Coloring provides confidence to many. But retaining the color is a big task. In this article, we look at the best ways to keep your hair color intact without re-dyeing it. Keep scrolling to know more.
How Long Does Hair Dye Last?
How long your hair color lasts depends on the type of hair dye you use and the integrity of your hair. If you use semi-permanent hair dye, your hair color will last for about 6 weeks. If the cuticle is cracked or damaged, it may last for a lesser time. You can expect the color to last for around 6 months if you used permanent hair dye. Your hair texture and natural color also determine how long the hair dye lasts. If you have highly porous hair, the dye is more likely to fade away faster. When it comes to blonde or light hair, the hair dye may stain the hair and look washed out after some time. Some hair pigments will fade away quicker than others because of their molecule size. Red hair color is prone to fading much faster than others. Pink can also fade away and leave behind a stained orange tint on light/blonde hair. Whether you have blonde or dark hair, regularly refreshing your hair color will make the dye last longer, leading to healthier and brighter tresses. Find out how to refresh hair color at home and make it last longer below.
How To Refresh Your Hair Color At Home
Refreshing hair color is a process of reviving the pigment of your hair without dyeing it again. This is the perfect way to stop your hair color from fading and bring out that freshly-colored shine. Here are some tips that can help you keep your hair color from fading:
1. Try A Hair Gloss Treatment
A hair gloss treatment is a semi-permanent, clear coating color that makes the hair look shiny and lock in the color underneath it. A hair gloss treatment method of refreshing your hair color. It does not contain ammonia and is safe for frequent use, unlike some hair dyes. You can also use an at-home gloss treatment that takes a few minutes in the shower and knocks that dullness out of your tresses.
2. Don’t Take Frequent Showers
Frequent showering can cause your hair color to fade away quicker. Your strands are subject to constant swelling and stretching due to frequent hair washes, which can open up the hair cuticle and let the dye seep out. To keep the color from fading, wash your hair no more than once or twice a week.
3. Use A Concealer At The Roots
There are many types of hair concealers available on the market that can help you cover your emerging roots for special occasions, thus avoiding the need to re-color your hair very often. These concealers are not permanent and do not contain harmful chemicals. They wash out with water and shampoo.
4. Remove The Build-Up
A build-up of pollutants, products, or chemicals on your hair and scalp can cause discoloration and dullness of your tresses. Use a good cleansing shampoo or detox product to remove the scalp build-up and make your hair color look more vibrant. You can also rinse your tresses with apple cider vinegar mixed with equal parts water to eliminate build-up. Avoid using a clarifying shampoo when washing fresh color, as this will make the color fade faster.
5. Use A Cranberry Juice Rinse
If you need an organic method to refresh your hair color at home, try a cranberry juice rinse. Anecdotal evidence suggests that cranberry juice can make your hair look vibrant and bright, especially if you have red hair.
6. Rinse Your Hair With A Cup Of Coffee
Coffee is the perfect way to refresh your brown hair color without using any harmful chemicals. Just soak your hair in a cold cup of black coffee (without any milk or creamer). The longer you brew the grounds, the darker the shade your hair will soak up.
7. Rinse Your Hair With Champagne
What coffee is for brunettes, champagne is for light-colored hair. A rinse with champagne can help bring out the golden tones in blonde hair. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a champagne rinse can also keep frizz under control. Be careful not to leave your hair in the champagne for too long, and always use a leave-in conditioner afterwards. Alcohol will dry out the hair if left for too long.
8. Dye Your Hair With Henna
For a quick fix, resort to the time-tested henna. It is a natural way to color your gray roots and delay re-coloring brown or dark red hair for a few months. Henna is a metallic dye, not a color, which means that it cannot mix, or have other colors used on top of it (even if it’s been weeks or months and appears to have washed out) or it could melt the hair and have bad chemical reactions with whatever color goes on top of it. Henna can also protect your locks by combating bacteria on the scalp (1). Be warned that once henna touches the hair, you cannot use any other kind of dyes or colors because of the metallic properties. Also, henna cannot be lifted like other colors can; it will leave the hair green or orange, and the lifting process will compromise the hair. Henna is not a quick or temporary fix.
9. Use a Color-Refreshing Mask
One of the best ways to keep hair color from fading is with a color-refreshing mask. It is available in multiple shades, and it helps in restoring and boosting your hair color. It is also less harmful than chemical dyes. These are some simple hair care tips to refresh your hair color at home. But to make your dye job last longer, you need to take proper care of your hair. We discuss how to maintain your hair color easily in the next section.
How To Maintain Your Permanent Hair Color
Some things that you can do to maintain the vibrancy of your permanent hair color include:
In Conclusion
Can you dye already dyed hair? Yes, you can dye already dyed hair. However, wait for 4-7 weeks before re-dyeing it so that you don’t damage your hair.
