Preparing for Color

Next Saturday I am having my hair dyed red and because my hair is relaxed (i.e. already chemically processed) I am taking every precaution to ensure that the damage caused by the coloring process is minimal. I began talking with my stylist about coloring my strands a little over six weeks ago and after expressing my hair goals (reaching WL and maintaining healthy strands) she agreed to color my hair 4 weeks after my relaxer service using a low-volume developer to prevent excessive damage to my already processed strands. 

Immediately after my relaxer I began preparing my hair for color in much the same way I do for a relaxer. For the past 3 weeks my routine has been as follows:

Saturday:

• Pre-poo on damp hair with Coconut Oil for 1 hour
• Shampoo with a sulfate-free, moisturizing shampoo
• Condition with a moisturizing conditioner for 5 minutes
• Deep condition with a protein conditioner for 15 minutes (with heat) - half way through the process I added Hot Six Oil on top of the protein conditioner for moisture/balance.

Tuesday:

• Shampoo with a sulfate-free, moisturizing shampoo
• Condition with a moisture-based conditioner that contains protein

My focus has been the replenishment of the protein lost during the relaxer process and restoration of my hair's moisture levels while also strengthening my strands for the onslaught of additional chemicals.  I have steered clear of heat styling tools in favor of twist outs to quickly set my strands and add some texture. Because of the additional wash & condition session mid-week my hair has felt softer and more moisturized than usual and as the weather warms I am considering adding the additional session back into my routine.

For anyone contemplating having their hair colored I offer these suggestions:

• Discuss your coloring options with a professional
• Wait at least 3 weeks after your relaxer before coloring
• Be prepared to step up your DC routine
• Make sure your hair is healthy beforehand - color is a damaging process and having the process done on damaged strands will only do additional harm

How do you prepare for chemical services?