Caring For Candy Hair Colors

I am seeing so many beautiful, bright candy colors in hair, and in a wide variety of styles, everything from all-over tone-on-tone to balayage. The silver-gray base remains a trend, more and more with feathery highlights of pastel color.

There is a notable difference, of course, between the "pretty good" color jobs and those done artfully. The silvers done well lend a quality of sophistication to the look but they're not easy to do right. So, particularly when they are done beautifully, you'll want to protect them.

Some colors hold better than others. All of them will last longer with some care and attention that I've mentioned in recent columns:

•Wear hats when you're in the sun.
•Don't wash your hair right after a color job.
•Don't wash your hair every time you shower.
•Use only professional shampoo specifically for color-treated hair.
•DON'T use clarifying shampoo.

You might consider some other strategies:

If you are going with an all-over color, consider transitioning to another trending style with natural roots. This is an option and the style is popular. You might need to revive the bright candy color mid-shaft to ends but you'll work to maintain any color.

A balayage might be a bit more forgiving because the colors are blended from the get-go. Balayage is an artful technique that is difficult to do well. Really, that's the case with all great color work, and the outcome will depend a lot on the initial product.

One problem with any color is that it changes as it fades, and the nature of that change depends on the hair. You may get lucky. The bright color may fade and leave you with something nice. If not, head to your stylist and get it refreshed.