Christine KellerA change in hairstyle, like new hair color, is one of the most exciting ways to upgrade your look. But there are times when right after you dye your hair, you feel like it still lacks the oomph you want. Then, you suddenly think of straightening your strands.
The question now is: can you straighten your hair after you dye it?
Well, the good news is yes, you can straighten your hair after dyeing it. However, you should do it with extra caution.
Remember that heat damage is inevitable every time you undergo hair straightening. To make things trickier, if your hair is dyed or color-treated, this becomes more prone to heat damage. Aside from that, the heat coming from styling tools may even strip your new color off your hair.
This is why it is important to know what you should do in the first place to minimize this unwanted damage as much as possible.
Here are a few things you should know before you decide to straighten your hair after dyeing.
How Long to Wait After Dyeing Your Hair Before Straightening It?
You should ideally wait no less than one week after dyeing your hair before you straighten your hair. It gives your strands adequate time to recuperate. Don’t forget that your strands have gone through some changes between the bleach and dye job.
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If your hair is exposed to styling tools that produce heat too soon, your strands might end up damaged. And worst, this can also after your hair dye. But there are still some important things you need to remember before you straighten your dyed hair.
Make Moisturization Your Priority
Keeping your strands properly moisturized is the main secret to keeping your hair protected from heat damage after you dye it. It is easier for dry hair to get damaged since there is minimal moisture that keeps it together.
The easiest solution here is to use a hair mask, conditioner, and moisturizing shampoo at least once weekly. Make sure you also use products considered safe for dyed hair or else, your color will fade sooner than usual.
Keep Your Hair Protected
It is imperative to protect your hair. There are plenty of products that are specially made to protect your hair throughout the heating procedure. High-quality type of heat protectant contains ingredients such as humectants and keratin.
Keratin is one type of protein that strengthens the hair bonds, while humectants are ingredients that preserve moisture that helps in hydration.
Stick to Lower Heat Setting
Whether you like it or not, heat can cause damage. This means that a low-temperature setting can lengthen your hair color’s life and lead to less damage as a result.
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You can try to air dry your hair first before you use the iron. Your hair will be healthier if it gets exposed to less heat. It is the best way for your strands to look luscious and colorful for a long time.
Steps for Straightening Your Hair After Dyeing It
Hair damage won’t happen if the world is perfect. But since the world is far from being perfect, it is important to look after your strands after dyeing.
If you want to uncurl your strands right after you give it a color touchup, there are a few crucial steps you need to follow.
1. Start with Proper Preparation
It has already been several days after you dyed your hair and you already washed with conditioner and hydrating shampoo. You might have already applied the conditioning mask that contains all the good stuff.
This time, you need to prepare your hair before straightening it. Apply your favorite hair oil and heat protectant spray. Make sure you already turned your straightener one to give it time to heat up.
2. Section Your Hair
Sectioning your hair prior to straightening it is a must. It might be difficult for your straightener to work into extremely thick pieces. Carefully sectioning your hair will allow you to focus on the layers one at a time and straighten them.
You can also use hair ties and clips to separate the sections. You can work on somewhat thicker sections if you are using higher heat seating. Again, remember that higher heat setting might damage your strands.
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3. Straighten Your Hair
Since your straightener is now ready and your strands are sectioned and prepped, it’s time to do the job. Grab one section then hold the straightener near the hair roots. Just make sure you avoid getting too close since it might end up burning your scalp.
See to it that you keep your grip tight on the straightener while going down towards the tips. You can reduce the damage by going over each hair section just one or two times.
4. Do the Finishing Touches
Now that your hair is all straight, it is time for those final touches using hydrating finishing oil. It doesn’t need to be specially made for heat damages. Any good quality spray or oil will do. It would be great if it also contains keratin or any protein for that matter.
Tips to Maintain Healthy Dyed Hair
It doesn’t matter if you have brunette, platinum blonde, blue, or even red hair. It still needs some TLC to make sure that your hair color lasts long. Surely, you wouldn’t want to spend big bucks at the salon to get a trendy color only to see it fading away in just a week just because you didn’t look after it properly.
Below are some simple tips to ensure that your dyed hair stays healthy:
- Mix the dye with your conditioner.
- Lower the water temperature every time you shampoo.
- Use sulfate-free conditioner and shampoo.
- Make sure you wait 72 hours after dyeing your hair before shampooing.
- Wash your hair less often.
So, the next time you dye your hair, be a bit patient first and wait for some time before you straighten it. This way, you can be sure that you can enjoy your straight dyed hair for months!
