MUSBA HASHMI speaks with Shweta Sahni about the common myths surrounding hair colour, how one can keep them healthy and the new services launched by the brand

People still believe colouring hair will result in hair loss and frizziness, among other things. Do you agree?

Losing hair after a hair colour is a huge myth. There are various reasons for hair fall but hair color is not one of them. I believe it’s quite the opposite. A hair colour leads to swollen cuticles, which in turn leads to providing volume to your hair. Frizziness can however be a problem if proper nutrition isn’t provided to the hair especially in a country like India, where humidity is higher. You can always move to no ammonia shampoos to protect your hair and help avoid a frizzy head. A quick tip, oiling your hair on a regular basis and moving to mild shampoos surely helps beat the frizz.

How the two new services by L’Oréal Professionnel aim to change the hair game?

We at L'Oréal Professionnel have always believed to provide our consumers with the absolute best for their hair. Metal DX and French Balayage serve the exact purpose too. After a shower, metal particles often settle in our hair. During a hair color when oxidants and these metal particles interact, the oxidant cannot fully do its job which in turn leads to breakage or unreliable hair color results. Metal DX helps remove these metal particles from the hair.

Metal DX with Glicoamine helps to deactivate even the largest amount of metal from the hair which helps you get the exact color you desire with less damage and breakage. On the other hand, the new hair color service, French Balayage is a service that is customized especially for Indian taste. This two-step technique suits all hair bases, even the darkest ones which makes it perfectly adaptable to Indian skin tones and hair bases. The first step involves perfectly blended lightening while the second step focuses on nourishing gloss to neutralise warmth and add shine.

Some tips to manage healthy and shiny coloured hair.

To keep your hair healthy and keep the shine going after colouring make sure you oil your hair at least once a week and wash it twice a week with the right shampoo and mask. Make sure to condition your hair after every wash to prevent it from drying. Another huge myth people believe in is that sun rays do not affect coloured hair. It is extremely important to protect your hair color from the UV rays to prevent it from turning into an unwanted brassy hair color. And one of the most important things is to use a heat protectant if you use heat styling tools often.

Are there any particular types of hair colour that one should refrain from?

A temporary hair colour isn’t something that I generally recommend. Temporary hair dyes and extremely short lived and often need to be retouched or recolored. This can cause damage to the hair due to the frequency and timeline of coloring. These hair dyes have larger molecules which do not penetrate in the cuticle effectively. I highly recommend using Semi- Permanent or Permanent hair color to prevent damage and get shiny hair.

For coloured hair, how safe is heat-based styling?

Flat ironing or blow drying your hair may seem like a fast and effective way to get ready instantly. However, when you constantly use these heat styling tools especially for your coloured hair, you’'re on your way to spoil that beautiful mane. Heat styling directly on your hair can lead to breakage, split ends and even drying out your hair strands. If heat styling is something you constantly indulge into, make sure to take a few seconds more to protect your hair and use a heat protectant.