Few things spark Marie Kondo-worthy joy like a fresh cut and color. Dyeing your hair can update dull, lifeless strands when done properly, but they can also leave your hair less than healthy.

Skip the drama by avoiding these mistakes once you leave the salon.

Shampooing Too Soon

It's one of the most common mistakes, and one of the most costly. As a rule of thumb, you should always wait 72 hours before lathering your locks. During this time, your hair’s cuticle layer will have an opportunity to close, which locks in color and extends the life of your new look. When you do shampoo, it’s incredibly important to wash with product that’s moisturizing and without sulfates and parabens.

In-Home Color Correction

We’ve all been there. You force a smile in front of your colorist, lie that you love it, and return home with a plan to fix the color yourself. Fight the urge to run to the drugstore, since that over-the-counter color can (and most likely will) make your look even worse. Box dyes are notoriously formulated with permanent colors that lack moisture, leaving your hair even more dry and brittle. Instead, just book another appointment (perhaps with a different colorist).

Shampooing Too Often

Your fresh hair color's worst enemy is water, since the chemicals in hair dye make your hair more vulnerable. Shampoo your hair no more than every other day, and avoiding excessive rinsing once you've shampooed and conditioned. Instead of continuing the faux lather, simply tilt your head back and let the water just run over it for a few minutes. Since water is an enemy here, we don’t recommend rinsing hair in between washes. Instead, use a dry shampoo at your hair’s roots to soak up excess oil.

Rinsing With The Wrong Temperature Water

We get it, hot showers feel good, and that only increases during cold weather months. Sadly for your strands, hot water lifts your hair’s outer cuticle layer, which protects your new hair color. The hotter your shower, the faster you can expect your color to fade. Instead, adjust your shower temperature to a lukewarm temperature, and try ending each shower with a cold water rinse to re-seal those cuticles.

Using The Wrong Moisturizing Treatment

Dyed hair is more likely to become dry and brittle, which directly leads to breakage and loss of length. The right moisturizing treatments will replenish moisture, and they’ll create a protective barrier to help lock in color. Make sure to condition each time you shampoo, and incorporate a deep moisturizing mask into your weekly hair routine. For an even bigger moisture boost, apply a Biotin-based serum on the body and ends of your hair after blotting hair dry with a cotton tee.

Improperly Styling

Your freshly colored hair is weaker than before, so it’s especially vulnerable to heat. To keep from frying strands, always apply a heat protectant spray before using any heat tools. And if you plan on spending lots of time under the sun like we do, wear a hat to keep your fresh color from fading or lightening.