After Color Hair Care

I often get approached by women who have had color treatments, permed hair, or straightening services and want to know the best way to care for their chemically-treated hair in order to restore its condition and preserve the new style or color. Naturally, I always suggest that the individual follow any and all instructions given them by their stylists, but in some cases, the individual has performed services herself and needs the advice.
So, here is some basic care advice for the most common chemical services:

After-Color Care

As with any chemical service, the components used in the coloring process can leave the hair more porous than it was prior to coloring the hair. This is because the alkaline products used to allow the color to penetrate the hair shaft, and deposit the color, do so by lifting the cuticle layer of the hair. While the processes are generally designed to be as gentle to the hair as possible, while still being effective, the results are still that the hair is typically swelled and the cuticle raised by the processing.
This means that while the hair is made better able to accept the deposited color, it is also more likely to lose moisture and can slowly lose the added color unless care is taken to reseal the cuticle.
This means that after you’ve colored your hair, you should take care to use a good moisturizing cream conditioner. This will help to maintain the hair’s moisture level, and will help to smooth the cuticle layer and ease any problems with porosity. This is especially true if you have used a high-lift color or bleaching agents to lighten the hair.
Additionally, if you have chosen a hair color that is particularly vibrant, such as many red shades or golden blondes, you will want to use a color-enhancing/color-preserving shampoo and conditioner formula in order to help keep your haircolor looking as rich as possible for as long as possible. Under normal circumstances, most of the more vibrant hair colors will gradually fade somewhat after regular shampooing and environmental stresses.
For most color-treated hair, I recommend a weekly deep conditioning treatment, in order to help rehydrate the hair and restore any moisture that may be lost during the week’s styling.

After-Texture Services
Chemical Texture Services, such as chemical straightening and permanent wave services can be even harsher on the hair than some color services, and therefore require that the individual take special care of her hair afterward. The chemical services definitely leave the hair in a much more porous state and the hair must be well-conditioned to keep it healthy and manageable.
In the case of some over-stressed hair, where there are signs of damage, you will need to use a protein-rich conditioner in order to help restore the strength and integrity of the hair while adding in much-needed moisture. Furthermore, since the hair’s cuticle layer is usually raised and left open by the chemical processing, you need to make sure to use a good smoothing serum, which will coat the hair shaft and help to smooth and seal the cuticle layer to hold in moisture and allow the hair to retain a smooth and silky feel.
When the hair is dirty, you need to shampoo it with a very gentle, moisturizing shampoo, and always follow it up with a hydrating conditioner. Remember, that you only need to shampoo the hair when it becomes soiled, in most cases, you can simply use a rinse-through conditioner to remove the amount of soil that accumulates on the hair on a daily basis. This serves the dual purpose of hydrating the hair and

Environmental Impact

To improve the hair health and further prevent issues with dryness and buildup, consider installing a shower head filter that will remove the minerals found in most city waters. Examine the packaging the filter comes in to determine that the filter also removes chlorine or chloramine (combination of chlorine and ammonia). One of these is often added to city water supplies for purposes of sanitation and is necessary for the health of the community. However hard water minerals and the sanitizing agent can also deposit on the hair and in time cause build up. Not all places in the world possess the same water quality. For example, many water supplies may contain too much sulphur which can be drying to the hair (clue is the aroma of the water); still others may have too much iron in the water (often noticeable if the water has a red hue to it although this can represent rust in any pipes). If using water from an unfiltered source, try to choose a water supply where the water has movement and flows, and does not possess any salt. Filtering water through very fine mesh cloth may help a trace amount to remove any larger deposits in the water. Many enjoy collecting rain water except in many parts of the world there now exists an issue with acid rain.

Those who swim in chlorinated or salt sea water may benefit from first wetting the hair entirely and then applying conditioner to completely swell the entire hair shaft. The idea is that less uptake of chlorine or salt may result which in turn helps to preserve the beauty of hair. Those who swim a lot may also benefit from the products on the market that remove chlorine after swimming in pool water.

Effects of Well Water/Hard Water: Domestic well water is ground water. The source of ground water is from rain passing through aquifers, which are layers of minerals. The acidity (pH below 7) of the rain increases the dissolving effect of minerals. These dissolved solids are found in the water when pumped above the ground and used to bathe.

The majority of ground (well) water is hard. The level of calcium that is found naturally from the ground determines the hardness of water. While calcium is the element that determines hardness of water, there are many other elements in well water that affect hair, scalp and skin.

While well water is fine for drinking, it can cause many problems for your hair, scalp and skin including hair that feels dry or damaged. It is resistant to color/highlighting, perming or relaxing/straightening. It's discolored by iron build-up (orange or rust color) or by copper build-up (blondes tint green, dark hair darkens). Hair lacks body and shine, is thinning or breaking, or color fades too quickly. Highlights turn "ruddy" or discolored. Perms fall out. Scalp is flaking, itching or inflamed. Scalp is dry. Symptoms of Dandruff/Eczema on scalp. Skin feels dry, skin flakes, and/or symptoms of eczema on skin.

What are the well water minerals that affect hair? Calcium, Iron, Copper, Magnesium, Silica and Lead

How do minerals found in well water affect hair?

How calcium affects hair: Calcium causes hair to feel dry and lack shine and volume. It can prevent the proper processing of color, highlights, perms or relaxer/straighteners and can cause a perm to appear relaxed. Calcium builds up on the scalp causing flaking of the scalp, giving the appearance of dandruff. Calcium can choke the hair at the mouth of the follicle causing the hair to break off, then coating the scalp, blocking further new hair growth.

How iron affects hair: Iron leaves hair feeling dry, brittle and weighted down. It causes lack of shine and can cause dark hair to tint darker and blonde hair to turn orange. Iron can inhibit the proper processing of perms, color, highlights, and relaxers/straighteners

How copper affects hair: Copper discolors hair causing blonde hair to turn green and dark hair to tint darker. Copper can weigh hair down and cause dryness, and can inhibit the proper processing of perms, color, highlights, and relaxers/straighteners.

How magnesium affects hair:’’ Magnesium causes hair to lack shine, feel dry, appear weighted down therefore lacking volume, and can inhibit the proper processing of perms, color, highlights, and relaxers/straighteners.

How silica affects hair:’’ Silica causes many of the same effects on the hair as calcium. It causes hair to feel dry, lack volume, and can cause dandruff-like symptoms of flaking. Build-up of silica can choke the hair follicle causing hair to fall out.

How lead affects hair: Lead can cause the hair to feel dry. Lead can prevent the proper processing of perms, color, highlights, and relaxers/straighteners.

Treatment for well water and hard water conditions are available in a variety of products, such as demineralizing shampoos and conditionersand from products such as Malibu 2000’s Crystal Gel Treatment. Visiting a local salon and speaking with a stylist can help identify corrective treatment for well water users.