If you have ever colored your hair before, you know how beautiful it is on the first day. However, after a while, your hair color starts to fade with each wash. Chlorine, salt water, and the sun can only speed up the process. Well, what if we told you this doesn’t have to happen? You can keep your hair color vibrant all summer if you follow some rules. In the rest of this article, we’ll cover some tips for keeping your hair shiny and your color intact.

#1 Keep your hair away from chlorine

Summertime swimming is a must, but swimming in the pool can quickly dull your color vibrancy. And you don’t want that since you probably spent hours picking out the perfect hair color for you and waiting for your dream to become a reality.

Because chlorine is a bleach, it will remove the color from your hair in no time. And that’s not all. Your beautiful blonde hair may become green after some time, while other hues may lose their highlights and appear bland. Pull your hair back into a bun if you intend to lounge by the pool. However, if you want to get your hair wet, soak it in clean, non-chlorinated water first. Since hair is porous, taking a brief shower or rinsing it out can help your hair absorb more clean water and less chlorine. After you swim, you should wash your hair with a professional color-preserving shampoo right away.

#2 Protect your hair from the sun

As you know, spending too much time in the sun without SPF is terrible for your skin. However, did you know it’s also bad for your hair? If you’re not careful, time in the sun can cause split ends and dry hair.

Coconut oil has a natural SPF of around 6, which is insufficient for your skin, but it makes the ideal poolside hair protectant and moisturizing treatment. It will help preserve the moisture in your hair and stop fading. So, if you want to lay around in the sun, consider doing so while giving your hair conditioning treatment with coconut oil.

Another option for you is to wear a hat while outside to protect your hair from the sun’s rays. It might be more practical than putting coconut oil every time you go out, but it’s not as effective.

#3 Eat healthily

While it may not seem a big deal, your diet dramatically impacts your hair. The more nutrients you take in, the shinier, the better-looking your hair will be. So, this summer, don’t rely entirely on junk food. Instead, try to take care of nutrition and eat foods that will give you the energy and vitamins your body needs.

When you’re on the beach all day, it might not sound fun to plan your meals or bring a salad with you. However, meal prepping and careful planning will go a long way. It’s much better than surviving the whole summer on chips and whatever people are selling on the beach stands.

#4 Use the right shampoo

To keep your hair color vibrant all summer, you must use shampoo and conditioner made particularly for color-treated hair. There are products made expressly to maintain the freshness of each hue. For example, sulfate-free products are best for redheads. On the other hand, purple shampoos will take away any green and yellow tinges from blonde hair.

Moreover, don’t forget about the deep-care hair mask. You should deep condition once a week to help your hair heal and hydrate. Finally, don’t use hot water when you wash out the conditioner or hair mask. Instead, go with lukewarm to cold water for that final rinse.

#5 Try vinegar rinse

Aside from rinsing your hair with cold water, some experts suggest using vinegar to seal cuticles. It should give your hair shine as you’ve never seen before. To try it out, you need to fill a gallon of cool water with a cap or so of vinegar. Then, pour it over your head. Do this only once a week, so you don’t go overboard.

#6 Let your hair air dry

As we already said, if you want your hair to be healthy and shiny, you should avoid using heat on it. By bypassing the blow dryer and allowing your strands to dry naturally, you will notice a difference in the quality of your hair. Avoiding too much heat reduces the chance of those cuticles opening up and the color molecules fading.

However, sometimes a little heat is unavoidable, especially if you want to achieve a particular hairstyle. One thing you should always have in mind is that many hairstyles don’t involve heat. For example, most popular tufted hairstyles don’t require heat curlers or anything like that.

In the end, if you do have to blow dry your hair, make sure you do it in the right way. To untangle wet hair, use a gentle comb. Then use heat protection sprays or masks to prime your hair for drying. Next, turn your blow dryer to its coldest setting, and make sure to dry your hair while keeping the dryer away from your strands. Your hair will be grateful you did this instead of putting the dryer on the highest setting and frying it.

In conclusion

Most hair appointments last for hours. Once you’re out of the salon chair, you probably don’t want to throw away all that time and money you put into your hair. That’s why you need to take good care of your hair. To keep your hair color vibrant all summer, you must protect it from heat and chemicals. It might not seem easy, but it will be worth it. Don’t let one moment of laziness destroy the hair you’ve worked so hard on.

Meta: Want to keep your hair color vibrant all summer? Try the following tips and hacks to get the best result and keep your hair shiny!

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