care range does not, so is an exception to the rule in this instance), which can weigh down the hair when used too often. 

On the flip side, if you dislike your new hair colour and actually want it to fade or wash out quicker, then opting for shampoos with sulphates, tea tree oil, or clarifying formulations will help speed up the process. 

Optimise Your Hair-Washing Routine

If you’re washing your hair every day but cursing how quickly your hair colour fades between salon visits, we have some bad news for you. Russek gives it to us straight: “Skip washing your hair daily.” She adds that increasing the time between washes is the simplest thing you can do to prolong the vibrancy of your hair colour, and when you do wash your hair, try using the HASK Colour Care Collection shampoo and conditioners.

If you also want a little top-up of colour between salon visits and have darker hair, “try the Overtone colour deposit conditioners because they not only deposit colour, but they also keep your hair SO SHINY”, says Russek. She also stresses that nourishing your hair and keeping it healthy and hydrated will go a long way to keeping your colour fresh, as will avoiding drying ingredients in your hair-care products, like alcohol, and being wary of chlorinated pools. “Always keep your hair hydrated by using a leave-in conditioner such as the HASK Argan Oil 5-in-1 Leave-In Spray and consider using a deep conditioner to offer additional hydration.” 

Once you have your washing routine locked down, thinking about how you style your hair is the next step. In short: use a heat protectant any time you heat style your hair. Russek loves the HASK Keratin Protein 5-in-1 Leave-In Spray.

If you’re looking for a full range of hair products that are specially designed to keep your colour bold and fresh, try the HASK Colour Care range. Your hair will thank you for it.