Keeping Hair Color or Dye from Fading

When you dye your hair, it is important to fight against color fading from the moment of application, and even before it, to experience the best results from your hair-dye job. If you have been routinely experiencing faded hair after a recent coloring, these tips will help you achieve your best results yet.

Choose the Dye You Need

Make sure you are using the proper dye for the type of results you want to achieve. If you are set on a hair color and want to maintain it, then go to a salon and have a permanent dye job done by their coloring technician. When you have committed to a look beyond basic brightening or more than a few shades outside of your natural hair color, the time for a semi-permanent dye is past, if you want maintain results.

Use Shampoo and Conditioner for Color-Treated Hair

When you go shopping for shampoo and conditioners after having a dye job done, pick out a set of products that were created specifically for color-treated hair. Almost every major drugstore and department store brand will have a line made to help maintain a dye job or will specify on the bottle that their regular brand is safe for color-treated hair. While products that read "safe for color-treated hair" are okay for use, you will be better off using a shampoo that is made specifically to maintain your new look.

Wear a Hat in the Sun

If you are going to be out in the sun for an extended period of time, put on a hat. Even a basic baseball cap will suffice at keeping the sun's rays from beating down on your hair. Prolonged sun exposure lightens anyone's hair. When you have your hair dyed, this aspect of hair care does not change, and the sun will fade your color if a hat is not worn.

Be Careful in the Pool

Chlorine is bad for hair, period. It dries out even non-color-treated hair with repeat exposure. However, the chlorine will not only dry out your dyed locks, it will also contribute to heavy-duty fading of the color. When you are in a pool, wear a bathing cap that keeps out the water.

Assess Your Water

If you monitor all of the above and your hair color is still fading, assess your tap water. A water softener may be useful, but if you do not have the ability to install one, a shower tap attachment can be purchased that will filter the water coming through your shower head.

Begin to protect your hair color from fading from day one, and you will experience better results at maintaining a dye job.