Your hair is you crowning glory, and you want it to look absolutely superb. Coloring your hair gives your confidence a boost, and will make you look fabulous. What really makes the difference is what you do to your hair before and after you color it. Always use a clarifying shampoo before coloring, to remove any product build-up, which will allow for better color penetration.

Moisture-based shampoos and conditioners can be used on healthy hair, or hair that is being colored for the first time. Protein-based products are good for damaged hair. A strengthening mask before coloring, will also get damaged hair back to optimum condition. Using color-protecting shampoo and conditioner regularly after coloring, will prevent fading. If your color is too light, use a brown-based color shampoo to rectify it, and use a gold-based shampoo on brown hair to lift it.

If you color your hair, chances are you contend with fading color. Color that looks great when it goes on, doesn’t look so fabulous a couple of weeks down the line. However, there are ways you can help your hair color to last longer.

Firstly, use a clarifying shampoo before you color your hair – whether at a salon or at home. Product build up can cause color to not penetrate as well, which will mean a faster fade.

Another good idea is to make sure that your hair is in great condition before you color it. Damaged hair will not hold color as well as hair that’s in good shape, so try a strengthening mask before you color. Lastly, use a shampoo that is specifically formulated for colored hair. This will keep your color fresh for longer.