How to maintain the red?
Fortunately, there are measures a curly can take to maximize the staying power of her gorgeous ruby locks. Your first line of defense is against the environmental assaults against your hair that occur on a daily basis. The cumulative damage from things like the sun and ozone can be sneaky and profound. A sun hat or pretty scarf goes a long way toward protecting your hair from harmful UV rays, and has the added benefit of also protecting your skin. For daily life and those occasions where a head-covering is not appropriate, there are leave-in products you can apply that have UV-absorbing ingredients in them, which can lessen the impact of the sun. Reducing the amount of heat styling to which your hair is exposed protects its health in multiple ways, and is worthwhile in extending the life of your color as well. Products that contain antioxidants can help protect your hair color from the effects of free-radical forming pollution.
The most important thing you can do to protect your red hair is to limit the frequency that it is saturated with water. This means a swim cap is your friend when at the pool or beach. While perhaps not glamorous according to current conventions, you probably will not regret the decision to use one, especially if you swim daily. Wetting your hair in the shower less frequently, and using a gentle shampoo or conditioner as a cleanser when you do can also help promote a longer life for your dyed tresses.
Conditioning your hair with a properly pH-balanced product will help seal and protect the cuticle, and protein treatments can help fill in holes in the cuticle and decrease porosity, which will prolong desirable levels of red dye inside the cortex. Amine-functionalized silicones such as amodimethicone and hydrophobically-modified cationic polymers such as polyquaternium-55 selectively adhere to damaged sites on the cuticle and are particularly excellent conditioning agents for colored hair. Both types of polymer have been shown to increase retention of red color.
In closing, coloring your curly hair can be a really fun choice, and once you settle on the perfect shade, you can take a few steps to preserve its beauty between touch-ups. Protect it from environmental damage from UV radiation and pollution. Wash it less frequently and use a mild surfactant or cleanser when you do so. Keep it conditioned. Consider using a product that contains amodimethicone or polyquaternium-55, as they provide topical protection and decrease color loss. Finally, do not neglect to get regular touch-ups to your color, as red shades can turn an unflattering orange, pink, or lavender hue when left too long without attention.
