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Ever since my trusty hairstylist Michelle gave me pink highlights earlier this year, I’ve been wanting to up the game with something a little more adventurous.
I always give Michelle free rein to do whatever she wants with my hair and this time, she gave me beautiful purple balayage.
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What exactly is balayage?
Unlike traditional highlights or ombre hair, balayage is a technique of hair colouring where the dye is applied to the surface of your hair and only becomes saturated at the tips.
What I like about balayage is that you can get a smooth transition between two completely different colours. Minimal maintenance is required as there isn’t an obvious regrowth line, unless you have a lighter base colour.
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Now, here’s the catch. Bold hair colours like pink and purple usually do not last more than a couple of weeks.
I should probably thank my lucky stars because my pink highlights from April never budged and were only further enhanced by the purple balayage. Other than giving Lady Luck full credit for this, I am pretty certain that my haircare regime plays an important role in keeping my hair colour fresh.
Good things ought to be shared, so I thought I’d share some haircare tips for maintaining your hair colour too.
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6 Tips for Maintaining your Hair Colour
1. Never shampoo your hair immediately after a colouring job – Give your hair a full day to absorb the dye. Your hair colour will also last longer if you wash it less, but I wouldn’t recommend this in our humid climate.
2. Avoid shampoos and conditioners with sulfates – I have been using sulfate-free haircare for more than a year now. Sulfates are known to strip your hair of moisture, oil and colour, so if you want your hair colour to last, avoid them at all cost.
3. Protect your hair from UV rays – I use a leave-in conditioner with UV protection on a daily basis. UV rays are harmful not just to your skin, but to your hair too, especially coloured hair.
4. Rinse your hair with cold water – Hair colours last longer when you rinse your hair with cold water as warmer temperatures cause hair colour to fade.
5. Avoid haircare products with alcohol (especially ethanol, SD Alcohol, SD Alcohol 40, Alcohol denat, Propanol, Propyl Alcohol and Isopropyl alcohol) – Alcohol strips your hair of its colour and causes it to be dry and frizzy. The types of alcohol stated above are commonly found in hair styling products.
6. Avoid heat styling tools – My hair is naturally straight and I wear sponge curlers to sleep when I want my hair to be curly. I steer away from curling tongs and straighteners as the heat again causes hair colour to fade quickly.
This is what my sponge curlers look like:
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| credit: Wikipedia |
Definitely can’t sleep with these as they’re made of plastic and much harder:
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Aside from my haircare regime, I have to thank Michelle for taking such good care of my crowning glory. The strawberry hair treatment is my personal favourite as it keeps my hair soft and smooth for several months.
I can’t wait to visit Michelle at her own salon when I am back in town but from now till August, you can still book an appointment with her at Jeric Bugis and say hello to beautiful hair!
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Michelle has since started ToliV Hair Salon. Her contact details are as follows:
ToliV Hair Salon
Address:
5 Purvis Street, #01-01
Singapore
Tel:
6333 9223
Website:
Facebook:
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