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Colour Boost 101: How Salons can Transform Faded Hair
Too much fun in the sun can fade hair colour, which is why summer means more requests for a hair colour refresh. You want to keep your clients happy, so here’s how to refresh faded hair colour – and keep it looking vibrant for longer.
Why does permanent hair colour fade?
It’s meant to be permanent! So why does hair colour fade? There’s a whole host of reasons, depending on everything from hair type to haircare routines. Environmental factors can also fade hair dye, particularly:
Sunlight
The sun’s UV rays increase free radicals, which break down hair pigments and cause damage at the cellular level.
Heat styling
Like sunlight, using hot tools causes dryness and damage. Applying heat to hair cuticles also causes them to open, allowing colour molecules to slip away.
Chlorine
Thanks to its oxidising properties, chlorine discolours hair and causes colour to fade. Other minerals found in hard water can dull hair over time due to build-up.
How does hair dyeing work?
Semi-permanent formulas coat the exterior of each strand with coloured pigments, fading and washing away over time. Permanent hair dye lifts and penetrates the hair’s cuticles, entering the internal cortex to create a bond. That’s why it doesn’t wash away like semi-permanent dye, but it will still grow out over time.
Your role as a stylist is to get the colour just right for each client, all while ensuring a stable bond to prevent faded coloured hair.
Techniques for colour refreshment
Time for a refresh? There are plenty of ways to touch up colour in between permanent colouring appointments.
Tint regrowth and refresh
When roots start showing, a tint regrowth service blends them subtly with the lengths. Apply coloured tint to the roots first, before painting matching dye through the lengths for a full hair colour refresh.
Hair glossing treatments
Hair gloss is a temporary treatment used to refresh colour in between permanent applications, blending pigment with developer to coat each strand.
Balayage
Balayage layers lighter pieces of hair with the client’s natural colour to create a soft, highlighted effect – and because it leaves some hair natural, it’s easy to top up as needed for a quick hair colour refresh.
To make sure you and your clients are on the same page, use interactive colour charts during your consultation to show the range of shades available for colour refresh services.
Product recommendations for a colour refresh
The right product will depend on the technique and the look you’re trying to achieve, but here are a few popular options to try out.
Dia Colour by L’Oreal Professionnel
For a gentle, ammonia-free colour treatment that enhances hair colour and shine, try Dia Colour. It’s ideal for tone-on-tone colour and requires minimal maintenance as it’s demi-permanent.
Majirel for full coverage
For clients seeking a dramatic colour change or lasting, full coverage, try L’Oreal Professionnel Majirel. This permanent formula gives rich colour results, with 100% coverage.
iNOA for ammonia-free colour
L’Oreal Professionnel’s iNOA range maintains hair health while refreshing colour with a rich, intense selection of long-lasting shades. Its patented Oil Delivery System gives the product a fluid texture that’s faster and easier to apply, all while improving scalp health and comfort.
Redken Colour Gels Oils for vibrant shades
This liquid permanent colour saturates every strand, all while delivering super shiny results. Redken Colour Gels Oils are also vegan and ammonia-free, with a handy no-drip application.
Matrix SoColour for bond protection
Wondering how to refresh faded coloured hair while strengthening it at the same time? Try Matrix SoColour Professional Permanent Colour. It not only coats strands with rich colour from root to tip, but also supports hair structure with a bond-protecting concentrate.
Tips for stylists: preserving hair colour vibrancy
When clients ask how to keep hair colour from fading, here are a few tips to suggest.
Cold water rinses
Finish your shower with a final cool rinse to seal in colour and lock in shine.
Colour-safe products
Suggest colour-safe, sulphate-free shampoos, conditioners, and styling products that prevent fading.
Advocate for less frequent washing
Encourage clients to wash their hair less frequently to keep colour in place and vibrant for longer.
Use heat protectants
Suggest a good heat protectant to apply before using any hot styling tools.
Get regular trims
With regular trims, you can remove the faded lengths to keep hair looking fresh – while removing split ends at the same time.
Offer in-salon deep conditioning treatments
Glossing and conditioning treatments coat each cuticle to create a natural barrier, keeping those all-important colour molecules from escaping!
Educate on UV protection
Your clients will know the importance of skin protection, but they may not be aware of the sun’s impact on hair health. Recommend products with built-in UV filters.
Advise on chlorine and salt-water exposure
It might not turn it green, but chlorine wreaks havoc with hair. Prep and protect by pre-conditioning before you hit the pool or beach, rinsing out all traces of chlorine and salt water after taking a dip.
Conclusion
When clients ask how to keep hair colour from fading, it’s important not only to give them targeted haircare tips like those mentioned above, but also to encourage regular in-salon maintenance visits.
It’s worth investing in ongoing education and training to make sure your team is up on the latest treatments and high-quality colour products. That way, your hair colour refresh services will leave clients looking and feeling their vibrant best!
FAQs on hair colour refreshment
What’s the difference between a colour refresh and a full colour service?
Full colour services switch up a client’s look entirely with a fresh new tint. A colour refresh is meant for those in-between maintenance appointments, reviving faded colour with less time in the salon chair.
How often should hair colour be refreshed?
Most clients will need a touch-up every four to six weeks to keep locks looking lush.
Can colour refresh services damage hair?
Not if you use the right products! Look for sulphate- and ammonia-free, conditioning treatments packed with hydrating ingredients to nourish hair.
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