Caring for coloured hair the right way
Colour doesn't last by luck, but by routine. This page covers what we tell our guests after every colour service — from washing rhythm to heat protection.
After your appointment
The first 48 hours are decisive
After rinsing at the salon, the cuticle layer is still open and the colour pigments are loosely settled. What happens in the first two days shows in your hair weeks later.
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Day 0 — right after your appointment
Pat your hair dry, don't rub it. No braid, no tight hair tie: pressure marks show up especially clearly on freshly coloured hair.
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Up to hour 48 — don't wash
Two days without shampoo give the pigments time to settle. Please wait until afterwards for the pool, sauna and seawater too.
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First wash — lukewarm and brief
Water below 38 degrees, lather colour-safe shampoo only at the roots, then rinse through the lengths. Finish with a cold rinse to close the cuticle layer.
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Weeks 1 to 3 — finding your routine
Two to three washes a week are enough for most people. Once a week, leave a treatment mask on for ten minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
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From week 4 — refreshing the colour
A colour gloss or a treatment with colour pigments catches the first loss of shine. With balayage, this is often enough until the regrowth truly needs attention.
At home
Washing is half the battle
Most colour loss happens in the shower, not in the sun. Hot water, too much shampoo and frequent washing rinse out pigments faster than any summer day.
What a colour-safe wash looks like
- Two to three washes a week instead of daily — dry shampoo at the roots helps in between.
- Keep the water temperature below 38 degrees; rinse cold for the last few seconds for extra shine.
- Lather sulphate-free shampoo only at the roots, letting the foam run through the lengths.
- Apply conditioner or mask from ear level down, never on the scalp.
- After washing, detangle with a wide-tooth comb, never a brush, while hair is wet.
- Gently squeeze out excess water with a cotton or linen towel instead of rubbing dry.
Everyday life
What's good for colour — and what isn't
Most of our guests have six to eight weeks between appointments. During this time, everyday habits make the difference — heat, chlorine and sun more than any product.
Keeps colour lasting
- Heat protection before blow-drying, straightening and curling — no exceptions
- Straightening irons at 180 degrees at most, passed through each strand in one motion
- Soak hair with clear water and apply balm before swimming
- A head covering on long summer days — UV mainly washes out red tones
- A silk pillowcase — less friction, less frizz in the morning
Costs colour
- Daily washing with hot water and plenty of shampoo
- Deep-cleansing or anti-dandruff shampoos with strong surfactants
- Chlorinated water without pre-treatment — especially critical for cool blonde
- Home remedies like lemon, baking soda or vinegar on coloured hair
- Touching up roots with drugstore colour over a salon colour
By colour result
Every colour result needs its own routine
Cool blonde loses its tone first, red loses its vibrancy first, and balayage mainly loses its transition. That's why we give every colour result its own care recommendation.
Cool blonde
Yellow tones come from water, UV and blow-drying that's too hot. A silver shampoo every two to three washes keeps the tone cool — but leave it on only briefly, otherwise it turns grey-dull.
Red and copper
Red pigments are the largest molecules and sit the most loosely. They need cool water, short washes and a treatment with colour pigments, or they lose their depth after just two weeks.
Balayage
The transition lives on shine, not on regrowth. More important than colour refreshing is moisture in the tips — they're the most lightened and react most sensitively to heat.
Dark natural tones
Brown and black last longest but lose shine. A clear, pigment-free gloss treatment is usually enough; deep-cleansing shampoos, on the other hand, visibly pull the tone towards dull.
Strands and highlights
Lightened sections are more porous than the rest of the hair and absorb care products faster. Apply the mask specifically to the light strands and treat the rest with just a light conditioner.
Not sure what suits you?
During the consultation, we look at your hair structure, water hardness and everyday routine together and determine your care plan accordingly — even without booking a colour appointment right away.
Asked Often
Frequently Asked Questions About Colour Care
These are the questions we hear most often in our salon in Hamburg's old town when it comes to freshly coloured hair.
Let's Talk About Your Project
Briefly describe what you have in mind – Salon Scherenwerk will get back to you with an assessment.