How to Prevent Hair Color From Fading
Booking an appointment for a dye job touch-up isn’t the easiest thing to do, with many salons still closed or open with plenty of restrictions. Even if your neighborhood salon has since reopened, the safety of visiting these locations is still up in the air, especially if you’re immunocompromised. The best option is to either do your hair at home and try to maintain color-treated hair for as long as possible. While it’s not necessarily a crisis of the highest degree, it’s still quite inconvenient for most people, particularly those who still have to look their best for corporate Zoom meetings. If you want to keep your color-treated hair from fading and preserve it for as long as you can — preferably until you can safely return to the salon — here are some actionable tips on how to do that.
Invest in a shower filter and water softener.
Showering in hard water can strip hair of moisture and natural oils and prevent it from retaining color treatments. This is because hard water is full of mineral deposits like copper, calcium, and magnesium, which stick to the hair, creating a thin film that essentially weighs it down. You can eliminate hard water by installing a shower filter on your shower head and a high-quality water softener near your pressure tank.
Avoid washing your hair every day.
Frequent hair washing can wash away your vibrant hair color. If possible, avoid washing your hair every day. Unless you sweat a lot, have wonderful hair or an oily scalp, or live in a scorching and humid area, you don’t need to wash your hair daily anyway since spacing out your wash days helps the scalp retain its natural oils and moisture. Doctors recommend cleaning at least every other day or every 2 to 3 days, depending on your hair’s texture and scalp condition.
Stay away from the heat.
Dyed hair is more vulnerable to damage, so steer clear of hair straighteners, blow dryers, and curling irons whenever possible. Instead of blow-drying your hair, wrap it in a towel for a few minutes after you come out of the shower, then let it air dry. You can even add a few spritzes of a texture spray and sit in front of an electric fan to give your hair some volume and speed up the drying process. If you have to use a heat styling tool, apply a good amount of heat protection on your hair before doing so.
Protect your hair from UV rays.
Your hair and scalp must be protected from the sun’s harmful UV rays just as much as your skin. Staying under direct sunlight for too long can fade hair color and damage the scalp. So, before heading out on a sunny day, don’t forget to put on a large hat and spray on hair products that have UV protectors in them and an SPF of at least 15+. It would help if you also tried to limit your exposure to the sun as much as possible.
Opt for a color that’s closer to your natural one.
If you’re prepared to put in the work when it comes to maintaining pastel hair colors on your own, then by all means, go for it. However, if you want a hassle-free dye job that doesn’t need constant touch-ups, then opt for a hair color that’s closer to your natural one. At least two to four shades lighter or darker than your natural color is optimal, so your roots don’t show too much.
Dye your hair with temporary hair color.
Some DIY touch-up kits you can easily buy at any drugstore give you everything you need to hide any overgrown roots successfully. If you need an overall hair color solution, use a temporary box-dye hair color. These usually have a milder formula than salon-quality dyes, so you won’t risk damaging your hair or scalp. Since it’s quick, you won’t have to worry about messing up since it’ll eventually wash away over time. You can even put some of it in your conditioner to lightly re-dye your hair each time you wash it.
Shower with lukewarm or cold water
Hot water can fade hair dye quickly. It’s much better to shower with lukewarm or cold water instead. Not only is it better for your hair color, but it’s also better for your skin. You can still take a hot shower every once in a while if you’ve got aching muscles that need soothing, but be sure to put your hair up in a shower cap before doing so. Keep your hair color around for longer, at least until it’s much safer to revisit your hairdresser, with these practical hair color care tips.
