Hair expert says water can 'strip' and 'fade' coloured locks - here's how to stop it

Coloured hair can look great in the summer when the light catches it, but according to a beauty expert, it could also be the reason that it starts to look lacklustre just weeks after being dyed.

By Phoebe Cornish, Senior Lifestyle Reporter

Portrait

Bright colours can be 'stripped' or 'fade' without proper care, according to Samantha (Image: Getty)

Summer is the ideal time to experiment with colour and is often when many people decide to get lighter locks.

Bleached blonde styles are more obviously dyed than subtle highlights in darker hair, but when it comes to their care, there isn't much difference.

In fact, according to Samantha Shamplina-Burkwood, marketing manager at Capital Hair and Beauty, both kinds of dyed locks are equally as vulnerable in the warmer months.

She claimed that while washing and styling habits are of course important to maintain the colour, lifestyle habits out of the house are just as significant.

And this is especially true when it comes to enjoying the sun, sea and swimming pools on holiday.

young girl showing her natural hair highlights

Dyed hair can quickly fade when exposed to the sun, chlorine or sea salt (Image: Getty)

Samantha said: "There’s nothing better than a fresh hair colour before you jet off on holiday, but the combination of heat, UV light, salt and chlorine proves tough on your hair and potentially even strips the colour.

‌"Whilst having a dip in the pool can provide some much-needed rest and recuperation, it’s essential to be wary of the dreaded green tinge that chlorine can add to bleached hair.

"Additionally, the salt that resides in seawater has the ability to fade even the freshest of colourings."

woman relaxing on the beach

Rinsing hair in water before going in the sea or pool prevents damaging substances being absorbed (Image: Getty)

Fortunately, it's not something people have to spend a fortune to fix, as it's very easily prevented with some simple habits.

One of which is as simple as enjoying a quick rinse under a shower or soaking the hair in freshwater before taking a dip in the sea or pool.

The beauty expert explained: "To prevent this, prepare yourself for the pool by wetting your hair first, so that it cannot absorb high levels of salt or chlorine.

"A bit of added conditioner can also create a much-needed barrier against chlorinated or salt-infused water."

She continued: "Alongside this, using suncream equivalents for your hair can help to prevent discolouration caused by UV, with products such as Osmo Thermal Defence acting as a barrier against the harmful UV rays."

The list doesn't end there either. Samantha noted that a "slightly less desirable option" for keeping fresh hair colour intact is to wash locks in a cold or lukewarm shower.

This is because our hair tends to stretch more when wet, and raised temperatures increase this even further, which can cause the pigment to escape when the hair is "relaxed".

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