Because there are many types of hair and coloring techniques, this can be a difficult question to answer. For example, if your hair is healthy and not naturally prone to dryness, you may not experience damage or breakage.

However, there’s no doubt that chemically lifting or depositing color does change strands’ texture and ability to absorb moisture. The effects are also cumulative, which means that the more you color your hair, the more stress you’re putting on it.

Damage

Two things happen when you dye your hair: The cuticle is lifted and your natural pigment gets broken down. This leaves strands damaged, which can manifest as straw-like texture, frizz and breakage.

The good news is, the best hair products for color treated hair can actually repair this damage. With regular care, you can still have shiny, silky locks that are the shade you want.

Dryness

Lifting the cuticle is necessary to deposit color, but it also leads to dryness. The cuticle is the outside layer of your hair; the cells there overlap like shingles on a rooftop.

Its purpose is to seal in moisture and protect the strand core. When the cuticle is lifted, moisture can move in and out, resulting in frizz and dryness.

When looking for the best products for color treated hair, there are three areas you need to focus on: moisturizing, repairing and preserving color. Fortunately, there are many shampoos, conditioners and styling products specifically designed to help.

Moisturizing

When you dye your hair, moisturizing is a top priority. The chemicals used to lift color are incredibly drying, especially if you already have coarse or dry hair.

One thing you should certainly try is limiting how often you wash. Cleansing can strip hair of natural oils, making it even drier than before, so only washing every other day is a good way to let your locks recover.

Repairing

Many brands offer shampoo for color treated hair that actually repairs the cuticle. Some even fortify strands to prevent further damage.

Focusing on repair is essential to maintaining your hair’s health, especially if you color your hair regularly. Otherwise, you’ll end up with brittle strands that constantly break, are difficult to style and are prone to frizzing.

Preserving Color

The longer you can go between dye jobs, the better for your hair. However, many factors can make your color fade:

• Cleansers
• Sun exposure
• Water
• Heat
• Rough styling
• Silicone styling products

To keep your color vibrant for as long as possible, you should avoid certain products while investing in the best shampoo for color treated hair.

The weather has a huge impact on how your hair behaves. When it comes to dyed hair, the climate can exacerbate certain issues that arise from the chemical process.

The good news is, the best products for color treated hair can help you manage these effects. If you keep an eye on the weather and have a certain products on-hand, you can keep your locks silky and soft.

Heat

Hot weather can be extremely drying to hair that’s already been stripped of moisture. You may have to intensify your hydrating treatments during the summer.

Additionally, the heat can affect how the coloring process works. If you color your own hair, make sure you take the following steps:

• Don’t go out into the sun immediately after coloring
• Ensure your hair is cool to the touch before applying color
• Work quickly to prevent color from drying out

Cold

Cold weather is well-known as a cause of frizz; the low temperatures can cause your cuticle to lift. To combat this, you should invest in the best hair products for color treated hair that repair the cuticle and seal moisture inside strands.

How you treat your hair plays a huge role in how long your color lasts. Since you want to limit damage as much as possible, it pays to extend the life of your color with the following steps.

1. Cut Down on Washing
   Shampoo and even plain water can wash away pigment, causing color to fade. Additionally, shampoo stripes away natural oils and can make hair drier.

   Instead of washing every day, try going one or two days between shampooing. If you notice your hair getting greasy, you can use dry shampoo in between.

2. Condition, Condition, Condition
   Your hair needs a lot of TLC after coloring and that means deep conditioning with the best hair products for color treated hair. To repair damage, you should use hair masks once a week and invest in leave-in conditioner for ongoing hydration.

3. Use Cool Water
   Hot water lifts the cuticle, which we know is a huge issue since it lets moisture escape. Instead, rinse with cold water whenever possible.

4. Get Regular Trims

The ends of your hair tend to be the driest and can get brittle after dyeing. Regular trims remove split ends and keeps your strands healthy.

Your hair’s health doesn’t just depend on the products you use for washing; it’s also affected by your lifestyle choices. When it comes to color-treated hair, be mindful of heat.

Sun Exposure

You know how the sun naturally lightens your hair? That’s because UV radiation breaks down pigment.

That’s also true of artificial pigments, which is why you should protect your hair when you spend long stretches outside. A hat made of UV blocking material is a good investment.

Heated Styling

Heated styling has the same effect as environmental heat: It dries out strands. Fortunately, you can use a sealing spray or other product to protect your hair from the negative effects of straightening or curling.

