How To Eliminate Hair Color Fading In 7 Easy Steps!

Does your hair color fade within days after you have hair color? You're not alone...most hair color fades about 20% with the first shampoo. Look at the following "reminders" to help keep your color looking radiant and healthy, everyday of the month.

Shampoo First:

One of the easiest ways to help keep the color lasting is to shampoo and dry your hair before you color at home or have the salon service. I know some of you are thinking... " but I just can't rinse the color it will dry my hair out." Keep in mind that the only reason you shampoo is to cleanse and remove product from the hair. The hair color product that is being used on the hair will not make your hair dirty, so it really doesn't matter when you shampoo to cleanse. It can be thoroughly rinsed and conditioned and the color will retain the shade value and last longer which is your ultimate goal.

Turn Down the Heat:

When you're shampooing use tepid water rather than hot water. In most cases, it is not necessary to shampoo twice unless you are cleansing your hair to use a product that requires a first shampoo. Use a professional shampoo and treatment line to help retain the moisture which will help the fresh hair color last longer. These products can be purchased in the salon or in the beauty supply.

Hair Spray:

If you need to use hair spray, always spray at a distance (about 10 inches). Hair spray coats the hair shaft and suffocates the hair leaving it dull and dry. Often women spray so close that the hair looks like pastry crust when it dries. This chemical dries out the hair so much that it lifts out the hair color molecules from the hair shaft. Or, coats the hair so much, the molecules can't penetrate into the hair shaft, which will cause an uneven deposit of color in the hair shaft. When using this with other high-volume alcohol hair styling products, use sparingly. Also, be sure to rinse every day with warn water if you don't shampoo. This will help to remove the daily build up.

Hot Appliances:

My heart often stops when I watch women using hot appliances to either curl or straighten out their hair. When the hot smoke comes up off the hair when they are being blown dry, I have to step in and ask for the heat to be turned down. These small appliances can do more damage to color treated hair than any other thing used over hair color. Generally, when hair is broken off or frazzled on the hair shaft, you can almost be sure the hair dryer or flat iron was too hot. Often the stylist is more concerned with the outcome of the style than the hair color lasting, so you must remind them. Simply say, "Please don't use such a hot iron on my freshly color treated hair."

Roots:

Hair color starts to oxidize with time. After shampooing, it will show up as fading throughout the hair, but more on the ends. If your hair is in poor condition, it will lose the color pigments much faster than hair that is in good condition. Even though there isn't really anything permanent about hair color, the color will last much better if you keep your appointments a month apart. When you wait longer, the over all color is flat and dull because of the color oxidation. You can use every conditioner made and it won't bring back the shine and the look of health that fresh hair color will. Conditioners help retain the moisture in the hair so the hair color retains its shade value longer.

In Between:

This is an easy way to keep your hair color beautiful all month long. Using Semi-Permanent colorants will allow your hair color to last longer than any other in-between product. This product comes in the same shades that your permanent hair color does. The Semi-Permanent colorant will only last about 6-8 shampoos. These will deposit color pigments into the hair shaft without coating so they can be used weekly if you want. You can also use color shampoos which will sometimes coat the hair, so I suggest not using them near your next color service. Both these products will help to extend your hair color. You can match or brighten your blonde, red and brunette hair. These can be used over natural or color treated hair every week or once a month. All salons have them for the normal color service, which will cost about as much as the permanent color service. Or, you can buy them to take home from the salon or at a beauty supply.

Dead Ends:

It is also important to keep your "dead end" cut or at least trimmed, to help the ends not to look so faded. The whole strand is really dead once it grows from the scalp so by the time it grows 4-8 inches, they are generally drier than the mid-hair shaft and need to be trimmed off. You will often see women with flat color on the ends of the hair because often times the hair has not been prepared properly to accept the color formula being used. Therefore it is the first to slip down the drain with the shampoo. This can also be corrected with the above Semi-Permanent colorant.

Last word:

Good hair color takes work. If you want beautiful hair color you must make a commitment. Keep your hair appointments and have treatments in the salon or do them yourself at home. You will be glad you did and you will notice a big change in your hair color.