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How to Take Care of Color-Treated Hair

Updated on September 16, 2025 | 5 min read

Jaclyn LaBadia, Davines Writer

Whether you have bleached blonde, bold black, or somewhere in-between, color-treated hair needs extra attention. No matter how healthy your strands, bleaching and permanently coloring your hair will inevitably cause damage. The good news is you can protect your hair color and keep your dyed hair healthy with the right hair care habits. Keep reading for our complete guide to caring for color-treated hair.

Key Takeaways

What to Know About Color-Treated Hair

Prep with deep treatments before coloring.
Wash less often and use sulfate-free products.
Apply weekly hair masks for hydration.
Minimize heat styling and protect with filters.
Sleep on silk pillowcases to reduce breakage.
Get trims every 3–4 months to maintain healthy ends.

The Best Ways to Keep Dyed Hair Healthy

We’ve put together the best expert tips and tricks to keep your bleached hair healthy, shiny and vibrant.

Prep Before Dyeing Your Hair

Healthy, vibrant color starts with proper prep, so taking care of your hair before your appointment is just as important as how you care for it after.

Do an Intensive Treatment Before Dyeing

To promote healthy hair before dyeing your strands, prep them with a deep conditioning treatment in the form of a hair mask. Masking twice a week for at least two weeks leading up to your color appointment will deeply moisturize and reinforce the structure of your hair. Remember that hydrated hair is healthy hair, and you want to start with the healthiest hair possible. Apply the hair mask to lengths and ends of clean, damp hair. Leave on for 5 minutes, then comb and rinse thoroughly with cool water.

Do Your Research on the Stylist or Salon

You should never try to bleach or color your hair at home, unless you’re a professional stylist using professional products. With box color, you run the risk of getting something you weren’t expecting — the current state of your strands may not translate to the exact color you see on the box. A professional takes several things into account before putting together a very specific formula to get you the result you want. Do your research before choosing a stylist or use our salon locator page to find a Davines professional near you.

back of woman's head as she washes her blonde hair

Wash Color-Treated Hair Less Often

The more you wash your dyed hair, the quicker your color will fade. In addition, washing too frequently strips your hair and scalp of the oils it needs, resulting in dry hair and damage. The best way to care for your color is to wash two to three times per week: use a dry shampoo on your off-days as needed, and see our previous post for more on how often you should wash your hair.

Use Sulfate-Free Products

When you do wash your hair, use sulfate-free shampoo. Sulfates contain salt, which strips moisture — one of the main causes of color fading. Sulfate-free shampoos are gentle formulas that don't disturb the hair cuticle as much as regular shampoos. Use a sulfate-free conditioner every time you wash to make your color last as long as possible and follow up with leave-in conditioner.

Use Products For Color-Treated Hair Care

The products you use on your hair make all the difference in the longevity of your color and the long-term health of your hair. Use only high-quality colored hair products, like those in our Alchemic and Heart of Glass lines, to protect color. Alchemic is a system of shampoos and conditioners with pure pigments that intensify and brighten cosmetic color, and Heart of Glass is a four-part regimen for maintaining the health and beauty of your blonde hair.

Incorporate a Weekly Hair Mask

Hair masks are deep conditioning treatments that lock in moisture and keep your strands as hydrated as possible. They’re great for all hair types, but especially if you have dyed hair. Just 5-10 minutes of masking once or twice a week can add a super dose of hydration and healing.

Air-Dry Hair

Heat from blow-dryers, straightening irons and curling tongs aren’t just damaging to your hair, they also strip the moisture from your strands and compromise your color. As often as you can, air-dry your hair. See our previous post for heatless hairstyle ideas and more on how to air-dry hair.

Minimize Heat Usage

The most important thing you can do to keep your colored hair healthy for as long as possible is to keep it hydrated. One way to do this is by minimizing the heat your strands are exposed to. Heat strips the hair of its natural oils and makes it brittle and prone to damage. It also disrupts the hair cuticle making it easier for color molecules to escape. To prevent hair damage and color loss, minimize heat in your hair care routine. Shampoo with lukewarm water and rinse with cold water after conditioning. Keep your heat tools on a low setting and prep with a heat shield for hair before using them.

Use a Shower Filter

A buildup of minerals can cause your strands to look dull and lifeless. To preserve color and prevent lackluster lengths, install a shower filter. This helps to reduce the presence of chlorine, sulfur, bacteria, iron, rust, copper, and lead — that sometimes winds up in tap water. Not only will using a shower filter help keep your color vibrant, but it will make your hair healthier in the long run. Impurities that buildup on your scalp can strip the moisture from your strands, making them dry and brittle. Hydrated hair is healthy hair so especially if you have bleached hair, using a shower filter is a must.

Sleep on a Silk Pillowcase

If you have color-treated hair, thinking about how your scalp and hair are affected during the night is important. It's especially important to consider the effect your sheets or pillowcases have on your hair. Friction is one of the main causes of split ends and breakage. Sleep on a silk pillowcase or wrap a silk scarf around your hair before bed so that your strands slip around rather than snagging and breaking as you toss and turn through the night.

Get Frequent Trims

One of the best ways to keep your color-treated hair looking its healthiest is to get regular haircuts or trims. Hair that is regularly trimmed is less likely to become damaged and develop brittle split ends, which can travel up your hair shaft toward your scalp. Get a haircut or trim every 3 to 4 months to keep your hair healthy and your color vibrant.

Keeping Color-Treated Hair Healthy

No matter how healthy your hair is, permanently coloring it will inevitably cause some level of damage. Protect your color and get healthy hair with the right hair care habits and only the highest quality products. All Davines formulas are free of harmful toxins, use natural ingredients, and are made with renewable energy and packaging that minimizes the environmental impact. Our hair care isn’t just good for your hair, it’s good for the planet.

Davines Heart of Glass product line for blonde hair sits on the side of a sink

FAQs

What is color-treated hair?

Color-treated hair is hair that has been dyed, bleached, or chemically altered to change its natural color.

Can color-treated hair be healthy?

Yes. With the right care—hydration, sulfate-free products, and minimal heat—color-treated hair can stay strong and healthy

How long does color-treated hair last?

Most professional hair color lasts 6–8 weeks, depending on the shade, technique, and how well you care for it

How often should color-treated hair be washed?

Wash 2–3 times per week with sulfate-free shampoo to maintain color and prevent dryness

Is color-treated hair the same as bleached hair?

Not exactly. All bleached hair is color-treated, but not all color-treated hair is bleached. Bleaching is more damaging since it strips pigment and moisture.

chic salon front desk with red shelves that have Davines Essential Haircare products

Treat Yourself

Visit your local Davines Salon for personalized treatments that make the most of your color.

Find a Davines Salon Near You

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How to Take Care of Color-Treated Hair

Key Takeaways

What to Know About Color-Treated Hair

In This Article

The Best Ways to Keep Dyed Hair Healthy

Prep Before Dyeing Your Hair

Do an Intensive Treatment Before Dyeing

Do Your Research on the Stylist or Salon

Wash Color-Treated Hair Less Often

Use Sulfate-Free Products

MINU Shampoo

Silkening Shampoo

NOUNOU Shampoo

OI Shampoo

Use Products For Color-Treated Hair Care

ALCHEMIC Shampoo Silver

Instant Bonding Glow

Rich Conditioner

ALCHEMIC Shampoo Copper