How-to Guide · April 2026

How to Care for Coloured Hair

Coloured hair fades faster than uncoloured. The protocol below extends colour from 4 weeks to 8 weeks.

The short answer

If you only read one paragraph.

Sulphate-free shampoo. Cool water. Colour-safe leave-in. Heat protectant before any heat tool. Tone-correcting glaze every 6 weeks. Mask 1× weekly.

Step by step

Switch to sulphate-free shampoo. Sulphates strip colour. Olaplex No.4, Davines, Pureology — all colour-safe.
Wash with cool water. Hot water opens cuticle = colour escapes. Cool water locks colour in.
Use a colour-safe leave-in. Olaplex No.6 or Living Proof PhD Leave-In. Protects against UV and heat.
Heat protectant before any heat. Living Proof Restore Perfecting Spray. Heat without protectant = damage + faster fade.
Tone-correcting glaze every 6 weeks. Brassiness develops as colour fades. Salon glaze or Olaplex No.4P at home extends tone.
Hair mask weekly. K18, Olaplex No.3, or Briogeo Don't Despair. Damage repair = colour preservation.
UV protection daily. Sunlight fades colour. Hat, scarf, or UV-protectant spray for outdoor days.

Common mistakes

Using regular shampoo (sulphates strip colour in 2-3 washes).
Hot showers (cuts colour life by 50%).
Heat styling without protectant.
Skipping the salon glaze (most colour 'fade' is brassiness, fixable with glaze).
Using clarifying shampoo too often (strips colour intentionally).

Frequently asked

How often should I wash coloured hair?

2-3× weekly maximum. Daily washing strips colour. Use dry shampoo between washes.

Best shampoo for coloured hair?

Olaplex No.4, Davines Alchemic, Pureology, or Bondi Boost. All sulphate-free with colour-protection.

How long before I can wash newly coloured hair?

48-72 hours minimum. Earlier = colour rinses out before fully bonding.

Why is my hair turning brassy?

Colour deposits oxidise over time. Use purple shampoo for blondes, blue shampoo for brunettes. Salon glaze every 6 weeks.