How to Make Your Hair Color Last Longer

Frequent salon visits are expensive and at-home touch-ups every four weeks are time consuming. What's a girl to do? Fortunately for those of us who weren't born with our ideal hair color, there are ways to keep our tresses enhanced and color-rich that can save us time and money. With just a few dye-job hacks you can keep your color vibrant and your hair beautiful for longer than you're used to. Ready? Good, let's get started on your lesson. 

Get the Right Color
When it comes to lasting color, you're better off being discerning about which color you choose. Going from blonde to raven can be a fun switch up, for example, but a color so far from your own is likely to require more frequent maintenance. Plus, the fading will be obvious. Choose a color as close to your natural shade as possible instead. When it starts to fade, it will be less noticeable. Red is the color most prone to fading because the molecules are larger than other colors and less stable.

Time it Right
Did you know that the natural oils your scalp produces help strands hang on to color? That's why most instructions in at-home kits say to dye "unwashed" hair. So avoid the shampoo at least a couple of days before you dye. Also, try to avoid washing your locks for a couple of days after you dye. You'll be giving your hair a chance to completely absorb color. The better and more locked in it is at the start, the better it will look over time.

Deep Condition and Glaze
Deep conditioning is always a good idea, whether you dye your hair or not. It helps hair stay healthy, soft and more absorbent. A deep conditioning mask a week before coloring will give you great color and continuing a weekly treatment will help keep it that way. Hair glazes used to be a salon-only treatment but now you can buy them at the drugstore. Applying a glaze is one way to protect your hair from environmental damage that fades color. 

Avoid Alcohol-Heavy Products
You may have figured out by now that the name of the no-fade game is keeping hair healthy, absorbent and hydrated. Dried out hair loses color fast and its dull appearance makes what color is left look sad and tired. Before you apply any product like hairspray or gel, look at the label. If alcohol is listed within the top five ingredients, skip it. Alcohol dries out hair like nobody's business. 

Pick the Right Shampoo and Conditioner
Shampoos and conditioners that claim to protect color-treated hair aren't just an ad gimmick. They'll help prevent fading, unlike other hair cleansing products. Look for those that are made for your shade and use them if you can. Definitely avoid using a "clarifying" shampoo right before or after your hair is dyed. 

Utilize Shower Know-How

The sun, drying products and heat-styling are definitely to blame for fading color but there's usually a bigger culprit: just plain water. When you shower and how you shower makes a difference. Keep your hair out of the direct line of water your shower head emits, unless you're rinsing. Hot water dries out hair, making it more porous and more prone to color being washed away. So when you're rinsing, take the temp down to lukewarm or even cold, if you can't handle it. The less you wash your hair with shampoo (even color-protecting shampoos), the more color you're keeping on your strands. Invest in dry shampoo to use in between washes and consider wearing a shower cap on days you're not washing.

Tips to Consider When Changing Your Hair Color

Not sure about you, but celebrities like Rihanna, Katy Perry and Drew Barrymore (among many others) have me constantly inspired to try a new, even bold (gasp!) hair color. But I, unlike the aforementioned starlets, don’t have a team of pros on speed dial to help me make the right color decisions. And, I surely don’t have someone on standby to fix potential unflattering disasters. I’m sure you can relate. That’s why I’m here to share key tips from hair color experts who not only have a wealth of knowledge about how to choose the most fab hair color for you, but they’ve also taken a ton of A-listers from blonde to brunette and back again. Before you make your next color change, consider these pointers…

COLOR TIP #1

When making a color choice, It has more to do with personality than it does about hair. Example: If you want to be a redhead, you have to own it. It’s the kind of color that makes people notice you. You’ll stand out more so you have to want to be noticed in order to pull it off.

COLOR TIP #2

A wig is the BEST way to try out a more drastic hair color as it’s completely temporary. You wouldn't want to make a dramatic change before you’re 100 percent positive you’re going to love it.

COLOR TIP #3

The person that is the hardest to please is the one who doesn't know what she wants. It’s like going to a restaurant and saying ‘give me something to eat’.

COLOR TIP #4

Go to a makeup counter and have a makeup artist select a palette that is suitable for your skin tone. You can learn a lot about what the best colors are to wear and find out [more] about your skin tone.

COLOR TIP #5

Skin tone plays a huge role in making color decisions. Someone with very fair skin should steer clear of any shade of blonde as the result wouldn't be ideal.

COLOR TIP #6

When going darker, if you have flawless skin, you’re lucky—try something really bold and go as dark as you like! Those with olive skin…add a touch of warmth to your hue so it doesn't look one-dimensional. If you have a lot of yellow if your skin, stick with a medium brown, as a really dark shade will wash you out and make you look ill.

COLOR TIP #7

I’m a big believer in evolution, not revolution. If you gradually transition from one color to the next, you might discover a color you love that you weren't thinking of going along the way.

COLOR TIP #8

If you have short hair you do not necessarily want to go monochromatic. Once it grows out, you’ll have to cut it short and color it again. Unless you’re made of money this isn't the best option. If your hair is super short, go with one color that will look great as it grows.

COLOR TIP #9

If you have grey hair, you can’t color your hair so that you don’t have to color your hair. No matter what color you think is the easiest to maintain, really, the maintenance is the same.

COLOR TIP #10

If you are the kind woman who has 1,000 things going on at once and coloring your hair isn’t top priority, you might want to go with something that can last three to four months without a touch up…Stay away from anything overly complicated.