How to keep your hair healthy between appointments

Healthy hair holds colour better, looks better and feels better. Whether you've just had a colour appointment at Funky-Doos or you're building your hair up for one, the basics of a good home routine make a real difference to your results.

Here's what Katy recommends to clients across all hair types.

Start with the right shampoo for your hair type

Most people use whatever shampoo is on offer. It's worth spending a bit more time choosing the right one for what your hair actually needs — especially if you colour it.

• Colour-treated hair: use a sulphate-free or colour-safe formula to protect tone and reduce fade
• Dry or damaged hair: look for moisturising formulas with ingredients like keratin, ceramides or argan oil
• Fine hair: avoid heavy, rich formulas — they can weigh hair down and make it limp faster
• Oily scalp: clarifying shampoo once a week to reset, with a gentler formula the rest of the time

Condition properly — every single wash

Skipping conditioner is one of the most common reasons hair feels rough, breaks easily or loses colour faster. It's not optional, particularly if your hair is coloured, bleached or heat-styled regularly.

• Apply conditioner from mid-lengths to ends — not the roots
• Leave it on for at least 2–3 minutes before rinsing
• Use a deep conditioning mask or treatment at least once a week
• For very dry or damaged hair, try leaving conditioner on for longer under a shower cap

Be careful with heat styling

Heat styling is one of the fastest ways to damage hair over time. That doesn't mean you can't use straighteners or a curler — it means using them properly and protecting your hair when you do.

• Always apply a heat protectant before any heat styling
• Use the lowest temperature that still gets the result you want
• Don't go over the same section more than twice
• Let hair dry naturally before using straighteners where possible — heat on wet hair causes more damage

Dry gently — not aggressively

Wet hair is at its most fragile. Rough towel-drying causes breakage, frizz and split ends faster than almost anything else. A few simple changes here make a noticeable difference.

• Squeeze water out — don't rub or twist
• Use a microfibre towel or an old t-shirt to blot dry — they're much gentler than standard towels
• Detangle with a wide-tooth comb starting from the ends and working up
• Never brush wet hair aggressively — it stretches and snaps much more easily when wet

Don't skip trims

Trims don't make your hair grow faster, but they stop split ends travelling up the hair shaft and causing more damage. For coloured or bleached hair especially, regular trims keep the ends looking fresh and healthy.

How often you need one depends on your hair's condition and how fast it grows, but every 8–12 weeks is a reasonable guide for most people.

Sleep habits

It sounds like a small thing but a silk or satin pillowcase reduces friction on your hair while you sleep. Cotton pillowcases create more friction, which leads to more frizz, more tangles and more breakage over time — particularly on colour-treated or bleached hair.

Loosely braiding long hair before bed also reduces tangling and helps preserve style and condition overnight.

Watch what goes on your scalp too

Hair health starts at the scalp. A dry, irritated or product-buildup-heavy scalp affects how well your hair grows and how well colour takes. A scalp scrub or clarifying wash once or twice a month helps reset things, especially if you use dry shampoo regularly.

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