Getting the Most from Your Colour Service


Colour is more bold and vibrant than ever in 2018, with fashion shades such as the Pantone colour of the year, Ultra Violet, finding their way from the catwalks onto the streets.

If UltraViolet is the shade for you – or any of the other statement colours – the chances are you will need to have your hair bleached before the colour application in order to achieve such a dramatic change. This, in addition to the colour process, can be extremely challenging for your hair. Without the proper advice and care prior, during and after colour, your hair could be left damaged and looking and feeling dry and coarse. Not what you want when you’re trying to be bold!

Whether you decide to express your inner rebel with UltraViolet, or just want a stunning shade of blonde, or a beautiful balayage, it always worth chatting with your stylist first to ensure your hair is in prime condition before embarking on the colour service.

But don’t despair, there is plenty that can be done to ensure hair stays in great condition while you enjoy your new look.

What's the Damage?

Bleach is potentially the most harmful chemical process you will ever put your hair through. Bleaching works by raising the hairs outer cuticle so that the bleaching agent, usually hydrogen peroxide, can penetrate inside the hair. Too much bleaching and the cuticle outer scales can be left permanently raised, resulting in hair that looks and feels coarse. The raised cuticle layer also means moisture literally leaks out of the hair shaft, leading to dehydration and extreme dullness.

Even if you opt for a colour service that doesn’t involve bleaching, the potential for damage is there. Like bleach, permanent and semi-permanent colour need to penetrate the cuticle in order to sit inside the hair structure. Most colour products achieve this using oxidising agents such as ammonia which lifts the cuticle scales to let the colour pigments into the hair shaft. But, of course, this can also lead to hair that is no longer sleek and smooth, and, like bleaching, allows moisture to leak from the hair shaft. 

Prepare Your Hair

Before you have any kind of colour treatment, it’s best to ensure your hair is in the best possible condition. Although our Ultimate treatment is well known for straightening and smoothing, it is also ideal for strengthening the hair, with its unique protein technology nourishing, hydrating and repairing every hair strand from root to tip. If you are planning a colour change, chat to your stylist about booking in for an Ultimate treatment a week or two before your colour appointment. This way you will know that your hair is in the best possible health before applying bleach or colour, creating the perfect foundation for the best colour results.

You should also chat with your colourist about our sister brand, INNOluxe.

INNOluxe, a colour additive launched by KeraStraight’s founders Jez Barnett and John Hubbard, is a protein hair solution designed to repair the hair during the colouring process. This in-salon treatment can also create a perfect foundation for colour and other chemical services – strengthening and repairing hair faster than chemicals can cause damage.

After Colour Hair

The products you choose to use at home after a colour service will make a big difference to the health of your hair and also how long you keep your colour in its original vibrant state.

All our products are designed to repair, strengthen and protect all hair types, including hair that has recently been coloured.

Here are some pointers that will help you make the right colour aftercare choices:

  • Opt for shampoos and conditioners that don’t contain abrasive sodium chloride, which will strip colour from your hair, leading to it fading much faster. Also, avoid other damaging ingredients such as sulphates and parabens. Moisture Enhance Shampoo and Conditioner are the ideal combinations following a colour service. Not only are they free of any nasty ingredients that will cause the colour to fade, they will also hydrate hair and, thanks to a unique blend of proteins and lightweight conditioners, leaving it soft, smooth and healthy. 
  • Invest in a hair mask with moisturising properties. Following a colour service, hair is prone to dryness, so investing in a high-quality moisturising hair mask and making it a regular part of your hair regime will make all the difference to the condition of your hair post-colour. Protein and Moisture Masks contain an advanced blend of wheat proteins and moisture-capturing ingredients designed to combat rehydration and banish brittle hair.
  • Hair oils are another great way to boost hair health and shine between colour appointments, but make sure you choose one that contains a variety of moisture and health-giving ingredients, so that hair is nourished and hydrated as well as looking shiny.

Ultimate Oil contains a blend of nine expertly selected oils that target dehydration and damage, making it the ideal after-colour oil.