How to Maintain Your Hair Health at Home
If you've invested in professional colour, balayage or highlights, looking after your hair at home is just as important as what happens in the salon.
Beautiful colour isn't only about creating the perfect shade, it's also about maintaining the condition, strength and overall health of your hair between appointments. The right homecare routine can help protect your colour, minimise unnecessary damage and keep your hair looking fresh for longer.
Here are my top tips for maintaining healthy, beautiful hair at home.
Invest in professional haircare
One of the biggest mistakes I see is investing in a professional colour service but not investing in the products needed to maintain it.
Coloured and lightened hair can be more vulnerable to damage from chemical services, heat styling and everyday wear. Professional products are formulated with specific ingredients and technologies to address different hair concerns, so your routine should be tailored to your hair type, colour and condition.
You don't need a huge collection of products you need the right products for your hair.
Make K18 part of your routine
I use K18 throughout my colour services because protecting the condition and integrity of the hair is a huge priority when creating beautiful colour.
K18's molecular repair technology is designed to repair damage caused by bleach, colour, chemical services and heat by reconnecting damaged polypeptide chains within the hair.
For clients who regularly colour, highlight or lighten their hair, I recommend continuing this repair-focused approach at home with the K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask.
K18 isn't a traditional conditioning mask. It's applied to clean, damp hair without conditioner beforehand, left for four minutes and then left in the hair. K18 recommends using it for 4–6 consecutive washes following a service and then as needed.
Don't forget to detox your hair
If you're blonde or have highlighted hair, a detoxing or anti-metal shampoo can be an important part of your routine.
Our hair can accumulate metals and minerals from water over time, particularly copper and other deposits. These can affect the condition and appearance of the hair and may contribute to unwanted warmth, dullness and increased fragility when combined with colour or lightening services.
Using a detoxing shampoo approximately once a week can help remove this build-up and keep blonde hair looking cleaner, brighter and more vibrant.
Two products I recommend are K18 PEPTIDE PREP™ Detox Shampoo and L'Oréal Professionnel Metal Detox Shampoo.
For blondes, removing this build-up can help you maintain that creamy, bright blonde for longer and prevent the colour from looking dull or overly warm between appointments.
Your stylist can advise you on how often you should use a detoxing shampoo based on your hair's condition, colour history and water quality.
Use Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate
Another product I love recommending alongside K18 is Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Leave-In Treatment.
The reason these products work well together is that they have different roles in your routine.
K18 is focused on molecular repair, while Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Leave-In Treatment provides leave-in conditioning, helps improve manageability and provides support during styling.
A simple routine could therefore include:
K18 → molecular repairDetox shampoo → helps remove metal and mineral build-upRedken ABC Leave-In → leave-in care and styling support
You don't necessarily need to use everything at once or every wash. Your routine should be adjusted depending on your individual hair needs.
Be careful with heat
Regular heat styling can contribute to hair damage over time, particularly when hair has already been lightened or chemically treated.
Always use a suitable heat-protective product before using heated styling tools and avoid unnecessarily high temperatures. If you don't need to use heat every day, giving your hair a break can also help.
Be gentle with wet hair
Hair is more vulnerable to mechanical damage when wet, so avoid aggressively brushing or pulling through tangles straight after washing.
Gently squeeze out excess water with a towel and use a suitable detangling brush or wide-tooth comb. Start at the ends and gradually work your way upwards.
My favourite is the maene. The Detangler for the best results
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Look after your colour between appointments
Your salon appointment is only one part of maintaining beautiful hair.
Using the right homecare, limiting unnecessary heat, protecting your hair and keeping on top of regular trims can all help you maintain the condition and appearance of your colour.
Remember treatments can improve the condition and appearance of damaged hair, but they can't permanently repair a split end once the hair fibre has physically split. Regular trims are still important for keeping the ends looking healthy.
My approach to healthy colour
When I colour your hair, my aim isn't simply to create a beautiful colour on the day. I want to create your colour while prioritising the health and integrity of your hair.
That's why I use K18 throughout my colour services and recommend investing in professional homecare that works alongside your salon treatments.
With the right combination of professional colour, repair, detoxing, leave-in care and sensible styling habits, you can help keep your hair looking stronger, smoother and your colour bright, creamy and beautiful between appointments.
If you're unsure what your hair needs, always speak to your stylist. Your colour history, hair condition, lifestyle and styling routine should all be considered when choosing your homecare.
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