Essential steps to care for dyed and highlighted hair

Updated on , validated by our team of René Furterer experts.

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There's no beating about the bush, chemical dyes weaken our hair. Whether you've gone for an all-over colour or highlights, it's vital you follow a haircare routine if you want to show off glossy locks.
Follow our expert colourists' tips to find out how you can care for coloured or highlighted hair.

What precautions should you take if you dye your hair? 

Dyed hair is fragile. It doesn't take much to damage it - water and sunshine are common culprits. Here are some tips to keep your dyed hair looking gorgeous

Sunkissed holidays,  your hair's No1 Enemy

Sun, salt and chlorine: 3 things that coloured hair hates! You should apply a summertime hair oil to prevent your colour from fading or becoming patchy.
And remember to rinse your hair well after you've been swimming in the sea or a chlorinated swimming pool. Finally, don't forget to apply a mask at least once a week and leave it on for 2 to 5 minutes. It will revive your colour, strengthen your hair and keep it healthy after the ravages wreaked when on holiday.

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Be warned that hard tap water can dull dyed hair

Hard tap water dulls dyed hair, stripping it of its healthy shine. To neutralise hard tap water, use a shampoo with a slightly acid pH, combined with a vinegar-based treatment. Vinegar-based treatments seal the hair shaft's cuticles and prevent grime from sticking to and dulling the hair. You'll be left with luscious smooth locks and a vibrant colour!

Lessen the damage caused by chemical hair dyes

Permanent dyeing involves a chemical process that opens the hair shaft's cuticles, so pigments can bond to the hair shaft. It is therefore essential you use treatments designed for coloured hair to protect the hair shaft from further harm. 
Right now, the only way to avoid damage is to use tone-on-tone vegetable dyes. They may create fabulous tones, but they won't lighten hair or change its colour.

How should you take care of dyed hair? 

Looking after dyed hair requires a daily routine to keep the colour looking fresh and your mane in great nick.

Daily care

Wash your hair without causing the colour to fade: the key to keeping dyed hair looking salon-fresh. It's best to use a shampoo formulated for coloured hair as it will limit bleeding and strengthen the hair shaft.
Not forgetting a conditioner and a heat-protection treatment, to seal and smooth the hair shaft's cuticles, preserve your colour and ensure you have healthy locks.

How to protect coloured hair naturally

The chemical colouring process wreaks havoc and leaves dyed hair damaged. Our hair is therefore much more sensitive to external elements, such as the wind, sun and pollution. This is why it's essential you regularly apply intensive treatments, such as a repairing moisturising mask to strengthen the hair shaft. We recommend you opt for treatments formulated for coloured hair that are silicone and paraben-free, and use the power of natural active ingredients.

Treatments to even out unwanted tones and patchy bits

When a hair dye oxidizes, it can cause unsightly tones: for example, brown and chestnut can take on a brassy red or coppery hue over time.
Renowned colourist Romain Colors has some great tips to remedy this problem:

Expert colourist Romain Colors' tips

Here are some invaluable tips from Romain, an expert colourist and founder of Romain Colors. Romain performs miracles when it comes to transforming damaged dye hair into a healthy, shiny mane.

An expert's advice

To neutralise these unwanted tones, I recommend a shampoo that contains blue-violet pigments, with blue being orange's complementary colour. The two tones will cancel each other out and restore the hair’s shade of brown or cool chestnut.

Romain Colors

Colourist

What should you do if your hair is already badly damaged? 

Has your hair become damaged by hair dyes and the elements? Is it impossible to tame? Following a good haircare routine will prevent your hair looking like a dry, dull bird's nest. And patience is a virtue: by giving your coloured hair a regular pampering, you'll find it regains its softness and bounce. 

Haircare routine for dyed or highlighted hair

Sticking to a good haircare routine is essential to keep your colour or highlights looking fresh, regardless of your hair type or chosen colour. 

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Our tips for keeping your colour salon-fresh

If you want to prevent bleeding when you wash your hair, go for a natural treatment formulated for coloured hair that contains protective active ingredients and colour fixatives, such as organic Lemon Essential Oil or organic Witch Hazel extract. 
Follow by applying a gentle conditioner, not forgetting a protective treatment before blow-drying or using heated appliances.
Also, by only washing your hair twice a week, you'll find the colour lasts longer. The same goes for highlighted hair.

The benefits of lemon essential oil
 

Haircare routine to strengthen dyed or highlighted hair

In addition to looking after your colour or highlights, it's important to follow a routine that will keep your hair silky-soft and shiny. Ideally, you should apply a repairing hair mask after washing your hair once or twice a week; leave it on for 2 to 5 minutes for optimal results. You can also use heat-protection styling products to protect your locks every time you style your hair. We're huge fans of organic Okara, an active ingredient that rebuilds and strengthens hair on a deeper level. 

Our Okara-based products

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Natural hair dyes, the new trend that's kind to hair

Vegetable-based hair dyes have been growing in popularity for a while. And it's easy to understand why: they show off the hair's natural tones without damaging the hair shaft. Plus, natural ingredients are better for the environment! 

But you don't have to take our word for it, one huge fan is Damien Boissinot, a hairdresser and professional colourist who tends to the locks of numerous top models. He currently works miracles as René Furterer's lead hairstylist. 

An expert's advice

The trend? Bold colours! For the past 2 seasons, we've seen a return to bold colours. The idea is to keep a natural shade, all the while enhancing it. Ginger will be given orange or red hues, dark chestnut will get black ones. The colour is enhanced and maximised, for optimal radiance and shine.

Damien Boissinot

Hair stylist

Haircare routine for dyed hair

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    Tips for colored hair