New Delhi, Feb 29 (IANSlife): Holi is around the corner, which means we are all prepping up to enjoy one of the most cheerful and fun occasions in our calendar, the festival of colours. Whether you play Holi on the big day itself, or don't mind several splashes of colour in its run-up, your hair should not suffer in the festivities.

"The enjoyment and celebration is amazing but can turn out to be a bad dream for the skin and hair. Leaving its impact as breakouts for skin inflammation, rashes, dryness and for hair, it leads to hair fall, frizziness and that's not all," Agnes Chen, National Technical Head at Streax Professional.

Before you jump into the pond of colours, here are Chen's pre-Holi hair care tips everyone should follow to avoid the after-effects of the harmful colours.

Pre-Holi hair care regime

There are several ways to protect your hair from the onslaught of harsh Holi colours. Shampoo your hair with nourishing shampoo to hydrate and moisturise the hair, apply a nourishing and hydrating conditioner and leave the conditioner in the hair. Now, tie it up to your hair in a bun and go out to enjoy Holi. The conditioner acts as a barrier and protects the hair.

Holi colours that are chemical-free and organic washes off easily and does not need to be removed forcefully and therefore, should be preferred.

Removing Holi colours

It is strongly recommended to thoroughly rinse your hair with plain water to get rid of dirt, dry colours and chemicals in the colours, but it is essential to remove Holi colours without going harsh with your scalp and hair. Apply a mild shampoo, gently massage your hair and scalp, leave it for about 10 minutes and then rinse out the shampoo completely. Now, apply a rich conditioner that will help replenish the oil and moisture that are taken away by the chemicals. For further effect, you can oil your hair and leave it overnight after Holi.

You can also opt for hair mask for next 2-3 days to get rid of the damage done by the chemicals.

Care for chemically treated hair

If the hair is very dry and chemically treated, you need to be even more careful during and after Holi. You must use a hair spa mask and leave it in the hair while you play Holi. Traditionally a good hair oil like coconut oil or olive can be massaged on the scalp and hair from roots to ends. Tie your hair up in a tight braid before stepping out to play colours. The oil hydrates and keeps the hair nourished while acting as a wall against Holi colours.

"Celebrating the festival with dry and organic colours is always advisable as dry colour can be

easily dusted off. If the Holi colour is not organic or chemical-free, then it can make the hair more delicate and cause the texture of the hair to go dry and rough. This is because when the original hair is being chemically treated, they are sensitive and when the cuticles are damaged due to chemicals, the hair bonds are broken," Chen said.

If the unwanted Holi colour persists on your coloured hair, you can also opt for hair colour techniques so that other vibrant colours can be camouflaged by using an ammonia-free base shade on a level 3 or 4. In any other extreme cases, you can go in for a layered and textured haircut to remove the coloured bits.

Holi is the festival of fun and frolic with friends and family. So, don't let the fear of hair damage keep you away from the festive revelry. Just follow these little tips and enjoy carefree Holi.