I am naturally blonde, but I indulge in the occasional highlight and lowlight session every few months to keep my blonde bright and not “fake” looking. I think it’s awesome to be able to dye your hair and change up your look without too much commitment.

{RELATED POST: Blonde vs Brunette vs Redhead: My Experience Trying All 3 Hair Colors}

However, there’s always the problem of upkeep. I’m bad at this! Before, I used to let my hair color grow out so much that it looked like I ombré-d my hair. Or, my hair color would basically fade to nothing and I’d be left with super-blonde, fake-looking hair.

So, I finally learned how to properly take care of my colored hair. Read on to learn how you can, too:

Table of Contents

Right After Leaving the Salon

If you’re blonde, I suggest waiting two days to shampoo your hair. This gives your hair time to restore its natural balance and build up healthy oils. That way, when you shampoo, you’re actually shampooing the oils away instead of nothing, which would strip your new color.

{RELATED POST: How to Take Care of Your Hair (The Right Way)}

Do the same thing if you’re going brunette or darker. Going red? Since this color fades the fastest, try to shampoo only once a week, twice at most! Rinsing with water is fine on the days you don’t shampoo. You could also use a red-tinted dry shampoo to keep your locks looking fresh during the week.

One Week After

For blondes, I suggest doing a deep-conditioning treatment at this time. You can try one of my favorite masks, the L’Oreal Paris Advanced Haircare Total Repair Balm, or just simply heat some coconut oil and leave it on your hair for 15-20 minutes.

Continue with the deep-conditioning treatments once-a-week to keep your hair from getting dry and damaged. Brunettes and redheads don’t have any special requirements during this time.