What can be done against dry hair after highlights?

You are the proud new owner of highlights but unfortunately your hair appears to have become very dry.... What can you do about this? And can you prevent it? We give you tips on how to tackle dry locks after highlighting and prevent it from happening again.

Dry hair due to highlights

Before we explain how highlights can cause dry hair, it is important to know what highlights actually are. Highlights are lifted tufts in your hair. Usually by bleaching and sometimes you can also use hair dye. By choosing a few colour levels lighter than your own hair colour, you get a natural sunkissed effect. Highlights usually don't directly make your hair feel or look dry. In fact, occasional highlights usually do not affect your healthy hair. If you highlight your hair regularly using bleach, however, it is more likely to have an effect on your hair, making it look dry. Highlighting with bleach is a treatment that removes the colour pigment present in your hair; it decolours your hair. Even if you use a professional highlighting product or go to a good hairdresser, this bleaching will have a drying effect on your hair. 

The effective ingredient in the bleaching agent is hydrogen peroxide, which is also known as oxygenated water. You can think of this substance as an activator in hair dye, which makes it lighter. You have hydrogen peroxide in different percentages from 1 to 12%. The higher the percentage, the greater the effect, but beware: the higher the percentage, the more harmful to the hair! Stick to your product's advice and use the hydrogen peroxide recommended. If you regularly touch up your highlights or have them done, your hair will eventually become porous. It can then no longer retain moisture, becomes brittle and feels dry.

What can be done about dry hair after highlights

Frequent highlighting or touch-ups with bleach in a short time is stressful for your hair anyway. It will make your hair dry and your hair may even break off. Sometimes it can even change your hair structure completely by breaking down certain bonds in your hair. How do you get your hair back to as healthy a state as possible? Below are our tips.

• Masks will help your dry highlights get back on top! Use a good, non-chemical mask regularly. Your hair can instantly look and feel a lot healthier. Wrap aluminium foil around your hair after applying the mask to allow the warmth to work in.

• Use a good shampoo and conditioner specifically for coloured hair. These are milder and do not contain, for example, SLS, a substance that is very aggressive to your hair and scalp. Dark Bamboo is also a great product for porous hair, it is a very mild cleansing and nourishing treatment in one.
• Blow-drying, hair straightening and/or curling should be avoided. These styling tools damage your hair even more, making it drier and more brittle. Do you still fancy using heat tools? Then make sure you use a heat-protecting serum and try to use a lower temperature.
• Schedule an (extra) hairdresser's visit. Is your hair damaged? The best remedy is a haircut. Split ends are cut away, preventing them from splitting and breaking further. Your hair can then continue to grow healthily.
• Take vitamins for your hair. For example, vitamin A, which stimulates sebum production. Sebum protects hair from drying out. Another example is zinc, which makes your hair strong and prevents it from splitting so easily.
• To care for your hair and keep the colour of your highlights longer, use Shop WECOLOUR hair care