One of the main building blocks of hair is protein, which is why many of the best products for color treated hair contain keratin. You can ensure your body has the materials it needs for hair growth by eating high-protein foods:

• Meat
• Beans
• Fatty fish
• Eggs

There are many products on the market that claim to extend the life of your color, but do they really work? Here are three sure-fire products to keep your locks looking vibrant for longer.

Color-Depositing Conditioner

If you have a non-natural hue, you can find a color-depositing conditioner that closely matches your shade. This product works like any other conditioner, but also contains pigment to refresh your color with every wash. If you can’t find a pre-made color-depositing conditioner that matches your current hue, you can make your own by adding a small amount of dye to your favorite conditioner.

Leave-In Conditioner

Leave-in conditioner is one of the best hair products for color treated hair because it works long after you apply it. Many people use this product to combat tangles, but it can do many other things:

• Protect hair from sun exposure
• Protect hair from chlorine and other drying chemicals
• Protect hair from frizz-causing humidity

Heat Protectant

If you use heated styling tools such as straightening irons, blow dryers or curling irons, you need to use a heat protectant. The most common form is a spray that you can spritz on your locks before applying heat, but you can also find creams if you want that extra dose of moisture.

This is probably the biggest question people have when they dye their hair for the first time. After all, the wrong shampoo can make your color dull and badly damage your locks.

The thing to remember about shampoo for color treated hair is that it may not address your other needs. For example, you may have fine hair that needs volumizing. If you can’t find a shampoo that meets all your needs, you may need to use an alternating combination of products.

Dry Shampoo

If you’re not washing every day, you’ll probably need a dry shampoo to absorb oils and keep hair from getting greasy in between washes. Many dry shampoos appear white, so look for products specifically made for dark or brightly colored hair if that fits your shade.

Color-Safe Shampoo

Color-safe shampoos don’t contain sulfates, which are harsh chemicals that can strip color as well as dirt and grease. Most color-safe shampoos are clearly labeled and relatively easy to find.

Moisturizing Shampoo

Since shampoo can make your hair dry, brands often offer shampoo for color treated hair with extra moisturizing capabilities. You can also try washing just your scalp to save the drier ends of your hair from further damage.

If you want to continue dyeing your hair, you need to repair the damage caused by the coloring process. Fortunately, there are many products specifically formulated for this purpose.

Keratin Products

Keratin is a specific type of protein that our bodies naturally create in our nails and hair. Many shampoos and conditioners designed to repair contain keratin.

Treatments using keratin can actually strengthen strands at their core, making them less brittle and smoother to the touch. These products are especially useful if you utilize other damaging products such as heated tools.

Masks

Just like face masks can hydrate your skin, hair masks moisturize your hair. You can think of them as ultra-powerful conditioners that also contain nourishing ingredients such as vitamin C.

Serums

There are many different serums on the market, but we’re specifically thinking of the sort that don’t require washing out. Oil-based serums are wonderful moisturizers and can be applied directly to the ends where hair is driest.

Certain chemicals and hair care tools can wreak havoc on dyed hair. If you’re looking for the best products for color treated hair, make sure you avoid all of the following.

Alcohol

Alcohol is incredibly drying for both your skin and hair. It’s a common ingredient in volumizing products, so make sure you check the ingredients list before you use any volume-adding shampoos or conditioners.

Parabens

Parabens can be very useful, as they prevent mold and bacteria growth, which prolongs the life of hair care products. However, they’re incredibly harsh on hair and can strip color from strands.

Additionally, parabens have been linked with a higher cancer risk. If you can, it’s best to avoid parabens altogether.

Brushes With Rough Bristles

Brushing distributes oil along the full length of strands, so it’s an excellent way to keep your hair naturally moisturized. However you need the right brush to do so.

Rough and unyielding bristles are more likely to break strands than smooth them. Instead, look for soft, flexible bristles that gently move over hair without damaging the cuticle.

Clarifying Shampoos

Made with harsh detergents, clarifying shampoos strip pigment from colored hair like nobody’s business. You should avoid them unless you want to get rid of your color as soon as possible. For this reason, they’re good to use for your last wash before getting your hair colored, but not after.

Coloring your hair is easier than ever and so is taking care of the resulting gorgeous locks. With the best hair products for color treated hair on your shelf, you can keep hues vibrant and strands soft.