Celebrity Colorist Shares Insider Tips For Maintaining Beautiful Hair Color

Every season, women take a page from fashion magazines and update their clothes, shoes and makeup while overlooking their greatest accessory: hair color. Some women don't realize that hair color, like perfectly shaped eyebrows, can actually define a woman's look. While a change of season becomes an opportunity to experiment, it's important to not only know the basics behind color-treating tresses, but also the process of maintaining it.

"My clients are always asking how they can sustain color and keep it from fading," says Pantene Celebrity Colorist Rita Hazan. "I always emphasize that there is no use spending a lot of money to color your hair if you aren't going to follow the right steps and use products to actually make the challenge of retaining deep, radiant color effortless."

Here, Hazan shares some simple tips on how to ensure your hair color is rich, vibrant and healthy looking:

Lifestyle Lesson: Before making any color changes, realistically think about your lifestyle and how much time you can commit to maintenance and care. Adventurous types who are up for the challenge can consider making a more drastic change, while low-maintenance girls should probably aim for an easier-to-manage color process such as highlights.

Maintenance Must: To keep color from fading or looking dull between salon visits, proper maintenance is a must. Always use products designed specially for color-treated hair. For the 33 percent of women who complain that their blonde highlights turn brassy, try the new Pantene Pro-V Blonde Expressions Highlight Enhancing Shampoo and Conditioner, designed to enhance blonde tones and protect against damaging elements such as mineral deposits and dulling residues.

Extra TLC: Color-treated strands require a little extra care during daily hair care routines. Instead of rubbing hair vigorously after washing, gently pat it dry to prevent color from looking faded. Always use a rinse-out conditioner on color-treated manes and let hair air-dry for a few minutes whenever possible before blow-drying so that you use less heat and keep more moisture intact for vivid, healthy-looking color.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate: Hair loses moisture during the color-treating process and as a result women are left with thirsty, straw-like tresses. Try using a deep-conditioning treatment once a week to keep hair hydrated, shiny and healthy. Massage treatment through strands from root to tip and make sure to leave in for 30 minutes so that it deeply penetrates hair.