UrbanUpdate

Maybe you were feeling adventurous. Or maybe you were taking a cue from Zayn Malik. Or maybe, just maybe, you lost a bet. Whatever the reason, you’ve decided to give up on your natural-born hair color and try something new and interesting, like white-blonde, silver or, possibly, pink. Congrats! You’ve officially got on-trend locks. Unfortunately, now the hard part begins. Because keeping bleached and dyed hair looking fresh is no easy feat. In fact, your new ‘do requires following a specialized set of maintenance instructions in order to look its best for longer. Here, a few essential rules of dyed-hair upkeep, to ensure that what’s now a cool hairstyle doesn’t devolve into something a little less pretty, quick.

Cut Back on Shampoo

Here’s the thing about dyed hair: no matter what you do, that color’s going to fade over time—even if it’s silver. So, what you’re really trying to do is not make it last forever, but extend it’s lifespan as long as possible. One way to do that is to stop shampooing it as much as you’re used to, because the same ingredients that get rid of dirt and grime will also wipe out color. Knock back your frequency to 1-2 times a week (or as long as you can go without it looking greasy), and when you do wash, do it with a shampoo that’s specially formulated to get the job down without damaging your dye. L’Oreal Professional Gloss Protect System can help with that, beating back brassy tones from showing through your new light hue.

Switch Up Your Conditioner

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Chances are, to get to your desired shade of gray, it took bleach. Like, a lot of bleach, probably. Now, it should come as no surprise that applying copious amounts of heavy-duty chemicals to your locks can do a bit of damage. Likewise, in order to restore your follicles’ natural moisture and keep them from coming off frizzy and dead, then you need to load up on the conditioner, and stat. Sachajuan Silver Conditioner, specially formulated to deposit pigments to the hair that will keep it from yellowing, will add volume and moisture to color-treated, as well as intesify shine and protect it from UV rays—all good things after you’ve put your dome through the ringer. Using a deep-treating option, like this one by Davines Alchemic, once a week wouldn’t hurt either, for extra protection.

Style Right

What, you thought that you could just dye the shit out of your hair and continue styling as per usual? Well, think again. Silver and other unnaturally light-colored locks have a tendency to show any added residue, so, now that you’re sporting them, that’s something to keep in mind every time you pop open a jar of pomade. Lightweight and all-natural, Malin + Goetz Hair Pomade will get the job done without making it look like you’re using straight-up grease to keep it in place.

Don’t Forget to Retouch

The fact of the matter is that this isn’t your natural hair color and, as time passes, that’s going to start to show more and more. Which is why you’ve got to get yourself back to the salon every few weeks for a touch-up. That way, whether it’s your natural tresses showing at the roots or your already-dyed locks losing their vibrancy, a stylist can attend to your every need and keep everything up top in tip-top shape. Sure, it might cost a few bucks, but you’ve already come this far. Do you really think now’s the time to half-ass it?

And when you're finally ready to be done with the whole process, just shave it all off. Lucky for you, buzz cuts are back.

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