What Makes Color Last Through New England Seasons?
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By Maureen Lamie, Color and Cutting Specialist at Kimberly Messing Hair Design
Color that fades faster than it should almost always has a specific environmental cause rather than a product or technique failure. Identifying which seasonal or water factor is driving the fading determines the right correction, and that diagnosis needs to happen before any product recommendation is made.
I am Maureen Lamie, a color and cutting specialist at Kimberly Messing Hair Design with over 35 years behind the chair. Our local environment in Braintree is one of the more demanding climates for color maintenance in the region and most generic hair advice does not account for what our specific seasons and water actually do.
Let me walk you through what we see here and what actually works.
Why Braintree's Water Affects Your Color Differently Than You Think
The most important thing to understand about Braintree's water is that it is soft, not hard. Our municipal water comes in at approximately 1.5 grains per gallon, which is very low mineral content compared to many surrounding towns.
This means a hard water clarifying shampoo, which is the most common generic recommendation for brassy hair in New England, will strip your color without addressing what is actually causing the problem.
What Braintree water does carry in trace amounts is copper from older local pipe infrastructure. Copper deposits behave differently from calcium and magnesium hard water minerals. They create a film on the hair shaft that oxidizes color over time and shifts blondes warmer.
A chelating treatment specifically formulated to remove copper and trace metal deposits addresses this. A hard water shampoo does not.
The other consequence of copper buildup is that it blocks toner from bonding correctly at your color appointment. If the hair surface is coated when you sit in my chair, the formula is not working on the hair itself.
We always assess this before applying any color at Kimberly Messing Hair Design and run a professional chelating treatment when the buildup is present.
Why Purple Shampoo Can Make Brassiness Worse
Purple shampoo deposits cool violet pigment to neutralize yellow tones. It works correctly on hair with a clean, mineral-free surface. On hair with a copper or mineral coating, it adds pigment on top of the coating rather than onto the hair itself. The result is hair that reads as muddy and dark rather than bright and cool.
Elise had been using purple shampoo twice a week for two months and her blonde was getting darker and flatter rather than cooler. When I assessed her hair at her appointment, she had a significant copper film on her hair from repeated washings without any chelating treatment in her routine.
The purple shampoo had been depositing color on top of the copper layer for eight weeks. We ran a professional chelating treatment to remove the copper first. Her blonde brightened immediately and the toner we applied afterward held for eight weeks rather than the two to three weeks she had been averaging.
The chelating was the step that made everything else work. Once her surface was clean, we moved her to the Prorituals Pro Platinum Purple Shampoo for her at-home toning maintenance.
Used on a clean, chelated surface it neutralizes brassiness the way it is supposed to rather than muddying the tone.
Summer: UV Oxidation and the Pre-Swim Barrier
Summer in Braintree brings two specific threats to color. The first is UV oxidation from sun exposure without protection. UV light breaks down color molecules and shifts both blonde and brunette tones warmer over the course of a summer. A UV-protective mist or spray applied before outdoor time slows this process significantly. Most clients protect their skin from our summer sun and overlook their hair entirely.
The second is pool or ocean water exposure without preparation. Hair absorbs what it encounters. If you step into a chlorinated pool with dry hair, it will absorb the chlorine-saturated water along its full length.
Thoroughly wetting your hair with clean tap water and applying a leave-in conditioner before swimming gives the hair a protective barrier of clean moisture. It cannot absorb significantly more when it is already full.
The Aluram Leave-In Conditioner is the one we recommend for the pre-swim step specifically because it is lightweight enough to apply without weighing the hair down but forms a strong enough moisture barrier to limit how much chlorine or salt water the hair absorbs.
Rinsing thoroughly after swimming and applying conditioner removes the remaining chlorine before it continues oxidizing the hair shaft.
Felicity had been swimming at the community pool through July and August and her dimensional brunette was going brassy by week four of every summer appointment. When I assessed her hair in late August, her ends had a characteristic copper-orange shift consistent with chlorine oxidation layered on top of the copper from the local water.
We ran a chelating treatment before her color service and walked through the pre-swim routine for the following summer. At her appointment the following October she had been swimming consistently and her color had held through eleven weeks without the brassiness she had experienced the previous summer.
Summer Smoothing Treatments and Color Longevity
A smoothing treatment done in late May before the peak humidity months seals the cuticle against atmospheric moisture absorption. An open cuticle from humidity does not just cause frizz.
