Thanks to an interesting question asked in the comments of our Homemade Dry Shampoo Recipe post, we’re bringing a full week of red hair care tips to you from stylists and hair experts all week long – enjoy!

Mike Van Den Abbeel is a stylist and owner of Mosaic Hair Studio & Blowout Bar. He says “We are fond of recommending dry shampoo because it helps a client keep her blowout longer. Dry shampoos have become a staple in many fashionistas purses or desks because it helps prolong the blowout and color, and can also give an added boost of volume before heading out.” He continued to tell us about the different types of dry shampoo on the market:

Aerosol Dry Shampoo

Most people prefer aerosol dry shampoo because its a bit easier to use. Create parts in your hair and spray at the root area. Aerosol dry shampoos can clog up, so it you might need to clean the nozzle. Aerosol types also don’t need to come in different colors because the product is small enough to not impart a color.

Powder Dry Shampoo

As far as powder dry shampoo goes, it tends to actually work a bit better in eliminating the oil and odor from the hair. Most dry shampoos come in a dark, blonde, and neutral color. The neutral should work well for a natural red head. If you can actually see the product on the hair, you have used too much. If you are using the powder form, after applying flip your hair upside down and lightly tousle your hair at the scalp area to ensure good distribution.

More Red Hair Care Tips from Mike

As any (dyed) red-haired woman can attest, red hair can be a challenge to upkeep. The reason for this is the dye molecules have a weaker bond in the hair. Therefore, they detach and wash out faster. That’s why we love dry shampoo so much.

Another excellent tip would be to use the best possible shampoo budget allows. Yes there really is a difference between store bought and salon only. We love www.aquage.com or www.sojournbeauty.com. Most salon only shampoos will be better than store bought – they have better ingredients and higher quality conditioners and moisturizers that help keep your color longer.

In our opinion, most clients shampoo too often. Over washing causes the scalp to over-produce oils. We recommend shampooing only 2-3 times per week. At first, trying this new shampooing schedule may not seem like enough. In about 2-3 weeks the scalp will adjust.

If you are going in the salon to get your hair colored red, you must keep your skin tone in mind. There are a multitude of tones, and some will work. Others should be avoided at all cost depending on your natural skin tone. This is a good time to bring in pictures, because more miscommunication occurs when going red than any other shade.

Red hair color will fade faster than all others – stylists call this “browning out”. Even when following the shampooing rules above, there is very little you can do to stop it. Many of our red haired clients come in between appointments and put a gloss over everything to bring back the vibrancy.

If you are covering grey and care to have red hair, you must add some brown in the formula. Otherwise you get what stylists refer to as “hot roots”, where the hair that has just been colored is almost neon in color. Think of red hair color almost like painting a white wall. You must use a tinted primer, other wise you will need 5 coats of paint to get the desired depth.

Thanks so much to Mike from Mosaic Hair Studio and Blowout Bar for your red hair care tips! If you’re in the Orlando area, be sure to give them a call for your next cut and color!