How to Care for Color-Treated Hair Between Appointments

The day you leave the salon, your hair seems to know exactly what it is doing. Then come the ordinary days: a rushed shower, a ponytail, a sunny walk, and the temptation to use a hot tool because you have five minutes to get ready.

You do not need to keep your hair in a glass case until your next appointment. You do need a routine that is a little kinder to it, especially when the lengths start to feel dry.

Give your lengths a say on wash day

Start by paying attention to where your hair feels different. Your scalp may be ready for a wash while the ends still want softness. Cleanse the scalp, then give the lengths their own conditioning step instead of asking shampoo to do both jobs.

On an ordinary wash day, conditioner may be all you need. When your ends feel especially dry, the HAIRtamin Biotin & Botanicals Deep Condition & Repair Mask is another option. HAIRtamin lists it as color-safe and recommends it weekly or as needed. Follow the current product directions rather than adding an extra treatment simply because the calendar says it is time.

HAIRtamin's mask appeared in a 2023 Forbes roundup of spring hair-product launches. On your shelf, though, its job is more practical: an extra conditioning step for days when your lengths feel dry.

Turn down the heat when you can

You do not have to abandon styling. Just notice how often you are reaching for the highest setting because you are in a hurry. The American Academy of Dermatology's everyday hair-care guidance recommends limiting heat, using low or medium settings, and choosing a product labeled to protect hair from heat when you style with it.

And the next time you wash, skip the rough towel rub. Press out the extra water and let the towel do its job without turning your ends into a knot.

Remember the days outside the bathroom

Color care is not only about what sits on the shower shelf. The AAD's advice for colored hair also calls out sun exposure. A hat on a long, bright day is a simple choice that does not ask you to buy another bottle.