Preserve and Protect
It takes hours to achieve that perfect color, but it doesn’t take much to ruin it. Everything from poor-quality shampoo to sun exposure can wreak havoc on color-treated hair. Celebrity colorist Marco Pelusi of Marco Pelusi Hair Studio explains how to remedy the major haircolor issues clients deal with.
“The biggest issue facing anyone who is color-treating their hair is the shampoo they use at home,” he points out. Pelusi recommends to clients a shampoo that helps to maintain the hair’s natural pH of 4.5 to 5.5. He also reminds them not to shampoo their hair for 24 to 48 hours after a color service because this time frame gives the color a chance to hold longer.
Another big issue for those with color-treated hair is maintaining the quality and integrity of the hair. Because colored hair can get quite dry, Pelusi stresses the importance of deep conditioning. He suggests treating clients to a strengthening treatment with a vegetable-based protein that mimics the hair’s own protein structure. Protein is extremely important for very damaged, color-treated hair and the ideal treatment process consists of a shampoo, rinse, a towel blot and an application of the protein treatment to the damaged areas followed by a final rinse.
To protect hair from the damaging effects of the sun, remind clients to wear a hat or stylish cover-up when outdoors, or at the very least tell them to apply products containing benzophenone, which will act as a sunscreen for the hair and prevent it from turning brassy, he says. Lastly, Pelusi points out that when coloring gray hair, which tends to be coarser and drier, a leave-in conditioner is essential. “When you add color to the gray it can dry hair out even more,” he explains. “Adding a leave-in conditioner to a client's regimen is a great idea even if she never used a leave-in before grays, because her texture has changed.” —Kamala Kirk, west coast editor
photography: ROBERT LYNDEN