How you can keep your hair color from fading
Well first of all here is a quick lesson in hair color to help you understand what is going on. This in turn can help you understand what's up with that and how to prevent it. There are three primary colors that make up all other colors in the color spectrum. These are the primary colors red, blue and yellow. Artificial hair color molecules vary in size from one another. Blue being the smallest, red the medium and yellow the largest. When you get your hair colored the hair cuticle opens and allows these colors to penetrate into the shaft then seals back down to keep these molecules in.
How this relates to how your color fades
Think of it like you fill a funnel with three different sized balls .The smallest balls will trickle out before the larger balls come out.
So if your hair color has blue or violet base like a blazing blue violet based red or a pearl shade of blonde and even ash and cool brunettes, the blue base color molecules in your hair are going to fall out of the shaft first leaving you looking brassy because the yellows and reds are shining through. Red heads are the class that has the hardest time with color fadage though. Its just so painfully obvious when your color fades, especially if you have a red violet based color because it is a double whammy. Your losing the blue AND red molecules out of the shaft which can leave you with a not so pretty red tones which can vary from pink to orange shades.
Now copper based red heads don't have as much of an issue as violet based red heads because the blues involved are minimal for the most part. But not everyone can pull off a copper based red. On the right skin tone it can be glorious , but on the wrong skin tone you just look like you got a bad dye job. Copper based reds loose the red pigment fastest and start looking yellow and dull. Blondes have challenges which vary by the tone of blonde. Platinum and pearl or champagne blondes loose that oomph when violet undertones fade and they can begin to look brassy. Golden blondes can loose their warmth and start looking just white and flat. Another reason your color may change over time is pollution and free radicals like the sun, pollution in the air and water and mineral deposits.Clorine,tanning and yes, even your shampoo and styling products
can strip your color.
What you can do to prevent it
Look for sulfate free shampoos that are gentle and made for color treated hair.Sulfates will strip your hair and make it squeaky clean which is great for non color treated hair, but avoid them like the plague if you want to keep your color fresh. If you are planning on being outside a lot or if you tan, use a hair product with a sunscreen. There are a lot of these on the market now a days. As far as styling products go, most contain alcohol which can lend to the issue. I would love to say stay away from anything with alcohol in it, but it isn't the most realistic advice I can give. Many manufacturers have marketed alcohol free styling product but they never go over very well. Without the alcohol styling products just take way too long to dry and by the time they dry, your style is flat and your look like a wet dog with sticky hair. If you do happen to find a great hair styling product that is alcohol free then by all means use it! Otherwise just make sure you have a leave in product to buffer the bond between your hair and the product. This doesn't have to be a leave in conditioner that weighs your hair down. It can be a leave in reconstruct free styling cream or gloss. There are a lot of things you can try for this purpose just read the labels and ask your stylist if you are unsure what will work for you.
Rinse your hair in cool water to seal down the shaft over the color sealing it inside.
Don't wash every day. Try to wash your hair only when needed, not just because your already in the shower.
Wet your hair and apply a leave in conditioner before getting in the pool. If your hair is already saturated it will soak up less chlorine which fades color just like chlorine bleaches clothes out. After you get you out of the pool wash your hair again before it dries.Dont let the chorine harden into nasty deposits in your hair forcing the hair cuticle open and letting your color free to go down the drain.
Cover your hair in the tanning bed. I take a head wrap in with me.Ya I look silly, but nobody sees me, at least I hope not! If you have hard or well water ,buy water to wash your hair with. You can get water by the gallon for under a dollar at most grocery stores. Keep your hair healthy. Damaged hair will not hold color well because the shaft isn't strong enough to keep the color in and free radicals out.
What you can do to bring life back to your color
Try out color depositing shampoos and conditioners. They are a great way to give your color new life between salon visits. Go for a color that will enhance the tone and base colors that you need to re deposit. Use at least once a week to maintain color and more often if you need more deposit.
I also love semi permanent color to freshen color. Look for ammonia and peroxide free temporary hair color rinses that last four to six shampoos. These should be bottle to hair products. If you have to mix two things before application not temporary color! Your mixing a color and a developer no developer in temporary color. Its just basically like lip gloss for your hair. A color coating that washes back off with no damage and no permanent changes.
There are also a lot of styling products available now that either have pigment added to them or reflective particles to add shine and dimension to your color.
Change your makeup and clothing as your color fades. AS your hair looses pigmentation so should your cosmetics and clothes. This gives the illusion that your just softening your look this week. Save the iridescent blue eye shadow and black eye liner to vamp up your fresh color next week.
