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Coloring your curls can be a fun and quick way to change up your look. Before you head to the salon, it’s important to have a good curl care regime in place, as colored curls require extra care. Stylist Lakia Woods, who works at the Chicago Curl Collective, shares her tips and tricks to preserving your color and keeping your curls healthy.
Use the right products: Curls are made of keratin, and the coloring process can damage your curls. You’ll want to use products that are rich in protein to help repair any brittleness, dryness or dullness and maintain healthy hair. This includes adding a regular deep conditioning treatment to your curl care regime.
Avoid “bad” ingredients: When you’re taking care of freshly colored curls, there are a few ingredients to avoid: alcohol, diethanolamine, parabens, sulfates and pretoleum. Look for products that are specifically for color treated hair or have organic ingredients.
Use “good” ingredients: Before you reach for that shampoo in your shower, make sure it contains some of the following curl healthy ingredients: natural oils, hydrating and moisturizing ingredients, proteins and collagen.
Take good care: If you use a lot of heat or tend to have hands off approach to your curl care, you’re going to want to tighten up your regime. Make sure you’re incorporating regular trims, maintenance, deep conditioning and protein treatments to keep your curls healthy and encourage growth.
Take it slow: If you’re planning on listening your curls several levels, do it over time. Once your hair has recovered, you can go for a lighter color. Before committing to a color, check with your stylist to make sure they’re up for the task and know how to work with curly hair.