Healthy Summer Hair, Gorgeous Summer Color

Keeping your hair healthy and your color from fading in the summer sun can be a challenge.

Here are a few tips for keeping your hair looking its best:

First, it is essential that you use color safe hair products – especially shampoo and conditioner. The high-end lines we carry are predominantly color-safe. The vast majority of drugstore brands are not. Regardless of where you purchase, look for sulfate-free and sulfide-free products, which means there are less damaging cleansing agents. As a general rule, stay away from products with a high alcohol content. You may also want to consider paraben-free products, which are gentler on the hair and scalp. We carry two organic lines, No.4 and Onesta, which are free of all parabens, sulfates/sulfides, and other harmful chemicals and harsh cleansing agents. Spend the money on good products that won’t strip your color and will keep your hair healthy. After all, if you’re spending money on your color, you should also spend some money to protect it. Your colorist can recommend what products will be best for you.

Second, consider using a UVA/UVB protection spray during the summer months, especially if you’ll be spending extended time in the sun (swimming, boating, playing tennis, etc). Protecting your hair on a daily basis will go a long way in preserving your color. I recommend No.4 Super Comb Prep & Protect, or a light coating of Coppola Keratin Complex Infusion, which fills the cuticle with keratin (a type of protein). This forms a shield to protect the deeper part in the hair cortex, where the color is deposited. I recommend throwing one of these products in your beach bag and combing it through your hair a couple times a day when you’re spending the day in the sun. And, of course, if you really want to protect your hair, consider wearing a hat or scarf when in the sun for an extended time.

Regardless of how careful you are, by summer’s end your hair will undoubtedly need a boost. We offer protein, moisture and keratin treatments that can significantly help restore depleted hair, by infusing it with omega-3 fatty acids and other important nutrients to bring back bounce and shine. The very cautious may even opt to receive these treatments periodically throughout the summer to keep hair healthy and looking good. Consult with your colorist or stylist for a plan that’s best for you.

When coloring your hair in the summer months, here are a few low-maintenance trends to consider:

If you typically receive a “single-process” (all-over color), consider asking your colorist not to pull color through to the ends when doing touch-ups in the summer. This will create a brighter, slightly lighter tone of your existing base color. Be sure to ask your colorist to watch the tone, so that as color fades, it doesn’t appear too ashy or brassy. Opting not to pull color through to the ends in the summer does two things: One, it saves you money on color maintenance. Two, it gives your hair an interesting dimension that makes your summertime look exciting and fresh!

An exciting new trend in color is “ombre” hair. This look is achieved by gradually lightening sections of the hair, to achieve a dark-at-the-root to light-at-the-ends appearance. Ask your colorist if this new technique will work for your look.

Remember to have fun with your hair this summer! Try tweaking your current look, keep hair protected and healthy, and you’ll reap the rewards come fall.