It also allows color molecules to escape more readily with each wash. A sealed cuticle keeps the color inside the hair shaft where it belongs.
This is particularly relevant for clients with color-treated hair who also struggle with summer frizz. The smoothing treatment addresses both concerns simultaneously rather than requiring two separate approaches. The timing matters.
A treatment done after the humidity has already been affecting the hair for weeks is less effective than one done before the cuticle has been repeatedly stressed by the summer air.
Winter: Moisture Depletion and Color Dullness
Winter in Braintree depletes the hair's moisture content through two mechanisms working together. Outdoor cold air is very dry and removes moisture from the hair's surface.
Indoor heating further removes moisture from the air inside your home, office, and during your commute. The combination creates a progressive drying effect that worsens through the season.
Color looks dull in winter primarily because dehydrated hair does not reflect light the same way that properly moisturized hair does. The color may not have faded significantly but the cuticle's inability to lay flat and reflect light creates the flat, washed-out appearance clients bring to me in February.
Switching to a richer conditioning mask used twice weekly from November through March addresses the dehydration before it becomes severe enough to significantly affect the color's appearance.
The Redken Color Extend Blondage Hair Mask is the specific product we bring in for winter routines because its deep hydration formula seals the cuticle flat so color reflects properly rather than scattering through a raised, dehydrated surface. A clear gloss applied mid-winter gives the cuticle a sealed surface that restores both shine and the vibrancy of the color underneath.
Most clients who do this appointment at the halfway point between their major color services find they feel better about their color through the full interval rather than only for the first few weeks.
Gracelyn commutes by train from Braintree daily and comes to me every February with the same complaint. Her color looks flat and dull and her ends feel dry despite consistent conditioning. When I assessed her seasonal routine, she had been using the same lightweight conditioner from summer through winter without any adjustment.
We switched her to a richer mask from November through March and added a clear gloss appointment in January. The following February was the first time she came in at her scheduled color appointment without the winter dullness she had been experiencing every year.
When the Color Problem Is Not Environmental
I want to be honest about the cases where the seasonal and water factors are not the primary cause. If your color is fading significantly and you have already addressed the water with regular chelating treatments and you are using a professional color-safe shampoo consistently, the formula itself may need adjustment.
The Puring Color Care Shampoo is what we put clients on when we have ruled out the water and confirmed the shampoo is the remaining variable. Its antioxidant formula slows color oxidation between appointments without any sulfate stripping.
Some color formulas fade faster on specific hair types or porosities and the appointment is where we assess whether the formula is the variable.
If your routine is already well-matched to the season and the local water and your color is still not holding to the expected timeline, come in between appointments for an assessment. We identify whether the cause is environmental, product-related, or formula-related before recommending a change.
Not every color issue has the same cause and treating them all the same way produces inconsistent results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do shower filters actually help protect hair color in Braintree?
Yes, particularly for our local water's trace copper content. A shower filter that reduces copper and trace metal content slows the accumulation between professional chelating treatments. Most clients who install one notice their color holding longer and their blowout feeling lighter within the first two to three weeks.
Why does my purple shampoo make my hair look muddy instead of brighter?
Purple shampoo works on a clean hair surface. If copper or mineral buildup is present, the purple pigment deposits on top of the coating rather than onto the hair itself. A professional chelating treatment removes the coating first and the purple shampoo performs correctly afterward.
How often should I wash colored hair in New England's climate?
Two to three times a week works well for most color-treated clients in our area. Each wash allows a small amount of color to escape with the water. Stretching wash days with a dry shampoo at the roots extends the color hold between appointments without adding product buildup to the lengths.
When should I book a mid-appointment gloss?
If your color is feeling flat or dull at the four to six week mark rather than at your scheduled appointment interval, a clear gloss restores the shine and tone without a full color service. In winter specifically, a mid-season gloss at week six to eight keeps the color performing the way it looked at the appointment rather than waiting until the scheduled return.
Can a keratin smoothing treatment protect color in summer?
Yes. Sealing the cuticle against humidity prevents both frizz and the color loss that an open cuticle accelerates in summer conditions. The timing should be late May before the humidity peaks rather than reactive to the frizz once summer has already been affecting the hair.
Ready to Keep Your Color Looking Fresh?
The right seasonal approach and the right local water management make color last significantly longer between appointments. Come in and we will assess your specific situation honestly before recommending anything.
Call us at (781) 817-5077 or visit us at 533 Washington Street, Braintree, MA 02184 to book your consultation.
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