Beauty & Fashion 

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Is colouring my hair causing damage?

It’s true that permanent and some semi-permanent dyes cause at least a little hair cuticle damage while others cause a lot. If you've coloured your hair so much that it's seriously damaged, see your hairdresser and ask what you can do to minimise this. There’s no quick-fix solution, other than waiting for the damaged hair to grow out and being gentler on your hair all around.

As for making your colour last as long as possible, all hair dyes fade, whether permanent or not. The culprits are oxidation, which is natural and unavoidable, and exposure to the sun. Your first line of defence is to cover up your hair if you’re spending a lot of time outside. Products that contain sunscreen can help a bit, but used alone they're not enough. Try also using a gentle shampoo, then use as heavy a conditioner as possible without making your hair go limp. Between colourings, shampoos that contain a colourant can help freshen up your look.

Why not chat to other iVillagers about hair on the Hair Care message board. Take a look at some of the LIVE discussions happening now on the board:

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