It depends on your goal and the type of color procedure you and your colorist choose. If all you want is some well-placed highlights to enrich your existing color, upkeep is minimum, as little as three or four times a year. If you decide on an extreme color change or need to cover gray, you’ll probably have to re-touch roots every four to six weeks, since hair grows about a half-inch a month. There are techniques that allow you to go longer between touch-ups, so discuss your options with an experienced colorist.

Many things influence hair color in between visits to the salon: your shampoo, sun exposure, the type of water in your area, your styling tools (products, hair dryers, flat irons). When you come back to the salon for a re-touch, the colorist will evaluate your hair for changes and make adjustments to your formula so your color will remain beautiful and consistent.

Always use a mild shampoo if you color your hair – like a shampoo especially formulated for color-treated hair. There are also important shampoo and hair care techniques to remember. First, try to use as little shampoo as possible to cleanse the scalp. Massage the scalp thoroughly without scrubbing the ends – they’ll become clean automatically when you rinse out the shampoo. Excessive scrubbing of ends will make color fade faster and leave hair very dry and unmanageable. Rinse hair well before applying conditioner.

You’re probably scrubbing your ends too much, and not moisturizing them enough. Use very little shampoo and target just the scalp, and don’t rub the ends at all. Rinse thoroughly and use a tiny bit of conditioner on the ends only, without touching the scalp.

Most likely, you’re not getting the scalp clean enough, or not rinsing completely, leaving a residue. This makes styling difficult. When you shampoo, target the scalp and rinse very thoroughly. Apply just enough conditioner on the ends to make hair feel soft and tangle-free, and none at all on the scalp.

With this combination, you’re not targeting the scalp when you shampoo, just the ends. If you have a naturally oily scalp, it’s perfectly okay to shampoo your hair daily, as long as you don’t involve the ends. Target the scalp with a shampoo formulated for oily hair, rinse thoroughly, then apply a very small amount of conditioner on the ends as a moisturizer.

You’re probably using too much product and not rinsing enough. Target the scalp using a minimal amount of shampoo, massaging the scalp to remove all the oils, dirt and bacteria. Rinse out completely, then use a minimal amount of conditioner to moisturize only the ends. Remember: Using more product will not give you better results.