Beauty Breakdown: How To Color Your Hair Without Damaging It, According To Top Colorists

I've been coloring my hair since I was a preteen, which means I've been doing so for close to two decades. It all started with a few honeyed highlights I begged my mom to let me get. I first experimented with some at-home boxed bleach that promised ribbons of golden blonde. When that didn't seem to work, she took me to see a colorist whose salon was in a strip mall just off the highway. A few foils later, I emerged with a few face-framing strips. I was so happy. 

And thus started my decades-long journey with hair color. I've been everything from auburn (in high school) to icy dark brunette (just moved to New York City and landed my first gig at a major magazine) to strips of turquoise blue (for fun in college). At about 25 I started going lighter after a hair appointment in Los Angeles with a top colorist who worked with some of the most iconic blondes in Hollywood. And for the most part, that was my look for years.

But then, about a year and a half ago I stopped dyeing it altogether. The upkeep was starting to get on my nerves. I couldn't stomach sitting in the chair for the several hours it took to highlight my long strands. The strength of my hair was starting to majorly suffer. And honestly, I just needed a break. So I let my roots grow in naturally, revealing a medium-hued brunette with a few wisps of gray. It's now almost fully my natural hair, with the exception of the remaining highlights at the ends. 

After my much-needed break, I'm ready to start again. I'm keeping the look low-key and minimal fuss—so I can go months between appointments. Blending in grays would be ideal, but they don't yet bother me enough to make it a priority. Most of all, the health of my hair is the primary focus. 

Hair coloring works by penetrating the hair shaft with ingredients that either remove or deposit pigment. As a first step, an alkaline subsistence (usually ammonia, but not always) is applied. The cuticle is the hair fiber's outermost protective layer. It has overlapping "shingles" that lift up—or what beauty folks refer to as "opening up the cuticle." When the cuticle is "open," other ingredients can penetrate the hair shaft.

To lighten hair, a bleaching agent (such as peroxide) is used to remove naturally occurring pigment in the hair, resulting in a lighter appearance. To darken or otherwise change the color, pigments are deposited into the hair shaft. These molecules are fairly large, so they get trapped and therefore are harder to wash out once the cuticle is closed. Then an acidic conditioner is applied to seal the cuticle shut. 

There are many ingredients used in this process. And while hair dyes can certainly be harsh on the hair, modern-day formulas have come a long way. They're not perfect, but they're also not as problematic as they're sometimes made out to be. "The hardest part of hair color is the balance between limiting the chemicals that have been found to be problematic and still making sure it's effective," colorist Christine Thompson, co-founder of the hair salon Spoke&Weal, once told me. 

She notes that hair dye formulas have gotten much smarter by eliminating or reducing the amount of questionable ingredients1 (such as p-Phenylenediamine [PPD], formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing products, and ammonia) so that if they are being used, it's done so at much lower concentrations. 

The most important step of them all: finding the right colorist for you. 

This starts with doing research on salons and artists in your area. Google and social media can be search tools to help broaden your scope and let you see what's available to you, but as Haliti notes, the best recommendations will always be word-of-mouth. 

"I get a few clients from Instagram, but mostly I come recommended from trusted sources," she says (worthy of note: her regular clients include Olivia Palermo, Sigourney Weaver, and scores of beauty editors, myself included). Don't be afraid to ask folks who does their color—most are very willing to spill, and at the very least it is a huge compliment. 

Once you find an artist you're excited about, have an open and honest conversation during your consultation. A colorist that's invested in your happiness will be able to educate you on proper technique and care, talk through dye ingredient or formula questions you might have, explain what's realistic for outcomes, and help you establish a consistent cadence that will be kind to your strands. 

Ultimately, the technique and what's used will be decided by the colorist. (As it should, they're the professionals, after all.) However, being an informed client can help you understand why certain decisions are made and how you can better work with your colorist.

For example, if ingredients are a point of concern for you (be it for health, a sensitive scalp, or whatever reason), talk to your colorist about what formulas they have available at the salon. As I've noted, modern options are much better for you—and there are many types that use natural extracts, are less irritating, and skip questionable ingredients. 

Your colorist can also use specific painting techniques to avoid touching your scalp too much if you'd prefer no skin contact altogether. "Foils can help keep the color of the scalp," says Cunningham. "I have a client who is allergic to color, and I've done a whole head of color using foils so it never touches the skin." 

Or, if you know you're someone who stretches time between appointments or wants to be as low maintenance as possible, find a look that allows for a longer grow-out phase, such as balayage, notes Haliti. "I always aim for less is more," she says. "My client is someone who wants to look clean, but she doesn't wanna look like she's colored. So how do we make this woman look like she's not officially dyed?"

Another important thing to remember is that hair ages, just like the skin, muscles, and body as a whole. This is a natural part of life! With age, hair might become more dry, the scalp more sensitive, and of course, you might see more grays.

Chemically processed hair needs to be treated differently than virgin hair—that's just the hard truth of it. That is because chemical processes (such as color) damage the hair cuticle and alter the cortex, which ultimately makes the hair fiber weaker. So you want to adjust your style and care routine so as not to add insult to injury. 

The first thing you'll want to do is switch to non-stripping color-safe shampoos. Shampoos are alkaline, which lifts the cuticle. This can allow for deeper cleaning but also fade the color faster or otherwise alter its vibrant hue. Switching to gentle washes will help preserve the color.

And while you're at it, try to limit the amount of shampooing you're doing in general: "Some people have been taught to shampoo every time they step into the shower, but you don't have to do that. Shampoo should be a treat," top celebrity colorist Justin Anderson once told me. 

It's also important that you keep the hair fiber hydrated with deep conditioning masks. Even if you've never had "dry" hair before, you may notice it feels a bit more crispy post-color. That's because color processing limits the hair's ability to hold on to water. Find yourself a rich mask and slather it on at least once a week. 

Along with replenishing hydration, you'll use a bond-restoring treatment to help restore and rejuvenate the hair fiber. "If you are putting highlights in your hair, you need to relink the bonds," says Cunningham, who says her go-to is Olaplex No. 3 (we feature it below in the product section, so check it out there for more info.)