Getting a different hair color can be a fun way to change up your look every now and then. Not only can it help you feel more confident, but it can also be a great way to express yourself and your style. But because the process can take lots of time, effort, and money to pull off, everyone wants their new color to last as long as possible.
While getting a stylist to manage your hair whenever it needs a touch-up is ideal, not everyone has the time to manage that. Luckily, this guide will show you all the strategies you can use to take care of colored hair and keep it looking fresh and vibrant for longer.
When or Why Does Hair Color Fade?
Hair dye can be a complicated solution to understand since it involves using many chemicals to give you the desired results. Even with permanent solutions, factors like your washing routine and natural hair color can greatly affect your dye’s appearance.
On average, permanent and semi-permanent hair dye can last anywhere between four to eight weeks long. But since most hair care products today use highly potent ingredients to clean your scalp, the color can also fade with every wash. The more often you do this, the duller and more faded your colored hair can look.
The Value of Proper Hair Care Habits
Dying your hair can leave you with a lot of damage and rough texture to deal with. If you aren’t careful, you can also worsen the effects and leave it looking duller, thinner, and more susceptible to hair loss. Hence, building healthy hair care habits is not only the key to maintaining your new color but to a healthy scalp as well.
While it’s a given that you will need to keep up with a specific routine after you get your color, most people don’t realize that there are initial preparations to getting the dye too.
8 Essential Tips and Tricks You Need for Longer-Lasting Hair Color
Your new hair color can last longer, given that you take the necessary hair care precautions seriously. If not, you can face major hair damage that can waste all the hard work you’ve put into your new look.
Follow these simple tips and tricks to learn the secret of how to take care of colored hair the right way.
1. Switch up your hair care products
If you want to maintain your new hair color, you’ll have to face the reality that regular hair care products can damage your look. Most products today have ingredients like sulfates and detergents that can strip the color off your hair faster. As such, it’s best to look for color-friendly hair care that doesn’t have alcohol or sulfate.
2. Cut back on heat tools
Styling your hair can add more personality to your look, making the experience funner and worthwhile. But if you style your hair too often with heat tools like hair dryers and curling irons, you risk damaging your hair and fading the color of your hair more and more with each use.
3. Protect your hair from the sun
Much like your skin, exposing your hair to too much direct sunlight can help fade your hair color faster. Wear a hat outdoors or cover in well-shaded and cooler areas as much as possible to protect your scalp.
4. Give your new color time to settle
The general rule to getting any perm is to wait at least 24 hours until you wash your hair. While this may seem weird, the chemicals in the dye need more time to bond and settle into your hair. This will leave you with a more vibrant look that you can enjoy for much longer.
But if you’re someone who can’t go a day without washing your hair, stick to cool water and use your fingertips to scrub the scalp gently.
5. Wash your hair less often
A lot of people build the habit of using shampoo every day. While it can be great to strip out the oil on your scalp, it’ll also stop your new color even if you use permanent dye. Consider spacing out the days when you wash your hair to help maintain your vibrant look. You can use dry shampoo between your washing schedules if you tend to have higher oil buildup on your scalp.
6. Remember to deep condition
When your hair goes dry, your hair color can easily appear dull and washed out, and it can also lead to your hair experiencing more damage, like split ends, hair fall, and dryness. Luckily, using a conditioning treatment once or twice a week can keep your hair color looking fresh and healthy as it adds moisture to your locks.
7. Try at-home touch-up kits
Eventually, you will need to touch up your color to keep it looking vibrant and fresh. This can also be an excellent opportunity to cover up growing roots and give your hair the care it needs to stay healthy and strong. While professionals usually offer touch-up kits or services, doing it at home can save you extra time and money.
8. Turn your shower on to a colder setting
Hot showers feel amazing after a long day. But you may not know that it can actually be bad for you and your hair. Exposing your dyed hair to high temperatures can fade your color quicker and ruin its hue. This effect is because the hair cuticles are more prone to open under heat than in cooler temperatures.
Build a Look That Lasts Longer and Stronger
Dying your hair is one of the best ways to express yourself and show your unique style to the world. The caveat is that it can be a complicated process to get done, taking lots of your time and effort to get it just right. So if you want your color to last longer, you’ll have to pick up a few hair care habits to maintain it.
While you can follow all the tips in this guide to help you, you can also talk to a professional stylist for more advice. The better you stick to your new routine, the healthier and more beautiful your hair will look.
Read Also: How To Get Rid of Brassy Hair: The Best Tips and Tricks
Author Bio:
Lisa is a content marketing specialist for L’Oreal Paris – an everyday, luxury beauty brand that
empowers women to effortlessly be their most beautiful and confident selves through its hair,
skin, and makeup products. As an advocate for women’s rights and empowerment, she is
passionate about beauty and fashion as a form of art and self-expression. Outside the beauty
world, you can find Lisa jamming to her favorite tunes, going on an online shopping spree, or
spending time with her friends.
