Dying your hair is an important step you take to change your look. But how long will you be able to enjoy your new hair color? Are there ways you can make it last even longer? The answers to these important questions will depend on different factors.
The type of dye you use as well as the original color of your hair will be very important in the process. This guide will answer all your questions and give you precious information!
How Long Does Hair Dye Last? If you are wondering how long does hair dye last, the general rule says it will last between six weeks and eight weeks. But there are several details to take into account as well.
How Long Does Permanent Hair Dye Last?
There are different types of hair dye on the market. And they will last for different amounts of time. You can use a semi-permanent dye or a permanent dye.
The semi-permanent hair dye will last for a maximum of six weeks. And that is if you don’t wash your hair on a daily basis. In the good cases, you might enjoy your semi-permanent hair dye even for eight weeks.
As for the permanent dye, this can last even several months. You will have to retouch the roots as your hair grows but the color will stay on the rest of your hair.
You have to pay attention though because permanent hair dye tends to be a lot more dangerous for your hair too. It contains stronger chemicals and will impact the health of your hair more.
Does Permanent Hair Dye Fade?
Since the permanent dye is known for being permanent, the color will not fade as easily as it would with a semi-permanent dye. But that doesn’t mean it will not fade at all. It depends on the shade you choose to begin with.
Red permanent dye will be the most prone to fading. You can dye your hair a strong shade of red and end up with a more orange shade after a few weeks.
On the other hand, if you dye your hair black or a dark shade of brown, you can count on it the color staying the same longer. It works the same for other natural colors such as different shades of blonde or brown.
As a general rule, if you use classic shades of permanent hair dye, they will last for a longer time. If you dye your hair in electric colors such as blue, green, bright red and so on, you should expect some fading going on.
Permanent hair dye has some ammonia in its structure. This ammonia will transport the color inside your hair’s cuticles. Thanks to this process, your color will remain the same for a longer time.
But the shampoo, sun exposure as well as other hair products you might use, will take away from the hair color over time.
How to Make Your Hair Dye Last Longer
Now that you know how long the hair dye will last according to different factors, let’s see how you can help it last even more. There are certain tricks that will give you the color you want for a longer time.
Don’t wash your hair too often
This is maybe the most important aspect to consider. Overwashing your hair will fade your color faster. If your hair gets greasy easily, you might want to try out dry shampoos.
You can try washing your hair once two days, to begin with. This is a great transition from washing it on a daily basis. If you start doing that, it will be easier to wash it every three days and even every four days. Find a good balance for your hair. You don’t want to overwash it but you don’t want to have oily, greasy hair either.
Use a shampoo designed to protect your hair color
Not all shampoos are the same. As a matter, if fact you can choose a shampoo that is just what your hair needs. They make shampoos for dry, oily and fragile hair. But there are also shampoos for dyed hair.
By using a shampoo for dyed hair you protect your color even more. You should invest in a shampoo that contains no sulfates and it is intended for colored hair. And try to use a conditioner that will have the same qualities.
Don’t use a lot of heat
If you like hot showers, you might want to give that a break if you want to maintain your hair color. Hot water will open your hair’s cuticles and allow the color to come out, causing it to fade faster.
It can also damage your hair and drying it out. The best water temperature you can choose for washing your hair is lukewarm. Anything hotter than that will cause more damage.
This applies to style your hair as well. You don’t want to overuse the iron to get your hair straight or curly too much. You can still use it on special occasions but certainly not on a regular basis. Reduce the exposure to heat as much as possible when you want to maintain your hair color longer.
Use hair masks
Using a hair mask once a week can help you have healthier hair. It can also help you protect your hair color. You can choose a hair mask that has color protection and enjoy it every Sunday for instance.
Hair masks a great for giving your hair the nutrients it needs to be healthy. Plus, you will have a shinier and smoother hair as well!
How long should hair dye stay in before washing?
If you dye your hair at home, the amount of time you give your dye to take effect is essential for the final result. Leave it in too little and you might not get the color you want.
If you live it in too long, you might damage your hair. While all hair dyes will come with clear instructions about this, there are also general aspects you need to know.
Hair dye tends to take effect in 25 minutes minimum. You might want to leave it in longer such as 30 minutes or 40 minutes if you want a stronger shade.
But this depends on the hair color you already have. However, never leave your hair dye in more than 40 minutes! You can give it an extra 5 or 10 minutes on top of the time limit you find in the instructions. But anything more than that will work against you.
How Long Does Hair Dye Last on Skin
When you dye your hair, especially if you do it at home, you might get some dye on your skin. The most exposed areas are your forehead, neck, ears but also your hands. You will protect your hands by using gloves but the other areas might be harder to protect.
If you do get hair dye on your skin, you should know that it can last for several days and even more than a week. But you can avoid this by trying to clean it off immediately after you dyed your hair.
To remove dye from your skin you can try a regular cleanser at first. All you have to do is wash your skin areas that need to be cleaned. This might work if you didn’t get a thick layer of dye on it.
If the cleanser doesn’t help you get rid of the dye on your skin, you can try with alcohol. You can use raw alcohol that you purchase from any pharmacy.
Pour a little alcohol on some cotton and gently rub over the skin area that you need to clean. Be careful to not overdo it because you might get irritations. And do not get the alcohol in your eyes!
It is important not to use a skin scrub when you try to remove hair dye. Even if this might seem tempting, it can damage your skin too much in the process. Not only that your skin will look irritated but it might also tear if you do that.
Conclusion
Prolonging your hair color is not complicated if you follow the easy steps in this guide. But understanding how long your hair dye will last in the first place is crucial. This way you will know what to expect from it.
You will also have realistic standards according to the type of dye you use. Keep in mind that permanent hair dye will damage your hair more as well.
So, if you use permanent dye you need to give extra care to your hair to help it recover easier. On the other hand, if you prefer to change your hair color often, a semi-permanent dye will probably be the best for you.
You can have a healthy and beautiful hair regardless of the dye you use. But you need to take care of it on a regular basis!