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5 Must-Dos After You Color Your Hair

Keep your hair beautiful and healthy long after your color service. Here's how to care for colored hair

by Katie McCarthy | COMMENT

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Rule No. 1: Take Care With Your Cleansing Routine Most hair dyes contain cuticle-lifting ingredients like ammonia and ethanolamine. Shampooing your hair also causes the cuticle to lift -- and that's the moment when hair is most vulnerable to damage. This is why it's so important to be gentle with your cleansing routine.

To start, try not to shampoo every day. "I recommend my clients try to only shampoo two to three times a week," says Trujillo. AJ Lordet, master colorist at Pierre Michel Salon in New York City, quips, "My philosophy is don't waste a wash and blow-dry if you're staying home with the dog." Between washes, you can keep your hair looking clean and fluffy with dry shampoo.

Your shampoo of choice is also important. Sulfate-free shampoos for color-treated hair are ideal because sulfates tend to dry hair and strip color. Most hair dyes -- even dark dyes! -- contain moisture-sucking hydrogen peroxide, so a hydrating, sulfate-free shampoo can rebuild your hair's water content.

A color-depositing or toning shampoo designed for your specific hair color is another genius addition to your routine. This is especially true for red hair, which is notoriously quick to fade, and blond hair, which can become greenish or brassy due to the minerals in tap water.

Image via Getty

SEE NEXT PAGE: Rule No. 2: Get Creative With How You Style Your Hair