How to Make Hair Dye Last Longer: Tips and Tricks for Long-Lasting Color

Name: WOW Skin Science
Brand: WOW Skin Science
Rating: 5 (42257 reviews)

September 29, 2020

2 mins

Goutaman Ram

You can enjoy long lasting hair color, even if the rules of haircare may be a bit different for colored hair. We'll tell you how to make hair color last longer!

You've found the perfect dye for your hair.

But now it won’t stop bleeding everywhere. To make things worse, it's staining your pillowcase, bedsheets, and clothes.

Having gorgeous looking hair shouldn’t be this difficult!

The rules of haircare may be a little different from colored hair than your natural hair. But the good news is that there is an answer to stop the bleeding and have your hair keeping its color far longer.

Keep It Protected: Preventing Fading and Damage to Hair Color

How long does hair color last? It depends on quite a few factors, such as the type of dye – are you using a permanent hair color of a semi-permanent hair color?, but also on how you take care of your color treated hair. Your hair goes through a lot when you’re coloring it and as such the days right after you color, your hair is the most crucial.

The First 72 Hours

Before we go into the methods for preserving your hair color, it is important to first be aware of the most important time window when dyeing your hair - right after you dye it.

Your follicles are still absorbing the color particles. Washing them too early can cause your hair shaft to bleed like crazy. We recommend waiting at least 3 full days before washing your hair so be prepared!

Heat Tools

This is a good time to get creative with styling your hair without blow dryers and heat irons. Heat styling opens up your cuticles and fades your color away. This is especially true if you commonly use your irons at high temperatures.

Planning to Swim?

Chlorine and salt are top color-bleeding culprits as well. This means you should ideally be staying away from the pools or the ocean. If you’re still going to swim, keep your hair well protected with waterproof swim cap or prevent fully submerging your entire head of hair in the water.

Alternatively, you can rinse your hair beforehand to prevent the hard water from getting into your hair. You want to also rinse it off after washing away the chlorine or salt.

Wash Your Hair Less: Tips for Prolonging the Life of Your Hair Dye

The very purpose of washing your hair is to cleanse your follicles and scalp. Which means seeing a little color bleed from your hair during showers is okay but this is rarely the case.

You can greatly reduce color fading when showering by staying far away from hot water. The heat opens up your cuticle and causes color to run. Combine this with the cleansing power of your shampoo and that easily spells disaster.

You want to also be reducing the frequency of washing your hair. On wash days, simply use lukewarm water when shampooing your hair. (Coldwater works best!) and on no-wash days, have a shower cap handy so your hair can stay dry.

Be sure to stay away from shampoos with harsh ingredients too as they can cause bleeding even when showering with cold water!

Condition It! The Importance of Conditioning for Long-Lasting Hair Color

On days where you do wash your hair, be sure to condition it! There are a few reasons for this. Dry and damaged hair holds color less efficiently and bleeds more easily. Keeping your strands nourished and moisturized can help to hold the color in better.

However, it matters what sort of conditioners you use as some conditioners contain harmful ingredients like silicones and alcohol. Alcohol dries out your hair while silicones can worsen breakage and cause product buildup.

Here are a few natural shampoo and conditioner sets from WOW Skin Science that are color-safe and free from any harsh chemicals!