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Do you color your hair only to find it fading shortly after? Whether you seek out store-bought hair coloring kits or have it professionally colored, you want it to last as long as possible right? There’s absolutely nothing that compares to adding a new color to change up your look. Be it a daring dark black, a beautiful auburn hued brown, or a warm honey blonde a new look every now and then is good. But it can wreck havoc on your hair, so making it last as long as possible is a must. It’s recommended to wait at least 6 weeks in between coloring, so preventing it from discoloring and fading is also essential.
Here are some tricks and tips to keep that color locked in and vibrant!
Boxed Blends Quality
I mostly dye my hair from a box. It’s cheaper and I love doing it myself. It’s my own personal pampering time, and I love re-creating my hair. You don’t have to go to a salon to get vibrant, beautiful, healthy looking color- you can certainly get it from a box. Just don’t choose the cheapest on the shelf. You might be spending a few extra dollars on a name brand color, but it’s worth it. The color will stay vibrant longer because they use higher quality ingredients.
Pre-Conditioning
Deep conditioning you hair a week or so before you color it will help your color stay longer. It will help the color latch onto the strands of hair, keeping it from discoloring and fading shortly after you color it. The deep conditioning treatment will also help because your hair will be less likely to become damaged from the dye. The conditioner protects your hair from the coloring chemicals, which can be quite harsh.
Washing
Not washing your hair the day (or a couple, if you can manage it) before you decide to color it will also protect your hair. Your hair has built-in oils that will naturally protect itself from the damage from the chemicals. Shampooing your hair before dying it will rinse all those natural oils out, leaving your hair free a mark for damage and fast fading. Those same oils will also snatch those color particles up and suck them in, so leave them be! Those oils will keep your hair from fading in the longer-run. Also AFTER coloring, try to not shampoo for as long as possible. Whip out that dry shampoo if you have to (just lightly spritz it, don’t soak your hair in it).
Burr... Cold Water Wash
Make sure that when you’re rinsing your hair color out, that the water is cold. The cold water seals the follicles of your hair, making the color stay in longer. You should be doing this anyway, even when washing your hair on a day-to-day basis. After you get done with your shower or bath, flip on the cold water and give your hair a rinse. Cold water works wonders for sealing vitamins from your hair care in your hair. (It also helps with keeping frizz to a minimum, while boosting your natural hair health).
Color-Enhanced Hair Care
Between touch-ups you can use color-enhanced hair care. John Frieda has an entire line for color-enhanced hair. I have dark hair so I use their Brilliant Brunette Blend, but they have versions for every shade of color. They are very creamy, rich, and smell absolutely amazing. The Brilliant Brunette shampoo and conditioner are both dark in color, just like the Blonde version is a yellowish tint. It matches your hair shade!
If you have blonde hair you can also use a clarifying shampoo (for example: Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo & Conditioner) to help release and remove chemicals and product build-up which can change the hue of light hair. It will make your blonde hair extremely more vibrant.
Deep Condition
Deep conditioning your hair once a week, or every other week is a major factor. I don’t know how many people who have asked me if I recently colored my hair. I had to say “Nope, like 4 months ago”. I’ve only been doing root touch-ups here lately, because my hair looks freshly colored. The trick is hair health. Take care of your hair, and it will show.
Protect Against Sunlight & Chlorine Exposure
The UV rays from the sun not only wreck extreme havoc on the health of your hair, it will fade your color. It will make your hair look damaged, dry, and lifeless pretty quickly. If you know you’ll be spending time out in direct sunlight apply a UV protective conditioner or hair spritz. For extra protection, get yourself a hat.
The chemicals and chlorine in pools and hot tubs will do the same thing, fade and discolor your hair. The longer you expose yourself to the chemicals, the worse your hair will fade. You can apply a heavy conditioner or coconut oil to your hair before hopping in to protect yourself. For longer hair, tie it tightly in a bun or ponytail.
There are also caps specifically for this as well. Ever been to a swim-meet and see the swimmers wearing those funny little hats? That isn’t just for style, it’s for their hair protection. They spend a lot of time practicing and their hair will show it if not protected correctly. Chlorine can make hair very brittle, so brittle in fact that it will break off. So, make sure you wear a hat (if you don’t mind looking like a bald mannequin).
Do you have any tips for longer-lasting hair color? I’d love for you to link them up!
Hope you Enjoy
