Hair color often looks wonderful the day of the salon visit or the home treatment - glossy, beautifully finished and freshly washed.  Most of us feel and look instantly younger with a color treatment. The problem is - how do you keep it looking salon fresh? 

Natural re-growth and exposure to light and sun soon takes its toll on your beautiful head-turning color.  Here's six practical tips to keep your hair color looking good between treatments:

Use a color enhancing conditioner to revive the original color.  Go for a shade as near as possible to your colored hair - don't go darker as this may 'muddy' your highlights and flatten the overall look.

Touch up your roots.  Don't apply color to your whole head as this will overload the ends and leave them brittle, dry and over-treated.  You should apply the color at the roots only and work through to the ends of the hair for a few minutes only just before rinsing.

Buy a touch-up wand for the times when you need a quick root cover up but haven't had time to do it properly.  Some of these products come in the form of mascara-like wands so you can easily color the emerging gray at your temples or wherever it is most noticeable.  Bobbi Brown has a product called Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper which - despite its name - is also specifically designed for root retouches. In fact Bobbi Brown created the product for herself as she was so fed up with the constant problems of gray regrowth.  And yes - you can use it to style your brows too!  

Use a deep cleansing or 'clarifying shampoo' every few washes - especially if you live in an area where the water is hard.  Hair color will be broken down more quickly by minerals in hard water.

Use color protecting shampoos and conditioners to prevent UV light destroying your hair color. Try L'Oreal Kiwi Coloreflector Shampoo which locks in your precious color and team it with the conditioner and styling products from the same range.  Take care to keep your hair out of the sun and cover up with a scarf or hat. 

Don't go any where near a swimming pool - hair color and pool chemicals just don't mix. Swimming in the sea can be a problem too since salt dehydrates and washes out your color.  So - if you do swim make sure you cover your hair in protective spray first.  Try Korres Red Vine Year-Round Hair Sun Protection which protects your hair from UV light AND chlorine/salt damage. If you have long hair, sweep it up on top of your head or swim with your head out of the water.  The other option is to go retro and get yourself a rubber bathing hat covered in flowers - very 1970's!  

That's it - follow these tips and with any luck you should be able to keep your hair color as vibrant and glossy as the day it was done

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