How to Keep My Hair Dyed a Long Amount of Time

How often you will need a touch-up often depends on how fast your hair grows out.

Dyed hair is an investment of both time and money. The chemical process involved in dying hair also takes a toll on hair, each time it is dyed, weakening hair strands. It makes sense to try to prolong your dye job as long as possible without having your hair looking frumpy and like it needs some help. The trick to keeping hair dyed over a long period of time is to take good care of it between dye jobs, getting regular touch-ups and investing time and money in its maintenance.

Instructions

1. Reduce how often you wash your hair. Washing your hair causes your hair to dry out and causes color to fade. According to Jeni Thomas, Ph.D. and senior scientist for Pantene, water alone is responsible for up to 80 percent of color fade. Wash your hair three to four times a week, or less, if you can stand it. Your scalp will adjust and thank you for it in the long run.

2. Wash your hair using a color-protective shampoo that is gentler on dyed hair. Wash your hair using lukewarm or cool water, avoiding hot water because it will cause your color to fade more quickly. Consider using a color-enhancing shampoo that is ammonia free. Color-enhancing shampoos add color and are good for hair cuticles, keeping your hair shiny and healthier-looking.

3. Protect your dyed hair from the sun and chlorine. Wear a hat or sunscreen formulated for your hair when spending extended times outside during the summer. Rinse hair with spring water before exposing it to chlorine in pools to dilute the chlorine's effect on your hair.

4. Accommodate your hair's special needs when styling your hair. Avoid blow-drying your hair to the point that it is dried out. Avoid hot oil treatments and volumizing hair products because they can strip hair color. Limit the use of heated styling tools like curling irons, crimpers and straighteners.

5. Rinse hair several times a month with a cup of chamomile tea. Let ti cool before applying it, pour it all over hair, massage scalp and rinse after ten minutes. Chamomile tea is safe for color-treated hair and naturally lightens hair (for darker dye colors, skip the tea), while also moisturizing hair and calming the scalp.

Tips & Warnings

• Red hair dye fades the fastest. If you are worried about color loss, you may want to avoid this color.

References

• Nightmare Hair: Hair Stories, Advice, Reviews and Tips
• College Fashion; How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?; Zephyr Basine
• Beauty-tips.net: Maintaining Color Treated Hair: Products & Tips
• "Woman's Day" Magazine; Top 10 Dyed-Hair Myths Revealed; Melissa Matthews; May 2009
• Notes from the Attic; How to Make Your Hair Dye Last Longer; December 2009
• "Good Housekeeping" Magazine; How to Protect Your Dyed Hair; Nina Judar