As we enter the fall season today, it’s important that we do what we can to help prevent further damage that’s already been done over the summer. Luckily, the color trends we will be seeing this fall are conducive to rehabbing your hair – it’s going to be all about giving your natural hair color a chance to shine and staying away from the harsh colors and bright platinum shades that are most damaging to your hair.

“The days of striking, contrasting colors are gone this season,” explains Celebrity Stylist for Pantene, Hallie Bowman. “This fall people will be going back to their roots, or at least making it look that way. We’re going to see natural-looking tones to balance the more extreme hair styles that are going to be big, including mixed textures and nods to the 80s shapes.”

The Color Trends:

* Blonde: Platinum blonde is out and warmer, neutral tones are in. If you’re blonde Bowman recommends shades of sable, vanilla or mink. However, if you’re not ready to let go of your platinum locks, soften the look by adding some golden highlights.
* Brunette: Reddish or bluish browns are out and warmer browns are in. Shades like deep chocolate and chestnut are going to be all-the-rage; it’s all about making your shade believable.
* Redhead: Two words – true red. The key is to ask your stylist to stay away from blue and copper undertones, both of which reflect orange in the sunlight. One way to avoid orange is to add some highlights to cool down the shade.
* Black: Stay away from blue undertones and go for ebony to keep the shade natural-looking.

Maintenance:

Once you’ve achieved the shade you want, keeping your color looking fresh can be a challenge, but it doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot! Bowman recommends using a shampoo and conditioner system that is developed for color treated hair, such as the ones from Pantene

“I love the Pantene Expressions collection because it keeps hair color looking fresh, and helps reveal the three facets of hair color: tone, depth and vibrancy,” explains Bowman

The Pantene Expressions shampoos are formulated with a patented liquid crystal technology that helps repel water and condition hair to keep color radiant. The five collections are custom designed by shade – blonde, brunette, red, midnight and highlighting – to help color-treated hair maintain its vibrancy and multi-dimensional shine in between colorings.

The Pantene Expressions shampoos and conditioners retail for just $5.49 apiece at national food, drug and mass merchandisers, and online at drugstore.com.