How often should you colour your hair?

 
Q: How often should women go between colorings?

Jason: As a general rule I suggest 3-4 weeks. That being said, there are exceptions to every rule. It’s not terrible to color more frequently as long as you are not going overboard. Remember, hair is a fiber – the more you manipulate it, the more fragile it becomes. I love using as much AMMONIA FREE COLOR as possible.

Q: What is the max amount of times per year someone can color their hair without it becoming overly damaged?

 

Jason: That is a tough question to answer – it really depends on the individual, her hair texture and type, how frequently she shampoos and heat styles. There are too many variables to really say.

Let me briefly tell you my "hairy" story. 

I salute women who have gone completely gray and wear it well.  Personally, I am not ready for that quite yet.  Therefore, colouring my hair has become a regular chore that I have to either enjoy having done at the salon or I have to pull up my sleeves and do it myself.  Not being totally convinced that the hair salon formulations are any better than the store bought ones, I tend to DIY it more often. 

Questions asked by "A Girl's Gotta Spa", a great beauty blog so take a minute and check it out.

Answers provided by Jason Backe, Master Colourist @ Ted Givson Salon. 

Photo taken a few days after one of my DIY colouration treatments.

Upon meeting Karen Orlowski, founder and creator of ASK Cosmetics Inc., I learned a lot about my hair and why it felt absolutely horrible after each colouration.  She explained the hair structure and the importance of the cuticles.  BTW - the condition of your cuticles, both on your finger/toe nails as well as on your hair, really determines how healthy your hair will be. 

If you cuticles, which are like shingles on your roof or scales of a fish, are caused to lift, your hair becomes vulnerable and weak, prone to breakage.  Please note:  every time we wash our hair in hot water, these cuticles lift off the hair shaft; every time we colour our hair the strong chemicals cause the cuticles to lift; every time we wash our hair with shampoos containing harsh surfactants our cuticles will be lifted........  Then the vicious cycle continues when we apply haircare products formulated using waxes and silicones.  These ingredients fill the gap between the lifted cuticle and the hair shaft making your hair heavy, breakable, in some cases unmanageable.

Photo of healthy hair cuticles (top) and damaged and lifted ones (bottom).

 

The advice I received from Karen really "saved" my hair from further damage due to frequent colourations.  In comparison to other people I do not cover up the gray hair more often than every 8 - 10 weeks.  When those little bits of silver start to become more pronounced, I quickly grab my trusty "medium brunette" and get the job done.

 

 

However, my routine has changed for the better.  Now, I apply some TIPS Nail Conditioner to my dry hair approx. 3 - 4 days before doing the colouration.  I leave it on as long as possible.  As it is very oily, some people can't stand to have it on their hair and scalp for more than a few hours.  In my case, I sometimes leave it in overnight.  I make sure that I am using the Revival Daily-Use Shampoo, which doesn't contain any harsh surfactants, so your cuticles will be protected.  I also use the ASK Cosmetics Hair Conditioner every other day.  Both of these products have changed the way my hair feels and looks.  I receive tons of compliments on how shiny and healthy my hair looks - yeah!  Who doesn't love compliments!  Then, taadaa, my colouration takes place BUT, and this is really important to note, upon heeding Karen's advice I no longer apply the deep conditioner that the colouration package provides.  This little tube is FULL of waxes and silicones that will fill the cuticles, which are standing up due to the chemicals of the colouration itself (no way to get around that). 

 

 

Once I stopped putting on this stuff, my hair felt soft, silky and didn't feel like straw any more.  Thanks so much to Karen and her advice. 

Now, colouring my hair doesn't leave me worrying whether I am doing terrible damage to my hair and scalp.

Now I would like to hear from you.....

 

How often do you colour your hair?  Do you have it done by a professional or is it a DIY job that takes place in the comfort of your bathroom?